Holiday gift card deals for December 2026: what is still running, and the last day to buy each

As of 28 October 2026, three national restaurant groups have a holiday gift card bonus that runs through December: Applebee's until 3 January 2027, Landry's and Ruth's Chris until 31 December. In 2025 December added a second wave on top of those: double-bonus sales between 13 and 27 December, mostly online only (Outback, Applebee's, Red Robin, Qdoba), one-day eGift packs at Costco on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and fee-free Visa and Mastercard gift cards at Staples. Almost every bonus card only works from 1 January, so the bonus is a reward for whoever buys the gift card, not part of the gift. This page is updated every week in December. If the card is for you rather than a gift, a seller can place one store's order for you at 8–40% below the checkout total instead, with no bonus window to remember. Stores you can shop below retail →

Running into December 2026

Checked 28 October 2026. Sources: Landry's gift card terms (its reward cards need a minimum spend: $25 at the first group of restaurants, $50 at the second, $100 at the steakhouses), Ruth's Chris, and Applebee's holiday page, whose terms we read from its search listing because the page refuses automated visits, with the same dates on deal sites. California Pizza Kitchen's offer is from Hip2Save's restaurant list, not CPK's own page. Most other chains had not announced their 2026 holiday offers yet; the Black Friday and Cyber Monday ones are on our Black Friday page.

What ran in December 2025: the second wave of restaurant bonuses

The Outback, Applebee's and Red Robin rows are from the chains' own pages as the Internet Archive saved them in late December 2025 (Outback, Applebee's, Red Robin); Starbucks is from Doctor of Credit, the rest from Slickdeals threads quoting each chain's terms. Most bonus programs from the Black Friday table also ran through 31 December 2025.

What ran in December 2025: gift cards below face value

• Target, 6–7 December: 10% off Target GiftCards for Target Circle members, up to $500 of cards ($50 off at most). Target's announcement
• DoorDash, 10–12 December: DashPass members got 15% off partner gift cards. DoorDash's announcement
• Sam's Club, 5–7 December: a $50 Outback card for $34.98, $100 of Landry's for $64.98, $100 of Darden for $79.98.
• Kroger, 8–25 December: an eGift sale, for example a $50 Buffalo Wild Wings or IHOP card for $40.
• Costco, Christmas Eve only: two $50 Applebee's eGift cards for $74.99. Christmas Day only: four $25 Red Lobster or Steak 'n Shake eGift cards for $69.99.
• Amazon (16 December) and Best Buy (29 December): a $100 Uber card for $85.

Store deals other than Target and DoorDash come from Slickdeals threads quoting each store's listing.

Visa and Mastercard gift cards without the purchase fee

A Visa or Mastercard gift card is the one gift that works at any store, and the catch is the purchase fee, $7.95 on a $200 Mastercard card at Staples. In December 2025 Staples waived it in weekly windows: Visa cards in store 7–13 December, Visa online 14–20 December, Mastercard in store 21–27 December, with a daily limit per customer (The Points Page's history of these promotions).

Bought on the 24th, given on the 25th

Only an email gift card can be bought on Christmas Eve and still be under the tree. Check the delivery line before paying: Red Robin's 2025 terms activated gift cards 24 hours after purchase, and Costco's packs were sent by email, not posted. A physical card bought online in the last week of December needs shipping time the eGift does not.

The bonus card stays with you

The bonus card is a promotional card with its own rules, and in 2025 they were nearly the same everywhere:

• It does not work in December. Almost every bonus card from a holiday offer starts on 1 January.
• Short windows, sometimes two. Outback's double bonus came as two cards valid in two different windows, the second only at Outback. Landry's 2027 reward cards cannot be used on 12–14 February.
• Single use and a minimum spend. Landry's asks for $25–100 of food; most exclude alcohol, tax and tips.

So keep the bonus card for yourself and put the date in your calendar: unused, it is worth nothing. More on the fine print in the Black Friday guide.

If the card is for you, not a gift

A gift card bought to spend yourself at one store has a simpler alternative: someone already holding that store's gift card places your order and ships it to you, and you pay 8–40% less than the checkout total. There is no bonus window, no minimum spend, and no flash-sale date to wait for; your money stays in escrow until you confirm delivery. The shelf below shows today's deepest discounts. How escrow buying works →