The 6 Best Gift Cards for Teachers in 2023

A large bookstore with tons of options. 

Buy a digital Barnes & Noble gift card

Barnes & Noble is a great shopping place for a teacher. Many teachers are huge fans of the place. They spend a lot of their time learning and reading for work and likely do their own reading for fun on the side. Why not help them get one or more fun books to read? Whenever they are done with all the reading they have to do for their students, they will really look forward to getting to do their own. 

A Barnes & Noble gift card will give the teacher in your life a fun chance to shop for interesting things to read. If they’ve been neglecting their own interests in favor of work for some time, this gift will encourage them to focus on themselves for a bit. It’s hard not to get excited about book shopping when you’re surrounded by all of Barnes & Noble’s many options. If your friend is a fan of fiction, they’ll find folklore, historical fiction, sci-fi, and thrillers. If they are a non fiction fan, they can find cookbooks, art, business, and psychology. And that’s not to mention all the awesome stationary available! 

“Barnes & Noble is a store that reminds me of the old days. It takes the whole building and tons of books. I love the kids section. I enjoy searching for a wonderful illustrated book that even you can buy online but you won't see the stuff inside if there is no sample. The actual store gives me more options to get the book I like.”–Yelp Review

Buy a digital Barnes & Noble gift card

Popular coffee chain with great breakfast.

Buy a digital Dunkin' gift card

Most teachers would surely appreciate a gift card to a coffee shop. Dunkin’ Donuts serves delicious freshly brewed coffee along with great breakfasts starting from early on in the morning. When your teacher friend wakes up early in the morning to teach their students, it would be really great and convenient for them to have the ability to simply stop by Dunkin on the way to class. That way, they can get their coffee and something to eat without having to put any work into it. Costs to buy breakfast each day can also add up. 

Saving a teacher's time in the morning is something that would be really helpful to them. It can give them some time to sleep in, which will give them more energy to get through the school day. It can also help them enjoy foods they wouldn’t normally have time to prepare themselves before the bell rings. Rather than run out the door with a plain bagel, your teacher friend can have a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on sourdough, hash browns, donuts, or or one of several other ready made options. 

“Hey, it's a Dunkin Donuts, do you really need to read a review about it?  Let's see... They have donuts, and coffee. I believe dunkin(g) your donuts in your coffee is completely optional.”–Yelp Review

Buy a digital Dunkin' gift card

Office supply store with great in-person assistance. 

Buy a Staples gift card

Staples is one of the best places you can get a teacher a gift card from. They sell a large variety of supplies that teachers can make really good use of. Teachers often use their own money to buy some of the supplies they need. The need for supplies is endless when it comes to teaching a classroom full of hardworking students, so teachers often end up having to stock supplies themselves. Just in case any student forgets their supplies, the teacher will have enough for them.

You can help a teacher have their classroom well stocked for their students with a Staples gift card. They offer so many things that teachers and classrooms can use on a regular basis. They have office supplies, electronics, and even some furniture. A teacher can buy desk organizers, scissors, binders, notebooks, and much more. Even lunch totes and luggage can be found at Staples. It is a haven for classroom necessities. 

“I am grateful Staples is open 24 hours. I needed to send a late night fax and buy some printer ink. Customer service is casual and relaxed. I am glad I did not wait in line for the fax or to be rung up. Good to know I can come in early mornings or late at night time to shop for office supplies and to take care of business.”–Yelp Review

Buy a Staples gift card

Pre-prepped ingredients that make creative meals. 

Buy a digital Blue Apron gift card

Everyone needs food, and that teacher in your life could probably also use a break. They spend hours outside of class grading papers and prepping for the next day, so it would be a great gift to give them some pre prepped food. With Blue Apron, a busy teacher can have several meals for the week without having to plan a grocery list or go shopping themselves. They can get enough for two people or for a family of four. 

Cutting out most of the prep work really saves a lot of time. And these meals don’t only save time, but are delicious too. Blue Apron offers a variety of great options. You can choose your diet preferences, and then choose the type of prep work you’d want to put into a meal. 

There's an option to have pre portioned ingredients sent for you to then prepare, or you can choose a microwavable option, or an oven ready option. And the meals include duck and thyme butter pan sauce, mango chutney grilled cheese, and many more creative meals the average person won’t normally think up on their own. Blue Apron makes mealtime easy and fun! 

“I tried Blue Apron out of desperation a few weeks ago due to not being able to go to the grocery store and no slots for delivery for Amazon and Whole Foods. Well, after trying Blue Apron, I would go for that.  I expected to cancel after one week, but I am committed to trying the meals for the next few weeks because the photos look amazing.”–Yelp Review

Buy a digital Blue Apron gift card

An online store that has everything. 

Buy a digital Amazon gift card

If you want to give someone a gift card to a place where they can get just about anything, go with Amazon. Amazon is popular because it has just about everything that anyone might need all on its website. They have various different items of various different kinds and brands. If you don’t know what a particular teacher likes, an Amazon gift card will certainly cover everything. There are tons of things that everyone needs on there, and many ways for someone to treat themselves.

They have a clothing department, an electronic department, books, computers, pet supplies, and much more. The list of things that you can find on the website is endless. A teacher can choose to get something practical for their classroom, or they can choose to treat themselves with something fun. The choice is completely theirs when you give them an amazon gift card! This is the type of gift that anyone can 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

Buy a digital Amazon gift card

Restaurant with all sorts of dinner and dessert options. 

Buy a Cheesecake Factory gift card

A free meal from a great restaurant always makes a great gift. Give the teacher in your life a free meal at The Cheesecake Factory. It is a great chain restaurant that's loved for its delicious and extensive menu along with its long list of decadent cheesecake options. When you give someone a nice break from preparing dinner, this is a great place to send them. 

The Cheesecake Factory makes everything they offer from scratch. They really prioritize their food prep and it comes across in the food. They always make sure to start with fresh ingredients and great cooking techniques. The menu includes brunch, pizza, pasta, and even low calorie options. There are so many choices, there are options there for anyone. So if the teacher you’re giving this card to has a family, everyone in the group can easily have a great time! 

“My mother loves the Cheesecake Factory so we gave the Riverside one a try and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Everything we ordered was fresh and tasty. Good value for lunchtime and the appetizers are so large you can easily have as a main or share a couple.”–Yelp Review

Buy a Cheesecake Factory gift card

And those are the most popular gift cards for teachers -- traditional, digital, or otherwise!

When you want to give a gift to a teacher you care about, making the right choice can be difficult. Gift cards will make the process so much easier because it lets you out the ultimate choices in the recipient's hands. If you get a teacher a gift card, they can really enjoy picking out something they don’t have to pay for. So go ahead and make a teacher’s day with a gift card!