Amazon Gift Cards, Explained
Amazon.com gift cards work on Amazon.com and some affiliated US sites, carry no fees, never expire if issued after October 1, 2005, and cannot become cash.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store policies change. This is a summary in our own words of Amazon's gift card help pages and its Amazon.com Balance and Gift Card Terms and Conditions (last updated March 7, 2025), read on October 26, 2026. The official pages are the ones that apply.
Where you can use an Amazon gift card
An Amazon.com gift card pays for eligible goods and services on Amazon.com and certain affiliated properties. The terms say the balance cannot be used at Amazon-affiliated sites outside the United States, so a US card will not pay for an order on another country's Amazon store.
| You can | You cannot |
|---|---|
| Pay for eligible items on Amazon.com | Buy other gift cards, prepaid open loop cards or certain third-party gift cards |
| Split an order with another payment method | Pay outside Amazon.com and its affiliated properties |
| Keep the balance for later | Turn it into cash or sell it |
| Buy from third-party sellers on Amazon.com | Move the balance to another Amazon account |
| Get a replacement for a card that does not work | Spend it on Amazon sites outside the US |
If an order costs more than your balance, you pay the rest with another payment method. If an order includes items the card cannot buy, such as collectible coins, Amazon asks for a card or other payment method for those.
How to redeem it
- Physical card: scratch or peel off the back to find the claim code, which is 14 or 15 characters, usually letters and numbers. Enter it on the Redeem a Gift Card page and choose Apply to Your Balance.
- Email card: sign in to the right account and choose Apply to your Amazon Account in the email. Electronic cards have no claim code.
- At checkout: choose Use a gift card, voucher, or promo code and enter the code there.
Once you redeem it, the money sits in your Amazon.com Balance and applies automatically to your next eligible order. To save it for later, untick the gift and promotional balance box at checkout.
How to check your balance
Go to Your Account and select Gift cards. Some physical cards bought from Amazon have no value printed on them; in that case, open the order in Your Orders and match the 16-digit serial number with the one on the back of the card.
Fees, expiration and lost cards
- No fees. The terms say no fees apply to gift cards.
- No expiration for the part of your balance made of cards issued after October 1, 2005.
- Lost or stolen cards are your risk. Amazon says it is not responsible if a card is lost, stolen or used without your permission, and a card that does not work is replaced, nothing more.
Specialty and third-party cards
Amazon also sells gift cards for other brands, such as Apple, Uber or Starbucks. Those follow the other brand's terms and cannot be spent on Amazon.com.
Watch for gift card scams
Amazon warns that anyone outside Amazon asking for gift cards as payment for goods or services may be running a scam. Buy cards only from Amazon or an authorized seller, and never give a claim code to a stranger.
Sources
Gift card terms and conditions, Check your balance, Redeem a gift card, Keep your balance for later, Restrictions and Specialty gift cards, Amazon. Policy checked October 26, 2026.