Can You Buy Amazon Gift Card Using Credit Card? Full Guide!

Amazon gift cards are convenient at checkout and ensure you do not have to use your credit card details when shopping on the platform. Buying these gift cards with a credit card increases their convenience, as some credit card companies offer incentives to hit a certain spending threshold.

But to enjoy these benefits, you need to use the different ways of buying amazon gift cards with a credit card and the steps involved in each method.

You can buy an Amazon gift card using your credit card on Amazon or in brick-and-mortar stores. To buy gift cards on Amazon with a credit card, create an account, choose your gift card, and proceed to checkout. Buying Amazon gift cards from a physical store is similar to other credit card purchases.

Read on to learn how to buy an Amazon gift card using a credit card, as well as the benefits and potential pitfalls of using your credit card for that purpose.

How To Buy an Amazon Gift Card Using a Credit Card?

You need to have an Amazon account to buy an Amazon gift card using your credit card. If you don’t have an Amazon account, you can sign up for one for free.

How To Sign Up for a Free Amazon Account

This should be easy; follow these simple steps:

1. Go to the Amazon website by following this link. It will take you to Amazon’s home page.
2. In the upper right corner of your screen, you will see a tab titled “Accounts & Lists”; click on it to see your sign-in options.
3. Click on the “Create Your Amazon Account” tab.
4. Enter the necessary details (i.e., your email address and preferred password) and confirm you want to create an Amazon account.
5. You will receive a confirmation email containing a one-time password (OTP) on the email account you used to register for your Amazon account.
6. Open a separate tab on your browser and go to your email account to retrieve your OTP.
7. Copy the OTP and return to the registration page where you will paste it and click the “Verify” tab.

You now own an Amazon account!

Buying an Amazon Gift Card Using Your Credit Card

You can buy an Amazon gift card on Amazon’s website or in a physical store.

Follow these steps to buy the card on Amazon using your credit card:

1. Look for the “Gift Cards” section on Amazon.
2. Select the type of gift card you want since they come in different styles and denominations (typically from $25 to $100)).
3. If none of those denominations suits your needs, enter the amount you want your gift card to be worth.
4. Since you are making a purchase, the next step is to “Add to Cart.”
5. Click “Proceed to Checkout,” where you will enter your credit card details.
6. Finally, “Place your order.”

Once you have placed your order, Amazon will start processing your transaction and send you your Amazon gift card either as an email or physically, depending on your preferences. That is because Amazon gift cards can be either eGift cards or Print-at-Home cards.

Amazon eGift cards are sent to your email. They contain a code that you will use on Amazon’s website to redeem credits (money) that you can use to shop on the platform.

Amazon Print-at-Home gift cards are the quintessential gift card in that they are inherently designed to be offered as gifts to your loved ones. Amazon can deliver them via mail or send you a PDF that you can customize as you wish.

Buying an Amazon Gift Card at a Store Using a Credit Card

You can find Amazon gift cards in most brick-and-mortar stores across the United States. These include convenience stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores. 

However, not all stores accept credit card payments to purchase Amazon gift cards. More on this later.

The Benefit of Buying an Amazon Gift Card Using a Credit Card

Credit card companies incentivize spending since that is how they make their money. The more you spend, the more you will have to pay back, thanks to how compound interest works on credit cards. 

One of the ways these companies encourage you to spend more is by giving you rewards or discounts for spending a particular amount of cash on purchases within a specific period.

So when you use a credit card to buy an Amazon gift card, you make yourself eligible for rewards from the credit card company. You also effectively avoid the daily interest charges for using your credit card on purchases.

After all, you can buy just about anything you need for everyday living on the platform with an Amazon gift card, meaning you won’t have to use your credit card and get charged compound interest.

Drawbacks of Buying an Amazon Gift Card Using a Credit Card

As mentioned, some stores do not accept credit card payments for gift cards, Amazon or not. There are various reasons why they don’t take credit card transactions, gift card fraud being the main one.

Additionally, credit card companies are well aware of how some users abuse their credit card privileges by purchasing gift cards. 

Gift Card Fraud

Gift card fraud is one of the fastest-rising crimes in the United States today. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), consumers lost approximately $148 million due to gift card fraud during the first nine months of 2021!

While gift card fraud can take many forms, one of the most popular ones is where a heinous individual uses a stolen credit card to buy a gift card. 

Gift cards typically don’t have stringent anti-fraud measures. So when a criminal uses your credit card to buy a gift card, they will be able to spend your money without leaving a trail, leaving you with a hefty credit card balance.

Luckily, credit card companies can refund your balance by initiating a charge-back to the gift card retailer when they establish that the gift card was purchased fraudulently. However, that doesn’t sit too well with retailers, as they are the ones left counting their losses. That is why more and more physical stores are not accepting credit card payments for gift cards.

Your Credit Card Company Might Consider an Amazon Gift Card as a Cash Advance

When you think about it, using a credit card to buy an Amazon gift card is akin to asking for a cash advance from the company.

That is because you’ll be able to shop freely on Amazon without it reflecting on your daily credit card expenditure, allowing you to avoid the higher interest rates and fees associated with asking for a cash advance from your creditor.

As you can imagine, credit card companies are aware of this loophole, and most of them have measures against it. For example, some companies do not consider gift card purchases worthy of bonuses or discounts, while others will consider it a cash advance.

This is one of the reasons you should read the fine print carefully regarding your credit card company’s stance on using their credit card to buy a gift card. 

Fortunately, you should be able to buy an Amazon gift card on Amazon’s website without a lot of hassle. I have also written an article on Amazon credit cards and their perks. Be sure to check it out.