8 Most Popular Gift Card Options for College Students
College students have many different needs, and you can easily help out with some of them with these gift card ideas
College is often a stressful time, and one of the worst things about it is that most students tend to be broke. College students spend their days going to classes and studying, and even when they have jobs, have to use a lot of the money they earn to pay for their various expenses. And those expenses are often really high and sometimes tough for them to deal with.
Because of all that, you can easily make a great difference for a college student by giving them a useful gift card. They can always use some food, entertainment, school supplies, and even transportation. If you can make any part of a college student’s life easier, you should definitely do so. We have listed out some of the best gift cards that you can get for the college student in your life!
Finding gifts for your loved ones can be difficult. GiftYa cards will offer them a great present that they can appreciate, and one you will not regret giving. You can send someone gift cards to restaurants, spas, and hotels they love with just a few clicks. Check out our full selection of e-cards now!
1. Amazon
Online store with everything a person may need.
If you want to get a college student a gift card to a place where they can get just about anything they want, choose Amazon. Amazon has just about everything that anyone might need, so a gift card to shop there can please anyone. They have all kinds of items and brands on the site. All a student has to do is search for something and it will likely show up.
Not only will they find just about everything they need, but they can have it delivered right to their door in a short period of time. There are many ways for a student to treat themselves shopping on Amazon, and many practical items they can really use on there as well.
Amazon has a department for everything. They have a clothing department, an electronic department, books, a pet supply department, and so much more. The list of things that you can find on Amazon is pretty much endless. If you want to give a student a broad range of choices, this gift works really well. They will certainly find the kind of gift they can really appreciate!
“I use Amazon.com on a regular basis. The delivery options are fantastic. They give you a choice of days, where to place your deliveries at your home, and where to deliver your packages if you're not going to be home. I can find everything I need on Amazon.com.”–Consumer Affairs Review
2. Staples
Office supply store with helpful staff.
Staples is one of the best places to get a college student a gift card from. They sell a wide variety of office supplies that any college student can make great use of. College students need lots of supplies and often don’t have all the money they need to buy everything they need for their classes. With a gift card to Staples, a student can get the kinds of things that will make their studies a lot easier. They can add really useful things to their dorm rooms or to their backpacks.
Staples stocks just about all the school supplies a college student might need to use on a regular basis. They have pens, printers, paper, notebooks, and much more. They have all kinds of useful electronics and even some furniture. Students can even find bags, calculators, and even snacks. And if a student needs help getting certain things done, the Staples staff is there to help!
“I stopped in the store today to get a photo printed for a Christmas card and Pam helped me. She was so welcoming and really helped me through the process as I've never used Staples printing services, but needed to due to shipping delays from a competitor. Pam was a great associate and I'm really happy she was there to help me. I don't usually come to Staples, but knowing they have associates like Pam will most likely bring me back into the store!”–Yelp Review
3. Uber Eats
Convenient food delivery service.
Giving food as a gift is something that can work great for everyone, especially college students. UberEats is a food delivery service that brings food from nearby restaurants right to your door. It is one of the most convenient ways for people to enjoy restaurant meals. They don’t have to leave their home or even get dressed to do it! DoorDash can get great food to a college student’s dorm within an hour. And they can get food from places that are relatively far from campus that they might not normally be able to order from.
Several of the restaurants around a college student’s campus will likely be on UberEats. They will have a long list of options to go through when choosing a meal to order. They can also filter the types of food they choose from, so if a student likes Indian food, chicken, or breakfast foods, they can easily choose the corresponding option on UberEats and search from there. This is the type of gift that a college student can really appreciate.
“I wanted Chinese food and I've never ordered through UberEats. The process was easy and UberEats offered $15 off for first timers to try their services which was great. Meal delivered on time, easy peasy.”–Trustpilot Review
4. Spotify
A wide range of music on the go.
A gift card for Spotify is one of the best gifts that you can give to a music loving student. Spotify is a streaming service that has hundreds of millions of monthly listeners. That’s because the app holds just about every song you can think of. All you have to do is type a song or an artist into the search bar and it will likely come up. There are also a large variety of podcasts on this app. Most popular podcasts post their content on Spotify, so students will get to listen to all their favorite songs and podcasts.
A gift card for Spotify is a great idea because the app offers different perks to paying listeners. Many college students likely already use the free version, so they will love what they get when they use the paid version for however long the gift card lasts. On Spotify, you get to create your own playlists and follow all your favorite podcasts to have them accessible from one place. And when you pay the monthly fee, you get to enjoy it completely commercial free!
“I have used Spotify for a long time now. It is one of the best, maybe best, things I have ever done. I love music and there is nothing better than having your own collection. I’m always adding to it with a wide variety of music. I probably have around 800 songs, hard to believe, and it just goes on. I listen in the car, at work, at the gym (have to have my own) and home where I love to call upon the echo device. I couldn’t do without my Spotify!”–Trustpilot Review
5. Dominoes
Pizza chain with great offerings.
A gift card to Dominos will sure to please most college students. Most people love pizza, especially college students. Many are known for having pizza as often as they can. For some students that can be once a week or once a month, for some, that can be even more often. So save a college student some money by paying for the pizza for them! Dominos is one of the most popular pizza shops, so you can’t really go wrong with this choice. Any college student will have a great time sharing some Dominos with their friends.
When someone orders from Dominos, they have a choice of many types of pizza with various toppings, and also a lot more. Dominos offers appetizers, pastas, salads, and desserts. When you order a pizza you get a choice of hand tossed crust, thin crust, Brooklyn style, and even gluten free. When you order pasta, you can get it in a bowl made of bread, and the cheesy bread can come stuffed with different fillings. They also consistently offer great deals that make their food even cheaper!
“Ordered one on Saturday, loaded with toppings (pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, onions, extra cheese, marinara instead of regular sauce). I probably hadn't had Domino's pizza in like 15 years, for real; but it was so good, so easy to order online and fast delivery with hot pizza. I did the same on Sunday, it was a double-dip of Domino's for me this weekend.”–Yelp Review
6. Uber
Transportation at your fingertips.
Transportation can be quite expensive, so not all college students can afford to order an Uber all the time. If you get them an Uber gift card though, they will get to travel one or more times for free. It’ll be a great help for a college student to have this option. They could always use it for required travel or just to go out and have a good time. Either way, free transportation will be a great help to them!
“I've had great luck using Uber. I especially like that I can watch the arrival of my driver on my Uber client. They arrive much faster than a cab, and it's less money. My driver is usually very courteous and I arrive quickly at my destination.”–Yelp Review
7. Bed, Bath, & Beyond
Bed, Bath, & Beyond has the best bedding, bathroom, and kitchen supplies a college student can need. They can easily stock their dorm rooms with everything they need to be comfortable after visiting this store. On top of everything they have, they also offer plenty of great deals. They do their best to accommodate college students since this is one of the go-to stores for anyone going off to college.
“I love Bed, Bath, & Beyond! The employees at this particular one are always available and helpful! The selection, plus the 20% off coupons keep me coming back, and it's also where I get all of the things for my soda stream. Overall I will be back many, many times.”–Yelp Review
8. Hulu
Streaming service with great entertainment.
College students often love streaming services, so if you can get them a free streaming service for a month or so, they will probably really enjoy it. They spend so much time studying and getting work done, they deserve to have a break every once in a while. A Hulu gift card will give a college student some much needed entertainment when they’re at home. Each Hulu subscription lasts for at least a month and Hulu often likes to offer the first month’s subscription for free.
If a college student isn’t able to afford a Hulu subscription on their own, they will be so glad you got one for them. Even if they already have a subscription to Hulu, giving them a month or more off from paying for it will leave them with some much needed extra spending money.
With Hulu, a student can watch fun and popular shows that will keep them entertained for hours. They will find classic shows, classic movies, and many newer ones to check out. They have a section for comedies, for dramas, one for cooking programs, and one for just about every TV or movie genre there is. Students can be introduced to many cool new things to watch and even catch up with some of things they had watched in the past.
“I love this streaming site. The TV show selection is phenomenal. I do not lie. Okay? If you’re still reading that’s cool. Short story SHORT. I truthfully love this streaming site, beyond belief. I’ve canceled Netflix at least five times, never Hulu. A real one.”–Trustpilot Review
There you have it – the best gift card ideas for the college students in your life.
College students are in need of a lot during their years of schooling, so anything you get for them can be a great help. Anything on this list will make an absolutely amazing gift for the college student in your life.
Trae Bodge
Trae Bodge is the shopping expert here at GiftYa. Trae helps people find the best deals and ideas on popular new items to purchase.
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