A Gift Subscription means that a subscription has been granted to your account at no cost.  This can happen in two ways:

- Another user may have gifted you a subscription
- You may have been rewarded by the system (for reaching a certain oldtimer score, such as earning multiple dots), as a thank-you for your activity and loyalty.

A gift subscription works exactly the same as a regular paid subscription, giving you access to the same premium features for the duration of the gift.