How to Activate an Amazon Gift Card? [Complete Guide!]
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Amazon gift cards are an easy and convenient way to give the gift of choice to friends, family, and loved ones. They can be used towards a wide range of products available on Amazon, from books and electronics to fashion and home goods.
But before you can start shopping, you will need the claim code and activate or redeem the Amazon gift card!
To activate an Amazon gift card, log in to your Amazon account. Hover over your name, and click on the “Account” option from the dropdown. Next, click on the “Gift Cards” button. Then, click on the “Redeem a gift card” option, and enter the claim code to add the balance to your account.
You can also redeem an Amazon gift card via the Amazon app. In this article, I’ll walk you through the detailed steps involved in using your Amazon gift card, so you can start shopping in no time.
So, let’s get started!
How to Locate the Claim Code for the Amazon Gift Card?
The first step of the process is to locate the claim code of the Amazon gift card. Once you have the code, you can redeem the gift card and the balance will be added to your Amazon gift card account.
The claim code is a combination of letters and numbers that can be found on the back of the physical gift card or in the email you received if it was an e-gift card.
Locating the claim code on a physical Amazon gift card
If you have received a physical Amazon gift card or a gift voucher in mail, you will need to open it to access the claim code. Here’s how to locate the claim code for a physical Amazon gift card –
- Take the physical gift card case and tear it from the top using a knife or a pair of scissors.
- Inside, you will see the actual gift card. Flip it over.
- On the back side, you will see a section that says “Peel the sticker” or “Scratch here” to reveal the code.
- If the code is covered with a sticker, slowly peel the sticker from left to right.
- If you need to scratch the card, then use a coin and gently scratch the section to reveal the code. Be gentle and make sure you don’t scratch the code itself.
- This will reveal the gift card claim code on a physical card.
If you accidentally scratch off part of the claim code, there are ways you can still retain the gift card balance. I’ve written a detailed article on what to do if your Amazon gift card code is scratched off. Make sure to check it out.
Check out this video for a detailed view on how to locate the claim code on a physical Amazon gift card –
Locating the claim code on a digital Amazon gift card
If you have received an e-gift card over an email, it is a bit easier to locate the gift card claim code. Here’s what you need to do –
- Step 1 – Open the email that contains the gift card details. It is usually titled as “Someone sent you an Amazon gift card”
- Step 2 – Scroll down on the email and look for the claim code (as shown in the image above). If you can’t locate it, simply type in “Ctrl+F” and search for “claim” on the page.
Be sure to keep the claim code safe and secure, as it can only be used once.
How to Activate the Amazon Gift Card?
Once you have the claim code, there are a couple of different ways you can redeem your gift card. Let’s take a look at both these processes –
Redeeming the Gift Card on Amazon Website
The Amazon gift card can be easily activated or redeemed online at the comfort of your home! Here are the detailed steps that you need to follow –
Step 1 – Login to Your Amazon Account and Click on the “Account” Option
The first step of the process is to login to your Amazon account. Enter the credentials and login to your Amazon account. Make sure you choose the correct account if you have multiple amazon accounts as the gift card once claimed cannot be reversed and the balance cannot be transferred.
Once you’ve logged in, hover over your name next to the product search bar on the site. Then, click on the “Accounts” option from the dropdown.
Step 2 – Click on the “Gift Cards” Button
This will open your Amazon account details. Here, under the “Your Account” section, click on the “Gift cards” button. This will lead you to the gift card dashboard page.
Step 3 – Click on the “Redeem a Gift Card” Option
On the Gift cards dashboard, you can manage your gift cards. Here, click on the “Redeem a Gift Card” option visible underneath the card balance or from the left part of the screen.
Step 4 – Enter the Claim Code
Finally, on the next page, you be asked to enter the claim code that we retrieved in the previous section. Simply paste the code on this page in the field provided and click on the “Apply to your balance” button.
This will redeem the gift card almost immediately, and you shall receive a confirmation message as the page loads.
Redeeming the Gift Card on Amazon App
You can also redeem a gift card if you are using the Amazon app. Here’s what you need to do to redeem an Amazon Gift Card using the Amazon app –
- Step 1 – Open the Amazon app on your smartphone
- Step 2 – Tap on the “Profile” tab at the bottom
- Step 3 – Click on the “Your Account” button
- Step 4 – Scroll down until you find the “Amazon Pay” section
- Step 5 – Tap on the “Add a Gift Card” option
- Step 6 – Enter the gift card claim code or scan the code using the camera of your smartphone
Once the code is entered and applied, the gift card will be redeemed and the balance will be applied to your account.
How to Use the Amazon Gift Card When Buying a Product?
If you don’t want to redeem the Amazon Gift Card to your account and want to apply the code directly when purchasing a product on Amazon instead, you can do that as well!
Here are the steps involved in the process –
Step 1 – Search for a Product That You Wish to Buy
The first step of the process is to search for the product that you wish to buy from Amazon. This could be a physical product or a digital product (like a Kindle eBook).
Then, click on the product from the search page. This will open the product details on the product purchase page. Follow the next steps from the product purchase page.
Step 2 – Click on the “Buy Now” Button
On the product purchase page, click on the “Buy Now” button. You can also click on the “Add to Cart” button if you wish to purchase multiple products in a single order.
Once you add all the products to the cart, click on the “View Cart” option that will appear on your screen. Finally, in the cart, click on the “Proceed to Checkout” option. This will allow you to continue with the steps mentioned below.
Step 3 – Enter the Claim Code in the Field Provided
While making the payment for the product, scroll down on the page. Under the “Choose a payment method” section, you will see an option to apply a gift card code.
Type in the claim code manually or paste it in this section and click on “Apply”.
Removing the Gift Card Balance While Paying for a Product
If you notice carefully, the gift card balance is automatically applied when you make a purchase on Amazon.
However, sometimes, when we have a left over balance on a gift card or when we have added the gift card to our account but we don’t want to use it for a specific purchase.
In such a scenario, Amazon allows you to choose whether to use the gift card balance for a specific purchase or not.
If you don’t want to use the existing gift card balance from your account, simply uncheck the check box next to the “Use your $x.xx gift card balance”.
That said, if you do want to use the gift card balance for purchasing a product that is priced more than the balance you have, you can still do so. Amazon will deduct the remaining amount from your preferred payment method such as a credit or debit card.
So, Amazon allows part payment using the gift card balance when the remaining payment is done using a credit card.
Alternatively, you can also combine multiple gift cards if you have more than one gift. You may not be able to do that on the product purchase page. Thus, simply follow the steps mentioned in the previous sections and redeem the cards independently.
Can You Unredeem a Gift Card?
Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t allow you to unredeem a gift card once the claim code has been used. Furthermore, you can’t even transfer the funds to another Amazon account or convert the gift card balance into cash directly.
However, there are ways that you can use the gift card such that you don’t feel the burden of activating it. For instance, you can use the Amazon gift card for gas. If you own a vehicle, this would be a great way to use a gift card balance.
Alternatively, there are a few unofficial ways to convert your gift card to cash. I’ve written a detailed article on how to convert an Amazon gift card to cash. Make sure you check it out!