Gift cards have become a ubiquitous part of the modern shopping landscape, and Amazon gift cards are certainly no exception. As an ecommerce giant with an unparalleled selection of products, Amazon has made plastic and digital gift cards a popular option for birthdays, graduations, holidays, and everything in between.
In fact, the gift card industry as a whole is now worth a staggering $160 billion per year in the US alone, according to advisory company CEB TowerGroup. And a survey by the National Retail Federation found that gift cards have been the single most requested holiday item for 12 years in a row, with over 60% of consumers saying they wanted to receive one.
But for all the popularity and convenience of Amazon gift cards, there‘s still a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about the rules and restrictions surrounding them. One of the most common questions is whether Amazon gift cards expire and how long you have to use them before losing the balance.
As a consumer analyst and retail industry expert, I‘m here to clear things up and give you the lowdown on Amazon gift card expiration policies. I‘ve spent countless hours researching the legal fine print, digging into the statistics, and gathering insider knowledge so I can present the facts and provide helpful tips for getting the most out of your Amazon gift cards.
So whether you‘re a bargain hunting pro who hoards gift cards like they‘re going out of style or just an occasional Amazon shopper with a few unredeemed cards lying around, read on to become an Amazon gift card power user!
Amazon Gift Cards 101: The Basics of Buying, Redeeming, and Checking Balances
Before we dive into the nitty gritty of Amazon gift card expiration dates and policies, let‘s start with a quick crash course on how Amazon gift cards actually work.
There are two main types of Amazon gift cards: physical cards and digital "eGift" cards. Physical Amazon gift cards are made of plastic and look similar to credit cards or regular store gift cards. They usually come in set denominations like $10, $25, $50, or $100 (though you can get them for any whole dollar amount between $25-$500) and have to be mailed or delivered to your recipient like any other physical present.
Digital Amazon eGift cards, in contrast, are entirely virtual. When you order a digital gift card, you‘ll get a redemption code that can be entered on Amazon‘s website to apply the gift amount to your balance. These electronic gift cards can be scheduled for delivery on a specific date and will arrive in the recipient‘s inbox as soon as the order is processed.
Regardless of what form your Amazon gift card takes, the basic functionality is the same. Every card has a unique number and PIN that can be used to redeem the balance and apply it to your Amazon account for use on future purchases.
To redeem an Amazon gift card, you‘ll need to sign into your account, navigate to the "Gift Cards" section, click "Redeem a Gift Card," and then enter the card number and PIN. Once the balance is applied, it will show up in your account and can be used just like any other payment method during checkout.
If you can‘t remember whether you‘ve redeemed a particular gift card or just want to check your available balance, you can go to "Your Account" and select "Gift Cards" to see a summary. This page will display your current gift card balance, recent activity, and the option to reload the balance directly if you want.
One important thing to note is that you don‘t actually have to redeem or apply Amazon gift cards to your account in order to use them. If you have an unredeemed gift card handy while shopping, you can simply enter the card number and PIN during checkout on the payment screen. The card balance will be applied to your order total, and if the balance doesn‘t cover the full amount, you‘ll be able to select a secondary payment method like a credit card to cover the difference.
The Million Dollar Question: Do Amazon Gift Cards Ever Expire?
Now that we‘ve covered the basics of how Amazon gift cards work, let‘s get to the heart of the matter – expiration dates.
The simple answer is that in most cases, Amazon gift cards do NOT expire. According to Amazon‘s terms and conditions, any gift cards purchased through the Amazon.com website after October 1, 2005 will never expire and can be redeemed or used for purchases indefinitely. The gift card balance won‘t decrease over time and you‘re not obligated to use the funds by a certain date.
That‘s great news for consumers, as it provides a lot of flexibility and peace of mind. Whether you want to redeem an Amazon gift card right away to lock in the balance for future use or just hold onto an unredeemed card to use directly at checkout down the road, you don‘t have to stress about a ticking clock or use-it-or-lose-it pressure.
This never-expires policy applies to all Amazon gift cards bought on their website, both physical gift cards that are mailed out and digital eGift cards delivered via email. As long as the card was purchased after that magic October 2005 date, there will be no expiration date eating away at the balance.
So why the cut-off date of October 2005? Well, that‘s when Amazon eliminated expiration dates and fees on their own gift cards across the board in order to comply with new regulations and remain competitive.
However, it‘s worth noting that even some Amazon gift cards purchased BEFORE October 2005 may still be redeemable with no expiration these days thanks to state laws. Several states, including California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, have prohibited expiration dates and fees on gift cards and require stores to honor balances indefinitely.
So if you uncover an ancient Amazon gift card that‘s been lost for ages, you may want to contact customer service and see if they‘ll still apply the balance to your account, especially if you live in one of those states with stricter consumer protection regulations.
Unclaimed Gift Card Balances and Unclaimed Property Laws
Speaking of long lost gift cards, did you know that over $45 billion in gift cards went unredeemed between 2005-2011 according to TowerGroup? And an estimated $1 billion in gift cards go unused every single year! With the average consumer sitting on $167 worth of unspent gift cards at any given time, it‘s clear that a lot of free money is being left on the table.
But what happens to all those abandoned gift card balances? In some cases, retailers may get to keep the money as pure profit. But about 20 states have unclaimed property laws on the books that require companies to turn over unused gift cards and certificates to the state government as unclaimed property after a certain period of time, usually 3-5 years.
Under these escheatment laws, the state is supposed to hold onto unclaimed gift card funds and attempt to locate and contact the rightful owner. If the owner can‘t be found or doesn‘t claim the money, states are allowed to use the funds for their own budget and programs.
Luckily for Amazon gift card holders, these unclaimed property rules typically only apply to smaller retailers and not big national chains. Most large corporations like Amazon have successfully lobbied for exemptions to unclaimed property laws for their gift cards.
So if you‘re sitting on an old unredeemed Amazon gift card balance, you usually don‘t have to worry about the funds suddenly disappearing into state coffers, even if you live in a place with general escheatment regulations. Of course, laws are always changing, so it‘s a good idea to double check the specific rules in your state if you‘re concerned about a really old unused gift card.
When Promotional Gift Cards and Credits DON‘T Last Forever
It‘s important to reiterate that Amazon‘s never-expire policy only applies to regular Amazon gift card balances that were purchased at face value, NOT promotional credits or coupons with bonus money.
Throughout the year, Amazon runs tons of special offers and limited-time deals where you can get free Amazon credit for performing certain actions, like buying Coca-Cola products, watching Prime Video, or signing up for an Amazon Rewards Visa card. These promotions are a great way to score extra money to spend on Amazon, but the bonus credit usually DOES have an expiration date and relatively short redemption window.
For example, during Amazon Prime Day (a two-day mega sale event exclusively for Prime members), Amazon typically gives out bonus money offers like "$10 credit when you spend $50 on Prime Day." But the fine print will reveal that you only have until the end of July or so to use that bonus $10 before it vanishes, rather than the indefinite usage window of a regular Amazon gift card.
The same principle applies to any promotional discounts or credits you get from Amazon throughout the year. Maybe you‘ll snag a deal that gives you 20% off your next order, $5 for streaming your first Prime Video movie, or $15 for loading $100 onto an Amazon gift card. There‘s nothing wrong with these promotions and you should certainly take advantage of them to save money!
Just be aware that you‘re dealing with coupons rather than actual gift card balances, so there WILL be restrictions on how long you can use the offers. Always read the terms and conditions carefully and be ready to jump on the chance to redeem your discount or bonus credit before time runs out.
The Pros and Cons of Amazon Gift Cards: Are They REALLY a Good Gift?
So now that you‘re an expert on Amazon gift card expiration dates and usage rules, let‘s zoom out and tackle a broader question: Are Amazon gift cards actually a thoughtful, worthwhile present to give a loved one in the first place? It‘s a bit of a controversial topic!
On the plus side, Amazon gift cards give recipients an incredibly wide range of options to choose from. With hundreds of millions of products available, they‘re almost guaranteed to find SOMETHING they want, even if you don‘t know their specific tastes that well. The flexibility to wait for the ideal item to go on sale and get exactly what they want is a big selling point.
Especially in our current era of social distancing and lockdowns, being able to shop online from the comfort of home is very appealing and arguably safer than browsing physical stores. Throwing an Amazon gift card in a birthday card or sending a quick eGift card is a lifesaver when you can‘t celebrate in person too.
But the impersonal nature of Amazon gift cards is also a bit of a double-edged sword. Some people argue that gift cards are a cop-out present that show a lack of effort on the gift giver‘s part. With no need to pick out an individualized gift, the reasoning goes, you might as well just give cash and call it a day.
There‘s also a psychological argument that gift cards can subconsciously pressure recipients to spend money and buy things they don‘t truly want or need, purely to avoid "wasting" the gift card value. With cold hard cash, there‘s no obligation to spend it immediately or frivolously. But a gift card dedicated to a certain store can create an imaginary ticking clock prodding you to use it.
And of course, you can‘t deny the possibility of straight up losing an Amazon gift card or forgetting you even have it. While the balance may not ever expire, getting zero value out of a lost gift card is a big disappointment. One survey found that 40% of respondents had forgotten they had a gift card!
Luckily, there are some creative ways to combat gift card waste and forgetfulness:
- Immediately add your Amazon gift card balance to your account so you don‘t misplace the physical card or digital PIN
- Make a digital note or set a phone reminder of your gift card balance so you don‘t forget to use it
- Browse Amazon to create a wish list of potential items to buy so you have a plan for the gift card money
- Consider regifting your Amazon gift card to someone else for their birthday or a holiday if you truly don‘t need anything
- Check out gift card exchange websites to sell unwanted Amazon gift cards for cash, usually at a small loss of face value
At the end of the day, while I don‘t think Amazon gift cards are necessarily the most personal or creative presents ever, there‘s no denying that they‘re popular, practical, and flexible. For super busy folks who want a quick and easy gifting option, you can certainly do worse than an Amazon gift card.
And with the lack of expiration dates, at least there‘s no huge downside to hanging onto an Amazon gift card balance for a while before cashing it in. The key is remembering you have it and actually putting it to good use!
The Bottom Line
Well there you have it, my extensively-researched deep dive into the world of Amazon gift cards and expiration dates. You‘re now equipped with the knowledge to be a smart gift card shopper and confident Amazon customer.
While it‘s reassuring to know that Amazon gift card balances never expire in most cases and can be used indefinitely, you still have to stay on top of the exceptions like promotional credits with redemption windows. And there are always going to be some minor caveats like the inability to buy other retailers‘ gift cards.
No matter what, just remember not to put your Amazon gift card balance out of sight and out of mind for TOO long. Make a mental note of what you have, keep your physical cards and digital PINs in a safe place, and put that money to work when the time is right.
Though a gift card will never replace the sentiment of a painstakingly selected present, having some Amazon bucks to spend certainly gives you an excuse to treat yourself to something fun. So swipe that plastic or enter that claim code with pride!
