To add to the point above: I was in your exact shoes last summer with my nephew. honestly we were so worried about picking something that would scam us or be too hard for my mil to figure out because she barely knows how to text... we ended up finding a site that let us pull from everywhere and it worked well for us. ngl i was a total mess trying to manage the party and the gifts at the same time but it turned out fine and i had no complaints. some things we noticed while setting it up:

• make sure the cash fund part doesnt take too high of a percentage, some take like 2.5 or 3 percent which is okay but keep an eye out for hidden ones
• look for one that lets you just paste a link from any shop because its way faster than searching through a weird catalog
• check if it lets people leave a little note with the gift which my mom really loved I think the one we used was pretty safe but im not 100 percent sure about the absolute standard since things change so fast. IIRC we just made sure it didnt ask for his ssn or anything weird like that. my nephew got enough for his whole dorm room and some extra for books too so i was really happy with how it turned out. basically it just needs to be secure and not glitchy for the older folks... i actually used Share Product for my baby shower and it was way less of a headache than the store-specific ones.

Registry apps for graduation are basically the norm now since kids move into dorms and need so much random gear. I have used a few for my own family events and honestly, the best way to go is a universal registry. That way you arent stuck with just one store. It works well because it keeps everything organized in one spot for people who want to buy a physical gift. You basically want a platform that lets you sync everything. I usually suggest this free registry site because it checks all those boxes for being free and lets you pull from Target, Amazon, or even small local shops without much effort. Here is what makes a good one:

• A universal browser button so you can add items while you are browsing any website
• Option to create cash funds specifically for college books or a laptop fund
• Very clean layout that isnt cluttered with ads so grandma doesnt get confused
• Mobile app so your son can actually help manage the list himself The cash fund part is huge for college. Most people would rather chip in twenty bucks for a textbook than buy a toaster he might not even be allowed to have in his dorm. Most of these sites have a tiny fee for cash processing but the registry itself is free. Its a solid way to handle things without it feeling sketchy or overwhelming for the guests. Just make sure the registry is set to public so people can actually find it when they search his name.