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Best gift cards for Mother's Day

Daughters giving mother Mother's Day card
Getty Images

Don't know what to get mom for Mother's Day? Instead of stressing over what would be the best Mother's Day gift, place a safe bet and get her a gift card. Gift cards will give Mom free reign to get exactly what she wants or needs. It'll also save you from spending money on something that she may not end up using.

We rounded up the best gift cards you can get Mom for Mother's Day that will arrive before Mother's Day. These include physical Amazon gift cards that, when ordered ASAP, can arrive at mom's doorstep before the holiday. We also found a handful of virtual gift cards from Sam's Club that must be ordered 48 hours ahead of time to arrive in your Mom's inbox on Mother's Day. Read on to see the best gift cards for Mother's Day from various retailers that offer travel services, home decor, beauty products, coffee and more.


Mother's Day greeting card with Amazon gift card

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Amazon

If you want to get Mom a physical gift card for Mother's Day, this Amazon gift card/greeting card combo is the best one you can get online in a short amount of time. It includes a lovely message on the front of the card ("Home is where you are, mom") that will warm your mom's heart. Open up the card and she'll find her Amazon gift card. You can enter any amount you want before checkout, and know that the gift card will never expire. 

Amazon offers free one-day shipping on this item, though that can vary by location.

Amazon gift cards are a great gift card idea, especially for moms that are hard to shop for. Amazon's inventory is massive and diverse, so we're sure even the pickiest of moms will be able to find items they want and need at the retail giant. 


Amazon gift card

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Amazon

This physical Amazon gift card is great if you already bought a card for Mom that doesn't have a dedicated gift card holder in the card. So instead of just handing Mom a gift card, you can gift it to her in a nice presentation. 

This Amazon gift card has a lovely floral design and comes with a little envelope to put the card in. The card holder has three lines for you to add a message.

Like our aforementioned Mother's Day Amazon gift card, this floral gift card has no expiration date and qualifies for free, one-day shipping. Plus, the amount you pay for this card is only the amount of cash you add to the card, so essentially, the card itself is free. Stick this inside the Mother's Day flowers you bought and she will love it. 


Wayfair virtual gift card

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Sam's Club

If your mom loves to decorate and can be found sprucing up the look of your home more often than not, then she will probably get giddy over this gift card from Wayfair. 

Wayfair's home inventory is massive, offering all kinds of products for various places in the home, including outdoor furniture, bath essentials, living room decor and more. What's great about buying this gift card from Sam's Club is that you get a little discount with your purchase. So instead of paying $50 or $100, you can get these cards for either $48.58 or $96.88. 

The Wayfair gift card is virtual and can be delivered via email. Make sure to order this gift card 48 hours in advance of Mother's Day, as it takes that long for the order to process and the card to be sent to your mom. 

Not a Sam's Club member? No problem -- right now Sam's Club has a 50% off membership deal where you can get your first year for just $25 when you agree to auto-renew. Tap the button below to sign up now, and you can start buying Mom a gift card today.


Gap Options virtual gift card

Gap Options Gift Card
Amazon

What we love about this gift card is that Mom isn't tied down to using it at one store. With the Gap Options card, she can shop at Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta, giving your Mom plenty of retailers to choose from.

Gap is a great place for jeans and basics, while Banana Republic excels in creating chic work attire and elegant essentials, including sweaters. Old Navy is also great for affordable basics and activewear, while Athleta is a treasure trove for splurge-worthy workout pieces. 

Like other Sam's Club cards, you must allow 48 hours for the card to arrive in Mom's email after you order. Sam's Club members are limited to two of these gift cards per order. 


Southwest virtual gift card

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Sam's Club

Gift Mom a vacation to come visit the family with this gift card to Southwest Airlines. Southwest offers flights to 121 airports across 11 countries. Some of the destinations include West Palm Beach, San Diego, New Orleans, Los Cabos, Kona on Hawaii Island and Belize, so Mom has plenty of other destinations to explore too. With Southwest's often low fares, $500 could end up paying for an entire flight (depending on where you go and what time of year). 

Southwest's cards must be ordered 48 hours before Mother's Day to arrive in your mom's email inbox in time for the holiday. The gift card can only be redeemed online or on the airline carrier's mobile app, and there's a purchase limit of two gift cards per Sam's Club membership.

One other thing we love about this $500 gift card: It'll only cost you $450 to buy it. Southwest limits gift card use to three separate cards per passenger per reservation.


Ulta virtual gift card

Ulta gift card
Ulta

Moms who identify as beauty girlies will go gaga over this Ulta gift card. Ulta's pretty much got it all as far as makeup, skincare, haircare and all things beauty are concerned. Give Mom some Ulta cash so she can treat herself to some premium sunscreen for summer, a new lip color, a vibrant palette, a face mask or anything else her heart desires. 

In addition to this gift card being redeemable for products, you can also use this gift card for beauty services, including skin, hair and brow services at Ulta's salons. The gift card can be used online and in stores across the U.S. and has to be purchased 48 hours ahead of time to reach your mom's inbox on Mother's Day. It's important to know that you can only purchase two gift cards per Sam's Club membership. 


Starbucks virtual gift card 

Starbucks gift card
Walmart

If your mom is the type that looks forward to her cup of Joe in the morning, then this Starbucks virtual card may be the perfect Mother's Day present. Whether she loves Starbucks or could use a break from making her own coffee, the Starbucks card will deliver that much-needed morning brew and a cake pop or two, if that's your mom's kind of thing. 

This is an e-gift card that can be delivered via email, though you need to order it 48 hours in advance to arrive on Mother's day. This card can be redeemed in any Starbucks store, online or through the Starbucks app. You can elect $25 or a $50 gift; each member is allotted two gift cards per membership.


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