Gift cards have become a go-to choice for many gift-givers due to their convenience and flexibility. In 2022, the gift card industry was valued at over $198 billion in the U.S. alone, according to Research & Markets. Two of the most popular gift card options come from e-commerce leader Amazon and retail powerhouse Walmart.
If you‘ve found yourself with an Amazon gift card but would prefer to shop at Walmart, you might be wondering about your options. Can you use an Amazon gift card at Walmart stores or on Walmart.com? And if not, what alternatives do you have? Here‘s everything you need to know.
Why Walmart Doesn‘t Accept Amazon Gift Cards
Despite being two of the biggest names in retail, Walmart does not allow customers to pay directly with Amazon gift cards. The reason boils down to the fierce competition between these two companies.
In recent years, Amazon has overtaken Walmart as the world‘s largest retailer outside of China. Amazon‘s e-commerce sales in 2022 totaled $514 billion, compared to Walmart‘s $73 billion in online sales. However, Walmart still dwarfs Amazon in terms of physical stores, with over 10,500 locations worldwide vs. Amazon‘s 600+ Whole Foods markets and a handful of other concept stores.
As a result of this rivalry, Walmart has no incentive to accept Amazon gift cards and make it easier for customers to spend money with its competitor. "Walmart‘s goal is to drive sales within its own ecosystem of stores and e-commerce platforms," says Michael Bonebright, Consumer Analyst with DealNews.com. "Accepting Amazon gift cards would be counterproductive to that aim."
Walmart‘s official policy is that it only accepts the following types of gift cards for purchases:
- Walmart gift cards
- Sam‘s Club gift cards
- Visa gift cards
- Mastercard gift cards
- American Express gift cards
So while you can‘t use an Amazon gift card as a direct form of payment at Walmart, there are some creative workarounds for determined shoppers. We‘ll dive into those a bit later. But first, let‘s clarify exactly where Amazon gift cards can actually be redeemed.
Where You Can Use Amazon Gift Cards
Naturally, the most straightforward way to use an Amazon gift card is for purchases on Amazon.com. The e-commerce giant sells an incredibly wide array of products, from books and electronics to clothing and groceries. You can apply your Amazon gift card balance to almost anything sold and shipped by Amazon, with a handful of exceptions:
- Other gift cards
- Recurring subscription services like Amazon Prime
- Pre-paid utility or phone plans
- Reloading of Amazon Cash
To redeem an Amazon gift card online, simply visit the "Gift Cards" section under your account settings. There you can enter the claim code from your physical gift card or the email sent when you received an e-gift card. The gift card balance will then be applied automatically to eligible purchases during checkout.
It‘s important to note that items sold by third-party merchants on Amazon may not always be eligible for gift card redemption. To avoid confusion, look for "sold by Amazon.com" on the product page or limit your search results to "eligible for gift cards" under the payment methods filter.
In addition to Amazon.com, Amazon gift cards can also be used for purchases on the following Amazon-owned platforms:
- Amazon Fresh online grocery delivery
- Prime Now delivery service (in select cities)
- Audible audiobook subscriptions
- Kindle e-books and digital content
- Amazon Appstore for Android devices
But Amazon gift cards aren‘t just limited to online redemption. In recent years, Amazon has expanded its physical retail presence through the acquisition of Whole Foods Market in 2017 and partnerships with other brick-and-mortar stores. Here‘s a list of places where you can use Amazon gift cards in person:
- Whole Foods Market stores nationwide
- Amazon Go convenience stores
- Amazon Books bookstores
- Amazon 4-Star stores featuring highly rated products
- Amazon Pop-Up kiosks in malls and Kohl‘s locations
- Select Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Canada
At Whole Foods, for example, you can redeem your Amazon gift card by adding it as a payment method in your Amazon account and then scanning the QR code in the Whole Foods or Amazon app at checkout. This allows you to apply your gift card balance seamlessly to your grocery purchases.
"The ability to use Amazon gift cards at Whole Foods has been a game-changer for many shoppers," says Jeff Somers, a personal finance expert and author. "It provides a way to use gift cards on everyday essentials rather than just discretionary items on Amazon."
How to Convert Amazon Gift Cards to Walmart Credit
If you‘re set on shopping at Walmart but are stuck with an Amazon gift card, there are a few potential solutions. While not always ideal, these methods can help you extract value from an unwanted gift card and convert it into a form of payment that Walmart will accept.
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Sell your Amazon gift card for cash. There are a number of reputable websites that allow you to sell unwanted gift cards, including Raise and CardCash. These platforms let you list your Amazon gift card at a slight discount to its face value, typically 2-15%. Once it sells, you‘ll receive payment via check, PayPal or other methods. You can then use that money to shop at Walmart as you please. Keep in mind that you‘ll likely lose some value in the reselling process.
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Trade your Amazon gift card for a Walmart one. If you‘d rather not deal with the hassle of selling your card for cash first, you can also try swapping it directly for a Walmart gift card on an exchange platform. CardCash, for example, offers direct trades between different retailers‘ gift cards. The exchange rate fluctuates based on market demand but hovers around 80-90% for Amazon to Walmart swaps.
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Buy a Walmart gift card on Amazon. This method can be a bit hit-or-miss, as Walmart gift cards are not always available from third-party sellers on Amazon. And even when they are, resellers often mark up the price above the gift card‘s actual value to turn a profit. But if you spot a Walmart gift card selling at a reasonable price on Amazon, you can snag it with your Amazon gift card balance and then use it to shop at Walmart.
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Use your Amazon gift card to purchase resellable items. If you have a large balance on your Amazon gift card, this strategy could be worthwhile. Use the gift card to buy high-demand products on Amazon that you can then resell for cash, either online through sites like eBay or locally on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Popular options include video game consoles, smartphones, collectibles and certain toys. Once you‘ve sold the items, take the money and spend it at Walmart instead. Just be aware of market prices and seller fees to ensure you can recoup most of the gift card‘s value.
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Regift the Amazon gift card. When all else fails, you can always consider passing along your Amazon gift card to someone else who will actually use it. While perhaps not your ideal outcome, regifting is an easy way to get an unwanted gift card off your hands without losing any of its value. You can even use this as an opportunity to "trade" with a friend or family member for a different gift card or cash to put toward your Walmart shopping.
Amazon vs. Walmart Gift Cards: How They Stack Up
To help you make an informed decision about which gift card is right for you, let‘s take a closer look at how Amazon and Walmart‘s offerings compare:
| Feature | Amazon Gift Card | Walmart Gift Card |
|---|---|---|
| Purchasing options | Physical cards, e-gift cards, print-at-home | Physical cards, e-gift cards |
| Average value | $50 | $35 |
| Redemption options | Amazon.com, Whole Foods, Amazon Books, Amazon Go, Amazon Pop-Up | Walmart stores, Walmart.com, Sam‘s Club, Vudu |
| Expiration | None | None |
| Resale value | Up to 92% on Raise.com | Up to 95% on Raise.com |
As you can see, both Amazon and Walmart gift cards offer a lot of flexibility in terms of where and how they can be used. However, Walmart does have a slight edge when it comes to in-person redemption thanks to its extensive network of brick-and-mortar stores.
"For most shoppers, the choice between an Amazon or Walmart gift card comes down to personal preference," says budgeting expert Andrea Woroch. "Consider where you do the majority of your shopping and which retailer carries more of the items on your wish list."
In terms of sheer product selection, though, Amazon is tough to beat. The e-commerce giant now carries over 12 million items for sale directly, not to mention the millions more offered by third-party sellers in the Amazon Marketplace.
"If you‘re looking for the widest range of potential gifts to spend the card on, Amazon is probably your best bet," says Woroch. "But if you prefer the instant gratification of heading to a store and using a gift card the same day, Walmart will be more convenient."
Key Takeaways
To recap, here are the most important points to remember about using Amazon gift cards at Walmart:
- Walmart does not accept Amazon gift cards for payment, either in stores or online
- The main reason is the intense competition between the two retailers
- Amazon gift cards can be redeemed on Amazon.com and other Amazon-owned entities, like Whole Foods
- If you need to convert an Amazon gift card for use at Walmart, you can sell it for cash or trade it for a Walmart gift card on an exchange site
- Using your Amazon gift card to buy resellable items is another way to extract its value for Walmart purchases
- Walmart gift cards are accepted at over 10,500 Walmart and Sam‘s Club locations, as well as on Walmart.com
Ultimately, while Amazon gift cards are not a direct form of payment at Walmart, savvy shoppers can still find creative ways to make use of them. But if you have the choice, opting for a Walmart gift card at the outset will make your path to shopping there much simpler.
