If you’re looking for where to buy Amazon gift cards, the short answer is: directly from Amazon.com, or from one of roughly 450 participating retailers nationwide, but notably not the two stores most people check first. Walmart and Target, despite being the largest general retailers in the country, don’t sell Amazon gift cards, either in store or online, and haven’t since 2017. That single fact causes more confusion around this topic than anything else, so we’re addressing it head-on before covering everywhere you actually can buy one.
This guide covers every legitimate way to buy an Amazon gift card in 2026, Amazon’s own site, the full list of retail stores that carry them, digital versus physical formats, whether discounts exist, and the gift card scams the FTC specifically warns people about every holiday season. Whether you’re grabbing one on your lunch break or planning ahead for a birthday next month, everything below is organized so you can jump straight to what you need. For more shopping and buying guides like this one, visit our homepage at Used Items Guide.
Quick Answer:
- Amazon.com: Buy Amazon gift cards directly from Amazon in amounts from $1 to $2,000, with instant digital delivery available.
- CVS: Amazon gift cards are available at many CVS locations.
- Walgreens: You can find Amazon gift cards at participating Walgreens stores.
- Kroger: Many Kroger locations sell Amazon gift cards.
- Best Buy: Amazon gift cards are available at participating Best Buy stores.
- Rite Aid: Amazon gift cards may be available at select Rite Aid locations.
- Dollar General: Many Dollar General stores carry Amazon gift cards.
- Whole Foods: Amazon gift cards are available at participating Whole Foods locations.
- Not available at: Amazon gift cards are generally not sold at Walmart, Target, Costco, or Sam’s Club.
Why You Can’t Find Amazon Gift Cards at Walmart or Target
This isn’t an oversight or a regional stocking issue, it’s a deliberate business decision. Walmart briefly sold Amazon gift cards years ago but discontinued the practice in 2017, and Target has never carried them. Both companies compete directly with Amazon for the same retail and e-commerce customers, so stocking Amazon gift cards would mean actively helping shoppers spend money with a competitor instead of in their own stores. We cover this in much more detail, including exactly what to buy instead if you’re already standing in one of these stores, in our dedicated breakdowns: Does Walmart Sell Amazon Gift Cards? and Does Target Sell Amazon Gift Cards?
- The same logic applies to Costco and Sam’s Club, both of which also skip Amazon gift cards for the same competitive reasons
- Interestingly, Amazon itself sells gift cards for some competitor-adjacent brands, but the reverse relationship doesn’t hold for its biggest retail rivals
Why Amazon Gift Cards Are One of the Most Popular Gifts
Gift cards as a category have become a multi-billion-dollar market in the US, and Amazon gift cards consistently rank among the most requested, for a few practical reasons. Amazon sells nearly everything, from groceries to electronics to household basics, so a gift card works for almost any recipient regardless of their specific interests. Balances never expire, there’s no purchase fee, and redemption takes seconds through an account most adult Americans already have. For the giver, it also solves the classic “I don’t know what they want” problem without feeling as impersonal as cash.
Amazon Gift Cards vs. Other Store Gift Cards
If you’re deciding between an Amazon gift card and something more specific, a few tradeoffs are worth knowing:
- Flexibility — Amazon’s massive product catalog means a gift card works for almost any recipient, unlike a single-category retailer gift card
- No expiration — many store-specific gift cards carry expiration dates or dormancy fees in some states; Amazon’s do not
- Universal recognition — nearly every adult in the US has or can easily create an Amazon account, unlike more niche retailer cards
- The tradeoff — a more personal or specific gift card (a favorite restaurant, a hobby shop) can feel more thoughtful for a recipient with a known passion, where an Amazon card can feel more generic by comparison
The Best Way to Buy: Directly From Amazon.com
For most people, buying straight from Amazon is simply the easiest option, and it comes with more flexibility than any retail store can offer:
- Choose any amount from $1 to $2,000 retail stores are typically limited to a handful of fixed denominations like $25, $50, and $100
- Pick digital delivery (instant, by email), a physical card mailed to you or the recipient, or a design you print at home immediately
- Customize the card design and add a personal message, which most in-store cards don’t offer
- Set up automatic reloads on a schedule if you want to budget a set amount toward Amazon purchases regularly
- Gift cards purchased directly from Amazon never expire and carry no purchase or activation fees
Best Occasions to Give an Amazon Gift Card
While an Amazon gift card works for essentially any occasion, a few situations are where it genuinely outperforms a more specific gift:
- Last-minute gifts — a digital card delivered by email in seconds solves the “I forgot” problem better than almost any other gift option
- Gifting for someone you don’t know well — coworkers, distant relatives, or new acquaintances where you’re unsure of specific tastes
- College students and young adults moving into their first apartment — Amazon’s breadth covers everything from textbooks to dorm supplies
- Employee recognition and client gifts — professional, universally usable, and easy to purchase in volume
- Wedding and baby registries — many people add an Amazon gift card as a flexible option alongside specific registry items
Checking and Managing Your Amazon Gift Card Balance
- Sign in to your Amazon account and go to Account & Lists, then “Gift Cards” to see your current balance
- Multiple gift cards redeemed to the same account combine into a single running balance, applied automatically to future purchases
- You can choose to save a gift card balance and pay by credit card instead for a specific order if you want to preserve the balance for a future purchase Amazon lets you select payment method at checkout
- Balances carry over indefinitely with no expiration, so there’s no need to spend a card immediately after redeeming it
Full List of Retail Stores That Sell Amazon Gift Cards
Amazon gift cards are sold at close to 500 retail locations across the country. If you’d rather see the complete categorized list with regional and specialty retailers included, we’ve broken out every store we could verify in a dedicated guide: What Stores Sell Amazon Gift Cards? (Full List) . Here are the most common and widely available options:
Pharmacies & Drugstores
- CVS Pharmacy — carries physical Amazon gift cards at most of its roughly 9,000 US locations, typically near the checkout or in the dedicated gift card aisle
- Walgreens — widely available in-store, a convenient last-minute option given how many locations stay open late
- Rite Aid — carries them in most regions, though selection and denominations can vary slightly by store
Grocery & Supermarket Chains
- Kroger — and its many regional banners (Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, Ralphs) generally carry Amazon gift cards at customer service or near checkout
- Safeway and Albertsons-family stores (Vons, Pavilions) — widely stocked in the gift card section
- Publix — a reliable Southeastern option
- Whole Foods Market — since Amazon owns Whole Foods, this is one of the most consistent places to find them
- Wegmans, Fairway Market, Winn-Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, and most independent regional grocery chains also typically carry a small gift card display including Amazon
Convenience Stores & Gas Stations
- 7-Eleven — a genuinely useful option for a very last-minute purchase given how many locations operate 24 hours
- Wawa — a strong regional option in the Mid-Atlantic
- Many Shell-branded gas station convenience stores, along with various regional convenience chains
Electronics & Office Supply
- Best Buy — carries them both in-store and online, useful if you’re already comparing electronics gifts
- Staples and Office Depot — both stock them near checkout
- GameStop — a good option specifically if you’re shopping alongside a video game purchase
- P.C. Richard & Son — a regional Northeast electronics chain that also carries them
Discount & Department Stores
- Dollar General and Family Dollar — widely available even in smaller towns where other options on this list may not have a location
- Kohl’s and JCPenney — both carry them in the gift card section near checkout
- Lowe’s — worth checking if you’re already there for a home improvement purchase
Stores That Do NOT Sell Amazon Gift Cards
Just as important as knowing where you can buy one is knowing where you’ll be wasting a trip:
- Walmart — discontinued in 2017, not sold in-store or online
- Target — has never carried Amazon gift cards, in-store or online
- Costco — no Amazon gift cards at any Costco warehouse
- Sam’s Club — owned by Walmart, follows the same exclusion policy
If you specifically searched does Walmart sell Amazon gift cards or does Target sell Amazon gift cards, our dedicated guides to Walmart’s exact policy and Target’s exact policy go deeper into the reasoning and the best alternatives to grab while you’re already there.
Digital vs. Physical Amazon Gift Cards: Which Should You Buy?
| Digital (eGift Card) | Physical Card | |
| Delivery speed | Instant, by email | Ships in a few days, or pick up in-store immediately |
| Best for | Last-minute gifts, remote recipients | In-person gifting, a more tangible presentation |
| Denomination flexibility | Any amount, $1–$2,000 (via Amazon.com) | Usually fixed amounts (e.g. $25, $50, $100) in stores |
| Risk of physical loss | None — tied to an email/account | Can be lost, damaged, or (rarely) tampered with on a store rack |
If you’re buying for someone tech-comfortable and want guaranteed, immediate delivery, digital is the simpler choice. If you want something to physically hand over for a birthday card, a stocking, or a work gift exchange a physical card from a nearby retailer or ordered from Amazon still makes sense.
Can You Get a Discount on Amazon Gift Cards?
Amazon itself rarely discounts its own gift cards, even during major sales events like Prime Day or Black Friday the value is meant to be exactly what you pay for it. That said, a few legitimate ways to effectively save do exist:
- Credit card rewards — some cards offer bonus cashback or points specifically on gift card purchases at grocery stores or drugstores, which can offset a few percent of the cost
- Store loyalty programs — certain grocery chains occasionally run promotions offering bonus loyalty points when you buy gift cards, effectively a small discount
- Cashback shopping portals — some browser extensions and apps offer a small cashback percentage on gift card purchases made through their links
Be cautious of any third-party website advertising Amazon gift cards at a steep discount (“40% off!“) this is one of the most common gift card scam patterns, covered in detail below, and legitimate discounts of that size essentially don’t exist for this product.
How to Redeem an Amazon Gift Card
Redeeming a gift card, whether digital or physical, takes only a couple of minutes through your Amazon account:
- Sign in to your Amazon account and go to “Gift Cards” under Account & Lists
- Select “Redeem a Gift Card” and enter the claim code, found on the back of a physical card (under the scratch-off panel) or in the email for a digital card
- The balance applies automatically to your account and is used first on your next eligible purchase, before any credit card or other payment method on file
- Gift card balances never expire and carry no fees, so there’s no rush to spend them immediately after redeeming
- If a claim code doesn’t work, double-check for commonly confused characters (the letter O versus the number 0, for example) before assuming the card is invalid or contacting Amazon support
How to Avoid Amazon Gift Card Scams
This is one of the most important sections in this guide. Gift cards, including Amazon gift cards specifically, are one of the most common tools scammers use to steal money, precisely because they’re fast, widely available, and hard to trace. The FTC’s official guidance on avoiding and reporting gift card scams lays out the core pattern clearly: no real business or government agency will ever ask you to pay a bill, fine, or debt using a gift card. If someone contacts you unexpectedly by phone, text, email, or social media and tells you to buy an Amazon gift card and read them the numbers off the back, that is always a scam, no matter how urgent or official they make it sound.
- Never share a gift card’s number and PIN with anyone who contacted you first, especially over the phone
- Be alert to “gift card draining” scammers copy numbers off cards on store racks before they’re purchased, then wait for someone to activate them and drain the balance; inspect the packaging for tampering before buying, and keep your receipt
- Check your card balance only through Amazon’s official website or app, never through a link sent by text or email
- Watch for urgency, scammers create pressure (“pay right now or face consequences”) specifically so you don’t have time to stop and verify the request
- If you’ve been targeted or scammed, report it immediately to Amazon and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
Do Amazon Gift Cards Expire?
No. Amazon gift cards, whether purchased directly from Amazon or from a participating retailer, do not expire and carry no dormancy or maintenance fees under Amazon’s terms. This is one advantage Amazon gift cards hold over some other retailers’ cards, which can carry expiration dates or inactivity fees depending on state law.
Buying Amazon Gift Cards in Bulk (Business & Employee Gifting)
Businesses giving Amazon gift cards to employees, clients, or contest winners have a few options worth knowing about beyond simply buying individual cards one at a time.
- Amazon offers a dedicated business gift card program (Amazon Business) for companies buying in volume, with options for custom branding on physical or digital cards
- Bulk orders can qualify for streamlined invoicing and, in some cases, better handling for large denominations than a standard consumer purchase
- For smaller bulk needs (a department gift exchange, a handful of client gifts), buying several individual digital cards directly through a personal or business Amazon account is often simpler than a formal bulk order
- If your business gives gift cards as employee rewards regularly, check with your accounting or HR team about tax reporting requirements, since gift cards are generally treated as taxable compensation in the US regardless of the amount
Amazon Gift Cards for International Recipients
If you’re gifting to someone outside the US, it’s worth knowing that Amazon operates separate marketplaces by country (Amazon.com for the US, Amazon.ca for Canada, Amazon.co.uk for the UK, and so on), and a gift card purchased on one country’s site generally only redeems on that same country’s marketplace.
- Check which Amazon marketplace your recipient actually shops on before buying, especially for international family or friends
- Amazon.com (US) gift cards work for any account registered to the US marketplace, regardless of the cardholder’s citizenship, as long as they’re shopping on Amazon.com specifically
- If you’re unsure which marketplace someone uses, ask directly rather than guessing, a gift card for the wrong country’s Amazon site generally can’t be redeemed elsewhere
A Brief History of the Amazon Gift Card
Amazon has offered gift cards in some form since the early 2000s, expanding from simple e-certificates into today’s much broader lineup of physical cards, digital codes, printable designs, and even Amazon-branded reloadable cards. The retail distribution network nearly 500 participating stores nationwide, has grown steadily over the past two decades as gift cards became one of the most requested gift categories across every major holiday and occasion. That same growth in popularity is part of why gift card scams targeting Amazon specifically have also become more common, which is exactly why the safety section above matters as much as knowing where to shop.
How to Spot a Legitimate Amazon Gift Card Before You Buy
This matters most for physical cards purchased in a store, where a small number of cards on any given rack could theoretically be tampered with before you buy:
- Check that the PIN or claim code on the back is still covered by an intact scratch-off panel, if it’s already been scratched or looks re-applied, ask an employee for a different card
- Inspect the packaging for any signs it’s been opened and resealed
- Buy from well-trafficked, well-lit displays near the checkout rather than an obscure rack, since tampering is less practical in high-visibility store areas
- Keep your receipt until you’ve successfully redeemed the card to your Amazon account, if there’s ever an issue, the receipt is your primary proof of purchase
Common Mistakes When Buying or Giving Amazon Gift Cards
A few avoidable mistakes account for most of the frustration people report after buying or receiving an Amazon gift card:
- Driving to Walmart or Target specifically to buy one — as covered above, neither store carries them, so save the trip
- Buying a physical card with visible packaging damage or a scratched-off PIN sticker — this can be a sign of tampering, and you should ask a store employee for a replacement rather than purchasing it
- Assuming a discounted gift card from an unfamiliar website is a good deal — this is one of the most common gift card scam setups, and there’s no reliable way to verify the balance before you pay
- Losing the physical card or claim code before redeeming it — treat a gift card like cash and store it somewhere secure until you redeem the balance to your account
- Not checking if the recipient already has an Amazon account and preferred region — an Amazon.com gift card only works on the US Amazon marketplace, not international Amazon sites, which matters if you’re gifting to someone abroad
How Much Should You Put on an Amazon Gift Card?
There’s no universal right answer, but a few common benchmarks help when you’re unsure:
- $25–$50 — typical for casual gifts, coworker exchanges, or as a supplement to another small gift
- $75–$100 — common for closer friends and family, or as a standalone birthday or holiday gift
- $150–$250 — often used for milestone gifts (graduations, weddings) or as a meaningful client or employee bonus
- $500+ — less common for casual gifting, but reasonable for major life events or significant business rewards
If you’re unsure, err slightly lower than you might for a specific physical gift, the flexibility of an Amazon gift card means even a modest amount is genuinely useful to almost any recipient, unlike a smaller cash-equivalent gift in a narrower category.
Frequently Asked Questions
What stores sell Amazon gift cards?
Amazon gift cards are sold at nearly 500 retailers nationwide, including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Whole Foods, Best Buy, Staples, GameStop, Dollar General, and many regional grocery and convenience chains. See our full categorized list for every option near you.
Does Walmart sell Amazon gift cards?
No. Walmart discontinued selling Amazon gift cards in 2017 and doesn’t carry them in-store or online, since Amazon and Walmart are direct competitors.
Does Target sell Amazon gift cards?
No. Target has never sold Amazon gift cards, for the same competitive reasons as Walmart.
Does Walmart have Amazon gift cards in any form, like a workaround?
Not directly. Some shoppers buy a general-purpose Visa or Mastercard gift card at Walmart and then use it to purchase an Amazon gift card online, but Walmart doesn’t sell Amazon-branded gift cards in any format.
What’s the best way to buy an Amazon gift card?
Buying directly from Amazon.com is generally the most flexible option, since it offers any dollar amount, instant digital delivery, and no fees. A nearby retailer like CVS or Walgreens is the better choice if you need a physical card the same day.
Is it safe to buy a discounted Amazon gift card from a third-party website?
Be very cautious. Steep discounts on gift cards are a common scam pattern, and there’s no reliable way to verify a discounted card’s balance hasn’t already been drained before you receive it. Buying directly from Amazon or an established retailer is the safest approach.
Can I buy an Amazon gift card with cash?
Yes, any physical Amazon gift card purchased at a retail store like CVS, Walgreens, or Kroger can be paid for with cash at checkout, just like any other in store purchase.
Do Amazon gift cards work on Amazon-owned services like Whole Foods or Prime Video?
Amazon gift card balances can generally be used for eligible purchases across Amazon.com, including many digital purchases and services, though some specific Amazon owned services or in-store Whole Foods purchases may have their own redemption rules check current terms on Amazon’s official gift card page before assuming full crossover.
What denominations are available for Amazon gift cards?
Buying directly through Amazon.com, you can choose any amount from $1 to $2,000. Retail stores typically offer a smaller set of fixed denominations, commonly $25, $50, and $100.
Can I return or exchange an Amazon gift card?
Generally no, gift cards are considered final sale once purchased, whether bought directly from Amazon or from a retail store, so double-check the amount and recipient details before completing the purchase.
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Sources
Federal Trade Commission — Avoiding and Reporting Gift Card Scams
