Do Amazon Gift Cards Expire?

1. Where To Buy Amazon Gift Cards
2. How to Redeem Amazon Gift Cards
3. Using Your Amazon Gift Card Balance
4. What Else You Need to Know About Gift Cards
5. Frequently Asked Questions

Amazon gift cards no longer expire, which means you will never lose the card's value, and your balance will remain until you use it. 

This is true for all cards issued after October 1, 2005. If you live in any of the following states, this also applies to Amazon gift cards that were issued before this date:

• California
• Connecticut
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington

If you have an Amazon gift card issued in any other state from before 2005, it will have expired according to the date noted on the card. 

Where To Buy Amazon Gift Cards

You can buy Amazon gift cards online from Amazon directly to:

• Send electronically via email (e-gift cards)
• Send a physical card
• Print at home

Stores that Sell Amazon Gift Cards

You can also purchase them in person at various retail stores, including:

• 7-Eleven
• Best Buy
• CVS Pharmacy
• Food For Less
• Frys
• JCPenney
• Lowes
• Ralphs
• Road Runner
• Safeway
• Staples
• Smart & Final
• Vons

• Whole Foods Market

How to Redeem Amazon Gift Cards

If you're the lucky recipient of an Amazon gift card, it's easy to redeem online. Just log in to your Amazon account, enter the card claim code, and click "Apply to your balance." You can redeem as many cards as you like—your balance will add up, and you will be able to use it for any Amazon purchase.

As a best practice, Amazon gift cards should be redeemed immediately, to save you from losing the value if you lose the physical gift card. Redeeming it doesn't mean you're using the gift card amount, you're just saving the value into your Amazon account.

Where to Find the Claim Code

Claim codes are 14 digits long and can be found:

• On the back of your Amazon gift card (may be covered by a strip)
• Within the email you received the e-gift card
• On the printed gift card

Note that you can use your gift card balance to purchase other gift cards and items from Amazon, but you cannot transfer gift cards or redeem your balance for cash. 

Using Your Amazon Gift Card Balance

Gift cards can also be redeemed when you checkout your Amazon cart. Simply enter the gift card claim code under the "Payment method" section and hit "Apply." Any amount not used in the transaction will be added to your gift card balance for future use. 

Whenever you want to buy something from Amazon, you'll have the choice to use your gift card balance or to save it for later (the balance will be saved in your Amazon account). Just check or uncheck the gift card box, depending on whether you want to use the balance or your credit card. 

How to Check Amazon Gift Card Balance Without Redeeming it

If you received an Amazon gift card but aren't sure how much is on there, the easiest way to check is to redeem it. However, if, for whatever reason, you don't want to redeem it just yet (maybe you want to pass it on to someone else), there are other ways to figure it out. 

If you received an e-gift card or printed card, you'll see the gift card amount within the email or on the printout. 

If you can't see the balance on a physical card you received but don't want to redeem it, the only way to tell how much is on there is to contact Amazon customer service and have them check it for you. 

What Else You Need to Know About Gift Cards

If anyone you don't know requests payment in the form of gift cards, it's a scam. For example, if you get a call from the IRS saying you need to make a tax payment using gift cards, don't believe it. A request for gift cards as payment is common in scams (known as gift card scams)—any legitimate company or government department would not accept gift cards. 

Scammers like to request gift cards because they're generally untraceable, and once they redeem the balance, it's almost impossible to reverse it or get a refund.