Alternatives to Amazon vouchers

"Take our survey and win a £20 Amazon card!" "Participate in our study, and in return, we’ll give you £50 in Amazon vouchers!" “Recommend us for a £20 Amazon voucher!”

Most of us have seen invites like this in some shape or form. Amazon vouchers have been used as an incentive for many years. 

Our research shows that UK  universities have increased their Amazon voucher spending from £1 million in 2019 to £2.5 million in 2024.

And gift vouchers are used by many people for different occasions, from Christmas to wedding presents.

Why avoid Amazon?

There is a long list of reasons not to give your money to Amazon; from offering its services to fossil fuel giants to anti-union activity.

Here are a few reasons to take a break from Amazon:

• Flagrant tax avoidance
• Poor workers’ rights record
• It threatens small independent businesses
• It profits from selling services to oil and gas companies
• It has failed to properly address its own environmental impacts
• Its technology is repeatedly accused of racist bias
• Its violations of privacy rights
• It creates a hostile environment for unions

Ethical Consumer estimates that over the last 10 years, Amazon has avoided around £2.8 billion in UK corporation tax through artificial tax arrangements.

Find ethical gift vouchers instead of using Amazon

But vouchers from ethical companies are a readily-available alternative.

Our list of companies with high ethical ratings that offer gift vouchers, will help those who want to avoid Amazon (for reasons of tax, workers' rights and the environment for example) and who would like to support ethical businesses instead. 

These companies cover a broad range of products - books, electronics, food and pet food - and they all offer vouchers. 

The table below focuses on the recommended and Best Buy companies from our bookshop and online retailers guides. And beneath the table we've listed some other companies who also provide vouchers, all of whom achieve higher ethical scores to Amazon.

Whether you’re thinking of a gift, or to say a big thanks to a colleague, we suggest you look at our lists and choose from there. 

Ethical vouchers for bookshops and ethical online retailers 

Other alternatives to Amazon for vouchers 

Some of the other companies in our bookshops guide and ethical online retailers guide also offer gift vouchers. They all score higher than Amazon.

To find out more about any of the companies and links to their profiles, go to the bookshop guide or the online retailers guide.

Alternative gift card ideas

Another one of our Best Buys, Canopy & Stars, has gift cards for alternative travel and accommodation options. 

Their gift cards are valid at all of their 850+ places across the UK and Europe and can be purchased for any amount in either a sustainably printed form or as an e-card. The gift cards can be ordered online. They send your chosen card design direct to you or the recipient. The booking must be made within a year, to stay at any time. For winter 2025, if you spend over £200 on a Canopy & Stars Gift Card they will give you a £50 Gift Card to spend on your own future escape in the great outdoors.

Find out more on the Canopy & Stars website.