How to Send a Virtual Gift Card to Anyone in Minutes
Authored by Daniel Heuer
Writer on the PerfectGift team, delivering smiles daily.
Published June 10, 2026 | Updated June 10, 2026
A virtual gift card is a great move when you're short on time but still want the gift to feel practical and thoughtful. There's nothing to wrap, nothing to mail, and it's sent to someone's inbox or text chain within seconds.
Below is the actual step-by-step on PerfectGift, using a DoorDash gift card as the example. The same steps work for any of the brands on the site, so swap in whichever one fits the person you're shopping for. Start to finish, it takes about two minutes.
Step 1: Pick the gift card
Head to perfectgift.com and find the card you want. You can search a specific brand in the bar at the top, or browse the full list under the Brands tab. For this walkthrough we'll use DoorDash, since it works for just about anyone who eats.
Click into the brand and you'll land on its personalization page, where the rest happens on a single screen.
Step 2: Choose digital delivery
The first option asks how you want to send it: Physical or Digital. Pick Digital, which sends the card by email or text instead of mailing a plastic one. This is what makes it a virtual gift card, and it's what gets it there in seconds rather than days.
Step 3: Set the quantity and amount
Choose how many cards you're sending. One is the default, and you can go up to 100 if you're covering a whole group, like a team or a graduating class.
Then pick the amount. DoorDash runs from $15 to $500, with quick buttons for $25, $50, $75, $100, and $250, plus a custom field if you want something specific. Set it and click Next.
(Sending a big batch for work? There's a separate bulk option for orders over $10,000, but for a normal gift you won't need it.)
Step 4: Personalize it
This is the part that makes it feel like a gift instead of a transaction. On the Customize Recipients screen you'll add:
- A message. Write whatever you'd put in a card. If you're blanking, there's a "Use Perfect Writer" button that drafts something for you, and you've got up to 300 characters.
- Who it's to and from. Their name and yours.
- Where it goes. The recipient's email address or phone number.
You can also tweak the card's design, and if you're sending to more than one person, there's an "Upload list" option that takes a spreadsheet so you're not retyping everyone by hand.
Step 5: Add to cart and check out
When the details look right, hit Add to Cart & Checkout. If you're still shopping for other people, "Add to Cart & Keep Shopping" lets you keep going and pay for everything together.
From there you review the order and pay. Once you've checked out, the card goes out to your recipient by email or text, usually within seconds.
What your recipient gets
They'll get a notification with the gift and your message, and they can start using it right away. One nice detail: gifts sent through PerfectGift don't expire, so there's no pressure to spend it by a certain date.
PerfectGift cards are also more flexible than a standard store card. Depending on what works for them, your recipient can use it as the DoorDash eGift, or swap it toward a Visa card or another option, so they're never stuck with credit somewhere they won't use.
A few things worth knowing
- Double-check the email or phone number before you send. It goes straight to whatever you enter, so a typo sends your gift to the wrong place.
- Want it to land on a specific day? If you're gifting ahead of a birthday or graduation, check for a delivery-date option as you personalize and check out.
- Buy from the real site. Go directly to perfectgift.com rather than a link from a random email or ad, the same way you'd be careful with any payment online.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send a virtual gift card? Pick a card on perfectgift.com, choose Digital delivery, set the amount, add a message and the recipient's email or phone number, then check out. The card is delivered electronically, usually within seconds.
Can I send a gift card by text? Yes. When you choose Digital delivery, you can send the card to a phone number by text instead of an email address.
Can I send a gift card through email? Yes. Enter the recipient's email address during personalization and the card is delivered to their inbox.
How long does it take for a virtual gift card to arrive? Usually seconds. Digital cards are sent electronically as soon as you complete checkout.
Can I send a virtual gift card to more than one person at once? Yes. You can increase the quantity, and there's an upload option that lets you send to a whole list of recipients from a spreadsheet instead of entering each one by hand.
Do virtual gift cards expire? Gifts sent through PerfectGift don't expire, so your recipient can use the card whenever they're ready.
What can the recipient use it for? They can spend it with the brand on the card, like DoorDash, and PerfectGift also lets them swap it toward other options such as a Visa card if that's more useful to them.
