It's not too late! These apps will help you find, wrap and send last-minute gifts
Still looking for the perfect gift? Use these three iOS apps for last-minute gift shopping.
You still have a couple more days to do your gift shopping, even if you're shopping online -- those shipping deadlines haven't all passed yet. But you may still be scrambling for time. It's hard to find the perfect gift and get it purchased, wrapped and sent while trying to juggle the stress of the holidays. If that's the case, then I have some good news for you: There's an app for that.
Actually, there are three: Hintsy, Snappy and Spoil are three iOS apps that make the gift-giving process much easier. These apps all feature real, physical gifts -- including artisan stationery, funky electronics and gourmet sweets -- that you can send to anyone within the US. The apps themselves are free (the gifts cost money), and they do everything they can to make the experience special -- Hintsy lets you choose your wrapping paper and greeting card, Snappy lets your recipient choose their own gift (without seeing the price -- so it's better than a gift card), and Spoil offers curated surprises that your giftee is guaranteed to love.
Hintsy
If you're worried app-gifting is too impersonal, take a look at Hintsy. It's a three-step gift-giving app that lets you personalize everything, from the items in the box to the type of wrapping paper.
First, you'll choose one or more products to include and add them to your gift. Hintsy offers accessories, chocolates, sweets, home goods and personal care items. Next you'll choose the type of wrapping paper you want your gift to be wrapped with, and finally you'll choose the greeting card you want to accompany your gift. Once you've picked out and personalized the perfect gift, you'll need your recipient's name and address to send it. You can also include a handwritten message in the greeting card.
Snappy
Snappy is perfect for those notoriously difficult-to-shop-for gift recipients. This app lets your recipient choose one gift -- the one they really want -- from a selection of gifts that are all within your price range. Once they choose their gift, you're billed for the product and it's sent to their address. Your recipient provides the address, too. All you need is their email address.
The app lets you choose from several curated collections, including ones aimed at women, men, kids and teens. You can set a budget of anywhere from $15 to $500 depending on the gifts in the collection. You only pay for the gift your recipient chooses, so your budget should be what you're comfortable spending but you may end up spending less.
Spoil
Spoil is an ultra-simple gift-giving app that lets you send a variety of fun (and mostly food-oriented) gifts to anyone in the US. Your gift will arrive the day you ordered it.
The app is part selection, part surprise. You can choose the gift type, like a cupcake, but you won't necessarily know what type of cupcake your recipient will receive or which vendor it will come from, which makes it easier for last-minute shoppers.
Gifts start at $8 for bubble tea and go up to $199 for a year's worth of floral arrangements. If you have no idea what your recipient wants, you can opt for a $20 "Mystery Box" and Spoil will choose a gift to send on your behalf. You'll need your recipient's phone number, but they'll supply their address for delivery.