‘Certainly mitigates the stress’: how to give someone an app, subscription or other virtual gift

A virtual present can be bought hassle-free as late as Christmas morning, and with a bit of creativity, it can feel just as special as a physical gift

Postal delivery deadlines have well and truly passed, and the window of time for a last-minute gift run has just about shut. Add rising Covid-19 cases to the mix, and a hasty trip to the mall on 24 December feels very much like panic buying.

While browsing for digital presents is something we often don't consider" because of the tradition of having something physically wrapped up," professor in consumer behaviour from Queensland University of Technology, Gary Mortimer, says the pool of virtual gifting options has dramatically deepened.