How to Buy Facebook Gifts for Friends

1. Notification on Timeline

   The first vist to a friend's timeline prompts us to give a gift, and that "Gifts" button will exist next to "Post" and "Photos" from now on.

   

2. Birthday Gift

   You can also access gifts from your birthday notifications in the top right-hand corner, and you can gift anyone living in the U.S.

   

3. Introducing Gifts

   You can also type "Gifts" in Facebook's search bar to access the Gifts page.

   

4. Select Your Friend

   You'll be greeted with a box there to select your recipients.

   

5. Choose Your Gift

   The gifts are real physical items, and there are a lot to choose from. You can also gift digital things, like Facebook or iTunes credits.

   The prices are listed on each item so you can easily decide how much you want to spend.

   

6. Categories

   On the left you'll find a dropdown to select your gift category, including home and kitchen gadgets, gourmet food, or baby and pet supplies. There are a wide variety of interesting things available in each.

   

7. My Gift

   Selecting any gift takes you to a larger picture and information about what you're sending to your Facebook friend.

   

8. Fill Out Your Card

   Since my gift came with a personalized card, Facebook gives you a chance to fill that out.

   

9. Finish and Pay

   All that's left is to review your order and pick the credit card you are paying with.

   

10. Your Gift is Sent

    Facebook then takes care of the rest on the giftee's end.

    

11. Giftee is Notified

    If you are the recipient, you'll see a notification that someone sent you a gift.

    

12. Enter Your Information

    Facebook will then collect your shipping address.

    

13. View Gift

    Unfortunately, the gift isn't a surprise when it shows up. The giver and recipient see all the same information -- except the price.

    

14. Have Your Gift Delivered

    Enter your shipping address so Facebook can send your package. For those with privacy concerns, your gift giver will never see your address.

    

15. Thank You Message

    Be sure to say thanks! This message shows up in your friend's private Facebook Inbox.

    

16. Gift Appears on Timeline

    Your present appears on your Facebook Timeline once you've accepted it, though it's optional to hide the post.

    

Earlier Tuesday Facebook rolled out its Gifts service to the entire United States, after it had spent some time in beta.

For those who want to send physical gifts to Facebook friends for birthdays, holidays or other special occasions, it's a very simple process. Facebook has created a large library of presents to choose from, including gourmet food, household items and novelty gifts. It seems perfectly timed with the holiday season, even if your giftee knows what you're buying them before they receive the package.

We've compiled a guide on how to give and receive Facebook gifts, taking you step by step through the process above.

Thumbnail courtesy iStockphoto, kemalbas.