21 Last-Minute Gifts You Can Buy Online
Get your act together with these last-minute Christmas gifts.
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You’ve been procrastinating your holiday shopping all season, and now you’re in a bit of a jam. Dec. 15 is the Christmas delivery deadline for USPS Standard Parcel Post and FedEx Ground shipments, and Dec. 18 is the cutoff for standard shipping from Amazon and UPS 3 Day Select shipments.
But instead of panicking, or looking like a Scrooge, choose one of these last-minute Christmas gifts that you can still print or email.
E-Gift Cards
One of the very best last-minute gifts, electronic gift cards are great because you can spend as much — or as little — as you want. And all you have to do is print them out or email them to the recipient — just make sure it is a gift card they’ll actually want.
Starbucks
Price: $5 to $100
Give the gift of caffeine this holiday season. Starbucks has more than 24,000 stores in 70 countries, so it’s a safe bet the recipient will have effortless access to at least one. This no-hassle Christmas present is available in a variety of festive designs, and you can load Starbucks e-gift cards with any amount from $5 to $100, making it easy for your recipient to save at Starbucks this holiday season.
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Uber
Price: $10 to $500
Present your loved one with an Uber e-gift card, and give them a lift without actually having to leave your home. Select your design of choice, choose an amount between $10 and $500, add a message and choose when you want it to arrive in the recipient’s inbox.
Amazon
Price: $1 to $2,000
If you’re not sure of the recipient’s tastes, trying to choose a gift card they’ll actually use can be a challenge. But you can’t go wrong with an Amazon e-gift card. The site has something for everyone. And according to a recent GOBankingRates survey, it’s the most popular retailer to shop at this holiday season.
Simply choose a gift card design, enter any amount between $1 and $2,000, select a delivery method — email, text message or share via a messaging platform — and decide when you want it delivered.
Experiences
Finding cool Christmas presents for someone who has everything is a challenge, so give them the gift of a fun adventure instead.
Groupon
Price: Varies
Whether you’re looking for a spa day or a skydiving trip, Groupon offers a huge selection of fun experiences at a discount — a perfect gift for the traveler in your life.
When you get to the checkout area, mark that you’re giving the Groupon as a gift. After that, you’ll be presented with a card to customize, which you can either print or email to the recipient on your date of choice.
Ticketmaster
Price: $25 to $500
Buying tickets to a sporting event, concert or a theatrical performance on Ticketmaster is sure to be a hit. Choose something you know the recipient will like, and transfer the tickets from your account when you’re ready to give the gift. Don’t know what they want? Send them a Ticketmaster e-gift card, instead.
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MoviePass
Price: $29.85 to $119.40
If you need a quick Christmas gift for a film buff, it doesn’t get much better than a MoviePass e-gift card. The service requires only an iPhone or Android smartphone to use.
Get a three-month pass for $29.85, a six-month pass for $59.70 or a 12-month pass for $119.40, granting the recipient access to one standard 2D film per day at more than 4,000 theaters in the U.S. — with no blackout dates. Buy the subscription now, and pick the delivery date. It’s the ultimate gift for the movie fanatic in your life.
Streaming Services
These days, it seems like just about everything has gone digital. So instead of just searching for Christmas gifts online, provide them with the gift of streaming.
Amazon Prime Video
Price: $8.99 per month; or $33 to $99 for Amazon Prime
A gift that keeps on giving, an Amazon Prime Video membership offers unlimited access to thousands of movies and television shows. An add-on service for existing Amazon Prime members, this streaming membership does not include free two-day shipping or other standard Amazon Prime benefits.
While you can’t gift Amazon Prime Video memberships directly, you can gift a standard Amazon Prime membership at a cost of $33 for a three-month membership or $99 for a one-year membership.
Showtime
Price: $25 to $110
Give the gift of premium cable with a Showtime e-gift card. No TV package is required to start streaming. As long as the recipient has an internet connection, they’ll get commercial-free access to Showtime original series, movies, documentaries, sports and more.
You can purchase gift cards in denominations of $25, $50 or $110, while a monthly plan will set you back $10.99 per month and an annual plan costs $109.90.
Digital Downloads
Last-minute Christmas gifts don’t get much easier than digital downloads, which allow you to give something with a personal touch, but without the presence of a tangible object.
Book
Price: Varies
Gifting a digital copy of a book is a thoughtful present that looks like it took some time to choose. Google Play has a feature that allows you to buy digital books for anyone with a valid Google account in a couple of easy clicks. Simply find a book, select “Buy as Gift,” enter the recipient’s information and your gift will be delivered to their inbox.
Movie or Television Show
Price: Varies; or $10 to $200 for an iTunes gift card
Use iTunes — if your gift recipient has it on their computer — and give them the gift of movies and television shows, one of the best budget-friendly gifts out there.
Select your gift, then click the drop-down next to the arrow button with the price and choose the gift option. Opt to share it via email, and you’ve just given a fantastic Christmas gift in the eleventh hour. Or send them an iTunes e-gift card for any amount from $10 to $200.
Music
Price: Varies
If you’re shopping for a music lover, treat them to a digital copy of an album or a song you know they’d enjoy on Amazon. Simply choose the music, click “More options” on the right side of the page under buying selections and click “Give Album or Song as Gift.” Choose the entire record or a single song, then email it to the recipient.
Beauty, Grooming and Fashion Kits
Treat your loved ones to chic style with these unique Christmas gifts that will help them look and feel their best. The best part is, the recipient is in control of personalizing and activating their beauty, grooming and fashion kits, so it won’t even be telling that you don’t have the first box to offer up.
Birchbox
Price: $30 to $110
Made for both girls and guys, Birchbox gift subscriptions make really cool Christmas presents. Ladies’ boxes come with five beauty samples personally selected for her hair, skin and personal style, and the men’s subscription follows the same grooming-centric format. Get three months for $30, six months for $60 or 12 months for $110.
Dollar Shave Club
Price: $55 to $140
Make shaving easier than ever for him with a Dollar Shave Club gift membership. He’ll get a shaving-focused gift set with a three-month subscription for $55, six-month subscription for $85 or 12-month subscription for $140.
Stitch Fix
Price: $20 to $1,000
Clothes shopping for others is hard, and you’re out of time for a Christmas delivery, so try Stitch Fix. The recipient can redeem their printable or electronic gift card for items selected just for them by a personal stylist. Fun and easy, this is one of those last-minute gifts that won’t even look like an afterthought.
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Online Memberships
All internet content doesn’t come free, which makes online memberships one of the savviest last-minute Christmas gifts you can buy. Offer your loved ones the gift of access to exclusive content.
Newspaper
Price: Varies
Many major newspapers no longer allow unlimited browsing, so help recipients stay updated on current events with a subscription. Prices vary by newspaper, but as a benchmark, The New York Times offers basic digital access at a cost of $85 for 26 weeks, or $143 for one year.
Angie’s List
Price: $24.99 or $99.99
The baseline Green Angie’s list membership is free, but an upgraded Silver membership costs $24.99 per year and a Gold membership is $99.99 per year. Ideal for any homeowner, beyond access to top-quality service pros and nationwide reviews and ratings, the upper-tier memberships offer features such as a fair price guarantee and a complaint resolution process.
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The New Yorker
Price: $59.99
Perfect for fans of highbrow literature, a digital subscription to The New Yorker provides access to the website, the Digital Edition and the publication’s complete online archive. This should supply any literary lover with plenty of reading material for the year to come.
Food and Alcohol Subscription Services
An easy Christmas gift doesn’t just have to make your shopping experience seamless. Food and alcohol delivery services are simple to purchase and make the recipient’s life a little more relaxed.
Blue Apron
Price: $60 to $9,999
Give the gift of gourmet home cooking without having to find a recipe or go to the grocery store. Blue Apron delivers all the ingredients needed to make three pre-selected meals for either two or four people each week.
Choose a $60, $120 or $240 gift card — or input any dollar amount up to $9,999 — and print or email it to your favorite foodie. If they enjoy cooking up gourmet meals, this delivery service is well worth the money.
SaloonBox
Price: $37.50 to $450
One of the most creative ways to buy someone special a drink, SaloonBox sends perfectly portioned ingredients to make two unique craft cocktails at home. Each box contains two recipes and everything needed to make both cocktails — excluding bar tools — and comes with two servings. Prices range from $37.50 for a month-to-month subscription to $450 for a 12-month prepay.
Graze
Price: $41.97 to $699.50
Graze offers more than 100 snacks hand-picked for each recipient and delivered to their home or office. You can buy gift vouchers ranging in price from $41.97 for three boxes to $699.50 for 50 boxes. They cover all eight snack boxes and can be printed or emailed.
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About the Author
Laura Woods
Laura is a writer with nearly 10 years of experience in marketing and personal finance. She is a Los Angeles-based writer specializing in personal finance, higher education, legal matters and marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from Robert Morris University.
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