Guides
The 2026 gift-card guide for service people
Thoughtful picks for the cleaner, the trainer, the stylist — and the person who made your kid smile on picture day.
Editorial··5 min read
The end-of-year tip used to be cash in an envelope. It still can be. But for the service people in your life who see you on a recurring basis — the cleaner, the trainer, the stylist, the dog walker — the gift card has quietly become the more thoughtful gesture.
The rule: pick a place they wouldn't pick for themselves. A restaurant they've mentioned. A bookstore. A coffee shop one neighborhood over. The gift card is good. The fact that you remembered the offhand mention is the actual gift.
