Amazon Gift Card Policy: Expiration, Returns, Balance Checks & Lost Cards

Do Amazon Gift Cards Expire?

Gift cards issued by Amazon after October 1, 2005 have no expiration date. According to Amazon’s official terms, the balance “does not expire and may be applied to your Amazon.com account and applied to eligible purchases despite any stated expiration date.” This applies to all gift cards purchased, received as an allowance, reloaded to your account, or added via Amazon Cash barcode.

If you hold a gift card issued before October 1, 2005, expiration dates do not apply in CA, CT, LA, ME, MD, MA, MT, NH, ND, OK, RI, VT, WA, or in any other jurisdiction to the extent prohibited by law. For all practical purposes in 2026, expiration is not a concern with Amazon gift cards.

Your balance remains attached to your Amazon account even after a purchase. Any unused balance stays available for future purchases indefinitely, as long as your account remains active.

Can You Return Amazon Gift Cards for Cash or Get a Refund?

Amazon gift cards cannot be redeemed for cash under any circumstances except where required by state law. The official terms explicitly state: “Gift Cards cannot be reloaded; resold; used for payment outside of www.amazon.com or its affiliated properties…redeemed for cash; returned for a cash refund (except to the extent required by law).”

This restriction is absolute. You cannot:

• Sell or exchange a gift card for cash or any other prepaid payment instrument
• Transfer the balance to another Amazon account once claimed
• Use the balance for purchases outside Amazon.com, smile.amazon.com, or Amazon-affiliated properties in the United States

However, Amazon does allow you to apply a gift card balance to purchases of eligible goods and services on Amazon.com. If you have a large balance you do not plan to use, your only option is to make purchases on Amazon.

You also cannot use gift card balance to purchase other gift cards, prepaid open loop cards, or certain third-party gift cards. Collectible coins and similar items are ineligible purchases.

How to Check Your Amazon Gift Card Balance

You can check your gift card balance anytime by logging into your Amazon account and going to “Your Account,” then selecting “Gift cards.” This page displays the available balance on any claimed gift card.

If you have a physical gift card purchased from Amazon that does not have the value printed on it, you can find the amount by:

1. Going to Your Orders
2. Finding the gift card order in your purchase history
3. Comparing the 16-digit serial number on the back of the card to the serial number in the order details

Your Gift Card balance page also shows a transaction history of all changes to your balance, including order IDs and serial numbers. This helps you track how your balance has been used.

Note that your gift card balance does not include promotional certificates that Amazon may add to your account. Those are tracked separately and appear in your account under different terms.

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Gift Cards: What Happens?

Amazon is not responsible for lost, stolen, or destroyed gift cards. According to the official terms: “We are not responsible if any Gift Card is lost, stolen, or destroyed, or if your Amazon.com Balance or any Gift Card is used without your permission.” Risk of loss passes to you once Amazon transmits the gift card or delivers it to a carrier.

However, if you can prove that your gift card was used without your permission, you may file a dispute through Amazon’s dispute resolution process. To increase your chances of recovery:

• Report the issue to Amazon Customer Service immediately after discovering the loss or unauthorized use
• Provide documentation of when the card was purchased, its serial number, and evidence of unauthorized transactions
• Keep your account secure with a strong password to prevent unauthorized access to your balance

Amazon’s sole remedy for a non-functional gift card is replacement of that specific card. You cannot claim compensation beyond the face value of the card.

To protect your gift card, safeguard the serial number (located on the back of physical cards) and treat it like cash. Do not share the number with anyone you do not trust. Once a gift card is claimed to an account, the balance is tied to that account and becomes part of your Amazon.com Balance.

What You Can and Cannot Do with Your Gift Card Balance

Your gift card balance can only be used to purchase eligible goods and services on Amazon.com and certain affiliated properties like smile.amazon.com. You cannot use it on Amazon-affiliated properties outside the United States.

Eligible items include most products sold by Amazon and third-party sellers on Amazon.com. However, you cannot use gift card balance for:

• Other gift cards or prepaid payment instruments
• Collectible coins
• Purchases made for commercial resale purposes
• Illegal or unauthorized purposes

If a purchase exceeds your gift card balance, you must pay the remaining amount with another payment method such as a credit card or debit card. Your balance will be applied first, and the difference will be charged to your other payment method.

If you use your gift card in violation of Amazon’s terms, Amazon reserves the right to void the balance without notice or refund, suspend your account, or cancel orders. This includes fraudulent use or use obtained unlawfully.

For comparison on how other retailers handle gift cards, you can review Walmart gift card policy, Target gift card policy, and Costco gift card policy. Additionally, understand restrictions when using benefits like the Amazon EBT policy. If you want to maximize savings on purchases, review Amazon coupon policy and Amazon price adjustment policy.