Amazon

Amazon IMO is the best option because there is such a wide variety of things a person could purchase; they could use it for stuff they need, stuff for others, etc. Visa and MC gift cards are the worst because 1. They are surprisingly difficult to use—especially online—and I end up not being able to use the full amount (you can’t combine the five dollars left on the card with another form of payment, for example). And 2. You have to pay to purchase the card.

If you know the recipient well and are certain they love a particular restaurant, great. My team knows I love getting my nails done and they got me a GC to a fancy nail salon which was amazing—would never ever have gone there without the GC and it was such a wonderful and thoughtful treat.

I also love a note. Seriously. A handwritten thank you from parents, students, athletes is pure gold.

Amazon, Target, Walmart, or grocery store. Whichever is close to the school or their home.

All are places I go regularly for necessities, so it will get used. While being creative is fun, I won’t spend the $10 gift card to the local bookstore or restaurant knowing that anything I want will be at least $20, and I don’t want to spend money to redeem a gift.

Amazon, Target and Dunkin are always solid picks

I tend to go with Amazon or target. Lots of possible things to buy.

Anonymous wrote:Just don’t. I have a pile of gift cards I’ll likely never use

Use them or regift them.

Oh do people actually do gifts in middle school?? We are also at a title 1 school.

Please, please attach a receipt. The level of gift card fraud is truly astounding.

https://moneywise.com/news/americans-lost-1-b-to-gift-card-draining-scam-now-authorities-and-retailers-are-targeting-the-organized-crime-behind-it-how-to-protect-yourself