The best gift cards for Father's Day

Fathers are hard to buy for because the things they want tend to be specific, technical or already sitting in a browser tab. The right drill, the right brand of boot, the model with the fitting that suits the car he owns. Guessing at that is how a gift ends up in the shed, unopened. A Father's Day gift card leaves the specifics to the person who cares about them and keeps the gesture yours. It is also the sensible option when he lives somewhere else, because the card is digital and lands in his inbox within minutes of you ordering it. A Saturday night decision still works for a Sunday morning.

Each of these is aimed at a different sort of dad, so treat them as eight starting points rather than a scoreboard.

1. Dad Choice gift card

The Dad Choice gift card is our own choice gift card in a design made for the day. He redeems it on giftcard.co.nz and swaps the amount for the brand he wants, and the balance can be split across more than one card. For the father who knows exactly what he is after and would rather choose it himself.

2. JB Hi-Fi gift card

A JB Hi-Fi gift card covers headphones, speakers, a new set of earbuds after the last pair went through the wash. Tech is the category where buying for someone else goes wrong fastest, because the spec matters more than the look. He reads the reviews, compares the models and gets the one that fits what he already owns.

3. Barkers gift card

A Barkers gift card buys menswear for the dad whose good shirt has been the same good shirt since 2019. Shirts, knitwear, jackets and the smaller things that quietly wear out. Fit is personal and returns are a nuisance, so this is one to let him sort out in his own time.

4. Supercheap Auto gift card

A Supercheap Auto gift card goes towards tools, car care and the parts he has been meaning to replace since autumn. Useful for the father who disappears into the garage on a Sunday and comes back at four. He knows the thread size, the fitting and the brand he trusts, and none of that is guessable from the outside.

5. Kathmandu gift card

A Kathmandu gift card covers jackets, packs, tents and the gear that gets used properly rather than admired. Well timed in September, with the tramping season opening up again. He picks the weight, the fit and the features he wants, which is the difference between gear that gets used and gear that sits in a cupboard.

6. The Athlete's Foot gift card

The Athlete's Foot gift card is for running shoes and everyday trainers, fitted properly. Shoes are the classic case of a well meant gift in the wrong size, and the wrong pair is worse than none at all. For the dad who has started walking again and is still wearing something from a decade ago.

7. Xbox Gift Card

An Xbox Gift Card brings games, add-ons and credit for the console he claims belongs to the kids. A good pick for the father who plays once the house has gone quiet. He puts it towards the title he has had on a wish list for months, which is not a list you have access to.

8. Webjet gift card

A Webjet gift card covers flights and travel for the dad whose plans start with a map rather than a shop. It works well when siblings put in together and want the gift to be one real thing. He picks the destination and the dates, and the card goes towards getting there.

Write your message on the product page before you order, because that is the part he keeps. Specific beats sentimental with most fathers. A line about the thing he helped you with in June does more work than anything a card shop prints. At checkout you decide whether it comes to your inbox or goes straight to his. Send it to yourself if you want to hand it over at lunch, and send it to him if you are at the other end of the country. When you genuinely cannot pick a brand, the All-in-1 Choice Gift Card covers the widest range on the site and leaves the decision where it belongs.