While you may once have grabbed a gift card by the tills in a panic, the perfect gift card (delivered by email) can be a wonderful present. Once available only for shops such as Marks & Spencer or iTunes, e-gift cards are now offered by thousands of retailers, from luxury department stores to indie boutiques. As a gift, it’s far more thoughtful than some cash stuffed hastily inside a card, and it comes with enough freedom for your hard-to-pin-down relatives to find something they’ll actually want.
Another bonus of the e-gift card is that if you’ve left things until the last minute, you can purchase a thoughtful gift right up until Christmas morning – or Boxing Day morning, if there’s a family Secret Santa that you’ve forgotten about. To show you some of the available options, we scoured the internet to find an e-gift card suitable for absolutely every type of person. Our 40 finds range from picks for teens and food-and-drink lovers to ones for gamers and kids.
Clothing and accessories
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For the daughter who has been collecting charms since she was a teenager.
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For the sister who waited diligently in the online Zara queue during lockdown.
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For an aspiring Olivia Neill, Urban Outfitters has a selection of home items, accessories, and even vinyl and film cameras, in addition to clothes and accessories.
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A gift card for a Strategist-favourite brand recommended by two writers — including a British Vogue editor. Ace & Tate has a selection of inexpensive, stylish frames.
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For the friend who never skips leg day. We suggest you also email your giftee a link to our guide to shopping this (expert-recommended) brand.
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To save the awkwardness of having to ask your girlfriend what size she is. Bluebella’s range of lingerie and nightwear is available in sizes 6 to 18.
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We imagine the outdoorsy people in your life will already have specific ideas about what kit they’ll want — but we bet they’re likely to find it at Cotswold.
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So your nan can find herself a lovely jumper (or blow the whole thing on Percy Pigs).
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If their edgier tastes leave you wondering where to begin, END. would be a great place to start (and may even earn you an enthusiastic nod of approval).
Food and Drink
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If your intended has a sweet tooth, let them pick a luxurious treat from Dark Sugars’ selection of handcrafted chocolates and drinks.
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If your parents are a little bit glamorous, they’ll love having a bottle from the Champagne Company in the fridge.
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For the brother who stocks his cupboards with the niche-est of vinegars. Perhaps he’ll discover something new from Sous Chef’s range of ingredients and cookware.
Tech
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An iTunes gift card might be outdated, but an Apple gift card is quite useful. You can put it toward a new laptop, AirPods, or any other electronics or accessories sold by Apple, as well as pay for an Apple Music or Apple TV+ subscription.
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A Nintendo online membership lets players battle head-to-head online as well as giving access to catalogue of vintage NES games. Ideal for the friend who waited patiently to buy their very own Switch.
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For friends still waiting to get their hands on the elusive PS5, this e-card for the PlayStation store can be redeemed on any PS model and gives them access to games as well as an online membership.
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And for the friend who laughs at those on the PS5 waitlist, Xbox also offers its own game pass.
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For the sister who hogs the aux in the car. Save her the embarrassment of those pesky ads for one month or up to a whole year.
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This would make the perfect gift for the older brother whose account you’ve been sponging off for the past few years (though it won’t take back the damage you did to their recommended titles by watching The Kissing Booth ten times).
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For the Twitch streamer in the making. Minecraft currency lets them buy skins, textures, and worlds within the game.
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Beauty and Skin Care
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Ideal if you have absolutely no idea what foundation shade your sister favours.
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Or for the sister who gave you a Google doc on her preferred skin-care brands.
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A chance for the cousin who absolutely swears by Charlotte’s Magic Cream to shop around some of her other skin-care and beauty products.
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All of Smashbox’s products are 100 percent cruelty free: ideal for a vegan friend.
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Haeckels has a lovely selection of vegan skin care, candles, and perfumes, amongst other all-natural items.
Kids and Baby
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If you’re not really sure what type of toys your nieces and nephews are into, let them pick their own from Smyths (which carries everything from Barbie to Fisher-Price and the latest LEGO sets).
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Stores and Boutiques
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For the sister whose Christmas doesn’t begin without the Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar.
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If your colleague loves something handcrafted (and shopping small), they can choose from millions of independent boutiques selling everything from jewellery to homewares.
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Ideal for the friend who has just moved into a new home. Wayfair’s selection of furniture, linens, and lighting will get them on their way.
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Alkemi Store has such a beautifully crafted selection of homewares and lifestyle products that even the pickiest of recipients will find something to their liking.
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For your luxury-loving pal, consider a Selfridges e-gift card — they can shop from such brands as Gucci, Fendi, Acne Studios, and Skims.
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For the dad who doesn’t want anything (and it can be used at Waitrose, too).
The Strategist UK is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Read about who we are and what we do here. Our editors update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.