Still on the hunt for the perfect gift? Here are some last-minute ideas

A gift card offering access to thousands of books from Amazon or Barnes and Noble is a great present for bookworms. | Photo by Chaim Gartenberg

So the holidays are just days away, and you’re panicking because you still haven’t found a gift yet. Perhaps the present you wanted to give simply won’t arrive in time, or maybe you’ve just been too busy — or lazy — to pick something up (no judgment there). Whatever the reason, don’t worry; thanks to the internet, procrastinators, busy bees, and even lazy folks can still buy some great digital gifts without needing to leave their house.

The only problem? There are tons of digital gifts to choose from, ranging from streaming subscriptions to concert tickets, and finding the right one can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve rounded up a few gift ideas across a number of popular categories, including film and travel, so you quickly choose, click, and close your shopping in seconds.

Image: Disney
A streaming service like Disney Plus could be the perfect gift when it’s too cold to go outside.

For movie / TV show streamers

Many of us are still spending more time indoors due to the ongoing pandemic or simply because, well, the weather outside really is frightful. That’s why it’s a great time to buy a streaming service subscription, so you can indulge in movies and TV shows from the likes of Disney Plus, Netflix, and other services from the comfort of your home. Below, we’ve listed a couple of some of the most popular you may want to consider gifting friends and family.

Netflix gift card, available at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, or Walmart

Hulu gift card, available at Best Buy, Target, or Walmart

YouTube gift card, available at Amazon

Disney Plus or the Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus bundle
ESPN Plus
HBO Max

Peacock Premium or Premium Plus

YouTube TV or YouTube Premium

An Apple gift card, which can be used toward Apple TV Plus. You can pick one up at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
A Discovery Plus gift card

Sling TV gift card, available at Best Buy, Target, or Walmart

AMC Theaters gift card, available at Amazon or Best Buy

Regal Cinemas gift card, available at Amazon

Spotify
Consider a Spotify gift card for the music lover in your life.

For music lovers

If your giftee is a music lover, there are some great ideas to consider, especially for anyone who enjoys jamming out to some tunes, playing an instrument, or watching their favorite musician perform.

Spotify gift card, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target

An Apple gift card, which can be used for both Apple products as well as services. You can pick one up at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart.
YouTube Music subscription
An Amazon Music Unlimited subscription

Tidal gift card, available at Walmart or PayPal

A Nugs.net gift certificate so your loved ones can listen to live albums and recordings
A Fender Play gift card. Also available at a discount at Amazon

Guitar Center gift card, available at Amazon or Target

StubHub gift card, available at Amazon

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
For Nintendo Switch owners, Nintendo eShop gift cards or Switch Online memberships are good digital gift options.

For gamers

Regardless of whether they own an Xbox, a PlayStation, or a Nintendo Switch, there are a ton of digital gifts you can gift a gamer. Whether your giftee wants to buy games from a digital storefront or to renew their membership for a video game console, here are a couple of presents the gamers in your life will love.

Xbox

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, which includes Xbox Live Gold, plus access to Xbox Game Pass for console and PC, as well as Microsoft’s cloud gaming service, xCloud. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target.

Xbox Game Pass for consoles subscription. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target.

Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription. Also available at Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart.

Xbox Live Gold subscription. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart.

Xbox gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart.

PlayStation

PlayStation Store gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target

PlayStation Plus subscription. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target

PlayStation Now is Sony’s cloud gaming service, similar to Microsoft’s xCloud. A subscription is also available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart

Nintendo Switch

Annual Nintendo Switch Online individual subscription, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop

Annual Nintendo Switch Online family membership, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart

Nintendo eShop Gift Card, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop

Other

Steam gift card, available at Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart

Battle.net (Blizzard Entertainment) gift card, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop

Google Play gift card, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target

GameStop gift card, available at Amazon and GameStop

The Verge
With a Barnes and Noble gift card, you can buy books as well as other products, including the Nook 10” HD Tablet.

For bookworms

For bookworms, plenty of major chains and independent bookstores offer gift cards, and there’s also a book of the month membership.

Barnes and Noble gift card, available at Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart

A Scribd subscription
Powell’s Books gift card, available at Powell’s
An Audible subscription
Bookshop.org gift cards, available at Bookshop.org

Monthly Book of the Month membership

For creators and creatives

Whether your loved one is a creator or enjoys creative hobbies, there are a number of gift cards and subscriptions you can buy that will cater to their interests.

An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription

A Michaels gift card, available Target or Best Buy

A Masterclass membership
A paid subscription to the coding educational platform Codeacademy

An Etsy gift card

Alex Castro / The Verge
An Uber gift card is great for those who don’t want to — or can’t — use public transportation but need to get around.

For travelers

There are a variety of gift cards you can buy, ranging from various airlines to ride-sharing services and tourist attractions travel lovers or those going on vacation this holiday season will appreciate.

Uber gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart

Lyft gift card. Also available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart

A National Parks annual pass

Airbnb gift card, available at Amazon

Delta Airlines gift card, available at Best Buy and Amazon

Hotels.com gift card, available at Amazon and Best Buy

Southwest Airlines gift card, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target

A Disneyland gift card, available Target or Kroger

Amtrak gift card, available at Amazon and Best Buy

Peloton
You don’t need to own a piece of Peloton equipment to enjoy the service’s fitness classes.

For health and wellness enthusiasts

Whether they’re in need of a massage or have big plans to get fit fast in the new year, there are several kinds of gift cards to help your friends and family stay healthy and happy.

A Lululemon gift, available at Amazon or Kroger

A gift card from, or subscription to, SoulCycle
A meditation app gift card from Calm

An REI gift card. Also available at Target

A Peloton subscription even those who don’t own Pelotons can use
A Spafinder gift card, available at Target

An online therapy gift card from Talkspace

A gift card from Classpass

The Verge
A Starbucks gift card is always a popular present, but there are several other gift cards foodies will appreciate, too.

For foodies

Most food-ordering apps sell gift cards online, which are great for those times your loved one feels too tired to cook or go out. Here are a few gift cards for the food lover in your life.

Instacart gift card
DoorDash gift card, available at Amazon and Target

UberEats gift card, available at Amazon, Target, and Walmart

Grubhub gift card, available at Amazon and Target

Whole Foods gift card, available at Amazon

Starbucks gift card, available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target

For everything else

If you’re not sure what to get someone or you want to give them more options, a general gift card might be the best option. From app stores to department stores, here are some gift cards for everyone.

An Amazon gift card or an Amazon Prime gift membership

Best Buy gift card. Also available at Amazon

Walmart gift card
Target gift card
A Newegg gift card
An Adorama gift card
A B&H Photo gift card
An eBay gift card, available at Staples and Kroger

Google Play gift card, available at Target and Amazon