Top Gift Cards for College Students

Target- The store that has everything and then some is the perfect store for gift card giving to anyone. But students will love Target cards more than anyone else for a couple of reasons. It has everything a student could ever need to buy all in one store- clothes, shoes and underwear; kitchen appliances, cookware, tableware and food; electronics, games, towels and linens, personal care items and more. It is true one-stop shopping for a college student and the prices are affordable for a person on a budget. The card can be used for fun or practicality, or a combination of the two.

Grocery store- A gift certificate for a grocery shopping trip will be greatly appreciated by a student, because students are always broke and hungry. This card will fix both of those problems and allow the student on your holiday shopping list the freedom to choose between frozen pizzas and ramen for the whole semester, or gourmet cheese, crusty bread, organic fruit and dipping sauces and wine for one scrumptious, indulgent meal that they wouldn't otherwise have afforded.

Mall- Students and adults their parents' age often have very different fashion senses. It may be hard for a career woman to pick out clothes for a young, brooding philosophy major. Rather than trying to pick the right clothes from the right store, allow the student to pick out the clothes and shoes they really want by giving them a gift card that is good in any store in the entire mall. Usually, the mall's customer service area will sell the certificates, which means shorter lines for the shopper and no need for returns on the part of the recipient.

Visa gift card- The geniuses at Visa invented the best gift card in the entire universe. This little piece of plastic can be loaded with a pre-set amount of money, just like any other gift card, but unlike any other, it can be used at almost any store that accepts Visa credit cards. It is the most versatile gift card, ever. Students will love it because they can use it wherever they go. They can spend some on after-Christmas sales in the hometown and save some for grocery shopping or pizza delivery when they get back to school. It can even be used for books and school supplies for the upcoming semester. There is no need to know the student's tastes, likes or dislikes, hobbies or interests. As a matter of fact, while you're getting one for the student on your shopping list, pick up one for everyone! This is perfect for secret Santa office gifts, too! Pick one up at participating banks and even online retailers today.

iTunes- Virtually every student owns an iPod. Even the ones who don't still download music to store and listen to on their personal computers or to burn to a CD. No college student would turn down free music. iTunes gift cards can be purchased all over- in retail stores, gas stations, and even better, online. Online gifts can even be emailed to the recipient, so no piece of paper or plastic even needs to be handed off. The cards can be purchased in amounts for every price range, and at $1 per song, you can give 20 gifts for 20 dollars. It's an easy, cost-effective gift card.

Best Buy- Electronics and gadgets are fun gifts for students to receive for two reasons- they get to own the latest, cutting edge gadgets so they look cool in front of their hipster friends and because they don't have to save their own grocery money to afford them. There is something for every student's needs at Best Buy- flash drives for homework storage, video games and movies for entertainment, desktop and laptop computers and accessories, cell phones and MP3 Players, DVD players and TIVO boxes. All of the fun items that students can't really afford to buy themselves are housed under one roof, and a Best Buy gift card will enable them to choose the one (or two or three) electronics item they've been wanting most.

Movies- Having good taste in movies is essential to being a hipster. Waiting for the year's most anticipated indie film to come out on DVD is not. Giving a movie theatre gift card is the same as buying someone hours of fun and endless conversation starters. "Hey, remember that part in the Illusionist where he plants the orange tree and makes it grow right in front of the audiences' eyes? The director didn't make me believe that could actually happen in real life, right?" Of course, even movie enthusiasts and film snobs know that seeing a great movie once is never enough. That's why movie rental is equally important. Try giving a student a six-months or one year paid subscription to Netflix to grant the student unlimited movie rentals. Or, if you know a Hollywood is right around the corner, browsing the shelves of a rental store for hours before painstakingly selecting the right movie is almost just as fun.

Amazon- Unlike many adults, students aren't afraid to shop online. For internet shop-aholics, Amazon is like the online Target, but even better. They sell hundreds of brands and millions of items. Students will love finding their college textbooks for a steal on the same site they already use to buy electronics, clothes, and household goods.