It can be difficult to find the ideal gift for a college student. It’s nearly impossible to know what to buy for your child who has been out of school for a couple of years or a family friend who is starting school this fall and you need to find them a gift for their graduation party.
As wonderful as physical gifts can be, it can be difficult to know what to get a college student. But don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of the best gift cards for college students that are ideal and that you can be sure they’ll use.
How Do Gift Cards Work
A gift card is a type of payment used at retail stores, gas stations, restaurants, and other establishments. You load money onto the card, which you or the gift card recipient can then use at participating merchants.
Open-loop or closed-loop gift cards are available. An open-loop gift card can be easily redeemed wherever that particular brand of card is usually accepted.
For example, if you have a Visa-branded gift card, you can use it to make purchases anywhere Visa is mostly accepted.
In contrast, a closed-loop card is mostly used at specific merchants. For example, if you buy a gift card from Starbucks or Amazon, you or the gift card can only use it at the retailer that issued the card.
Gift cards may be preferable in terms of gift giving if you have no idea what to buy for someone on your gift list because they allow the recipient to buy what they want and when they want.
Just keep in mind that choosing closed-loop gift cards over open-loop gift cards limits the giftee’s options for card usage.
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Why Are Gift Cards so Popular
Gift cards are popular because they allow the recipient to buy whatever they want. These handy cards take the guesswork out of gift-giving.
Furthermore, the rise of e-commerce has increased the demand for shopping incentives, and gift cards are ideal for meeting that demand.
Here are the main reasons why gift cards are so popular;
#1. They are both safe and convenient
In 2009, the United States made gift cards that expire within five years illegal. As a result of the assurance that gift cards would last, consumers felt more confident in purchasing them. Prepaid gift cards are also a convenient way to store personal funds.
When buyers misplace their cash or credit cards, they can simply use a gift card. This is the primary reason that 75% of shoppers prefer physical gift cards. They are frequently used to replenish depleted funds to complete in-store purchases.
#2. Gift cards are also used as an incentive by marketers and store owners
When you buy their brand’s gift cards, companies advertise loyalty programs, discounts, and other rewards. People became more prone to purchasing gift cards for themselves and others as a result of enticing offers like these.
Manufacturers offer gift cards to customers as a perk. They value the incentives provided and respond by purchasing additional gift cards. In 2019, when store motivations such as discounts were at their peak, shoppers spent 35% of their holiday budgets on gift cards.
#3. They are mostly used for entertainment
Gift cards are typically purchased for leisure and services rather than shopping, contrary to popular belief. The vast majority of people would rather receive “gifts of experience” than anything else.
Every year, various types of gift cards are usually purchased, with the most money spent on:
- Restaurant gift cards
- Visa or Mastercard gift cards
- Department store gift cards
- Coffee shop gift cards
- Entertainment gift cards
- Salon/Spa gift cards
- Bookstore gift cards
- Home improvement gift cards
This list is in chronological order, beginning with the most expensive purchases. People prefer receiving gifts that include eating a meal or drinking a cup of coffee to receiving electronics and clothing.
Read more: 15 Best Gifts To Buy For College Students
Pros And Cons of Gift Cards
Gift cards can provide several benefits. As an example:
- If you don’t want to pay with cash or a credit card, they can be a good alternative.
- Gift cards are an excellent choice for holidays, college students, or any other special occasion.
- Gift cards can help you keep track of your spending (helpful for avoiding bank overdrafts).
Gift cards can also have some disadvantages. Here are a few examples.
- Following gift card purchases, there may be a small amount of money left over, which if not used, whether due to forgetfulness or inertia, results in money wasted.
- To add money, you can pay purchase or reload fees.
- Cards with closed loops limit your purchasing power.
- Losing or having a gift card stolen can be inconvenient, especially if you failed to register it or keep the gift card number.
- If you do not use your card, you will get charged an inactivity fee.
15 Best Gift Cards For College Students
Here are the best gift cards for college students
#1. Amazon Gift Card
Everyone in college appears to believe that they know everything. But we can assure you that they do not. They don’t even know what they need to thrive at school until they arrive and face unexpected challenges and obstacles.
As a result one of the best gift cards for college students is an Amazon type. The great thing about Amazon is that you can get almost anything you can think of, and in many cases, you can get it the very next day.
This will be an invaluable resource for college students. No nineteen-year-old appears to be capable of thinking more than 24 hours ahead.
So, if your student forgets to buy a necessity until the last minute, an Amazon gift card solves this problem. Anything they may require or desire is only a few mouse clicks away, which can be a lifesaver during finals week or when you first move into your dorm or apartment for the year.
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#2. Visa Gift Card or Mastercard Gift Card
A college student can spend the dollar value of a personalized Visa gift card or a custom Mastercard gift card pretty much anywhere.
It’s used to purchase professional attire for a new job, a plane ticket for a much-needed vacation, or a down payment on a new apartment.
If they accept credit cards, a gift card is almost certainly accepted as well. The visa gift card is one of the best gift cards for college students.
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#3.Starbucks
Everyone goes to school with the expectation that they will be diligent and hardworking students who will stay on top of their game. They’re paying all that money, after all.
But we both know that in the real world, college students aren’t known for their ability to manage their time effectively. And this means that, at some point, the college student in your life will be behind schedule or overworked, and they will require a little pick-me-up.
And study drugs are all too common on college campuses. As a result, ensure that your student has a safe and healthy alternative. This is where a Starbucks gift card can help.
Almost every college has a Starbucks on or near it. In fact, there is Starbucks right inside many university libraries. And it makes sense; Starbucks understands that college students are big coffee drinkers, so they’ve gone out of their way to open stores on and near college campuses.
And this means that more than likely, the college student you’re shopping for will have easy access to coffee when they’re in a hurry.
With a Starbucks gift card, you can ensure that they have enough coffee to get through the semester’s midterms! The Starbucks gift card is without a doubt one of the best gift cards for college students.
#4. Nordstrom
If a college student is about to graduate, Nordstorm gift cards can help them furnish their new apartment. The College students who graduate may require a total makeover that includes shoes, makeup, skincare products, and undergarments in addition to new clothes.
They can use a gift card to purchase those items at Nordstrom, but they can also choose to purchase items for their next home, such as a waffle iron, dinner plates that don’t look like an entire fraternity has eaten off of them, or a vacuum cleaner.
Graduation gift cards from department stores meet a variety of needs. Nordstrom has one of the best gift cards for college students.
Read Also; 50 Gift Ideas for College Girls | 2024
#5. Uber
College students are under a lot of pressure to make sure they attend all of their classes. In most undergraduate programs, a student would lose a letter grade for each additional day missed if they missed more than three classes.
Making it to class is important not only to ensure that you are following along, but it can also have a serious and significant negative impact on a student’s grade.
You can help your student avoid all of this by giving them an Uber gift card. While your student will most likely have bus and bike routes on campus, there will be times when they are running late and need to get a ride straight to class.
And when this scenario inevitably occurs, they will undoubtedly thank you when the Uber gift card you gave them allows them to arrive on time for an important test or presentation. Uber is one of the best gift cards for college students.
6. Shell
This is one of the best gift cards for college students everywhere. Every college student vividly knows the pain of spending money on gas.
College students, particularly those with long commutes, are usually concerned about rising gas prices and the cost of getting to and from their campuses, internships, and jobs.
The Shell gift card is a lifesaving item. This gift card allows for at least one less gas transaction. It will make a perfect gift for any college student.
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#7. Best Buy
When the student you know attends college, there will be a slew of unexpected costs. Everything from books and folders to laptops and headphones is a must.
That’s right, even if you pay tens of thousands of dollars for tuition and hundreds of dollars more for books, the university will still expect you to buy more required items for class. Everything from a $180 calculator to an $80 clicker is usually purchased.
During their studies, the student will encounter numerous technological issues. However, a Best Buy gift card will cover everything from headphones and calculators to cell phones and laptops. The Best Buy gift card is one of the best gift cards for college students.
#8. Sephora Gift Card
Because it sells such a wide variety of high-quality beauty products, Sephora should be easily accessible to every woman, as you will make regular use of many of these items.
Whether you’re looking for skincare or makeup, a gift card from Sephora will be of great assistance to you. A Sephora gift card is one of the best gift cards for college students. This is especially so for female college students.
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#9. GrubHub & UberEats
College students will either have an exorbitantly priced food plan that will not cover every meal they require, or they will have to do their own shopping and cooking.
While there are many young adults who are capable of shopping and cooking for themselves, there are also many college students who have no idea how to prepare a meal for themselves.
If you’re concerned that this might be the case for a college student in your life, you can avoid the problem entirely by getting them a gift card to one of the popular food ordering platforms in modern cities.
Whether they’ve had a long day of studying and are too tired to cook, or they haven’t had time to go grocery shopping, your gift card will make a bad day better. GrubHub has one of the best gift cards for college students.
#10. ClassPass
They might want to postpone using this gift card for a while because fitness centers have been in the process of closing, reopening, and then closing once more over the past few months; however, with ClassPass, they are able to try out a variety of workout classes until they discover the one that they enjoy the most.
This gift card is one of the best gift cards for college students. It might be the answer for someone you know who hasn’t found the ideal fitness routine for them or who easily loses interest in doing the same thing over and over again.
Read more: 50 End Of The Year Gifts For Students
#11. Spotify
Is there anyone who enjoys or is more conceited about music than college students? I’m talking about entire genres and radio stations devoted to popular college music.
However, that was most likely very cool in the 1980s. In this day and age, everyone streams music directly from their phone.
Why shouldn’t we? When you already have your phone with you all the time, access to a music streaming service like Spotify provides you with seemingly limitless music options.
So, if you’re not sure what to get the college student on your list, a Spotify gift card will be something they’ll definitely use.
If you don’t get them the gift card, they’ll have to pay for Spotify out of their own pockets or with their graduation funds. A Spotify gift card is one of the best gift cards for college students.
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#12. Netflix
In the year 2020, everyone found themselves spending a significantly greater amount of time indoors, and there is a finite amount of time during which a person can be productive before becoming completely exhausted.
If your college students don’t already have a Netflix account , you should quickly buy one for them and send it their way, because there are times when the only way to feel better is to sit on your couch and watch a hundred hours’ worth of television and movies. Netflix has one of the best gift cards for college students.
#13. Michaels
If the person you have in mind is more of a creative spirit (or maybe bored of doing 10,000-piece puzzles), then you should consider getting them a gift card to Michaels so that they can fulfill all of their artistic aspirations.
Michaels has everything a person could possibly need, regardless of whether they enjoy drawing, painting, scrapbooking, building, or creating anything at all. Michaels’s gift card is one of the best gift cards for college students.
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#14. Adidas
Whether or not the college student in your life participates in athletics or simply has a strong interest in fitness, an Adidas gift card would make an excellent present for them.
They can buy a new pair of sneakers or workout gear without spending all of their money, allowing them to put it toward other, more important purchases such as books or beverages. Adidas has one of the best gift cards for college students.
#15. GameStop
If they have an interest in purchasing the new PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X (because who isn’t? ), then this GameStop gift card can help them offset some of the high costs associated with making the purchase.
Every gamer, regardless of whether or not they are looking to purchase a new console, stands to benefit from the use of this card.
The GameStop gift card is one of the best gift cards for college students. This gift card is mostly loved by college guys.
Check out: Top 15 Best Christmas Gifts for College Students | 2024 Ranking
How to Select The Best Gift Card For College Students
It’s difficult to go wrong with gift cards, but here are some things to consider before getting a gift card for a college student;
#1. Delivery method: Do you want the gift card sealed in an envelope or sent through an email? Consider which format the recipient would prefer.
#2. Brand loyalty: Use the stores they frequent to determine where to purchase the card.
#3. Gift card fees: Some companies charge service fees for gift cards after about a year. Before you buy, familiarize yourself with the card’s rules.
#4. Cost: Gift cards are only worth the amount you pay for them, so make sure you give your loved one a usable amount.
#5. Restrictions: Some gift cards are only for specific products or services, whereas others can be easily used throughout the store. You should know which one you’re getting.
#6. Convenience: Think about whether the recipient will be able to use the card.
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Are Gift Cards The Top Pick For Gifts
Gift cards have an impressive track record of being the most desired gift for the past 15 years in a row. This pattern is likely to continue.
In 2019, 59% of people preferred gift cards over any other type of gift. By 2027, the value of gift cards will have tripled. According to these projections, gift cards are the past, present, and future of gift-giving.
- Gift cards are popular for a variety of reasons, including:
- Gift cards are simple to use.
- People value experiences over material possessions. Without physically being present, gift cards are the only way to provide an experience.
- With every gift card purchase, retailers provide incredible benefits such as discounts.
- They make excellent gifts for picky friends and family.
- Getting a gift card is simple.
- Specialty gift cards are widely used.
- E-gift cards are usually delivered instantly. Customers are now tired of long shipping delays on their gifts.
Frequently Asked Questions
#1. What is the most commonly used gift card? According to the report, Amazon is the most popular gift card this year, followed by Visa, Walmart, Target, and iTunes cards. Other “cash” gift cards ranked near the top, with American Express ranking seventh and MasterCard ranking nineteenth.
#2. What is a reasonable gift card value? You want to give a gift card amount that seems appropriate. General etiquette is usually less than $20 for casual acquaintances such as coworkers, $30-$75 for close friends and family members, and more for someone such as your spouse or a special occasion such as a wedding.
#3. Is it acceptable to give a gift card as a graduation present? Because most recent graduates are usually preoccupied with the day-to-day transition from college to the real world, gift cards are an excellent choice. They’re not only a safe bet, but they also provide real value in areas where recent graduates will benefit.
#4. What makes people prefer gift cards to cash? Because gift cards are usually single-merchant or multi-brand, the recipient is more likely to spend them on a surprise treat for themselves.
As a result, the gift card provides a more memorable experience than cash, and the item (or experience) they select serves as a permanent reminder of their accomplishment.
#5. What exactly is the distinction between a gift card and a prepaid card? The main distinction between the two is their longevity: prepaid cards can be easily reloaded and used indefinitely, whereas gift cards can be mostly used until the dollar amount finishes.
#6. Is there a fee for all gift cards? The bottom line is that while retailers do not typically charge gift card fees, bank-issued card providers do. So, if you see a Mastercard gift card with a low (or no) activation fee, read the terms to see if higher-than-normal fees are now charged after the sale if the card isn’t used.
Conclusion
So there you have it. That is a list of gift cards that I am sure any college student you know will appreciate. Isn’t that what you want to get them when you give them a gift? Something they’ll put to use.
You can be certain that any of the gift cards on this list will significantly improve a difficult day for your college student. Whether it’s assisting them in getting to class or covering their asses when they’re slapped with required classroom electronics.
References
- giftcardgranny.com -Best gift cards for college students.
- one37pm.com -Gift cards for college students.
- giftcards.com -Best gift cards for graduates.
- cbsnews.com -Great gift cards for graduates.
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