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Meal kit gift cards: which ones start a subscription

Five of the services here say their gift cards never expire, but what redeeming one starts differs from service to service. A HelloFresh gift starts no weekly charges, and Blue Apron, CookUnity and Daily Harvest let the recipient spend a gift without a plan. Home Chef enrolls a new customer in an auto-renewing subscription, and Gobble and HelloFresh’s sister brands ask the recipient for a payment card. Marley Spoon and Dinnerly sell no gift cards, and Splendid Spoon’s cover only its Marketplace.

Gift cards, in each service’s own words (read 14 Oct 2026)
ServiceWhat its gift terms say
HelloFresh No plan neededA digital gift, by email or printed at home. Redeeming it starts no weekly charges, and it never expires. A current customer gets the gift as a separate single box and should pause their own plan that week to avoid two deliveries. Gift cards and Gift card terms and conditions
Blue Apron No plan neededA gift card in the amount you choose that never expires, spent on any dish in its shop; Blue Apron sells dish by dish, so there is no plan to start. Gift cards and Gifts
CookUnity No plan neededA digital gift card of $5 to $500 that never expires; no subscription is needed to give one, and the recipient enters the code at checkout. How do I buy or redeem a gift card?
Daily Harvest No plan neededDigital gift cards of $50 to $200, or a physical $50 or $100 card with a smoothie tumbler; a gift can pay for a one-time box. Can I give Daily Harvest as a gift?
EveryPlate Leads to a plan or needs a cardA digital gift card by email. The recipient adds a payment card in case the gift does not cover the order, and the card works only in the US. Gift cards
Green Chef Leads to a plan or needs a cardA digital gift card by email. The recipient adds a payment card in case the gift does not cover the order, and the card works only in the US. Gift cards
Home Chef Leads to a plan or needs a cardA gift card with no fees that never expires. A new customer who redeems it is enrolled in an auto-renewing subscription, which can be paused or stopped before noon Central on the Friday before delivery. Contiguous US only. Gift card essentials
Sunbasket Leads to a plan or needs a cardDigital gift cards in any amount, for any meal plan or add-ons, and prepaid plans: $200 covers two weeks of three dinners for two, it says. Can I order Sunbasket as a gift?
Gobble Leads to a plan or needs a cardA gift card that never expires, for any subscription plan; the recipient opens an account with a payment card, which is charged for anything beyond the gift. Give the gift of Gobble
Purple Carrot Leads to a plan or needs a cardA gift card in the amount you choose; the recipient redeems it while signing up, and a box usually costs $80 to $100, it says. How do I redeem a gift? and How do I purchase a gift card?
Factor Leads to a plan or needs a cardA digital gift card by email. The recipient adds a payment card in case the gift does not cover the order, and the card works only in the US. Gift cards
Splendid Spoon Marketplace onlyGift cards only for its Marketplace, not for a subscription. How do I purchase a gift card?
Marley Spoon No gift cardsNo gift cards; it suggests sending a referral instead. Do you offer gift cards?
Dinnerly No gift cardsNo gift cards; it suggests sending a referral instead. Do you offer gift cards?

Before you give one

Check that the service delivers where the recipient lives: each profile says where its service goes, HelloFresh’s and its sister brands’ gift cards work only in the US, and Home Chef’s only in the contiguous states. Then pick the kitchen work that suits them: a kit means cooking dinner, while Factor and CookUnity send meals to heat and Daily Harvest frozen food to heat or blend.

If you receive one

Read what redeeming starts. With Home Chef, a new customer is on a weekly plan from the moment of redeeming, so note its cutoff and skip or cancel once the gift is spent: skip, pause or cancel before the cutoff. If you already have a HelloFresh plan, pause it for the week the gift box arrives, or two boxes come.

How far a gift goes

The full price of every service shows what three dinners for two cost, so you can choose an amount that covers a whole box. Sunbasket says $200 covers two weeks of three dinners for two, and Purple Carrot that a box usually costs $80 to $100.

Sources (17)