A puzzle gift card has a bad reputation: it looks like the present of someone who didn't have time to think. Sometimes it is. But there are cases where choosing a puzzle for someone else is the risky option, and that's when the card wins.
When a puzzle gift card beats choosing the puzzle yourself
The clearest case is someone who does a lot of puzzles. They have shelves full of boxes, know which ones they've done and carry a mental list of what they want next. The chances of giving them one they already have, or one with a picture they find dull, are high.
The second case is size. Some people only do 1000 pieces because they have no table for more, and some only get interested from 3000 upwards. An Educa 3000 finishes at 120 x 85 cm; in a small living room, that's a present that takes over the dining table for a month. If you don't know where they'll put it, it's not your call to make.
The third is the calendar. The card is digital, arrives by email and doesn't depend on a courier. On 23 December no puzzle will arrive in time; the card arrives the minute you check out.
Now the opposite. For children, a card is almost never a good idea: the fun is in opening the box. Nor for someone who has never done a puzzle, because they won't know where to begin choosing. In those cases, pick the puzzle and add gift wrap.
What each amount buys, roughly
The cards come in five amounts: 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 €. Puzzle prices vary with brand and piece count, so the table is a ballpark, based on the puzzles in our shop today.
| Amount | Roughly enough for | An example |
|---|---|---|
| 20 € | One 1000 piece puzzle, or one 1000 and one 500 from the more affordable brands | Educa's Travel Collage and Sloth Family |
| 40 € | Three or four 1000 piece puzzles, or one of 3000 to 4000 | The 3000 piece Burano, Italy, or the 4000 piece Old Bookshop |
| 60 € | Five puzzles, with the 5 € cart discount already applied, or a board game plus a puzzle | Catan by Devir with a 1000 piece puzzle |
| 80 € | Eight 500 or 1000 piece puzzles, with the 10 € discount, or a 5000 plus one more | The Best Bookshop in the World, 5000 pieces |
| 100 € | A whole new shelf, or the biggest puzzle in the shop | Trefl's Star Wars Universe, 13,500 pieces |
One sum few people do: shipping. In mainland Portugal it's free from 49,80 € and 3,90 € below that; Spain is 3,90 €; the rest of Europe starts at 9,90 € and is free from 200 €. Someone who receives a 20 € card and makes a single order with it pays shipping on top. With a bigger card, the order gets closer to the free shipping threshold on its own.
The balance doesn't have to be spent in one go. If they use 35 € of a 40 € card, the remaining 5 € stays for the next order, within the validity period.
It doesn't have to be only puzzles, either. The card works for family games and puzzle books: Murdoku by Manuel Garand, with 80 grid-based crimes to solve, fits easily on a 20 € card (our edition is in Portuguese).
Buying a gift card at the last minute: how it works
- In the gift card collection, choose the amount.
- Enter the recipient's email, a message and the day you want the card sent. If you want it to land on Christmas morning, or on their birthday, this is where you schedule it.
- Pay with MB Way, Multibanco, PayPal or card.
- The card arrives by email with a code. You can forward it, send it by message or print it and slip it into an envelope.
There's no shipping to pay on the card, because there's nothing to ship.
What to tell the person receiving it
Three things, ideally written in the message so they don't get lost.
That the card is valid for one year from the date of purchase. It sounds like plenty of time, but a code buried in an inbox is easily forgotten.
That the code is used at checkout, like a voucher, and works across several orders until the balance runs out. It can't be exchanged for cash.
And, if they're new to this, that every product page shows the piece count, finished size, difficulty and estimated time. It helps them spend the card well, especially when they're torn between a 2000 and a 3000 and unsure it will fit on the table.
