Gift cards are back in a big way for the 2025 holiday season in Minnesota. From coffee lovers to home improvement fanatics, here’s a roundup of the top gift cards that will make you look thoughtful without breaking a sweat this year.

Once again this year, Americans are set to spend billions of dollars on gift cards this holiday season, making them one of the hottest presents out there. "We see over and over every holiday season, gift cards are a top-tier gift," Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retail Association, said in this CBS News Minnesota story.

Minnesota Shoppers Are Splurging More Than Ever on Gift Cards

And despite a somewhat shaky economy, holiday sales are still expected to increase in 2025 and will likely top the 1 trillion dollar mark for the first time ever. Which means once again this year in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we Minnesotans will spend more than we ever have before.

SEE ALSO: Do You Know Gift Cards Can Legally Never Expire in Minnesota?

 

That's the word from a new holiday shopping survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), which says consumers here in Minnesota and across the country are going to shell out an average of just over $890 per person this year on holiday gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items. That amount is set to be the second-highest in the survey’s 23-year history.

The Top Gift Cards Minnesotans Will Be Buying in 2025

While that amount is just under what we spent last year, it's still over $10 higher than the previous record set in 2019, the NRF said. And much of that money here in the Bold North will be spent on gift cards. But not all cards are created equal.

That's why the number-crunchers over at Wallet Hub just put out a list of the Best Gift Cards for the holidays for 2025. Their study compared gift cards affiliated with the country’s 50 most popular retailers in five categories, including gift card popularity, average buyer discount, average resale value, retailer rating, and shipping or purchase fees.

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And the result? Here are the Best Gift Cards for 2025, per Wallet Hub:

  1. Sephora
  2. Target
  3. Starbucks
  4. Disney
  5. Chipotle
  6. Visa
  7. Amazon
  8. Chick-fil-A
  9. Old Navy
  10. Walmart
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As well as Wallet Hub's list of the Most Popular Gift Cards in 2025:

  1. Visa
  2. Amazon
  3. Target
  4. Sephora
  5. Disney
  6. Starbucks
  7. Walmart
  8. Chick-fil-A
  9. Chipotle
  10. eBay

Gift Cards Are Still the Hottest Holiday Trend in Minnesota

In addition to gift cards being the most popular item on Minnesotans' lists this year,  the NFR survey said clothing and accessories, books and other media, and personal care or beauty items are also hot items this year.

Now, if you're going to head out and do some shopping this season, many Minnesotans will include a trip to the Mall of America, which is always festively decked out for the holidays. Just be sure you DON'T bring along any of the following items because they've been banned from MOA!

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Things That Are Banned at the Mall of America in Minnesota

One of Minnesota's most popular buildings is home to multiple floors of stores, an amusement park, an aquarium, and a huge list of restaurants. Before you head to the Mall of America in Bloomington though, look through the list of prohibited items that you can not bring, wear or do on your shopping adventure.

Gallery Credit: Jessica On The Radio