For years, it was possible to gift a Kindle book in the US but it was only at the end of 2018 that Amazon brought the facility to its UK customers.
So if you’ve left it a bit late and need an instant gift that can be delivered digitally and immediately, a Kindle ebook can be a bit of a lifesaver.
Neither you nor your friend need to own an Amazon Kindle: they can simply install the Kindle app on their phone or tablet (or even laptop or PC) to read your chosen eBook. But obviously it does make more sense if they have an Amazon ereader.
How to buy a Kindle eBook for someone else
Simply head to the eBook section on Amazon’s website, search or browse until you find a suitable and click Continue in the the ‘Buy for others’ box, highlighted in yellow below. If you’re on a phone or in the Amazon app, then search for the book and simply use the Format menu to pick Kindle Edition. Then scroll down and you’ll see the ‘Buy for others’ section.
On the next screen you can type in the recipient’s email address. If you don’t have it, or you’d prefer to send them the link yourself, don’t enter an email address and it will be sent to you using the email address that you use for your Amazon account.
There’s also space to enter a message for the recipient. After that, click the Verify and Pay Now button, and you’ll shortly get a confirmation email, and the recipient will get an email explaining how to redeem their gift.
If you’re feeling extra generous, you could buy them a new Kindle as well. These are the Kindle models we recommend. And note that there’s now a Kids Editon of the Kindle, designed for young readers.