Last minute gifts for Christmas: Vouchers from Amazon and Co.
Christmas is just around the corner and you still don't have a present? Then a gift card will help you. If you want to give a gift to gamers, nerds, or techies in your circle of acquaintances, a gift card as a last-minute present is a very effective means - and NextPit tells you what you have to look out for.
If you're reading this post, chances are you're either running very late, have no clue what to get a certain person—or worst-case scenario, both. Therefore, our shopping guides are of limited help because a) most of the deadlines for deliveries have passed anyway and b) you might not even know which gadget the person to be gifted would be happy about.
You might be skeptical about an impersonal gift certificate. But at the end of the day, it's a gift that the recipient definitely won't need/want to exchange later and that can be used immediately after purchase. So from that point of view, it is even a very sustainable gift! We tell you here where you can get which vouchers, how much money you have to spend at least and how long they are valid.
Amazon voucher: The golden ticket
Really? Do we want to shove more money down Jeff Bezos' throat of all people? Yes, I can feel your skepticism. But yes, there are indeed good reasons to stop by the shopping giant for a gift certificate.
One very good reason has to do with the fact that you can purchase a lot of digital products there. In other words, things that don't need to be packed and shipped and that don't need an unfriendly parcel carrier firing them unkindly into your hallway or driveway. No matter if the person who receives your voucher wants to buy a movie, a video game, an app, music, or a book: With a voucher, he can strike directly and has your gift ready for use a second later.
If you click on the link above, you'll also see that Amazon gives you a variety of options when it comes to choosing a gift card. You can send it in a gift box or a greeting card in the classic way. You can also send the voucher directly online, or opt for the print-at-home variant.
The fun starts at just $1, the upper limit is a generous $2,000! Another advantage for Amazon: You get there not only a whole cornucopia of different gift vouchers from the company, but also quite a few vouchers from other big brands.
So do you want to gift a Spotify, Netflix, or DAZN subscription? No problem! There are also vouchers for Google Play Store and Apple AppStore or iTunes, gift cards for Starbucks, Uber, Airbnb, Lowe's, and many, many more. By the way, you can also find vouchers for other voucher services.
Keep in mind, however, that external cards have different limits and minimum amounts. So in conclusion, let's recap:
- Particularly suitable for: Basically everyone
- Duration of validity: Varies according to the gift card
- Minimum amount: $1
- Directly available? Yes, thanks to the digital voucher
AppStore and Google Play Store: Give away paid apps
Everyone who owns a smartphone has already been surprised by an app that was too expensive. So with voucher cards for the AppStore and Google Play Store, you're also giving away the luxury of getting more comprehensive apps or apps that are free of ads.
Google refers to providers such as Amazon, Target, PayPal, and others when you want to buy online. You can spend amounts between 25 to 200 USD and benefit from the fact that the credit never expires.
Apple, on the other hand, prefers to handle the sale of vouchers on its homepage itself and offers eight motifs in Apple design for customization. The available amount is between 25 and 2,000 dollars.
In each case, the lucky one can buy apps, digital books, films, and music—in other words, everything that can be found on the respective online platforms.
Particularly suitable for: All mobile phone junkies
Duration of validity: Unlimited
Minimum amount: 25 dollars
Directly available? Yep!
For gamers: Steam, PS Store, Nintendo eShop, and Co.
Do you want to know which gaming platform the recipient prefers? I can't help you there either, but I can at least tell you a few places for gamer vouchers and explain which console or platform the service is for.
Steam: Colorful and especially popular for PC games: Go to Steam
Nintendo eShop: For Nintendo Switch and the portable DS variants: Buy at Amazon
Microsoft Store: For Windows games and Xbox consoles: Go to Microsoft Store
PlayStation Store: Guess right, for the PS4 and the new PS5: Buy at Amazon
The respective platforms each offer their own coupons and that's where it's best to see for yourself how much money you want to spend. Since the vouchers usually work so that the selected amount is credited to a credit account, gamers are usually happy even with small amounts.
You don't know what to do? PayPal
PayPal! And so we have arrived at what can only be described as an online version of giving away money. However, besides giving you the option to transfer 20 bucks online, the payment service offers countless different gift cards that work with payment by credit or where you can also make regular purchases via PayPal. Look around on the site and I bet you will find what you are looking for.
One last tip for giving gift cards: If you are still not sure for which service the recipient can use the money, use the WhatsApp / iMessage search. Surely he or she has already mentioned services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Steam in the chat.
What are your insider tips for giving vouchers at Christmas? Do you send them digitally or put them in an envelope? Or do you get more creative? Tell us in the comments. Of course, you can also let us know if you think gift cards are a no-go.
