Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas That Arrive in Minutes

A last minute gift used to mean a gas station bouquet or a gift set nobody would pick for themselves. Digital gifts for Christmas change that. An e-gift card is sent by email within minutes of ordering, so time stops being the problem.

At checkout you decide where it goes: to your own inbox, so you can pass it on yourself, or straight to the person you are giving it to. A personal message comes along with it, written on the product page before you check out. And the person still gets to choose how to spend it, which is more than most last minute gifts can say for themselves.

Each of these arrives by email, so it works just as well on Christmas Eve as it does in early December.

1. For anyone: Merry Christmas Gift Card

When you are not sure what they like, the Merry Christmas Gift Card lets them decide. It is our own card, and they choose from 150+ brand gift cards, spreading the amount over several if they like. Amounts go from $10 to $1,000, which covers a small thank you and a generous family gift alike. It suits the in-laws, the new neighbour and everyone in between.

2. For the foodie: Uber Eats Gift Card

After days of cooking and leftovers, a meal someone else makes is a real gift. An Uber Eats gift card lets the food lover order from a favourite spot during the quiet days between Christmas and New Year. Cards go from $15 to $250, enough for one proper dinner or a few lazy lunches over the break.

3. For the movie lover: Cineplex Gift Card

The Christmas break is when everyone finally has an afternoon free. A Cineplex gift card turns that afternoon into a trip to the movies, alone, with friends or with the kids. It suits film fans, families and teens who want to get out of the house for a few hours. You can give anything from $10 to $250.

4. For the gamer: PlayStation Store Gift Card

Gamers tend to know exactly which title they are waiting for, and the Christmas break is when they finally have time to play it. A PlayStation Store gift card lets them pick it themselves, so you never end up buying the wrong one. It suits teens and grown-up players alike, with amounts from $15 to $250.

5. For the coffee lover: Starbucks Gift Card

For the friend whose day starts with a latte, a Starbucks gift card is a small gift that gets used almost straight away. It works for colleagues, teachers, the neighbour who fed your cat and anyone else who deserves a thank you. Amounts go from $10 to $250, so it can be one coffee or a good few of them.

6. For the reader: Kobo Gift Card

Long winter evenings are made for reading. A Kobo gift card gives the book lover in your life something new for the break, chosen by them. It suits anyone with a long reading list and a pile of books they have already finished. Kobo cards come in amounts of $10, $25 and $50.

Not everyone makes it home for Christmas. A sister in another province or a grandparent overseas can feel a long way off when everyone else is around the same table. Online Christmas gifts close that distance a little.

Christmas e-gift cards reach them by email, so the one you order while the family is still gathered lands in their inbox within minutes. Send it straight to their email address and add a personal message, so your words arrive with it. It is a small thing, but it means they are part of the day too, wherever they happen to be spending it. And nobody has to wait for anything to turn up.

Sending a last minute Christmas gift from Gift-card.com takes a few minutes, even from your phone.

1. Pick a card and an amount. Choose the brand, or the Merry Christmas Gift Card if you are not sure, and set the amount.
2. Write your message. Add a personal message on the product page. It comes along in the email.
3. Decide who receives it. At checkout the card goes to you by default, or you can send it straight to the person you are giving it to.

The email goes out the moment you order, so there is nothing to wait for. That makes these online Christmas gift ideas just as useful late on December 24 as they are in the middle of November.

If none of these six fits, there are plenty more to choose from. Our last minute Christmas gifts category gathers cards that suit a late decision. The full range of digital gift cards shows everything else that arrives by email. Take a few minutes, pick the one that sounds like them, and send it.

Late is fine, as long as it is thoughtful.