Gift cards are controlled by the business or card program that issued them. A retailer or platform controls a closed-loop card, while the program issuer handles a Visa or Mastercard prepaid card. Use the issuer's official redemption and balance tools, keep your receipt, and treat every card number and PIN like cash.

For U.S. consumers, federal rules set minimum standards for expiration dates and inactivity fees on most retail gift cards. They don't guarantee a refund for a lost card, a scam, or an unwanted purchase. The cardholder agreement, retailer policy, payment method, and state law may all affect the outcome.

Identify the gift card before using it

A store gift card generally isn't a general-purpose payment card. A Visa or Mastercard gift card isn't a credit card either: it uses a prepaid balance rather than a credit line, and it may not work for every transaction that accepts the network.

Before redeeming or giving a card:

• Check the brand, country or storefront, and printed terms.
• Inspect a physical card to make sure the PIN area hasn't been exposed or altered. The FDIC's consumer guidance recommends checking that codes haven't been scratched off before buying.
• Keep the receipt, order email, and packaging.
• If the issuer offers registration, complete it through the official website or app. Registration may help the issuer locate the card if you later report a problem.
• Never send the card number, PIN, or a photo of the code to an unexpected caller, texter, or email sender.

How to redeem a gift card

Use the retailer's or platform's own app or website:

1. Type the website address yourself or open the official app. Don't use a redemption link from an unexpected message.
2. Sign in to the account and country storefront where you plan to use the card.
3. Open the gift-card, wallet, or payment section.
4. Enter the claim code or card details exactly as shown.
5. Confirm that the balance was added or that the card was accepted before closing the page.
6. Save the confirmation and remaining balance.

Menu names change, so follow the current instructions shown by the issuer. These examples illustrate the usual process:

• Amazon: Sign in to the correct Amazon storefront, open the account's gift-card section, choose the redeem option, and enter the claim code. The amount may become an account balance rather than remain a separate card balance.
• Apple: Use the App Store or Apple Account settings and choose "Redeem Gift Card or Code." The card's country or region must match the account where it's redeemed.
• Steam: Use the Steam client or website's wallet-code redemption area. Currency and regional restrictions can prevent a code from working.
• Walmart, Target, and similar retailers: Check the retailer's current gift-card page or app instructions. Some cards work online and in stores; others are limited to one channel.

Using a Visa or Mastercard gift card

A network-branded gift card is usually entered as a payment card, not as a retailer claim code. At an online checkout, provide the card number, expiration date, and security code as requested. If the merchant asks for a billing ZIP code or address, follow the issuer's registration instructions.

A transaction can be declined when:

• The purchase exceeds the available balance.
• The merchant places a temporary authorization, deposit, or other hold.
• The card isn't enabled for online, international, recurring, or certain merchant-category transactions.
• The merchant doesn't support split tender.
• The card hasn't been activated or has expired.

Gas stations, hotels, car-rental companies, and subscription services may place a hold or require a payment arrangement that a particular prepaid card can't support. Check the issuer's terms before relying on the card for those payments.

How to check a gift card balance

Use the source that issued the card:

1. Retailer or platform card: Sign in to the official account or use the balance-check page named on the card or packaging.
2. Physical card: Enter the card number and PIN only on the issuer's official website, or call the number printed on the card.
3. Visa or Mastercard gift card: Use the issuer's balance service listed on the back of the card. Avoid third-party balance checkers.
4. Account-based card: Check the account balance after redemption. Once a code is added to an account, it may no longer show a separate card balance.

Check the balance before a large purchase and again afterward. Save the receipt or confirmation showing the transaction. Be wary of balance-checking websites found through unsolicited texts, social-media posts, or suspicious search ads; they may be trying to collect card numbers and PINs.

If the balance is lower than expected, ask the issuer for transaction details. Have the card number, receipt, purchase date, amount, and redemption confirmation ready.

What to do when a gift card won't work

If the code is partly hidden or the packaging looks altered, stop trying combinations and keep the card, packaging, and receipt. Don't post a photo of the card; it could expose the balance.

When a store sold an inactive or visibly altered card, contact that store with the receipt as well as the issuer. The seller and issuer may handle different parts of the problem.

Lost, stolen, or compromised gift cards

Report a missing card as soon as possible. Ask the issuer whether it can block the card or issue a replacement. Recovery is more likely when you have the card number, receipt, order confirmation, or proof that the card was registered, but federal gift-card rules don't guarantee replacement.

For a digital card, secure the related email and retailer account:

• Change the password if you suspect unauthorized access.
• Turn on two-factor authentication when available.
• Review recent account activity and remove unfamiliar payment details.
• Contact the issuer through its official app or website.

If a scammer received the code, follow the steps in the next section immediately. Don't wait to see whether the balance is still there.

Gift card scams to avoid

An unexpected request to buy gift cards to pay a bill, fine, tax, ransom, bail, technical-support charge, or "refund" is a major scam warning. Impostors often tell people to buy specific amounts, scratch off the PIN, and read the numbers over the phone or send a photo.

Protect yourself by:

• Ending an unexpected call instead of staying on the line.
• Verifying the request through a phone number or website you find independently.
• Never sharing a PIN, claim code, one-time password, or full card photo.
• Treating caller ID, familiar voices, and urgent messages as unverified.
• Buying from a trusted retailer and checking the packaging and receipt.
• Refusing requests from anyone who says you must buy more cards to recover money.

If you already shared the code, contact the issuer immediately and ask whether any remaining balance can be frozen. Then contact the retailer where the card was purchased and the bank or card issuer used to pay for it. Keep the scam messages, phone number, receipts, payment statement, and case numbers.

A credit-card dispute or bank investigation may help in some situations, but an authorized purchase given to a scammer isn't automatically reversed. The sooner you report it, the more information the issuer may have to investigate.

U.S. expiration dates and inactivity fees

For most U.S. retail gift cards covered by the federal CARD Act, the underlying funds generally can't expire earlier than five years after the card was issued or the funds were last loaded, whichever is later. If the card or funds can expire, the expiration date and related terms must be disclosed.

Federal rules also generally restrict inactivity, dormancy, and service fees. Such a fee usually can't be charged until the card has been inactive for at least 12 months. The fee must be disclosed, and no more than one such fee may be charged in a month. These rules don't eliminate every purchase, activation, or shipping fee, so read the terms before buying.

Promotional, loyalty, award, and incentive cards may not be covered in exactly the same way. State laws can be more protective and may address low-balance cash redemption, fees, abandoned property, or additional disclosures. NCSL's overview of state gift-card statutes shows why the state where the card was purchased can matter.

The expiration date printed on the plastic may also differ from the expiration of the underlying funds. If a card has expired, contact the issuer before discarding it and ask whether replacement or access to any remaining balance is available.

These rules don't mean a gift card lasts forever, and they don't create automatic reimbursement for a lost card, stolen code, or scam. A retailer gift card also isn't the same as an eligible bank deposit for FDIC insurance purposes.

This section applies only to cards issued or purchased for use in the United States. A card bought abroad or issued for another country's storefront may follow different laws, currencies, and redemption restrictions.

Returns, refunds, and credit-card disputes

There is no universal rule requiring a retailer to refund an unwanted gift card. The merchant's return policy and the card's terms control. A retailer may impose additional restrictions after a code has been revealed or redeemed.

If a business closes or stops honoring cards, don't assume the unused balance will be refunded. Check the issuer's instructions and any official notice from the business or its administrator. Keep proof of purchase in case the administrator or issuer provides a claims process.

If you paid for the card with a credit card, contact the card issuer promptly when:

• The charge was unauthorized.
• The merchant charged you but never delivered the card.
• The card was sold as activated but wasn't provided as promised.

Ask which billing-error or dispute process fits the facts. That process is different from an authorized purchase where you later gave the code to a scammer, and neither route guarantees recovery. Keep the purchase receipt, statement, order confirmation, and a timeline of events.

Buying a gift card with a credit card

Many retailers and credit-card issuers allow gift-card purchases with a credit card, as Chase explains. The transaction may be treated differently by different issuers, however. Before buying, check whether the purchase could count as a regular purchase or a cash advance.

A cash advance may carry a fee and interest from the transaction date, and rewards aren't guaranteed. Use a credit card only when the terms are clear and you can pay the balance in full.

Digital versus physical gift cards

Digital isn't automatically safer: a stolen email account can expose the code. Physical cards need their own checks; inspect one before purchase and keep the receipt.

If an employer gave you the card

The issuer controls how the card can be redeemed, but tax treatment is separate. In the United States, an employer-provided gift card is generally treated as cash-equivalent compensation rather than automatically tax-free because the amount is small. Ask payroll how it will be reported instead of relying on an informal small-gift threshold.

Who to contact when something goes wrong

If you're troubleshooting now, stop entering the code, gather the receipt and order details, and contact the issuer through a phone number or website you verify independently. Ask for a case number and write down the next step before ending the conversation.