Video Dates Before Real Dates: The Best Dating Apps with Video Chat in 2026
Black Friday lands on Friday 27 November this year, with Cyber Monday on the 30th. If you’ve just started seeing someone, that raises a delicate question: do you buy them something, and if so, what?
This guide keeps it simple: gift ideas by budget from real UK shops, the unwritten rules of gifting early on and, if you’re still looking, where UK singles are actually meeting this winter.
The golden rule in the UK is proportion. After a handful of dates, a gift should feel like a nice surprise, not a statement. If in doubt, go small, go shared, or wait until Christmas.
Patch, the online plant shop, sells small houseplants from roughly £9 to £15 and has a gifts-under-£10 section. Choose an easy-care variety: a plant that wilts in a week sends the wrong message.
Codenames: Duet, a cooperative word game for two players, costs roughly £16 to £20 at UK games shops. It’s a gift and a ready-made second date in one box, and nobody has to lose.
The smallest gift is often the best one. If they mentioned a favourite local bakery, a hot sauce they can’t find or a band they love, a small nod to it shows you were listening, and it costs whatever you want it to.
Everyman gift cards start at £20 and can be spent on film, food and drink at its cinemas. They’re valid for 12 months and can’t be refunded, so they suit someone who lives near a venue.
The Two Together Railcard costs £35 a year and gives two named people aged 16 or over a third off most rail fares when they travel together, after 9.30am on weekdays and all day at weekends. Both names go on the card, so save it for when you’re both clearly keen.
Go Ape‘s Treetop Challenge starts from £36.95 per person, depending on the location and date, so two tickets land in this bracket. High ropes and zip lines in the woods are memorable, a little silly, and take the pressure off talking the whole time.
An English Heritage adult membership costs £82 a year and covers entry to hundreds of historic sites, which makes for a year of day trips. Joint memberships require both adults to live at the same address, so a single membership is the easy option for a new couple.
Still looking for someone to buy for? The apps are the obvious place to start. Similarweb’s Android ranking for the UK (22 September 2026) puts Hinge first, Tinder second and Bumble third.
Not every connection starts on a dating app, though. December is also party season, so say yes to the friend-of-a-friend drinks and the leaving do. Beyond that, these options put you in a room with new people:
| Option | Type | Stand-out feature | Approx. UK cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hinge | Dating app | Comment on a prompt; voice notes (no calls) | Hinge+ about £12.99–£14.99 |
| Tinder | Dating app | Double Date; text chat (video retired) | Plus from £3.99, Gold about £7.49–£14.99 |
| Bumble | Dating app | 72-hour matches, video calls | Premium about £13.99–£16.99 |
| happn | Dating app | People you’ve crossed paths with | Subscriptions about £8.49–£22.99 |
| Timeleft | Group dinners | Personality-matched tables of four to six | Timeleft X about £13.99–£44.99, plus your meal |
| GO Mammoth | Social sports (London) | Join solo, get placed in a team | Season fee, paid upfront |
| Meetup | Groups and events | Interest-based local groups | Free to browse; subscriptions from about £3.49 |
Prices are approximate at the time of writing, from UK App Store listings where there is one, and vary with plan length and promotions. All the apps are free to download.
Meet somewhere public, tell a friend where you’ll be, and keep your home address to yourself until you know someone well. Use the verification tools on your app, and be wary of anyone who won’t meet or call after weeks of chatting. Never send money to anyone you haven’t met, however convincing the story.
Only if it feels natural. After a few dates nothing is expected, and a small, shared gift under £20 is plenty.
There’s no fixed rule. Agree a rough budget together, and keep it in proportion to how long you’ve been seeing each other.
Usually, yes. Most online orders can be cancelled within 14 days of delivery, though personalised items are an exception. Check the retailer’s Christmas returns policy as well.
Early on, the right gift is really an invitation: a plant with a story, a game for two, an afternoon in the trees.
And if there’s no one to buy for yet, a Wednesday dinner, a netball team or a well-answered Hinge prompt could change that before Christmas.
