Best Gift Card in Dubai
If you need to purchase a gift card for somebody living in Dubai, then you’ve come to the right place. Chances are if you are looking for a gift card, you want to make the process of giving a gift easier. However, you probably know that not all gift cards are as excellent as some of the others, depending on the person you are gifting. Giving gift cards in Dubai isn’t much different than gifting cards in America, however.
What are the best gift cards in Dubai? The best gift cards in Dubai are:
- UAE Mall Gift Card
- Amazon Gift Card
- Microsoft Gift Card
- App Store & iTunes Gift Card
- Google Play Gift Card
- Netflix Gift Card
- Audible subscription
- Spotify Gift Card
- Steam Gift Card
- Nintendo eShop Gift Card
- Visa Gift Card
Since there isn’t a lot of information available on the Internet today covering the best gift cards in Dubai, we created this article to help you out. Below we’ll include some information on the best gift cards you can give in Dubai, how you can save money on purchasing gift cards, and a few things you should consider when purchasing gift cards for your friends and family.
10 Best Dubai Gift Cards
The entire idea behind gift cards was to create a concept that made gift-giving easier for both the giver and the receiver. When you purchase a gift card for somebody, you don’t need to be concerned about your recipient’s tastes, or if they already own the specific gift, you are giving them. Also, people that generally receive gift cards are appreciative of them, since they can pick something out that meets their tastes.
However, people tend to use individual gift cards more than other gift cards. Over the past few years, billions of dollars in gift cards have gone unused, even though the gift of gift cards has been the most popular present around most of the world for thirteen years straight, according to Wallet Hub. However, no matter who you are shopping for and why in Dubai, you cannot go wrong by picking one of our best gift card options below.
To help you gift the best gift cards around, we created a list of the top gift cards you’ll find in Dubai that cover several different interests and hobbies. With most of our gift cards below, you’ll also be able to buy your gift card online or go to a local store to purchase one. So, you’re getting a lot of flexibility with this list as far as hobbies go, and also where you can go to get your gift cards. Below we’ll give you our list of the best gift cards you can purchase for somebody living in Dubai.
#1 Gift Card: UAE Mall
If you are clueless about the type of gift card to buy somebody (and yes, we mean you have absolutely no idea), then your best go-to gift card option, in this case, is a Mall Gift Card. Using a UAE mall gift card is a win-win option for you, because there are so many stores there, even if you don’t know what the person wants, they’ll be happy to get that mall gift card so they can buy something they love.
Plus, the UAE Mall gift cards go a step further and even provide a variety of design and color options, so you can match that to your person’s interest, or the occasion for which you are buying the gift card. You can also pick out birthday designs, thank-you present designs, and other designs to suit the occasion.
If you purchase a mall gift card for a friend or loved one, then that person will be able to redeem your gift card at more than 2100 of the best stores found inside the UAE shopping malls. Not only can they use the card at places like the Apple Store UAE, but they can also redeem the gift card if they want to go out to eat or to an arcade within the Mall of the Emirates as well as City Centres.
You can also use these unique mall gift cards at some hotels in the area, like Hotel Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre and Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates.
#2 Gift Card: Amazon UAE
Another trendy choice is to purchase an Amazon UAE gift card, which could make an excellent gift for a distant cousin or relative you don’t know much about living in Dubai. On the other hand, this can also be a great gift to give if you have an Amazon addict in your life. Amazon is an excellent gift card option because of its vast range of product offerings, which include daily essentials to PC devices and beauty products.
When you purchase your Amazon gift card, you can enter the amount that you want to spend and pick from several different delivery options. You can have your Amazon gift card delivered via email, text, or any other type of messaging service that you might use on your device. However, if you want a physical present to give, say, for Christmas morning or Valentine’s day or a birthday party, then you can print it out or have it delivered to yourself or the person you to which you are giving the gift.
#3 Gift Card: iTunes
Another popular and fantastic gift card idea is to purchase an iTunes gift card. If you have a Dubai friend or family member that seems obsessed with iPads or iPhones, then this might be the perfect gift for them. Purchasing an iTunes gift card also lets you make purchases from several of the apps that are available. You can use the balance from the gift card to not only make in-app purchases, but to also buy items from the iTunes Store, Apple Books, or Apple Music.
One remarkable thing about an iTunes gift card is that, like Amazon, you can either send this gift in the mail or digitally as an Email gift card. If you opt for the digital gift card, then you’ll get more flexibility about the amount you decide to send, which can be between $10 and $200, depending on how much you can afford.
#4 Gift Card: Microsoft
If the person you are gifting your gift card to is a Dubai technology person, college student, or the type of person that uses devices, games, and computers often for whatever reason, consider getting that individual a Microsoft gift card. With a Microsoft gift card, you’ll be giving a lot of flexible options in gifts. Microsoft allows you to use the purchase balance to buy apps and Xbox games on Windows. You can also use the gift card to purchase devices or other items at the Microsoft Store.
You can only gift a Microsoft gift card digitally. So, if this doesn’t sound like a great option because you want to have a gift for somebody to physically open, we understand. However, if that’s not the case, you can opt for the Amazon gift card, mall gift card, or some of the other gift card options we’ve still got to cover for you.
Microsoft gift cards come in several different denominations, typically starting at $10 and going up to $100. So, whatever price you decide on, if you’ve got a techie or student in your life, this would be a great way to make somebody very happy.
#5 Gift Card: Google Play
If that Dubai tech lover in your family is an Android fan, then consider purchasing a Google Play store card for them instead, which gives them many of the same options as an iTunes gift card, just for the Andriod platform. Google Play gift cards are excellent gift options because you can use them to purchase movies or music from the Google Play Store as well as books. You can also buy some of the best Android apps from the Google Play Store.
Google Play gift cards can be purchased at many regular grocery and retail stores, or online. Also, Google Play allows you to pick any denomination for your gift card, so you can fill in exactly what you want to give.
#6 Gift Card: Audible
Let’s face it; the world is a busy place nowadays, and it can be challenging to get any reading done with how hectic most people’s lives are in Dubai. However, if you know somebody that loves to read books but rarely has the time or is an avid reader, then an Audible gift card is an excellent idea. Audible has a massive library of audiobooks to pick from, and it covers every genre imaginable. Also, with an Audible membership, you get one free book per month when you are a member.
If you decide to opt for an Audible gift card, then you’ll need to know that these gift cards are a little different than some of our other options. If you want to give Audible as a gift, you can decide to gift an Audible subscription for anything from a single month to an entire year. Or, if the person has a subscription already, you can gift them a specific book if you’d prefer.
#7 Gift Card: Netflix
Netflix is just as popular in places like Dubai as it is in the United States. Across the world, everybody has Netflix subscriptions; it seems. However, if you know a person that cannot afford a Netflix subscription and wants one, then you can purchase a Netflix gift card and help cover some of the cost of that subscription for them.
With a Netflix gift card, you’ll be able to pick one up at stores, or you can buy online. No matter which option you go with, you can pick the exact amount you want to gift with Netflix. When your friend or family redeem your gift card, it shows up on their account balance that they can use to keep renewing their subscription.
If you opt to purchase your Netflix gift card online, you’ll need to enter your recipient’s email address. However, Netflix won’t ruin the gift surprise for you. Before you check out, they’ll ask you for the date you want them to send the gift card Email so that you can plan.
#8 Gift Card: Steam
Another service that’s gained a lot of popularity in Dubai lately for gift card giving is Steam. So, if you have a PC gamer that you want to give a gift card to, then gifting a Steam gift card will give that individual the ability to pick something from the bevy of the best Steam games for different prices. Steam has a vast library that includes new releases and classic games, and pretty much anything else imaginable. Also, the gift card balance can be used for Steam’s VR headset, the Valve Index.
When you want to figure out how much to spend on your Steam gift card, you’ll be given a few predetermined options. You can purchase a Steam gift card at a local retailer or online through Steam. If you are buying a gift card online, you’ll need to make a free online Steam account, and add the gift card recipient to your friend’s list on your account. Then, you can send the gift.
#9 Gift Card: Spotify
Recently, Spotify became available in the UAE with the use of a VPN service, and since then, the demand for the app has continued to grow in Dubai. So, if your Dubai gift receiver is a music lover, why not consider getting them a Spotify Premium gift card? Free Spotify is great, but people that spend their entire days listening to music will appreciate the extras they get with Premium, such as ad-free music and downloading songs as well as playlists so you can hear them anywhere.
With Spotify, you’ll be able to purchase gift cards that go in predetermined amounts of $10, $30 and $60. With those cards, you’ll get one, three, or six months of the premium membership service to gift, respectively. Also, you’ll need to use Paypal to purchase this gift card. So, you’ll need the recipient’s Email address. However, with Spotify, you can still select a date to send the gift. Spotify gift cards are also available at several major retail stores.
#10 Gift Card: Nintendo eShop
If that Dubai gamer in your life seems addicted to handheld games, then probably the best gift card option for a person like that is a Nintendo eShop gift card. With a Nintendo eShop gift card, your recipient can select from a bevy of games that they can play on their Nintendo Switch. What’s nice about these gift cards is that you can also use them on older Nintendo consoles like the Wii U.
If you decide to purchase this gift card option, you’ll be able to pick from several predetermined values between $10 to $50. You can also buy these cards online or at a local retailer.
Now that we’ve reviewed the top ten best gift card options in Dubai, we’re going to give you some tips on how you can save some money on gift cards. After we cover that, we’ll give you some tips on how you can purchase the best gift card for your receiver.
Saving Money on Dubai Gift Cards
You can find gift cards at just about any store and a bevy of online websites. If you walk inside any supermarket, mall, grocery store, or gas station in Dubai, you can probably find a gift card that you can then gift to somebody else. However, if you purchase these gift cards online from the merchants or at a local retail store, you’ll have to pay full value for your gift card.
It’s pretty standard across the globe for merchant-branded gift cards that do not have any extra purchase or activation fees with them. So, if you’re getting a $25 gift card for somebody in Dubai, that card is still going to cost you $25. If you opt, on the other hand, to buy a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express gift card (which we didn’t cover in our list above, but we’ll discuss in more detail in a bit), you will have to pay a purchase fee that can be between $3 and $6.
So, how can you save some money on the price of purchasing gift cards? If you didn’t know this already, you could buy discounted gift cards at various exchange sites. To help you understand how to do this, we’ll cover this idea in more detail below.
Purchasing Discounted Gift Cards
You can purchase discounted gift cards online if you know where to go. When you do this, you’ll be buying previously owned gift cards that are sold at a mark-down. The gift card exchange sites we’ve listed below only sell merchant-branded gift cards since most people don’t sell off Visa, MasterCard, or American Express gift cards. Not only can you use these gift card exchange sites to purchase gift cards at a discounted rate, but you can also sell off your unwanted gift cards, too.
Below we’ll provide you with three excellent sites that offer discounted gift cards. If you are trying to purchase a merchant-branded gift card at a discount, we recommend that you check all three of these websites because they can have very different availability options.
#1 Raise.com
Raise.com is a great gift card buying exchange website if you are looking to get gift cards at a discount. One offer they have right now is to get $5 off $76 and you can use the code RAISE75AF. Raise.com also runs a $10 off $50 purchase code, which is active at certain points throughout the year. The code is 10RAISEAF.
#2 CardPool
Another great option for discounted gift cards is CardPool.com. If you wind up using CardPool often, you can refer a friend and get a $7 per person bonus. Your referred friend will also get a $7 coupon, too. So, anytime you plan to use CardPool, try to refer a friend, get the $7 bonus, and you can purchase your gift cards using that $7 discount, saving you some money.
#3 eBay
You can also buy discounted gift cards on eBay. If you decide to use eBay to purchase gift cards, there are two methods you can utilize to accomplish this. First, you can buy gift cards for people in Dubai through eBay buy using eBay as your place to purchase them. However, if you do that, you won’t get your gift cards at a discount, only at face value.
So, what do you need to do if you want to buy gift cards at a discount using eBay? If you search using the “Buy It Now” options, you won’t save that much money on your gift card, and you should probably stick with a gift card exchange website instead, then. However, if you are patient, you can save a decent amount of money by gifting on gift card auctions.
Whether you feel bidding on gift card options is worth the trouble or not, if you do try to purchase your gift cards this way and you give yourself time, you are likely to save a decent amount of money on your gifts. So, it’s certainly worth the time and trouble, in our opinion.
#4 Promotional Amex and Visa Gift Cards
Another way you can save some money on gift cards is by waiting for a promotion or using a promotion code. Typically with these cards, you’ll mostly be saving on the purchase fees and shipping fees.
Since these cards do typically cost $3-$6 to buy on top of the full price of the gift card, we didn’t include these options on our list, although they are also popular gift cards to consider in Dubai. Instead, when we composed this guide, we focused more on gift cards that wouldn’t cost you any extra money to gift so that you could find the most affordable gift cards available.
Now that you understand where you can go to save some money on purchasing your gift cards and how you can do that, we’ll cover a few tips for getting the best gift card for your friend or loved one in Dubai.
Tips for the Best Gift Cards
We understand how important it is to find the right gift card for that particular person. So, we created a list of tips for purchasing the best gift cards for your friends and family.
Tip #1: Search for Discounts
Many people make the mistake of assuming you cannot save money or find promotional codes when buying gift cards. That’s because people think gift cards are similar to real currency. However, you can purchase some of the best gift cards for a lot less than the face value price.
Tip #2: Stay Away from Card Network Gift Cards
While we did mention this briefly above, it’s almost better to avoid buying gift cards from Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Although they seem they are as good as cash, they aren’t. That’s because most retailers make money right away when a gift card gets purchased. However, card-network gift cards only make money because of the additional $3 to $6 fee you’ll have to pay to buy one. If you want the same versatility as cash, why not just give some money and save on that card fee?
Because of that reason, we didn’t want to put card-network gift cards on our list of the best gift cards for Dubai.
Tip #3: Gift Cards and Prepaid Cards are Different
It can be easy to confuse gift cards with prepaid cards since they are typically placed in stores right next to each other and listed for sale. However, these two things are quite different. With a gift card, you can only use that card until the original balance is depleted. Yet, prepaid cards can be reloaded, and work much like a checking account with a debit card. Also, prepaid cards have many fees that go along with their use, which makes them the worst gift card option to gift.
According to the Prepaid Card Report, most traditional prepaid cards have nine different fees associated with them. So, if you want your receiver to get the full face value of the gift you are giving them, avoid these types of cards.
Tip #4: Don’t Use Loyalty Cards
Another thing you’ll need to do is avoid loyalty cards because a loophole with the law means non-reloadable prepaid cards (or gift cards) that are purchased through a loyalty or award program can expire with no restriction. However, regular gift cards are never allowed to expire until five years after the date they are issued (and most merchant-based gift cards never expire). So you want to make sure you are purchasing actual gift cards, and not loyalty cards.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve covered the top ten gift cards to give in Dubai, some places you can utilize to save money on your gift card purchases, and a few tips to follow when purchasing gift cards, you should be prepared to start shopping for your gift cards. With our several options in gift cards above, you should be able to find the perfect gift for everybody.
