29 Best Employee Gift Cards to Show Appreciation in 2024

If you're a business owner, you may be wondering if it's okay to give out employee gift cards. As it turns out, giving gift cards to your employees is not only a good way of expressing your appreciation for a job well done, it shows how you value them as an integral part of the team. While there can be certain tax laws to keep in mind, a gift card is an excellent way to show your employees that you care.

So, what is the appropriate gift card amount for employees? The answer will depend on your specific budget and the tax laws of your state. Understanding the tax laws can be tricky, but the National Conference of State Legislature has a nifty tool where you can check the tax laws of your state concerning employee gift cards. 

Now that the legal stuff is out of the way, if you’re searching for the best gift cards for employees, we’ve compiled a list of creative ideas to help your employees or coworkers feel appreciated.

Jump to Section

• Best Employee Gift Cards to Encourage Creativity
• Best Employee Gift Cards for Foodies
• Unique Employee Gift Cards
• Educational Employee Gift Cards
• Employee Gift Cards That Give Back
• Subscription-Based Employee Gift Cards

Best Employee Gift Cards to Encourage Creativity

1. Classpop! Experience Gift Card

What is the best employee gift card? While material products fade over time, experiences can educate and inspire, leaving lasting memories and adding new skills. Treat your employee to a Classpop! gift card for one of the best experience gift cards to show your appreciation.

Whether you’re searching for employee gift cards online or something they can enjoy in person, there are a variety of classes your employee can participate in.

From energizing dance classes to insightful cooking classes, your employees can learn new skills from master instructors that elevate their creative skills — and possibly their performance at work.

2. Promptly Journals

Invest in your employee’s happiness and mental health with a Promptly Journals gift card. Why this gift and not a fancy notepad? Promptly is more than a few blank pages. The journal provides quotes, insights, and inspiration for what to write each day. It aims to improve mental health and well-being, so the product focuses on emotional growth and self-care. 

Whether or not your employee is a writer, this is one of the best employee gift cards to help them practice mindfulness and find peace. This is an especially great gift for employees who are going on parental leave because they can capture each moment of their new addition's life. Promptly gift cards are a no-strings-attached idea, meaning there is no expiration date.

3. The Crafter’s Box

Inspire your employees to get creative with The Crafter’s Box gift card. With high-quality crafts materials delivered straight to their door, your employees can choose their own workshop, materials kit and digital classes.

There are classes in all areas from fiber art, textile and sewing, and needlework to leather and woodworking, glass and metals, printmaking, drawing and more! It can be a fun employee gift card idea for parents who like to get creative with their kids. 

4. Personalized Accessories from Zazzle

For fun, personalized employee gift cards, give them the gift of personalized accessories. Zazzle gift cards will allow your employees to show off their kids or fluffy friends at the office by putting their mug on a, well, mug! From finding funky socks to engraving bespoke dart boards, this gift card will give your employees the ability to choose a personal gift that they can design on their own or get a professional artist to design.

They can filter by category or product, so they can pay this gift forward by sending Grandpa a gift or they can use it for themselves. You could be seeing a stylish new phone cover at the office on Monday or a deck of custom-designed playing cards. The options are limitless!

Best Employee Gift Cards for Foodies

5. DoorDash

The best virtual gift cards for employees who are looking to save some time are probably DoorDash gift cards. When the work week gets too hectic and your employees are craving some food from their favorite restaurants, this is one of the employee gift card ideas that will be really useful. 

6. Hello Fresh

If your employees enjoy spending time in the kitchen, help them level up their cooking skills with a Hello Fresh gift card. This meal kit delivery service provides organic food and easy recipes delivered straight to their door. It's one of the employee gift cards that allows them to learn how to create new meals without having to spend time visiting the market to get the produce.

7. Milk Bar

Treat your hardworking employees to excellent team gifts with a Milk Bar gift card. From homemade cookies to decadent cakes, your employees can enjoy a sugary coffee break with this sweet dessert delivery. Beyond being fantastic employee appreciation gift cards, this also makes a tasty treat for the holiday work party.

Strawberry shortcake, S'mores truffle balls, chocolate peanut butter crunch pie — the list is mouth-watering. Milk Bar also provides gluten-free options and samplers. 

8. Purple Carrot

A Purple Carrot gift card is one of the most thoughtful employee appreciation gift ideas for the vegans or vegetarians on your team. With plant-based meal kits, frozen meals and prepared meals available, your meat-free employees will love this upgrade to their weekly menu!

9. Winc

Celebrate your employees with a surprising bottle or two of wine with a Winc gift card. Winc starts with a palate profile quiz to assess your employee's unique taste and then provides recommendations to match their profile. They can also see recommendations and ratings from other Winc members after joining the community to easily find their new favorite bottle of vino.

The company will deliver the wines of their choice directly to their door, so they don't have to travel for their wine o'clock fix. This is one of the gift cards for employee appreciation that would also work great for corporate gifts.

Unique Employee Gift Cards

10. Stitch Fix

Help your employee update their wardrobe with a Stitch Fix gift card. This is probably one of the best employee gift cards online, because Stitch Fix has personal-style services provided to men and women (and kids if your employees have) to help create a wardrobe that evolves with their tastes.

Expert stylists and fashion experts will help your employees to create a style that fits them (both physically and emotionally) and then those clothes are delivered right to their home. Stitch Fix is also involved in equity and sustainability initiatives if social impact is important to your company's vision.  

11. Care.com

For a gift with a heart, assist your most valued employees with a Care.com gift card. There are various packages for families that provide family care needs for children, the elderly, those with special needs, pets, and even housekeeping and tutoring.

There is also an employee-specific solution called Care@Work that provides care benefits to employees so that you can attract and retain talent while increasing productivity and reducing absenteeism. This is by far one of the best employee appreciation gift cards to show how much you care. 

12. Barkbox

If your employee has a furry friend, give them a Barkbox gift card for one of the best virtual gift cards for employees with doggos. Every month, they'll receive two original plush toys, two bags of healthy doggie treats (customizable for diva dogs), and there's a new theme each month.

Show your appreciation by knowing that you care about all members of the family, furry or otherwise. Just be careful because this service is only for dogs, so it might make the cat owners a bit jealous. 

13. Flowerbx

Nothing says "you're important to me" than flowers. A Flowerbx gift card is one of the best gifts for employees to brighten up their space and their day. They can select from a range of beautiful bouquets to liven up their home or even to bring to the office.

There are a variety of styles and price points, so they can select the color and flower type that best suits their personality. They’ll love receiving a fresh arrangement to give their space an extra dash of beauty. It's one of the most aesthetically pleasing employee gift cards, for sure. 

14. Zappos

If you've got a fashionista in the office that is constantly updating their work attire, then a Zappos gift card is an outstanding choice. Zappos may have started as an online shoe store, but they now have tons of cute wardrobe items available from big-name brands in fashion, sports and beyond.

With fun, seasonal clothes in a variety of styles, they can use the voucher on their favorite clothing label which makes this one of the more personalized employee gift cards.

Educational Employee Gift Cards

15. Barnes & Noble

If you're the owner of an educational institute, or EdTech or e-learning platform, a Barnes & Noble gift card is always one of the best teacher appreciation gifts for bookworms looking to upskill or find their next good read. Barnes & Noble stocks more than books, which means your employees can get cute office supplies, fun electronics or practical carriers.

16. National Geographic

National Geographic is an explorer institution that's been going since 1888. As one of the most iconic brands, it provides readers with exciting and educational content from all over our beautiful planet.

Engage your employee in discovery with a National Geographic gift card. They can learn about our globe from the depths of the deep sea to wildlife conservation. This is one of those employee gift card ideas that can get them one step closer to changing the world for the better.

17. Babbel

If you know that one of your employees is heading to a foreign country for their vacation, help them learn a new language with a Babbel gift card. It's also one of the best retirement gifts for life-long employees who are heading over the pond to live out their best lives. From Spanish to German, there are 14 different languages available to prepare them for their international travels. This is one of the most versatile employee gift cards because it spans all ages and cultures. 

18. Audiobooks

If your employees aren't big fans of physical books, you can indulge their inner bookworm with an Audiobooks gift card. They’ll enjoy choosing their next audio read from thousands of books across a variety of genres.

Your employees can even get social by joining an audiobook club to discover the next best read. Amazon's Audible also has gift cards available if they prefer, just note that you cannot trade Audible gift cards for Amazon, and vice versa. These are thoughtful employee gift cards if you have visually impaired staff.

19. Curiosity Box

Level up your employee’s innovation with the perfect gift for creative thinkers. One of the best employee gift cards for science lovers is a Curiosity Box gift card.

The boxes are sent up to four times a year and include unique science toys, inventive experiments and original collectibles. As the name suggests, this the one of the employee gift cards that creates wonder and intrigue. 

Employee Gift Cards That Give Back

20. Fire Dept. Coffee

Fire Department Coffee is a veteran-owned business certified by NaVOBA (National Veteran-Owned Business Association) and NVBDC (National Veteran Business Development Council). Not only does it make amazing java, it also has a mission to give back to sick and injured firefighters. If you own a medical care facility and need an idea for gifts for nurses (or anyone who works the late shift and needs coffee on hand) give a Fire Department Coffee gift card.

These employee gift cards will keep your employees happy and caffeinated with a fresh coffee of the month while promoting a good cause.

21. Conscious Step

Conscious Step is an amazing concept. The company provides comfy, cute, ethical and sustainable socks that help to empower nonprofits and community causes. When you purchase a Conscious Step gift card, your employees will be able to select the cause they're most passionate about and wear that cause with pride on their feet. 

These are excellent employee engagement ideas for charitable and giving workers. These employee gift cards will provide them with a fashionable opportunity to demonstrate the causes they care about.

22. Pura Vida

Pura Vida is an apparel company that makes jewelry, bags and clothing, as well as donating a portion of each sale to over 200 charities worldwide. Similar to Conscious Step, a Pura Vida gift card allows your employees to select which cause they want to support when they select their items. It's definitely one of the best employee recognition gift cards for conscious companies looking to support good causes. 

23. The Tote Project

Get the whole team involved by giving a Tote Project gift card. With lots of ethically-made tote bags to choose from, each purchase provides healing and hope to victims of human trafficking.

It's also one of the most creative spirit week ideas for companies looking for employee gift cards for their themed annual gatherings.

24. TOMS Shoes

TOMS is a Certified B Corporation™ and impact-focused shoe brand that donates 1/3 of its profits for good. With a focus on mental health, access to opportunity and ending gun violence, it drives sustainable change through cash grants and partnerships with community organizations. That's why one of the most popular gift cards for employee appreciation that shows you care are TOMS Gift Cards.

Subscription-Based Employee Gift Cards

25. Disney+ Gift Card

For employees with toddlers and teens, a Disney+ Gift Card is the best option. Even for adults, this streaming choice is loved by fans of blockbuster franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, as well as other affiliated media companies like Pixar, FX, and National Geographic. What makes this choice one of the great streaming employee gift card ideas is that it can be bundled together with Hulu, another great streaming service. 

26. Netflix Gift Card

Netflix blazed the trail for streaming services and continues to do so today with award-winning original content. If you get your employees a Netflix Gift Card and they already have an account, they can simply add the balance as a top-up. So convenient! 

27. Apple Gift Card

Apple users are die-hard fans who will always use the tech giant's product no matter what. If you have a MacBook or iPhone user at the office, chances are they will really appreciate an Apple Gift Card. Not only can they use this gift card on the Apple TV streaming service, but also on Apple products like Apple Music, the Apple App Store or any physical product. 

28. Amazon Prime Gift Card

Similar to an Apple Gift Card, an Amazon Gift Card allows your employees to cash in the amount for anything on the Amazon store, including its fantastic streaming service Prime. The fun thing about purchasing an Amazon Gift Card, and what make this one of the more personalised employee gift card ideas, is that you can send a customized gift card. This includes animated gift cards or putting your own design on the card. It can also be delivered physically, for that extra "wow" factor, or online. 

29. Spotify Gift Card

If your employee is a music lover they will no doubt be a member of the audio streaming service Spotify. You can lighten their load by purchasing a Spotify Gift Card for an amount of your choosing (1, 3, 6, and 12-month values) that they can apply to their account. 

This specific gift card does come with a few exceptions that you might want to be aware of. Your employee won't be able to apply their gift card on discounted plans like Premium Student, Premium Family, Premium Duo, or trial offers. You also, can't get it directly from Spotify, so you'll need to look at sites like Amazon or get a physical gift card from your local electronics supplier. Either way, it still makes one of the best gift cards for employee appreciation. 

So, what is the best gift card to give to an employee? Something personal and practical is usually your best answer. It's always a good idea to give employee gift cards that give back to a cause or to the community. Other top employee gift card ideas are the ones that encourage creativity or help your employees feel appreciated in some way. 

For even more fun gift ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!