When you’re not sure what to buy for a teenager’s birthday, Christmas celebration, or another special occasion, teens gift cards are a great idea. By giving teenagers the option to buy whatever they want, you know your money was spent on something they will really enjoy.
The Best Gift Cards for Teens
Almost any brick-and-mortar store sells gift cards. Several different gift cards are usually displayed on large displays. You can buy gift cards from most retailers’ websites if you plan ahead.
Flexible Gift Cards
With these flexible gift card options, you can go beyond the basic Visa gift card. It’s best to give flexible gift cards to teens that you don’t know well because they cover a wide range of activities or places teens are likely to enjoy.
By choosing a design that fits the teen’s personality, you can make the card seem more personal.
- You can get a Groupon gift card as an eGift or a standard plastic gift card, covering everything from live event tickets to fashion and tech.
- The Happy Teen gift card is good at Barnes & Noble, Sephora, Regal Cinemas, Nike, Dave & Busters, American Eagle, or Jamba Juice and is available in $5 increments starting at $20.
- While regular Visa gift cards are great, these categorized cards allow teens to shop anywhere matching the category. The options include “Fuel Everywhere,” “Movies Everywhere,” and “Style Everywhere.”
- Choose from $25 to $500 in $25 dollar increments that teens can use for Regal Cinemas, Burger King, The Cheesecake Factory, Dave & Busters, Nike, Jamba Juice, and Cold Stone Creamery.
Cool Clothing Store Cards
Make sure you understand what kind of clothing or accessories your teen likes before choosing a gift card focused on style.
- You can use Nike gift cards online or in stores for Nike, Hurley, and Converse shoes, clothes, and accessories. The cards are packaged in a mini Nike shoe box with more than 25 designs.
- The Rent the Runway gift card is a great gift for girls because they can rent designer dresses for special occasions like homecoming and prom. The rental rate starts at $30, so make sure the card amount is at least that amount.
- Among the most popular teen brands, American Eagle gift cards are great because they can also be used at Aerie stores and feature clothing and accessories for teens.
- Zappos: The popular shoe retailer offers gift cards online as either emailed codes or physical cards. For physical cards, there are two designs, and for electronic cards, there are ten.
Hobby Gift Cards
Participating in hobbies with friends or through school is an important part of the teen lifestyle. The feeling of receiving a gift card that celebrates their interests is more personal than receiving cash.
- Yaymaker Anytime Passes are good for any Yaymaker event within the next six months, including Paint Nite and Plant Nite. They cost $26 each when you buy two or more passes.
- From clothing design to baking, a Hobby Lobby gift card lets teens access all the supplies they need. Available in amounts between $10 and $200.
- The Gamestop gift card is a great gift for teens who love PC, Xbox, or PS4 video games. The cards are available in denominations of $25, $50, $100, or a custom amount. A retail store or a digital code can be used to purchase the cards.
- You can purchase the Nintendo eShop card in stores or online for $10, $20, $35, or $50 to choose from over 1,000 new games for the Nintendo Switch, Wii, or 3DS.
Entertainment Gift Cards
What teens do is watch movies, listen to music, and attend events. These gift cards make the perfect gift for anyone who loves to be entertained.
- Teens who enjoy attending sporting events and concerts can purchase tickets using their $25 to $1,000 StubHub gift cards.
- A Netflix gift card can help pay for the monthly subscription cost for the teen who enjoys watching movies and shows at home with friends. It costs about $9 per month for the cheapest plan.
- Gift cards from Fandango feature collectible designs based on your favorite movie characters. A variety of special occasion cards are available, such as those for Mother’s Day, birthdays, and congratulatory messages.
- Teens can use their Spotify gift cards to upgrade to the Premium version to listen to unlimited ad-free music. Approximately $10 per month is charged for premium plans.
- With this gift card, teens can choose from movies, music, games, shows, books, and more in the Google Play Store.
- Teens who own PlayStations will appreciate this card, which allows them to buy games, game add-ons, and movies through their PlayStation accounts.
Experiential Gift Cards
There is not always enough income for teens to do the fun things they want. The funds they need to have fun are provided by an experiential gift card.
- Trampoline parks like Get Air offer fun events like Club Air, where the park transforms into a dance club after dark.
- Known as the ultimate arcade, Dave & Busters is like Chuck-E-Cheese for teens and adults. Food and gaming gift cards can be used together.
- Amusement parks and water parks are operated by Six Flags all over the country. Six Flags’ Official Home Page helps you find a location near you where you can purchase a gift certificate.
Unique Gift Cards
Today’s teens are planning for the future of themselves and the world around them. With unique gift cards that go beyond wants and likes, you can help them achieve their goals.
- Teens can invest in fractional shares of stocks with this gift card to potentially earn a return on their investment. Choose a gift card for a top brand like Apple or Nike or choose a “Choose Your Own Stock” card so the teen makes his or her own choice. To redeem their gift card, anyone under 18 must create an account with an adult.
- Give your favorite teen the Gift of College Gift Card that can be added to their 529 plan through Gift of College to help them save for college.
- Teenagers don’t have much money, so this card allows them to donate to a charity of their choice.
Buying Gift Cards Online
The majority of retailers today have a website and offer eGift cards and gift codes for online shopping. It is often possible to email the gift card to your email address and then print it to give to your favorite teen, or have it emailed directly to them at a scheduled time.
Teenagers may have to pay shipping costs if they purchase online gift cards, keeping in mind that most of these cards can only be redeemed online.
STEAM Digital eGift Card
Games, custom animation software, and hardware can all be purchased on STEAM. Having a STEAM account and giving a STEAM Digital Gift Card to a friend is as simple as logging in and selecting the friend. Your payment goes directly to their STEAM account once you complete the transaction.
Cloud 9 Living Experiential eGift Card
Whether you’re looking to give a teen a true adventure or a gift card that allows them to choose from hundreds of nearby activities, the Cloud 9 Living eGift card is the perfect choice. Browse through their available experiences, then load the eGift card with an amount that covers at least one.
A personalized message can be added to any of the seven card designs.
Uber eGift Card
A Uber gift card can come in handy for teens who don’t have their own transportation when they want to go to a movie or shop. UberEATS can also be used with the gift card. With the Uber app, teens can upload their gift cards and use them to pay for rides.
Uncommon Goods eGift Card
Those who are looking for one-of-a-kind items should visit Uncommon Goods. A teen section is available with fun accessories, games, and decor items. A gift certificate can be emailed for any amount between $5 and $1,000.
ThinkGeek eGift Card
Whether you’re a gamer, tech geek, or any other kind of nerd, ThinkGeek has everything you’re looking for. A $10-$250 eGift card can be used to purchase almost anything, from clothing to gadgets. The ThinkGeek and GameStop gift cards can be redeemed online or in-store.
Creative Packaging Options for Teen Gift Cards
To make a gift card feel more personal, you can customize the packaging in creative ways.
- Make them solve a puzzle before finding the gift by putting it in a puzzle box.
- These little plastic cards can be stored in a gift card box.
- Start by wrapping the card in a small box, then wrap that in a bigger box, and continue this way until you have a giant box filled with smaller boxes.
- Create a mini clothesline where guests can hang their gift cards with mini clothespins at the teen’s birthday party.
- Create a mini gift basket that includes the gift card and items that are related to the theme.
- Hold the card with accessories such as gloves or socks.
- The gift card should be placed inside a book as a bookmark.
Gift Card Benefits and Buying Tips
Buying a gift card might seem easier than buying a tangible present, but it isn’t always the case. In addition, there are many factors to consider before purchasing a gift card.
Benefit of Gift Cards Over Goods
Do you remember the last time you bought a teenager a gift and then they never opened it? It’s probably because he or she didn’t like it or didn’t need it. Not only does this hurt your feelings, but it’s also not a good investment. People everywhere are choosing teen gift cards instead of buying items because of this.
Benefit of Gift Cards Over Cash
You might think that giving a teenager cash is a good present. When the teen has cash, he or she can purchase something that you might not be proud of. When you give a gift card, you know where the recipient will use it and what he or she will purchase with it.
Choosing the Gift Card Amount
What you put on the gift card depends on what you want to give. It may seem like you need to spend more on a card rather than on an item since the person will know how much you spent, but consider that you are giving the teen something they will actually use.
The Gift That Keeps Giving
Whenever you give a gift card, you share the excitement of your gift twice – once when it is received, and once when it is redeemed. For your teen recipient to really enjoy their cool gift, make sure the amount and retailer of the gift card are appropriate for the goods they can purchase.