How to Gift a VPN Subscription (Without Getting Stuck With the Renewal)

You can gift a VPN three ways: buy a prepaid activation code from a retailer, buy a gift card that becomes account credit, or simply pay for a plan and set it up for the person. NordVPN and Proton have the clearest gift formats. Surfshark doesn't advertise gifting on its own site, but its plans are sold as digital codes at some retailers.

Whichever route you take, decide in advance who owns the account and who pays at renewal. That one choice prevents most gifting headaches. The sections below cover each format, the redemption steps, and the small details (refund windows, look-alike characters in codes, sketchy resellers) that cause most problems.

Which VPNs you can give as a gift

Availability of retail codes varies by country and by store. If a store's listing doesn't name the plan, the length, and the number of devices, skip it.

Gifting NordVPN with an activation code

NordVPN's help center says a 25-character activation key comes with purchases from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, or Target. That makes it the easiest of the big VPNs to wrap, because the code is the gift.

The recipient redeems it like this:

1. Open the Nord Account activation page. They enter the code and the email address they want to use for NordVPN.
2. Verify the email. Nord sends a verification code. If it doesn't show up, check spam or promotions.
3. Create a password or sign in. New users make a password. Existing Nord users sign in and the subscription is added to their account.
4. Choose about auto-renewal. It's optional. If they skip it, the VPN simply stops connecting when the code's time runs out.
5. Download the app. The dashboard links to the apps for each device.

Things that trip people up

• The email matters. Nord applies the code to whatever email is entered, right away. A typo means a support ticket.
• Each code works once. Gifting two codes? Each one has to be redeemed separately.
• Old codes may have look-alike characters. Nord says older keys can mix up the letter O with zero and capital I with lowercase l. Newer codes avoid those.

Retail packaging sometimes uses older tier names. Check the box or listing for what's included rather than the name. Our NordVPN vs Surfshark comparison explains how the current tiers differ.

Compare NordVPN plans first

Gifting Surfshark

Surfshark's pricing page doesn't offer a gift checkout, and its help center's coupon instructions cover new purchases only. Its "Gift Campaign" articles describe a purchase bonus (an Amazon voucher for the buyer in specific countries), not a way to give Surfshark to someone else.

Retail codes do exist. Walmart Canada and Staples Canada both list a Surfshark One 1-year subscription as a digital code. Walmart Canada's listing says the item isn't returnable, so be sure before you buy. CoinGate, a crypto payments company, also lists a Surfshark VPN gift card it says works worldwide.

The simpler route for most people is to buy a Surfshark plan on Surfshark's site and set it up for the recipient. Every Surfshark plan allows unlimited devices, so you can also add someone in your own household to your existing plan instead of buying a second one.

See Surfshark's current plans

Gifting Proton VPN

Proton sells gift cards through its supporter shop. The card turns into Proton credit, which the recipient applies by signing in to a Proton Mail or Proton VPN account, opening Settings, then Dashboard, and entering the code under Gift code. They then use the credit to upgrade their plan.

Proton's gift card page doesn't list amounts or expiration terms, so check the shop listing before you buy. Proton is a good pick for someone who already uses Proton Mail; see our Proton VPN review for how its VPN compares.

Mullvad, the privacy-focused VPN that sells time instead of accounts, has sold prepaid vouchers through resellers in the past, according to a 2024 Comparitech roundup. Check Mullvad's own site for where vouchers are sold today.

Buying a plan directly for someone

This is often the cheapest option, because the provider's own Black Friday and holiday prices are usually lower than a retail box. NordVPN's deals page even mentions its Christmas offers as a way to gift private internet access to friends and family.

There are two ways to do it:

Option 1: Put the account in their name

Use their email address at checkout and your payment card. They get the welcome emails and own the login. The catch: your card stays on file, so the plan renews on your dime unless someone turns off auto-renewal. Do that together right after setup.

Option 2: Keep the account in your name

Buy the plan with your own email and install it on their devices. You control billing and can help if something breaks. This works well for parents or kids. NordVPN covers 10 devices at once on every plan, and Surfshark has no device limit, so a single family plan may cover everyone. Our VPN guide for families covers how to share one plan.

Avoid sketchy VPN keys

Marketplaces are full of "lifetime" VPN keys and multi-year codes at prices that don't make sense. NordVPN's help center says to use activation codes only from official or authorized retailers, and warns that cracked versions and key generators often contain malware or adware.

A few rules keep you safe:

• Buy from the provider, a major retailer, or a seller the provider names.
• Skip any listing that won't say the plan name, length, and region.
• Never buy a "shared account" login. You don't control it, and it can vanish.
• Avoid "lifetime" VPN deals from unknown brands. Running servers costs money every month.

What to put in the card

A code on its own often ends up in a drawer. A short note makes the gift usable. Write down:

• Where to redeem it. For NordVPN, the Nord Account activation page. For Proton, the Gift code box in the Proton dashboard. For a plan you bought, the email address you used.
• How long it lasts. "One year, starting when you redeem it" is clearer than a plan name.
• What happens at the end. Tell them whether it will renew on their card, your card, or not at all.
• Two settings to turn on. Auto-connect (so it's on without thinking) and the kill switch, which blocks traffic if the VPN connection drops.
• When to use it. Public Wi-Fi at airports, hotels, and coffee shops is the easy example. Our guide to when you don't need a VPN keeps expectations honest.

If the person is new to VPNs, offer to sit with them for the first install. Most VPN apps take a few minutes to set up on a phone, but the first permission prompts can confuse people who've never seen them.

Which gift to pick

You want something to wrap: a NordVPN activation code from a major retailer. Write a note that tells them where to redeem it.

You want the lowest price: buy directly from NordVPN or Surfshark during their holiday sale, then turn off auto-renewal or keep billing in your name on purpose. Our Black Friday renewal guide explains the renewal math.

They care about privacy more than streaming: a Proton gift card, which they can also put toward other Proton services.

They're not technical: buy the plan in your name and install it yourself. The gift is really the 20 minutes of setup. Our guide to holiday travel VPN prep has a checklist you can run through on their phone.