Gen Z is pulling out all the stops to find the perfect holiday gift this year.
New Visa research examining how consumers plan to shop finds U.S. Gen Z — people born between 1997 and 2012 — especially eager to bring AI into the process, with 82% saying they’d be open to using AI for holiday shopping, compared with 65% of U.S. adults overall.
But they’re not necessarily just outsourcing the hunt to AI.
The data suggests Gen Z is assembling a modern gift-search toolkit, using AI alongside social platforms, creators, resale, and sellers around the world to find the perfect present.
How Gen Z is using AI for holiday shopping
Gen Z is embracing AI for many aspects of holiday shopping.
Seventy-four percent of U.S. Gen Z say they’re comfortable letting AI compare prices and check product availability, while 73% would let AI suggest gift ideas. (You may never know: More than two in five U.S. Gen Z say they wouldn’t tell someone if AI helped choose their gift.)
In addition, about 67% of U.S. Gen Z would let AI search and apply discounts, and more than half — 52% — would be comfortable letting AI complete a purchase and pay for them.
Practicality seems to play a role here. About 45% of U.S. Gen Z say AI will make the process less stressful, and 45% say it will help them stay on budget.
Related read: What is the Great Wealth Transfer, and what could it mean for your family?
Where Gen Z shops for gifts: Social, resale, and overseas sellers
But using AI is only one way Gen Z is shopping differently.
They’re searching for gifts in new places too. About 22% of U.S. Gen Z expect to buy gifts through social platforms or creator shops — more than double the 10% of U.S. adults overall — and half say they’d be at least somewhat excited to give or receive a secondhand, vintage, or resale item.
The search doesn’t end there. More than half (51%) expect to buy at least one gift from a seller outside the U.S., compared with about 30% of U.S. adults overall, citing trust in the overseas retailer or marketplace (31%), recommendations from social media, influencers, or AI tools (31%), and better quality (29%) as some of the main reasons.
The pressure to find the perfect gift hasn’t changed.
Gen Z is just getting more creative about where and how to look.
Related read: How the ‘couch economy’ is reshaping consumer spending
Gen Z holiday shopping FAQ
What kinds of gifts is Gen Z interested in this year?
This year, Americans say they’re interested in experiences, especially travel and live-event tickets. When it comes to spending, U.S. Gen Z is more likely to balance these types of activities with physical gifts: 39% say they plan to spend about equally on the two, compared with 26% of U.S. adults overall.
Is the FIFA World Cup 2026™ influencing Gen Z holiday gifts?
Yes. Half of U.S. Gen Z say it has made them more interested in giving or receiving sports-related holiday gifts, compared with 31% of U.S. adults overall.