Photo: Scouted/The Daily Beast/iStock.
Let’s face it: even if you’re an ultra responsible gifter who usually plans ahead instead of waiting to the very last possible second to do your holiday gift shopping, most of us are guilty of forgetting to buy a gift for someone’s special graduation, holiday, birthday, baby shower, and the like. Fortunately, there are plenty of surprisingly thoughtful gifts you can send by email that won’t look like you waited until the last minute—even if you totally did.
Plus, many of us are still socially distancing for the holidays, so giving gifts IRL isn’t always an option, which means e-gifts are the only safe bet whether you procrastinated or had responsibly planned months in advance. Plus, with this year’s ongoing supply chain issues, there’s a good chance you’re going to want to send digital gifts that will be guaranteed to be delivered on time.
I was raised to always send handwritten thank you notes, birthday cards, holiday greetings—and, well, the list goes on, so the idea of emailing a gift to someone still makes me a little bit uncomfortable (especially if I imagine my mother’s reaction). But frankly, there truly is a plethora of thoughtful gifts you can send online that don’t scream “I literally forgot to give you a gift until just now.” So, yes, while I may still be somewhat old-fashioned (I do still send the handwritten thank you notes by mail) when it comes to my gifting philosophies, the idea of sending an online e-gift (especially during a pandemic, mind you), doesn’t feel quite as blasphemous to me anymore.
Now, despite my lifelong commitment to handwritten letters, I’m no angel. As a matter of fact, I too am a lifelong procrastinator (I literally wait until Christmas eve to do my gift shopping every damn year without fail) I’ve rounded up a few solid gifts you can send by email that will be delivered to the giftee in question almost instantly. Best of all, these e-gifts are actually thoughtful, so you could very reasonably send them in advance too.
From personalized Cameo videos recorded by a slew of celebrities to Masterclasses taught by industry professionals like Gordon Ramsey and David Lynch, there’s no shortage of stellar gifts to send by email. Scroll through below to check out some of our favorites.
Masterclass Subscription
From cooking classes with Gordon Ramsey to basketball lessons with Stephen Curry, Masterclass allows you to give the gift of learning instantly online. You can choose to gift a single course annually for just $90 or an all-access pass for $180.
Cameo Custom Videos
Cameo is an online service that allows you to "hire" celebrities to create brief custom videos for the giftee in question. These can be sent by email or text, and the prices range between $1 to $2,000 depending on the celebrity you choose.
The Daily Beast Subscription
Deliver a year's worth of unlimited access to the Beast's original reporting, right to your recipient's inbox—no shipping required! Preserve the spirit of a holiday surprise by scheduling exactly when they get notified of the gift.
Rosetta Stone
For the frequent traveller or general language lover, you can't go wrong with an e-gift card to Rosetta Stone. Gift card options start at just $50.
Winc Wine Membership
For the wine connoisseur on your list, give the gift of trying new wines each month with Winc's monthly subscription boxes.
The Sill Subscription
Whether your giftee in question just bought their first home or simply loves house plants, gifting them with a subscription from The Sill is always a good idea. Who doesn't love plants?
Udemy Classes
From marketing classes to baking lessons and everything in between, Udemy's expansive catalog of online courses means there's something for everyone.
Amazon Prime Membership
Anyone who has Prime knows that the membership offers a slew of perks and benefits that can't be beaten. Give the gift of Prime this year to anyone who doesn't (somehow) already have a membership and blow their minds.
IPSY Subscription
This monthly subscription service will delight any beauty lover. While IPSY doesn't have a gifting program, you can easily send the gift of monthly beauty products by registering the recipient yourself. See instruction here.
Tinggly e-Gift Card
Focussed on gifting experiences and adventures, Tinggly's e-gift cards (which can be delivered by mail in a gift box or via PDF to their inbox) offers giftees a choice of getaways and experiences.
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Masterclass Subscription From cooking classes with Gordon Ramsey to basketball lessons with Stephen Curry, Masterclass allows you to give the gift of learning instantly online. You can choose to gift a single course annually for just $90 or an all-access pass for $180.
Cameo Custom Videos Cameo is an online service that allows you to "hire" celebrities to create brief custom videos for the giftee in question. These can be sent by email or text, and the prices range between $1 to $2,000 depending on the celebrity you choose.
The Daily Beast Subscription Deliver a year's worth of unlimited access to the Beast's original reporting, right to your recipient's inbox—no shipping required! Preserve the spirit of a holiday surprise by scheduling exactly when they get notified of the gift.
Rosetta Stone For the frequent traveller or general language lover, you can't go wrong with an e-gift card to Rosetta Stone. Gift card options start at just $50.
Winc Wine Membership For the wine connoisseur on your list, give the gift of trying new wines each month with Winc's monthly subscription boxes.
The Sill Subscription Whether your giftee in question just bought their first home or simply loves house plants, gifting them with a subscription from The Sill is always a good idea. Who doesn't love plants?
Udemy Classes From marketing classes to baking lessons and everything in between, Udemy's expansive catalog of online courses means there's something for everyone.
Amazon Prime Membership Anyone who has Prime knows that the membership offers a slew of perks and benefits that can't be beaten. Give the gift of Prime this year to anyone who doesn't (somehow) already have a membership and blow their minds.
IPSY Subscription This monthly subscription service will delight any beauty lover. While IPSY doesn't have a gifting program, you can easily send the gift of monthly beauty products by registering the recipient yourself. See instruction here.
Tinggly e-Gift Card Focussed on gifting experiences and adventures, Tinggly's e-gift cards (which can be delivered by mail in a gift box or via PDF to their inbox) offers giftees a choice of getaways and experiences.