Best gift cards to buy as a gift

Start with a general-purpose card. A Visa or Mastercard gift card is the safest gift when you don't know what someone wants: it works almost anywhere, so there's no wrong guess. The Mastercard eGift arrives near-instantly by email and comes in a range of amounts, which makes it easy to send at the last minute.

Who the others suit:

• Uber — for someone who doesn't drive much or lives in a city; it covers rides and food delivery.
• Ticketmaster — for a concert, comedy or sports fan who'd rather pick their own night out.
• GameStop — for a gamer, in store or online.
• Victoria's Secret, UNTUCKit, Brandy Melville — for someone whose taste you know well; a store card is more personal than cash but only works in one place.

Two things worth knowing: store-specific cards are only as good as the person's taste, and some cards carry an expiry or a replacement wait, so check the terms on the card before you send it.