Back to School Gift Guide
For the teachers, coaches, and sitters who get your kids through the year — and for the household starting the routine over. One Portage Pocket Pay, over 50 local businesses to choose from. Delivered by email.
There are two lists this time of year — the crew who gets your kids through the year, and the household gearing up for a new one. A Portage Pocket Pay covers both.
Teachers, coaches, tutors, bus drivers, sitters, daycare staff — a local card they can spend on themselves.
over 50 local businesses — coffee, lunch, books, supplies, a treat. Their pick, not your guess.
Delivered by email. Dollars go straight to local Portage businesses.
These Portage businesses accept the Portage Pocket Pay Card — whether you're thanking a teacher or restocking your own school year.
A movie, a show, a night that isn’t about permission slips — Portage after the bell rings.
Arts & Culture
6151 Portage Road, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Nightlife
5626 Portage Road, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Nightlife
8342 Portage Road, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Nightlife
7638 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Nightlife
7842 Portage Road, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Nightlife
7141 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49002
For the week nobody has the energy to cook, and for the coach who stayed late. Portage’s kitchens, their pick.
Food & Dining
6794 South Westnedge Avenue Suite F, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Food & Dining
8842 Portage Rd#104, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Food & Dining
153 West Centre Ave, Portage, Michigan, 49024
Food & Dining
8211 Portage Road, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Food & Dining
109 W. Centre Ave, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Food & Dining
7642 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Notebooks, a new reading list, shoes that fit this year — from local Portage shops instead of a big-box aisle.
Retail
6022 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Retail
6294 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Retail
9782 Portage Rd, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Retail
9561 Portage Rd, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Retail
6800 Westnedge Ave. Ste. K, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Retail
8639 Portage Road, Portage, Michigan, 49002
A haircut, a massage, an hour that belongs to them — the kind of thank-you a classroom mug has never been.
Beauty & Wellness
1416 West Milham Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49024
Services
8606 Portage Road, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Services
640 Romence Rd., Suite 115, Portage, Michigan, 49024
Services
8842 Portage Rd. #102, Portage, Michigan, 49002
Services
2015 West Centre Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49024
Services
5715 South Westnedge Avenue, Portage, Michigan, 49002
The first week of school books itself solid. Schedule delivery for the date and time you want — the morning of day one, the end of orientation week, or the Friday the new routine finally sticks.
Pick the delivery date during checkout. Done in under two minutes.
Pick an amount between $5 and $500.
Thank a teacher by name, or send a kid off with a word of encouragement.
Delivered by email or text — no shipping, no wrapping.
A Portage Pocket Pay lets the person you’re thanking choose what they actually want from over 50 local Portage businesses — coffee, lunch, books, a spa break. No more mugs or desk trinkets. It also supports local businesses and never expires.
Two lists, one card. The crew who gets kids through the year — teachers, coaches, tutors, bus drivers, sitters, daycare staff — and the household starting a new routine, including a busy-parent friend or a college kid heading back.
The Portage Pocket Pay is accepted at over 50 local businesses in Portage, including coffee shops, restaurants, bookstores, boutiques, salons, and more. They pick where and when.
Visit our purchase page, choose an amount ($5–$500), add a personal message, and send it by email — or print it for hand delivery on the first day. No shipping needed.
Yes. During checkout you can pick the date and time you want it delivered — the morning of the first day, the end of orientation week, whenever suits. Set it up early and skip the last-minute scramble.
No, the Portage Pocket Pay does not expire. They can use it whenever they’re ready — there’s no rush to spend it during the first week.
A Portage Pocket Pay for the teacher, the coach, or the parent holding it together — good at over 50 local Portage businesses. Delivered by email — no wrapping required.
Buy a Portage Pocket Pay