Need a Last-Minute Gift Idea? Here's How to Send an Audible Book to Anyone in Just Minutes
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When it comes to finding the perfect gift for a book lover, giving an audiobook through Audible may be one of the quickest and easiest options out there. The best way to gift an Audible book depends on whether you already have a title in mind or if you want your recipient to choose their own audiobooks through a prepaid Audible membership.
What's convenient about gifting an individual Audible book is that neither you nor your recipient has to be an Audible member to take advantage of it. As long as they can download the free Audible app via Apple's App Store or Google Play, they can listen to their digital gift anytime and anywhere.
But if you're not sure about your recipient's reading tastes, giving an Audible gift membership may be a safer bet. An Audible membership includes one credit per month that they can redeem on any single audiobook to keep (even after their membership ends), along with access to the extensive Audible Plus Catalog that lets them listen to as much audio content as they'd like within their gifted timeframe. According to Audible, their Plus Catalog reaches into the thousands, with new titles being added every week.
Read on to learn how to gift an Audible book or membership in just a few easy steps.
How to Gift an Audible Book
These are the steps to follow if you already have an audiobook in mind that you want to give as a gift.
Sign into your Audible or Amazon account at audible.com.
Search for and select the audiobook title you'd like to give.
Once on the audiobook's retailer page, select More Options > Gift as a Gift.
Choose whether you'd like to send the audiobook through email on a designated date or print out the voucher to hand-deliver yourself. Add any necessary information in the blank fields, along with an optional message for your recipient. Then, click "Continue."
Review your gift details, then click the "Buy" button at the bottom of the page to confirm your payment. Note that you can buy an Audible book with either the credit/debit card that's linked to your Amazon account or with Audible credits that you paid for (but not those that were gifted to you).
After purchasing, you'll receive an order confirmation and print-out instructions if you choose to print your gift.
How to Gift an Audible Membership
This is the best option if you want your gift recipient to choose their own audiobooks.
Sign into your Audible or Amazon account at audible.com and go to the Gift Center.
Select a 1-, 3-, 6-, or 12-month gift subscription — they'll receive one credit per month of their membership, along with access to the Audible Plus Catalog. Note that nearly every audiobook title in Audible costs one credit, unless they're purchasing titles in a series.
Choose whether you'd like to send the Audible membership through email on a designated date or print out the voucher to hand-deliver yourself. Add any necessary information in the blank fields, along with an optional message for your recipient. Then, click "Continue."
Choose your card design, then click "Continue."
Review your gift details, then click the "Buy" button at the bottom of the page to confirm your payment. Note that Audible memberships can only be purchased with the credit/debit card that's linked to your Amazon account, not with Audible credits.
After purchasing, you'll receive an order confirmation and print-out instructions if you choose to print your gift.
What if They're Already an Audible Member?
If you've given an Audible gift membership to an existing member, they'll receive all the credits for the chosen membership at once — there will be no interruption or extension to their current membership.
How Much Does It Cost to Gift an Audible Book or Membership?
All Audible books are priced differently — without the membership discount, they typically cost between $10 and $25 each.
Audible memberships are available in four different tiers:
1 month: $15
3 months: $45
6 months: $90
12 months: $150
Can You Transfer an Audible Book That You Own to Someone Else?
Unfortunately, no. Audible used to have a feature in which users could share a purchased audiobook with one friend, but this function no longer exists. If you want to gift an audiobook that you own to someone on Audible, you'll have to pay for it again.
What Happens After an Audible Gift Membership Ends?
After your recipient's Audible gift membership ends, they'll keep the audiobook titles that they bought with their gift credits or with a credit/debit card. They will not be charged again for an Audible membership unless they choose to sign up for a plan through the Account Details page.
Make sure your gift recipient knows that Audible gift credits expire 1 year after they're issued — they can check the exact expiration date of their credits on their Credit Summary page.
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