What Are Good Holiday Gift Cards for Employees? 7 Ideas and a 2026 Timeline
Authored by Daniel Heuer
Writer on the PerfectGift team, delivering smiles daily.
Published October 11, 2026 | Updated October 18, 2026
The best holiday gift cards for employees work for everyone on the list. For a mixed team, that usually means a Visa or Mastercard gift card with your logo, or a PerfectGift that each person redeems their way. If you know your team, December-friendly cards make sense too: grocery and everyday stores for holiday meals, department stores for their own gift shopping, a restaurant for a night off, or an airline for the trip home.
Two things to sort out early. Physical cards take time to ship in December, so order them by Friday, Dec. 4 if you're handing them out in person. And unless you know everyone celebrates Christmas, "happy holidays" is the safer wording.
For gift card ideas outside the holidays, see our guides to the best gift cards for employees and employee appreciation gift cards.
Quick picks
| If your team... | Send |
|---|---|
| Has mixed tastes | A Visa or Mastercard gift card with your logo, or a PerfectGift |
| Could use help with holiday meals | A grocery card, like Safeway, Albertsons, Stop & Shop, or Giant |
| Is still shopping for their own families | Target, Macy's, Kohl's, or TJ Maxx |
| Has had a long year | Olive Garden, The Cheesecake Factory, or a movie card from AMC |
| Travels home for the holidays | Southwest Airlines, Hotels.com, or Uber |
| Works remotely | DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Starbucks, sent digitally |
7 good holiday gift card ideas for employees
1. A Visa or Mastercard gift card with your logo
When you're giving the same card to everyone, a Visa or Mastercard gift card is the simplest choice, because it can be spent at millions of places that take the card. Through PerfectGift, adding your logo or a full custom design is free, and each card comes on a tri-fold carrier with an envelope at no extra charge.
One thing to know before you hand these out: PerfectGift's prepaid Visa and Mastercard cards can't be set up for automatic monthly charges, like a streaming plan. A line in your note about that saves a few confused emails.
2. A PerfectGift each employee redeems their way
A PerfectGift gives each person a menu of options that you set up. They can redeem it for one of 250+ brands, a Visa or Mastercard gift card, or cash sent to their bank through Zelle. That makes it a good fit for a team where one person wants groceries, another wants to shop, and a third would rather have the money in the bank before the holidays.
PerfectGift's build page has a design gallery with separate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter, and New Year designs.
3. Grocery and everyday cards for December
Holiday dinners and hosting add up, and a grocery card goes straight toward them. PerfectGift's catalog includes regional grocers like Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME Markets, Stop & Shop, and Giant, so check which ones are near your team before you order. For a spread-out team, Target or Walmart covers groceries and everyday errands in one card.
4. Department store cards for their own holiday shopping
Your employees are probably shopping for their own families in December. A card from Macy's, Kohl's, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, or Nordstrom gives them a little more room in that budget, and you can say so in the note: "This one's for your list."
5. Restaurant and movie cards for a night off
After a busy year, a dinner they don't have to cook or clean up after is a good gift by itself. Olive Garden, The Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse, Outback, and Red Lobster are all in PerfectGift's catalog. AMC Theatres, Regal, and Fandango cards work for a night at the movies over the break.
6. Travel cards for getting home
If some of your team flies or drives to see family over the holidays, a travel card helps with that. Southwest Airlines, Hotels.com, Hilton, and Avis cover flights, hotels, and rental cars, and an Uber card helps with the ride to the airport. For the airline card, check that Southwest flies from their airport first.
7. Coffee and food delivery cards for remote staff
For employees you won't see in person, a digital card sent by email or text gets there without any shipping. DoorDash and Uber Eats deliver to their door, and a Starbucks or Dunkin' card covers a coffee run. PerfectGift digital cards typically arrive in under 30 minutes, though every order goes through a manual review that can add up to 4 hours, so order at least half a day before you want it to arrive.
Compare holiday gift cards for employees
| Card | Best for | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Visa or Mastercard with your logo | A mixed team | Millions of places that take the card |
| PerfectGift | A mixed team, when you want it to feel personal | 250+ brands, a Visa or Mastercard, or Zelle |
| Grocery and everyday | Practical help with holiday meals and errands | Safeway, Albertsons, Stop & Shop, Giant, Target, Walmart |
| Department store | People doing their own gift shopping | Macy's, Kohl's, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Nordstrom |
| Restaurant and movies | A night off after a busy year | Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory, Texas Roadhouse, AMC, Fandango |
| Travel | Employees traveling for the holidays | Southwest Airlines, Hotels.com, Hilton, Avis, Uber |
| Coffee and delivery | Remote employees | Starbucks, Dunkin', DoorDash, Uber Eats |
Every brand named here is in PerfectGift's corporate catalog.
Holiday gift card timeline for 2026
The easiest thing to get wrong in December is ordering physical cards too late. PerfectGift ships physical orders the same day when you order by 4pm ET, Monday through Friday (corporate orders can also go out on Saturday if placed by 10am ET). But PerfectGift's help center says mailed cards can take up to 10 business days, so leave room.
| Date | What to do |
|---|---|
| Mid-November | Settle the list, the amount, and the card. Order now if you want cards in hand for Hanukkah. For a corporate order paid by ACH or check, allow 5 days for payment to clear. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Our suggested last day to order physical cards you'll hand out in person, so they arrive before people take time off. Hanukkah also begins at sundown (ends Dec. 12). |
| Thu., Dec. 17 | USPS's recommended send-by date for First-Class Mail to arrive before Dec. 25 (contiguous U.S.). |
| Fri., Dec. 25 | Christmas Day. |
| Sat., Dec. 26 | Kwanzaa begins (through Jan. 1). |
Hanukkah starts on Friday, Dec. 4, so if you want cards in people's hands for it, order in mid-November. The USPS dates come from its 2026 holiday shipping announcement and apply to the contiguous U.S.
"Merry Christmas" or "happy holidays"?
For a mixed team, "happy holidays" is the wording that includes everyone. In 2026, Hanukkah runs Dec. 4 to 12, Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25, and Kwanzaa runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Not everyone celebrates one of them, so a general holiday or winter design, plus a note that thanks them for the year, works for the whole group.
If you know what someone celebrates, a matching card is a nice touch. Just don't guess.
How much to give employees for the holidays
Pick a structure first and the number second. Two simple setups work: the same amount for everyone, which feels fair and is easy to explain, or an amount that goes up with years of service.
Whichever you choose, talk to payroll before you order. A holiday gift card counts as taxable wages, so a $50 card means a little extra withholding on that paycheck. Small teams can order up to 50 cards at a time through PerfectGift's small business checkout. Past 50, a free corporate account lets you upload the whole recipient list as a spreadsheet.
Are holiday gift cards for employees taxable?
Yes. This one surprises people, because the IRS does list holiday gifts as an example of a tax-free de minimis benefit. That only applies to small gifts that aren't cash or a cash equivalent. The IRS de minimis fringe benefits page says "cash or cash equivalent items provided by the employer are never excludable from income," and gift cards count as cash equivalents.
So a holiday gift card, even a $25 one, goes in wages on the employee's W-2 and is subject to income tax withholding. Our guide to the best gift cards for employees goes deeper on employee gift card taxes. None of this is tax advice, so check with your accountant.
Where PerfectGift fits
PerfectGift handles holiday orders from one account, whether you're sending 5 cards or 5,000. You can choose a Visa or Mastercard gift card with your logo, a PerfectGift your employees redeem their way, or single-brand cards from the catalog. You can add a greeting card to each one, and your team won't pay activation, usage, or inactivity fees in the U.S.
Start a holiday order for your business, or order up to 50 cards through the small business checkout.
Start a holiday orderFrequently asked questions
What are good holiday gift cards for employees?
For a mixed team, a Visa or Mastercard gift card or a PerfectGift works, because the card isn't tied to one store. If you know your team, December-friendly brands work well: grocery stores, Target or Walmart, a restaurant like Olive Garden, or Southwest for someone flying home.
What is a good holiday gift for employees?
A gift card is one of the easiest to give a whole team, especially one with your logo and a handwritten note. Physical gifts work too, and a small non-cash holiday gift can even be tax-free, but a gift card counts as taxable wages.
How much should you give employees for the holidays?
There's no standard amount. Giving everyone the same amount is simple and fair, and some employers add more for longer tenure. Tell payroll before you order, since gift cards are taxable.
Are holiday gift cards for employees taxable?
Yes. The IRS says cash and cash-equivalent items from an employer are never excludable from income, and that includes gift cards, even at $25. Report the value through payroll. Check with your accountant for your situation.
When should I order holiday gift cards for employees?
Order physical cards by Friday, Dec. 4, since PerfectGift says mailed cards can take up to 10 business days. USPS recommends mailing First-Class by Dec. 17 for delivery before Dec. 25. Digital cards can go out much closer to the day.
Should employee gift cards say Christmas or happy holidays?
For a mixed team, "happy holidays" includes everyone. In 2026, Hanukkah starts Dec. 4, Christmas is Dec. 25, and Kwanzaa starts Dec. 26, so a winter design and a thank-you for the year fit everyone.
The bottom line
Pick the card that fits your whole list, write a note that thanks people for the year, and get physical orders in by Friday, Dec. 4. Then tell payroll what you sent, so the extra withholding isn't a surprise.
