Amazon gift cards are among the most popular digital assets for online shopping worldwide. With millions of people shopping on Amazon daily, these cards provide a fast, secure, and convenient way to buy electronics, books, fashion, household items, and more.
They function like prepaid store credit and are available as digital codes or physical cards, each loaded with a specific amount. You can use them to pay at checkouts, making them ideal for personal use, gifts, rewarding employees, or even converting them to cash. Available in multiple currencies and flexible denominations, Amazon gift cards are easy to use, widely accepted within the Amazon ecosystem, and usually have no expiration date.
If you have ever received an Amazon gift card or are considering getting one, this guide explains everything you need to know about them, including practical tips for getting the most value from each card.
Types Of Amazon Gift Cards
There are two (2) types of Amazon gift cards, namely, physical gift cards and e-gift cards.
1. Physical Amazon Gift Card
This is a type of Amazon gift card that exists in rectangular plastic or paper form. You can get a physical Amazon gift card at both physical and online stores. These gift cards are available in the denominations of $15, $25, $50, and $100. But there are selected stores at which you can choose a variable denomination that would preload your card from $25 to $500.
In addition, it is conditional on physical Amazon gift card buyers to activate the gift card at the point of purchase before redeeming the gift card to avoid errors.
2. E-Gift Amazon Gift Card
This can also be referred to as the digital type of Amazon gift card. This is a gift card that you get via email when you buy from either physical or online stores. E-gift Amazon gift cards are readily activated before being delivered to you, so you do not need to activate them as you will do for physical Amazon gift cards.
E-gift Amazon gift cards have denominations that range from $25 to any of your preferred amounts and you have the option of customising the gift card to your taste.
What Are The Benefits Of An Amazon Gift Card?
1. Better Shopping Experience
Let us reiterate that Amazon gift cards enable you to buy products at your convenience in Amazon stores. You can make purchases from the comfort of your home and you will have the product delivered to you. Amazon gift cards give you this opportunity because it is one of the most preferred payment methods in Amazon stores.
For instance, if you have a $100 Amazon gift card, you can only make purchases of products within $100 price, although you buy these products at discounted prices when you use the gift card.
2. Give Amazon Gift Card To Loved Ones As A Gift
Gone are the days when we bother ourselves to think about what to buy for our friends and family for their big day. Not to worry because Amazon gift cards can provide a one-fit-all answer to your concerns. As we all know that Amazon is the one-stop store for all kinds of products and content, regardless of the niche. So giving an Amazon gift card as a gift would be suitable.
3. Resell Amazon Gift Card
Every gift card has a relative resale value. You can decide to sell Amazon gift card for cash if you do not want to redeem the gift card for your use. It is common knowledge that selling gift cards is one of the viable ways to make money online. Also, Amazon gift card has one of the best gift card rates when you sell the card.
How To Buy Amazon Gift Card
You can buy Amazon gift cards in two (2) major ways and which largely on your preference.
Online Purchase
This is the act of buying your Amazon gift cards on the internet and which would portend some level of convenience for you when you do so. This is the commonest way people use to buy not just Amazon gift cards but almost every gift card. You can buy your Amazon gift card online through the following:
1. Amazon Website
For those of you that are sceptical about buying your gift card online, the Amazon website is the safest place to buy your Amazon gift card. This is owed to the fact that you are buying directly from the store that issues the gift card and your purchase is 99.99% safe. You can buy both physical and e-gift Amazon gift cards on the Amazon website.
2. Other Online Retailers
There are other gift card trading platforms or online marketplaces on which you can buy your Amazon gift card. The only thing here is to ensure that the online retailer is credible and not a scam. In this regard, I will recommend Prestmit as one of the best gift card trading platforms in Nigeria and Ghana, by extension, Africa. You can safely buy your Amazon gift card on our platform and we will get your gift card delivered to you within a few minutes.
In-Store Purchase
This is in contrast to buying your gift card online. In-store purchase is buying your Amazon gift cards at physical stores nearest to you. Here, you can buy your Amazon gift cards at:
1. Amazon Bookstores
There are Amazon bookstores located in different places and you can be assured that you will get an Amazon gift card in these locations. Amazon bookstores are like the physical representatives of the Amazon store which is largely online.
2. Other Retail Stores
These are physical stores that products like groceries, electronics, books, and whatnot from which you can buy Amazon gift cards if they are into gift card trading. These retail stores are spread across the country and you can try to locate one that is nearer to you.
How To Redeem Amazon Gift Card
There are different ways to redeem Amazon gift cards, which is a function on where you want to redeem the gift card.
1. Redemption On Amazon Website
You can redeem your Amazon gift card on the Amazon website with the following steps:
- Go to Amazon website
- Create an Amazon account and log in
- Navigate to “Program & Features” and click on “Gift Cards”
- Click on “Redeem a Gift Card”
- Enter the 14 characters of the alphanumeric code on your gift card and click on “Apply to your balance”
- The value of your Amazon gift card will be added to your gift card balance
2. Redemption On Amazon App
You can redeem your Amazon gift card on Apple and Android devices through the following steps:
- Open the Amazon shopping app and click the person icon to access your account information
- Navigate to the Payments section and select “Manage gift card balance”
- Click on “Redeem another gift card” to activate your gift card by entering the alphanumeric code of your card or scanning it
3. Redemption In-Store
The cashier at the in-store (Amazon bookstores or other retail stores) can help you redeem your Amazon gift card by entering the alphanumeric code on your Amazon gift card.
Amazon Gift Card Restrictions And Limitations
You must take cognizance of some factors when buying Amazon gift cards. These are:
1. Country Restrictions
Amazon store is headquartered in the United States and which makes its gift cards to be largely in US dollars. Notwithstanding, Amazon gift cards exist in other foreign currencies like the British pound, Euro, Turkish lira, etc. Therefore, it is difficult to use an Amazon gift card in any of these foreign currencies if the currency does not support your location of residence.
For instance, you can not use an Amazon gift card in Turkish lira in Nigeria because the user is outside the Turkish region.
2. Expiration And Fees
One major limitation of Amazon gift cards is that the card expires one year from the date of issuance. This means that an Amazon gift card can lose its validity of use after a year, although there is room for the revalidation of an expired Amazon gift card.
3. Gift Card Balance
You must have a sufficient Amazon gift card balance before you can use the gift card to buy products and content on the Amazon store. The amount of the balance you have determines the value of what you can access on the Amazon store. Also, you can not transfer the balance of your Amazon gift card to someone else.
Tips For Using Amazon Gift Cards
1. Check The Gift Card Balance
You must ensure to check your Amazon account balance immediately after redeeming your gift card to confirm the addition of the amount of the gift card to your balance. You may encounter a zero balance error even after redeeming your gift card. So it is important to always check Amazon gift card balance.
2. Use The Gift Card Before The Expiration
Amazon gift cards do expire after one year of issuance, and you must understand. Therefore, endeavour to redeem and use your gift card before the expiration of its validity period. You can use the gift card to shop for different products, hence there is a wide range of options for you.
3. Combine Multiple Gift Cards
You can harness the values of your Amazon gift cards to give you a much larger amount on your Amazon account. This enables you to have an unlimited shopping experience on the Amazon store where you can always buy your preferred products or content.
4. Use The Gift Card On Amazon Prime Day
You can enjoy Amazon Prime Day by using your Amazon gift card to make purchases for your preferred products. Amazon Prime Day is known to have promotions that enable you to buy products at discounted prices while you save more money.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Amazon Gift Cards
Do Amazon gift cards expire?
In most countries, Amazon gift cards do not expire, so you can use the balance anytime. However, regional laws or policy updates may apply in certain areas, so it is always smart to double-check the terms for your country.
Can I use an Amazon gift card for Prime membership?
Yes! You can use your Amazon gift card balance to pay for Amazon Prime, including both monthly and annual plans.
How can I check my Amazon gift card balance?
To check your Amazon gift card balance, log in to your account and go to the “your account” section. From there, you will see an option with a “gift card balance” label. Click it, and your current balance will be displayed with the history of recent gift card activity.
Can I transfer my Amazon gift card balance to another account
No, once a gift card is redeemed, the remaining balance is locked to that Amazon account. It cannot be moved or transferred to someone else. If you are gifting a card, send it directly to the recipient before the redemption.
Conclusion
Amazon gift cards offer a wide range of benefits when you have one. While there are physical and e-gift types of Amazon gift cards, you can be assured that Amazon gift cards are never a waste. You can easily buy one if need be, although you have to understand the tips for using Amazon gift cards.
If you are thinking of buying a gift card today, I will suggest an Amazon gift card to you as it is capable of meeting your varying needs. Are you ready to buy an Amazon gift card? Buy on Prestmit today.
