Find last minute gifts on Facebook. Yes, Facebook

Looking for a gift to send to someone halfway across the country? Don't give up just because it's getting too close to the new year's festive season. You can still send a gift via Facebook. Yes, Facebook.

The world's largest social network offers several ways for you to instantly send tokens of appreciation to the important people in your life — provided that they're Facebook users. While some of the gifts are virtual items that will only be displayed on your friend's Facebook profile (like virtual team jerseys), others are more tangible, such as music files and charitable donations. They're all just a few mouse clicks away.

How it works

To send a Facebook gift, you need to purchase Facebook gift credits. These are a form of virtual currency that can be used to buy Facebook gifts and to pay for other virtual goods within select applications. Gift credits are purchased in U.S. dollars, and the standard exchange rate is 10 gift credits for one dollar. You can purchase credits after you make a selection from the Facebook Gift Shop.

You can pay for gift credits via credit card or mobile phone, but you should keep in mind that Facebook credits purchased using your mobile phone cost a lot more (40 credits costs $6.99 using your phone and only four dollars with a credit card). Supported carriers for mobile phone payments include Alltel, AT&T, Boost, Cellular One, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Virgin Mobile. Facebook credits are deducted from your prepaid account or appear on your wireless bill as charges from Zong or Zong-Facebook credits.

TIP: Facebook offers to store your credit card information for future purchases by default. If you don't want Facebook to keep your credit card details make sure you uncheck the box, “Save this information for future Facebook purchases.”

Here's what you can get for the special people in your life using Facebook gift credits:

Sports

Facebook also offers some brand name virtual apparel for the sports fan in your life. You can send the virtual team jersey for all thirty NBA basketball teams and all fifteen Major League Soccer squads. There are also jerseys for well known players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wayde.

If college colors are a better choice, you can get helmets, pennants, and other virtual gear for your favorite college teams including Army, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Purdue, University of Kansas and others. Facebook has items representing a number of colleges, but the list is by no means complete so don't be surprised if virtual gear from your alma mater isn't available.