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Best gift card Black Friday deals: Stress less, spend less
Update: Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2021 are done and dusted, so the deals below are no longer valid. Check out our ZDNet Recommends hub for a better look at the latest deals available or ZDNet's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide hub for recommendations on gifts for all.
We love a bargain, right? With gift cards, you can deliver shopping bliss to your family, friend, or significant other. If you want to secure the best deals on gift cards, there's no better time to shop around than during Black Friday. We have scoured the internet to find the best options on gift cards, ranging from that of Amazon, Microsoft, and more. Give the gift of flexibility this holiday season with these sweet discounts.
Did you know?
For your convenience, many retailers including Starbucks, Amazon, and Target offer the option to send gift cards via text message. This makes for an easy way to spread the holiday cheer to your family, friends, or coworkers. To do this, download the stores' apps and purchase gift cards like you normally would. Upon checking out, the app should present you with the option to send the gift card via e-mail or text message. If you're on iOS, you'll also see toggles in your iMessage that allow you to send gift cards within a conversation.
This Black Friday, get a $10 credit to your Amazon account when you spend at least $50 on an Amazon e-gift card. The offer is only applicable to first-time gift card buyers, and you will need to be signed in to your account to view the offer.
Used to buy games, movies, music, and other services from Microsoft, the $20 Xbox gift card is currently on sale for $18 at GameStop. This is for a digital code so you'll have to redeem it through email.
For the Nintendo fans, Walmart has $50 eShop gift cards listing at $45. With it, you can purchase and download from Nintendo's catalog of over 1,000 games directly to your Switch, Wii, or 3DS family of systems.
For the bookworms, Barnes & Noble is rewarding you with an additional $10 gift card when you spend $100 or more on gift cards. The promotion ends on November 22.
OC Choice BDAY gift cards are a great option if you're undecided on what your recipient is into. The card is designed to be for birthdays but is redeemable at multiple stores, including AMC, Subway, Gap, Lowe's, Ulta Beauty, and more. To get the $7.50 bounceback credits, purchase a gift card worth $50 or more and enter the code 'NOVOCBDAY' at checkout.
Shopping for a niece or nephew? The Children's Place has a gift card promotion that rewards you the more you spend. By purchasing a $50, $75, or $100 gift card, you'll get an additional $10, $15, or $20 gift card, respectively.
This entry isn't necessarily a deal, but more of a recommendation for the undecided. The Mastercard gift card functions like an ordinary debit card and gives the receiver flexibility with spending. You'll have to pay a $5.95 fee upfront ($105.95 total for the $100 value), but the card can be used anywhere in the US that accepts Mastercard. The card is non-reloadable, however, does not have an expiration date.
Heads up for the tech-savvy shopper -- starting November 21, Target will bundle a $15 Target gift card when you spend $100 or more on an Apple gift card. This makes for a slick deal if you're planning to shop at either store.
We will continue to look out for all the best gift card deals available over the holidays, so follow this page for the most up-to-date promotions available.