Bulk Holiday Gifts for Employees: Fresh and Affordable Ideas

Finding the perfect bulk Christmas gifts for employees hasn’t always been easy.

We’re all familiar with the go-to (and often dated) bulk gifts that companies have traditionally sent to show appreciation. By the end of our careers, we all seem to have a pile of well-meaning but ultimately unwanted tote bags, keychains, and t-shirts, and enough branded water bottles and stainless steel tumblers to stock a small sporting goods store.

All this company ‘swag’ might have had its place. But it no longer resonates with today’s workforce. How many coffee mugs and mouse pads do you really need?

Instead, employees now expect something more thoughtful, practical, and aligned with their needs. And employers want to send cost-effective recognition gifts that have been proven to boost morale.

In this article, we’ll explore a better way to send bulk Christmas gifts to your employees.

Popular bulk gifts for employees (hint: everyone wants gift cards)

Research consistently shows that employees prefer gift cards over other types of gifts and rewards.

For example, according to the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), nearly half of respondents in a recent survey consider gift cards to be the best gift to receive. In fact, five times as many people would prefer a prepaid card (like a Visa or Mastercard®) over straight cash.

Bottom line: if you want to give an easy gift that every team member will love, you can't go wrong with gift cards.

Gift cards offer flexibility that most gifts can't match, by allowing recipients to choose something they truly want or need. Employees see gift cards as ‘fun money’—extra funds to spend on something special, rather than blending into everyday expenses​.

“A gift card for a new golf club has to be spent on a golf club, so it’s guilt free,” says Bob Dawson, President of i-Myth, for the IRF.

We’ll cover why they’re great corporate gift ideas from an employee recognition and budget perspective further below. First, let’s explore some ways to turn gift cards into unique gifts that are still in line with your company culture.

Bulk gift ideas for employees

Don’t assume that using bulk gift cards means you can’t add a personal touch to your employee holiday gifts.

Giftbit allows every client to send their recipients a gift card to one brand (like a Starbucks card, for example), to a selection of brands, or to the entire global catalog. For the holiday season, many companies will curate a themed selection of brands that’s both personal and on-brand. Giving these types of gift card choices also ensures that your employees actually treat themselves to something nice. 

Here are some go-to options we recommend:

• $25 Spotify gift card so they can enjoy their holiday playlists without all the ads
  
  
• $50 apparel & sports gift card (to Adidas, Foot Locker, and/or Under Armour, for example) so they can get yoga mats and new sneakers to fuel 2025 health and well-being goals
  
  
• $50 Uber or Lyft gift card to get safely to and from all those holiday parties
  
  
• $50 gaming gift card (to EA Play, GameStop, Google Play, and/or Nintendo eShop, for example) to help them unwind after all the holiday shopping
  
  
• $75 Barnes & Noble gift card so they stock up on a few great reads
  
  
• $75 AMC and/or Fandango gift card so they can enjoy a date night to this season's biggest blockbuster
  
  
• $100 'Dining Out' gift card (to popular restaurants like Vic & Anthony’s, The Cheesecake Factory, and/or Outback Steakhouse, for example) to enjoy a night out during the holiday busy season, when they need a break from cooking for relatives
  
  
• $100 'Dining In' gift card (to food delivery services like  DoorDash and/or Uber Eats) to do the same, but this time at home in their PJs
  
  
• $100 streaming service gift card (to Apple, Hulu, or  Paramount+, for example) for the mental break they need most after crushing their Q4 goals
  
  
• $100 Blue Apron gift card to help them stay healthy and simplify dinner plans in the months ahead
  
  
• $100 Spa & Wellness Gift Card by Spa Week, which is accepted at 8,000 spa and wellness facilities across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico
  
  
• $100-$250 grocery gift card (to Kroger or Sobeys, for example), to keep the fridge stocked while your kids are home on winter break
  
  
• $500-$1000 travel gift card (to Airbnb, Best Western, or Carnival Cruise Lines, for example) for companies that are looking for more substantial gifts this year

Here are some more popular themes that ensure your employees feel seen and appreciated, no matter their interests or roles.

• Support local theme (e.g., Uber Eats and/or Grubhub)
  Help your employees explore and support local businesses by offering gift cards to delivery services like UberEats or Grubhub. It’s perfect for companies emphasizing community involvement or a strong local presence. Prepaid cards to Visa and Mastercard can also accomplish the same goals.

• Giving back theme (e.g., CharityChoice and/or Charity On Top)
  Charity gift cards let employees support causes they care about. It’s a thoughtful option for teams passionate about making a difference during the holiday season and beyond.

• Sustainability/eco-friendly theme
  Depending on their corporate culture and values, many companies will hand-pick brands that share their values when it comes to the environment, climate change, and reducing plastic waste, among other issues.

• A free virtual lunch! (e.g., DoorDash and/or Uber Eats)
  This is the time of year many companies like to have team lunches to celebrate a year of hard work. But how to have lunch together when you’re a remote team? Send a food delivery gift card and have everyone hop on a video chat to enjoy together (we love these remote team lunches at Giftbit! 🙌).

Full catalog of choice: one gift to encompass them all

Like we’ve covered, curated digital gift cards and prepaid cards can add a special touch to the gift-giving process, which is why they make such great office gifts.

But when you create a free Giftbit account, you get immediate sending access to the complete global catalog filled with hundreds of the world’s best and most popular brands, along with charity options.

And you can offer full recipient choice from the entire employee rewards catalog to your team.

Ultimately, with this level of flexibility and practicality, letting your employees from the full catalog is often the perfect gift. 

Popular bulk gifts for international employees

More and more companies are embracing hybrid work and hybrid teams, which means more and more also have distributed employees. And anyone who’s tried to wrangle finding and sourcing appropriate employee gifts in multiple countries knows how challenging this can be.

Here, too, gift cards fit the bill. You can send everyone the same great gift, no matter where they happen to be living at the moment.

Indeed, the Giftbit USD Virtual Prepaid Mastercard is great for any global rewards program, including holiday bulk gifts. It can be sent globally and used anywhere in the world or online that accepts Mastercard.

The global catalog also includes gift cards from popular brands that can be sent and used in Great Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, India, Australia, and New Zealand (with many more on the way).

If you have any questions about global sending or funding for international currencies, please reach out. 

Affordable bulk Christmas gift options for large teams of employees

Google ‘inexpensive Christmas gifts for employees,’ and you’ll be inundated with catalogs filled with cheap desk accessories and coffee mugs, maybe some overpriced gift sets that don’t really make much sense. And these can be the right fit for some companies.

At the same time, you might not appreciate how cost-effective bulk gift cards can be, assuming you work with a gift card distributor with transparent pricing.

Specifically, there are no costs, minimums, or contracts needed to access the platform and start sending. If you spend $50 on an employee gift, that will only ever cost you $50, and your employee will get $50.

It’s also free and un-gated to access the gift card API, which you can use to embed directly into your own app or platform. Or you might consider using Zapier to integrate with a tool you already use, like Google Sheets or BambooHR, to automate the process

Pro-tip: this is also a great way to automate birthday and employee milestone gifts

How much to spend on bulk holiday gifts for the office

How much you spend on bulk holiday gifts for the office will depend on several factors, including your company’s size, culture, and budget for employee engagement.

When thinking about how much to spend, consider what type of gift card you'll be sending, and what amount will make it impactful. 

For example, $25 or even $10 on a Starbucks or Dunkin' gift card will be enough for them to enjoy some hot chocolate over the break. 

But if you want them to be able to take their entire family out to dinner and a movie, you may want to consider a larger denomination.

Ultimately, you likely have a set budget for how much you can spend on gifts this year. Carefully considering the type of digital gift card to send is what will help you maximize it. 

How to find and send employee bulk gifts

When looking for and sending employee bulk gifts, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options.

It might seem easy to head to the grocery store and just buy a stack of physical gift cards. This of course is time-consuming. It also won’t allow you to give your employees the chance to pick the specific card they want.

Alternatively, you can use a transparent gift card platform like Giftbit, which offers clear, straightforward pricing with no setup costs, no contracts, and no hidden fees.

Bonus: once you’ve got your account set up, you can use this same account to start sending employee rewards and recognition, along with more corporate gifts.

Getting started is easy: you just sign up for a free account and you get all the functionality you need for a great gifting experience, end-to-end.

Just follow the directions to get your gifts set up, customize your messaging, and click ‘send.’

You’ll enjoy the ability to send in bulk, schedule deliveries, and even track delivery and redemption—all without the hassle of buying and distributing physical cards.

This saves you time and ensure a smoother, more personal gifting experience—while also setting up a scalable gift card system you can use for a variety of use cases throughout the year.

How to personalize bulk gifts for employees

Don’t assume that ‘bulk digital gift cards’ have to mean ‘bulk impersonal gifts.’

From within your account, you’ll be able to send custom emails with a company logo and a personalized message.

You’ll also have options for how you deliver your card, whether by email, text, or something more suited for your team.

All combined, Taking the time to select the right type of gift card, adding the right message, and delivering it in a way that's easy and accessible 

Are bulk employee appreciation gifts effective?

Bulk employee appreciation gifts can be highly effective when done thoughtfully. Research consistently shows that employee recognition boosts morale and productivity, leading to higher engagement. A well-timed, thoughtful gift reminds employees that their efforts are valued.

The key to making bulk gifts effective is personalization. Even when sending gifts at scale, adding a personal message or offering a choice in rewards ensures employees feel individually recognized. This simple effort can strengthen the impact of your appreciation efforts.

Moreover, digital gift cards have proven particularly effective in incentive programs of all types because of their flexibility. Employees appreciate having the freedom to choose something they genuinely want, making the reward feel even more meaningful.

To start sending bulk holiday gifts for employees, create a free Giftbit account and follow the simple steps (here's a quick demo). If you have any questions, or if you are planning a large program and would like to discuss revenue sharing, please reach out.