Top 7 Gift Cards for 20-Year-Olds to Help Their Journey into Adulthood

Twenty-year-olds are likely in the middle of their college career or just starting to work full-time after high school. That is a big time for them! They are off living on their own, perhaps in their first off-campus apartment. Suffice to say — this is the perfect time to get them a gift card. Twenty-year-olds love the power that comes with purchasing something for themselves, but, alas, most of them don’t have the funds to do that too often. That’s where your gift card comes in. Gift cards are a spectacular gift for any occasion. They come from just about any company and can be spent at the receiver’s discretion. 

Gift Card Granny offers eGift Cards for thousands of retailers, and we offer them at a discount! They can be shipped to your door or created online, taking the stress out of going from store to store looking for the gift card that you’re looking for. Twenty-year-olds are notorious for losing or misplacing items, as we are sure you remember. You want to make sure that the gift card gets used quickly before they drop it between their couch cushions or the email code gets lost in the depths of their inbox. This list will give you some great examples of gift cards that can be used right away!

Gift Card Granny is an excellent site where you can shop for all of your gift cards. Not sure where to start? No worries! In this article, we are covering the top 7 gift card ideas for 20-year-olds, including 

  • Gift cards for gaming
  • Gift cards for food
  • Gift cards for clothes

Earn Cash Back On Gift Cards for 20-Year-Olds with Gift Card Granny

As a quick reminder, we’ve pointed out all of the retailers on this list that you can find on Gift Card Granny as of this writing. Gift Card Granny makes it easy to buy and send customized gift cards online and earn cash back while you do. Gift Card Granny carries thousands of local and national brands including Visa gift cards, Mastercard gift cards, and gift cards for many of the awesome spots on this list.

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s jump right into our list!

1. Xbox 

Gift cards to Xbox can turn into their next favorite video game

Buy an Xbox gift card

Video games are a popular pastime across all ages, but especially for college-age kids! A gift card to the Xbox game store could be the perfect gift for them, as it lets them pick out the perfect video game for themselves to play. Note: it is important to ascertain that this person has an Xbox and uses it to play video games before getting this gift card. Once you know that for a fact, an Xbox gift card is unbeatable. 

If they don’t play Xbox but do play video games, the other most popular gaming platforms are Steam, Playstation, and Nintendo Switch. You can always reach out and ask if they play video games! Video game gift cards also feel very nostalgic for 20-year-olds. When they were kids, video game gift cards were classic birthday or holiday gifts, but sometime during their teenage years, video game gift cards got much less common. You can bring them back! 

Xbox is one of the thousands of retailers you can find on Gift Card Granny. Start earning cash back when you pick up an Xbox gift card today.

2. Amazon

Home to just about every item imaginable — an Amazon gift card is always a welcome sight

Buy an Amazon gift card

This is a no-brainer — an Amazon gift card is always a safe choice for your friend, no matter who they are. Going with an Amazon gift card is a little less personal than some of the other cards on this list, but the options really are endless. An Amazon gift card is doubly nice for a 20-year-old because there are always items that 20-somethings need, from furniture to kitchenware and much more. Those painful but necessary purchases are made much easier with a gift card!  

Gift cards from Amazon are something you can be absolutely certain will go towards something that your friend wants in their life. Unfortunately, you can’t get an Amazon gift card on Gift Card Granny quite yet, but check back soon! We’re always adding more retailers.

Buy an Amazon gift card

3. Barnes and Noble

A home for readers of all ages

Buy a Barnes and Noble gift card

Barnes and Noble is an excellent choice for a gift card. They have such a diverse collection of books on their shelves that readers of all ages and interests can find a book that they enjoy. There is a certain pleasure in walking around the store without a specific destination, just looking at covers and titles as they catch your eye. Also, it could be the perfect occasion if they have a book on their mind and this spurs them to go and pick it up. 

There are, alas, a fair amount of 20-year-olds who don’t do much reading at all. For those folks, a Barnes and Noble gift card might not be the move. We recommend this gift card for heavy readers and beach readers alike! If they aren’t the most devout readers, you can always tack on a few recommendations for books that you think they will like! 

Barnes and Noble are one of the thousands of retailers you can find on Gift Card Granny. Start earning cash back when you pick up a Barnes and Noble gift card today.

4. Caribou Coffee

Coffee is king for college students 

Buy a Caribou Coffee Gift card

We’ve all been there. It’s early in the morning and assignments and exams have kept us up. The only thing that can brighten the day — is a big cup of coffee, of course! Caribou Coffee is a great gift card for 20-year-olds. 

Caribou Coffee offers a ton of potential gifts, from ground coffee and coffee beans to coffee accessories, or even apparel! A gift card to Caribou Coffee lets them take a break from the Folgers that they’ve been getting from the store (not that there’s anything wrong with Folgers!) and enjoy a premium coffee blend.  Does your friend start their day with a fresh-brewed cup of joe? If so, they may love a gift card to Caribou Coffee. 

They can order a fun, flavored bag of coffee or just the staple bag that will give them weeks of excellent morning coffee, and a great change from what they normally drink. Gift cards in all shapes and sizes allow them to delay their purchase of the gift if they are inundated with other gifts from friends and family. They may not want a bag of coffee on their birthday, but would absolutely love a bag two or three weeks from then. Gift cards give them that option!

Caribou Coffee is one of many you can find at Gift Card Granny. Start earning cash back when you pick up a Caribou Coffee gift card today.

4. UberEats

A gift card for 20-year-olds who don’t want to cook!

Get an UberEats gift card.

It is unfortunate, but there are a lot of 20-year-olds who just don’t like to cook. A ramen and pasta diet is common for many college students and young professionals, so we recommend a food-related gift card so they can take off the pressure of having to cook for themselves. We think that UberEats or another food delivery service is an excellent way to show your appreciation. 

UberEats is one of the thousands of retailers you can find on Gift Card Granny. Start earning cash back when you pick up an UberEats gift card today.

4. DoorDash 

Food delivery services let the 20-year-old enjoy a restaurant of their choosing!

Get a DoorDash gift card.

Just like UberEats, DoorDash is a great gift card for 20-year-olds. If they’ve got plans or just run out of time, the ability to tap their phone a few times and get food delivered within the hour is fantastic. The major disadvantage of ordering out is the cost, and that’s where the gift card comes in! They can splurge on a delicious meal from one of their favorite restaurants without having to pay for it. These gift cards are also excellent because they get inputted into their account right when they get them, and once they are in the account they won’t get lost!

You can grab one of these spectacular gift cards at Gift Card Granny. Start earning cash back when you pick up a DoorDash gift card today!

6. Etsy

Their one-stop shop for personalized gifts so they can get something special

Buy an Etsy gift card

Etsy is a phenomenal place for personalized gifts. They have tons of independent stores that specialize in creating the best jewelry, clothing, decorations, and everything else that’s personalized or just fun to have. If you aren’t sure what kind of gift they would like the best, you can get them an Etsy gift card so they can choose for themselves! Also, gift-giving as a 20-year-old is pretty difficult. Gifts are expensive! You can always help them out and write them a note that this gift card is to help them get gifts during the holiday season. We know they would love that! 

Unfortunately, Etsy is not available on Gift Card Granny. Make sure to check back soon, as we add new ones as often as we can! 

Buy an Etsy gift card

7. Dunkin’ Donuts

College kids run on Dunkin’

Get a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card

A gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts is a superb gift for 20-year-olds. Dunkin’ is a low-risk high reward gift card in that you can be sure they will enjoy every order on your card at Dunkin’. There are so many coffee drinks and specialty donuts nowadays that a handful of free orders are always appreciated. 

Just about every single college campus has a Dunkin’ on it, and we think that just about every college student would appreciate and enjoy a gift card to Dunkin! Coffee is certainly the most talked about part of Dunkin’ Donuts, but they are, first and foremost, a donut shop! Donuts are an amazing treat that many 20-year-olds don’t have too often, and a Dunkin’ gift card could be the perfect reason to get a few delicious donuts!

From coffee to pastries, Dunkin’ Donuts lets them get a variety of sweet treats when the mood strikes them. Start earning cash back when you pick up a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card today.

Our Favorite Gift Cards for 20-Year-Olds

Those are our gift cards for 20-year-olds ideas. They are not a picky bunch, but if you are still uncertain which is best for them you can always reach out to their friends! Chatting a bit with someone who knows them well can lead you down the path to the perfect gift card, especially now that you are equipped with this list of excellent possibilities. As long as your friend is going to be nearby the service or the store that you get for them, we think that they will love the gift card and, well, might appreciate getting a bit of money instead of an item for which they may or may not have a good use. 

Remember: many of the retailers on this list are available at Gift Card Granny, where you can earn cashback and rewards on all of your gift card purchases. 

From all of us here at Gift Card Granny, happy shopping!