Can You Use Amazon Gift Cards To Buy Other Gift Cards?
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may get a commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no additional cost to you.
Amazon gift cards are some of the best gift cards available. You can buy almost anything on Amazon, including countless gifts. However, many shoppers are curious if they can buy a gift card with their Amazon gift card balance. If you’re in the same boat, you’re in the right place.
You can’t use Amazon gift cards to buy other gift cards because it’s against Amazon’s terms and conditions. However, you can connect your Amazon gift card to your PayPal account and buy a gift card through PayPal while using the Amazon gift card as the payment method.
In this article, we’ll explain whether or not you can use Amazon gift cards for more gift cards, a handy workaround, and everything else you can do with these gift cards. Enjoy!
Can You Buy a Gift Card With an Amazon Gift Card?
Amazon doesn’t let you buy gift cards with its gift cards. There’s no known reason other than the fact that the gift card already transferred money to the company, and buying another gift card wouldn’t do anything for it financially. However, Amazon lets you buy almost anything available with a gift card balance.
Amazon’s Gift Card Help Page clearly shows you can’t buy any gift card with another gift card. This means you also can’t buy a Visa gift card with an Amazon gift card. People often try this method because it means they can use the Amazon card to buy anything from other stores and online retailers.
The good news is that there’s a secret way to buy gift cards with your Amazon gift card hooked up to another service. Let’s dive into the detailed step-by-step process in the following section to help you buy additional gift cards.
How to Use Amazon Gift Cards to Buy a Gift Card
As mentioned previously, there is no direct method to use Amazon gift cards to buy other gift cards. However, you can use your PayPal account once you connect it with your Amazon gift card. I’ve written a detailed article on how to connect your PayPal account to your Amazon account. Do check out that article.
Meanwhile, to indirectly use Amazon gift cards to buy a gift card, follow these steps:
- Open a PayPal account and head to the payment options. If you don’t already have a PayPal account, now is the time to make one. You can also try this technique with Venmo since they’re partnered with PayPal. However, PayPal is the tried-and-true method, so we recommend sticking with it.
- Enter your Amazon gift card number, expiration date, and security code. They’ll ask for all the information you’d normally give for a payment method. Make sure you choose the debit or credit card option rather than linking it to your bank account. You can’t link an Amazon gift card to any bank.
- Set the Amazon gift card as your primary payment method, then choose your secondary method in case the cost exceeds the gift card’s balance. If you want a gift card that costs more than your Amazon gift card’s balance, you’ll need a backup payment method. Consider using your bank account, a credit card, or a debit card.
- Head to Amazon, find the gift card you want to buy and purchase it with your PayPal account set as your primary payment method. Make sure you set it as the used method or you’ll end up buying the gift card with your bank (or whatever your current primary payment method is set to).
- Remove the Amazon gift card from your PayPal account when you’re done. If you don’t pull the gift card out of your PayPal account, your primary payment method will never work. You’ll have to go back to PayPal and choose how you want to pay for the purchase every time. You’ll also get error messages and email reminders.
According to All About Careers, you can’t transfer your Amazon gift card’s balance to your bank account or your PayPal account. That being said, it doesn’t stop you from connecting the card to your PayPal account. The balance can’t go back and forth, but you can use the gift card with PayPal as the face of the payment.
What Can Amazon Gift Cards Be Used For?
Amazon gift cards can be used for almost anything on Amazon, including eBooks, physical products, and more. While they can’t be used to buy gift cards, you can use Amazon gift cards to buy almost anything you’d buy with a gift card since Amazon has such an expansive list of items for sale.
Amazon doesn’t put very many limitations on their gift cards, but you can also contact their customer service if you’re concerned about your card’s balance. That being said, Amazon prohibits the use of their gift cards when it comes to buying other gift cards and some services, so you might receive an error message if you try to do so.
When you use your Amazon gift card for anything other than buying other gift cards, make sure you set it as your primary payment method. You can use the remaining balance, even if it doesn’t cover the full cost of the purchase. Amazon gift cards are worth it because they come in numerous denominations, letting you buy almost anything on the platform.
Keep in mind that you can always buy Amazon gift cards and save them for later. You don’t need to buy multiple gift cards in small amounts since the full balance goes into your account. Buying Amazon gift cards is an excellent way to set a monthly ‘extra’ budget without spending an unknown amount on Amazon products and services.
Shoppers have tried countless ways to use their Amazon gift cards to buy other gift cards or to redeem them for cash. However, that’s not always possible. Read on for more information about why you can’t get cash or gift cards with your Amazon gift card balance.
Can I Redeem an Amazon Gift Card for Cash?
You can’t redeem an Amazon gift card for cash directly. Although many websites provide details that try to put your Amazon gift card balance into your bank account or wallet, it’s not as straightforward.
Also, people often confuse their gift card balance with their payment balance, which can be transferred to their bank.
That being said, there are a few indirect ways you can convert your Amazon gift card balance to cash. Check out that article for full details.
Keep these three factors in mind when considering redeeming your Amazon gift card for cash or gift cards:
- You can transfer your Amazon payment balance to your bank account, but not your gift card balance. Your payment balance simply refers to the money Amazon refunded to your account. When you do a refund, you can choose to have the money transferred to your payment balance because it only takes a few hours rather than several days.
- Amazon prohibits reselling or redistribution of its gift cards. Although it might be tempting to get cash for your Amazon gift card to buy other gift cards, it’s against Amazon’s terms and conditions. If the company finds out you did this, the gift card is subject to termination without a refund. They could also flag your Amazon account.
Most Amazon gift cards are non-refundable. Unless required by state and local laws, Amazon doesn’t have to refund your gift card after you buy it. However, they do refund your gift card balance if you purchase something and return it. Keep this in mind if you made a recent purchase and want to try the aforementioned PayPal process.
Featured Image by Freepik