Easily Convert Visa Gift Cards into Amazon Cash – Here’s How!

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Have Visa gift cards with random amounts on hand that you keep forgetting to use? We have a solution! 

hand holding up a visa gift card

Don’t waste a single penny on your Visa gift card.

Do you have any Visa or MasterCard gift cards lying around? Maybe with random amounts on them? Possibly thrown in a bag with more gift cards you keep forgetting to use?! 😆

If so, did you know that you can easily turn these gift cards into Amazon cash?! With Christmas around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start racking up credits to use towards your holiday shopping. 🎁

I feel these Visa gift cards are difficult to redeem at stores because they often only have small random amounts remaining on them. With our simple trick, you can add those small gift card balances to your Amazon account and actually be able to use every last penny! 🤑

Be sure to watch Collin break down how to easily do this in the video below.

It doesn’t matter if your prepaid gift card is brand new or only has a partial balance. As long as it has at least $5 on it, you can redeem it for Amazon cash using the One Time Reload option. The process is super simple and SUCH an awesome way to use those leftover balances.

Just follow our instructions below (or watch Collin’s video above) on how to redeem prepaid gift cards on Amazon.

woman with pink nails holding visa gift card

How to redeem your prepaid gift card for Amazon cash using the One Time Reload option.

Using prepaid gift cards at stores can be tricky. Sometimes, the card is rejected, and other times, there are transaction fees. One way to avoid these hiccups is to just use your Visa gift card on Amazon instead.

If you aren’t ready to buy something just yet, that’s okay! You can store the credit on Amazon for later use. This simple trick can be used with multiple gift cards, too!

As long as each prepaid gift card has a balance of $5 or more, you can add it to your account to get Amazon credits. Note that this process only works for credit card gift cards. It will not work on brand or store-specific gift cards.

scrolling amazon on phone with credit card in hand

When you’re ready, follow these instructions for each card:

  • Obtain the balance for each card you’d like to redeem for Amazon credits.
  • Sign into your Amazon account.
  • Click this listing for the One-Time Amazon Reload.
  • The amount you want to reload will be the exact balance of your prepaid gift card. Enter this amount in the “Other” section and add the reload to your cart.
  • Go to the checkout.
  • For your payment method, select “Add a new card” and enter your prepaid gift card information. (Note that you will need to enter a name for the gift card, and even though it won’t have one, I always just enter my name, and it goes through fine.)
  • Pay for the reload with your prepaid gift card.
  • That’s it! You’ll now have available Amazon credits in the exact amount of your Visa gift card balance!

Still have questions? Be sure to watch Collin’s helpful video, which will talk you through the process! 🙌💰


Want more Amazon credits? Use the FREE Alexa shopping list to earn cash back!


About the writer:

Kara is a writer and photographer from the Midwest. Her creative work has appeared in various publications over the past decade. With a background in finance, she loves to be money-savvy.


Join The Discussion

Comments 30

  1. Laurie O

    Thank you!!! I have all of these pre-paid cards with very small balances on them. Now I can consolidate and actually buy something!

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      You’re welcome, Laurie! So glad you can consolidate and score something you’ll enjoy from Amazon! Happy shopping! 🤗💗

  2. Beth

    I’ve found that most places can now automatically deduct only what is left on the card from your total without knowing the exact amount that is left. For instance I had two prepaid cards with a couple dollars each. I filled up on gas yesterday and went inside to pay. I swiped the first card and it deducted the couple dollars on there, then the next card, then paid my balance with cash. I’m so happy that I no longer need to know the exact amount on the card to use it in store.

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      So awesome! Thanks for sharing about your experience with using up gift cards at stores, Beth! Good to know that you’ve been able to use up any remaining balances on those! 🙌💗

  3. Jessica

    What do I enter for cardholder name? It will not accept “gift card” (my name) or “a gift for you” 😂 Help!

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Hey Jessica! You might try re-entering your full name in the payment details, if you haven’t tried that yet. Also check that you have all the correct numbers, expiration, and CVC/security code entered from the gift card as well. Hoping this does the trick! 🤞❤️

    • Csandst1

      I enter gift card recipient. Have done this multiple times with no issue.

      • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

        Thanks for sharing what has worked for you Csandst1! Sure appreciate it! 🥰

  4. Jaime

    Great idea! Super easy – thanks!!

    • Trish (Hip Sidekick)

      You’re welcome, Jaime! Glad you found this super easy! 🙌 🥰

  5. Kari H

    I have been doing this for about a year now and it’s been a lifesaver. Nothing worse than feeling you need to toss or just not use leftover Visa gift cards because the balance is too low to use anywhere.

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      So true, Kari! 🤗 Happy to hear you’ve been able to use up your gift cards this way already! 💓

  6. Kats

    Thank you! This is so good to know.

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      You’re welcome, Kats! Glad this post was helpful! 🥰

  7. Susan

    Costco, Target and Walgreens all “auto-drain” the remaining balance on these cards. So you can use as many as you like and then pay any remaining balance with other methods.

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Thanks for sharing about some other retailers that you can use up your gift cards at, Susan! Good to know! 🤗💞

  8. LisaG29

    Thank you for this great idea! I finally was able to use up some of my unused/difficult to use cards!

    • Trish (Hip Sidekick)

      You’re very welcome, LisaG29! So glad you found this tip helpful! 💖

  9. frecklelily

    I’m a cashier at a grocery store. If you know the exact amount left on the card, we can specifically enter that amount so you can use the cards balance. That way you can use the card for groceries if needed.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Thank you so much for sharing that! Good to know! 🙌🤗

  10. MC

    Reload

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Hey there, MC! So sorry for any confusion with the Instagram reel within the post. The details and link for reloading are available at the bottom of this post, if you wanted to check that out. ❤️

  11. Lee

    I tried to reload the amount $3. It said it has to be at least $5 🙁

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Darn! Thank you, Lee. I’m seeing that as well and have updated the details in the post. 💞

  12. Wendy Vola

    My vet care $30 card from poetis won’t go through (“declined for payment”). Is this type excluded?

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Hmm, You could always reach out to customer service to look into that for you! Hoping they may be able to help. ❤️

    • Maggie

      Zoetis rewards can ONLY be used at a vet clinic — they’re coded to reject being used at any place that isn’t categorized as a vet office. They can run it for anything they sell or any service (e.g., toe nail trim, bath, food/dental treats, HW or flea meds, or put it toward your next annual exam). If you find yourself forgetting, your vet might be willing to run it and put it as a credit pending on your account for “whenever.”

      • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

        Thanks so much for this helpful response, Maggie. Very appreciated! 🥰

  13. Cici

    So if I turn it into an Amazon gift card, can I use those funds to purchase, say, a restaurant/store specific gift card?
    Thanks for the info!

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      Great question, Cici! Here’s what I found in the Amazon Balance Terms & Conditions – “Your Amazon.com Balance cannot be used to purchase other Gift Cards, prepaid open loop cards, or certain third-party gift cards.” Hoping this is helpful! ❤️

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