Finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list is no easy feat. Maybe you're shopping for the friend who has everything already or someone you don't know that well—you're stumped on what to buy, but still want their gift to be thoughtful and practical. Or, maybe you've accidentally waited too long to finish up your holiday shopping and need a gift with zero shipping time required. In any case, a gift card is a great idea for travelers. We put together a list of the very best gift cards for travelers, with options for book worms, outdoor enthusiasts, and beauty gurus included. From suitcases to skincare to entire vacation rentals, you can put your gift to good use and rest easy knowing your giftee got exactly what they wanted: something they picked out themselves. Plus, some have physical card options, if sending an email isn't the glamorous gift-giving experience you imagined.
This weekend only: Target’s big annual gift card sale
02.12.2023 - 13:53 / thepointsguy.com
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the rearview mirror, but the deals haven't stopped just yet. In fact, this weekend only, Target will offer a Target gift card sale.
On Saturday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 3, Target gift cards are 10% off in-store and online with a one-time-use Target Circle discount.
From milk and bananas to clothes, luggage, toys and home furnishings, Target is the one-stop destination for almost everything. It's pretty hard to go wrong buying a Target gift card whether for yourself or someone on your shopping list.
If you know you're likely to regularly shop at Target for the foreseeable future, buying discount gift cards now also helps you meet a minimum credit card spend to earn a credit card sign-up bonus. That way, you'll meet the deadline for the earning spending bonus and save money on Target purchases over time. If you have some Toys-for-Tots type purchases to make and donate, these gift cards can make it easy to stretch those donation dollars 10% further, too.
To take advantage of the kick-off to the holiday savings, you'll first need to activate the offer in your Target Circle account. This limits the number of discounted gift card transactions to just one per account. You can purchase smaller denomination gift cards up to the $500 discounted max or one $500 gift card, as long as it is all in one transaction with the Target Circle offer activated.
A few restrictions apply:
If you want to increase the value of this deal, you can pay for your discounted gift cards with a Chase Freedom Flex via the PayPal checkout option on the desktop Target.com site.
If you haven't already maxed out your $1,500 toward Freedom Flex's 5-points-per-dollar bonus categories for this quarter (including PayPal), you should earn 5 points per dollar spent on this purchase (activation is required).
With this, you can buy a $500 Target gift card for $450 and earn 1,350 Ultimate Rewards points (or $27 at current valuations of 2 cents per point) via PayPal with the Freedom Flex card. If you also have a premium Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve, those 2,250 points you'll earn are worth over $46, according to TPG valuations. That totals $96 in savings/earnings on a $500 purchase.
This is beneficial if you would spend those dollars over the coming weeks and months at Target anyway. Finally, going through a shopping portal before clicking on the Target website is also good advice, though gift card purchases are typically excluded from earning cash back.
Additional reporting by Jennifer Yellin and Melissa Klurman.
How to plan a food weekend in South Somerset
Famed for its cheddar and cider, Somerset has a rich food and drink heritage. Around a decade ago, the town of Bruton shone a spotlight on the county’s gourmet credentials encouraging travellers to linger for a weekend of gourmet food and art at its new Hauser & Wirth gallery. The influence of the town’s restaurants — among them Osip and Roth Bar & Grill — grew and has spread to nearby pockets of countryside including expansive rural estate, The Newt that packs in three restaurants largely fueled by its farm, kitchen gardens, butcher, baker and cider press. Tour South Somerset and the Levels and you’ll stumble across artisan producers that are putting a spin on traditional methods. Capitalising on this, a handful of well-known chefs have relocated from London to south Somerset to open farm-to-table restaurants in former coaching inns and other historic golden-stone buildings.
How to spend a long weekend in Fife, Scotland’s ancient kingdom
The ancient Kingdom of Fife is steeped in rich history and dramatic scenery. The region is located on a sprawling peninsula on Scotland’s east coast, appreciated for its cinematic scale, ambience, and pure sense of drama. The name ‘Kingdom of Fife’ derives from its historical significance as one of the major Pictish kingdoms, once known as Fib. This four-day itinerary guides visitors through the region’s charming fishing villages, to iconic landmarks and across wild coastal paths. It's a place where visitors can escape, relax and unwind. Explore the historic home of Scotland’s ancient monarchs and tuck into world-class local produce — all within an easy drive from Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
50 Perfect Holiday Gifts, According to Our Favorite Women Travelers
The holiday season is just around the corner, and that means you probably need to secure a few great gifts for the incredible women in your life. Whether you're shopping for your mom, your wife, your sister, or any other fellow traveler you know and love, you'll want to give them something meaningful that they don’t already have but know they'll appreciate.
Give more and spend less with these holiday gift card deals
If you are still making your list and checking it twice, we found a few gift ideas in Santa's workshop that are sure to please you and the lucky recipient.
Score Flights Across the U.S. This Winter and in the Spring for as Little as $39 With This Sale
‘Tis the season for planning an epic winter getaway and Southwest is helping by offering one-way flights starting at just $39.
The World’s Largest Menorah Will Be Lit in NYC This Year — What to Know
The world’s largest Hanukkah menorah will be lit in Central Park in New York City to welcome the first night of the festival of lights.
Major deal alert: How to earn 10,000 points per stay at Best Western Hotels and a $100 gift card
Best Western Rewards' latest promotion has launched two generous hotel deals that allow you to stack bonuses this winter. And while you may already have your holiday or winter stays booked, this hotel promotion is one that you should really consider and take advantage of. Keep reading to find out how you can earn up to 100,000 reward points, as well as a $100 gift card.
JetBlue and Southwest's Cyber Monday Sale Has Major Flight Discounts, Perks for Status Members, and More
The Cyber Monday deals have officially rolled in — and travelers can now jump on these limited-time JetBlue and Southwest airfare sales.
Southwest Airlines 30% Savings Cyber Monday Sale
The Southwest Airlines Cyber Monday sale is here, and saving 30% on select routes is possible. Unlike some travel deals, you have three days to book discounted flights (just like this $49 flight sale with JetBlue), although you should still act quickly to secure the best flight times.
Air New Zealand’s Cyber Monday Sale Has the 'Lowest Fares of 2023' to Auckland, Sydney, and More
Air New Zealand is celebrating Cyber Monday with a major sale that has flights to Auckland starting as low as $1,033.
Have $150,000 to spend? This tour company flies around the world on a luxury Airbus A321
It's one thing to book a lie-flat business-class seat to travel overseas with some added comfort. What might qualify as "next-level," though, is doing so on a private jet that will fly you around the world, stopping on every continent (excluding Antarctica) along the way.