How to Give Netflix, Hulu, and Other Streaming Services As Gifts

Gifting a streaming subscription — especially a new or underrated service — can be a nice way to help you and your loved ones stay on top of the rapidly growing library of content. But figuring out how, exactly, to do that can be confusing. How do you even gift a subscription? Which one does gift cards? Are there bundles? Which is the service with Baby Yoda? No worries, we’ll take you step-by-step on how to start shopping for streaming services for your loved ones, co-workers, friends, or even yourself.

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Netflix Gift Card

The gist: If Netflix’s algorithm hasn’t already suggested a show (or five) that piques your interest, you might just be impossible to please. The streamer is constantly churning out content ranging from prestige cinema to trashy reality shows and everything in between. The past year alone has had the world buzzing about a giant robot doll named Chantal and Princess Diana, thanks in part to titles like Squid Game and The Crown, so why not get your uninitiated loved ones acquainted — or reacquainted — with what the streaming service has to offer.

How to gift it: A gift card! To give Netflix, you can buy $30, $60, or $100 gift cards, either online or in stores like Walmart, Target, or Best Buy. And unlike some other services’ gift subscriptions, a Netflix gift card can apply to new and existing subscribers. They can redeem those cards on Netflix’s website and then finally go to town on Bridgerton.

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Disney+ Gift Subscription

The gist: Kick off your holiday by catching up on some of this year’s biggest blockbusters (Jungle Cruise and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and get sucked into the Marvel and Star Wars universes with The Book of Boba Fett, Hawkeye, and a whole lot more. It’ll keep the kids entertained and the adults buzzing about canon and multi-verses.

How to gift it: First things first, Disney+ will unfortunately only let you gift a subscription to new users, so if you’re trying to gift it to the Disney Adult in your life … there’s a 99.99 percent chance they already have it. But for anyone else, you can head over to the Disney+ gift subscription page on their website, follow all the instructions and voilà! They’ll get an email laying out exactly how to redeem their subscription, then they’ll be blessed with the gift of seeing Baby Yoda in beautiful 4K. And if you want to bundle Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+, you can upgrade for a discounted price. Log in to your billing details page to switch to the bundle, and the credit from your gift subscription will carry over, so you only pay $8.16 a month instead of $13.99.

HBO Max Subscription

The gist: WarnerMedia’s streaming service may have had quite the confusing rollout journey in its first year (and if you’re still figuring it out, fret not! We’ve broken down everything you need to know about HBO Max), but it still boasts a very impressive library of content that anyone would appreciate. From classics like Singin’ in the Rain and The Red Shoes to DC Universe content and, of course, HBO shows like Mare of Easttown and Succession, featuring our No. 1 boy Jeremy Strong, HBO Max has a little something for everyone, so cheers to that!

How to gift it: You can’t! But nothing says “I love you” more than surprising your best friend with your log-in info, right?

Amazon Prime Gift Subscription

The gist: If someone you know doesn’t have a Prime membership yet (an impressive feat in the year of our Lord 2021!), it can turn out to be a great multipurpose gift. Where else can you simultaneously buy a value pack of clay face masks and stare at the hot priest from Fleabag? Plus, the Prime Original movie The Vast of Night deserves more eyeballs.

How to gift it: You just can’t gift Amazon Video, you gotta gift all of it, with Give the Gift of Prime. Log in and fill out the usual details: your giftee’s email address, when you want it delivered, and a special little message. Amazon offers a three-month gift subscription for $39, and a yearlong gift subscription for $119.

Hulu Gift Card

The gist: If you miss flipping through channels or crave that cable TV experience without actually paying the price for it, Hulu’s your best bet. The Disney-owned streaming service drops prime-time shows from NBC, ABC, Freeform, and other TV networks the day after they air, so you can still have your date night with a new episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit or This Is Us. Or you can watch FX on Hulu, which gives FX shows like Mrs. America and Reservation Dogs exclusive runs on the service. Hulu also has its fair share of original shows and movies, including the utterly delightful The Great and Clea DuVall’s 2020 directorial debut Happiest Season, which is due for a Christmas rewatch.

How to gift it: For Hulu, you can gift digital or physical gift cards to new or existing subscribers, which you can buy at retailers like Best Buy or Target for $25, $50, or $100 dollars.

The Criterion Channel Monthly Subscription

The gist: The streaming service for old souls, cinephiles, and the guy in your life who insists on calling movies “pictures,” the Criterion Channel boasts a library of over 2,000 titles to get lost in. Discover the entrancing work of French New Wave filmmakers like Agnès Varda and Jean-Luc Godard, and dive into the independent works that probably inspired a lot of your current favorite directors.

How to gift it: The Criterion Channel offers a surprisingly easy gifting process. On the Criterion website, all you have to do is click “gift subscription”and pick however many months you’d like to give, from one month for $10.99, up to a one-year subscription for $99.99. Just note that you can only buy a subscription for new users.

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