Unload Low Gift Card Balances to Amazon for Credits That Don’t Expire

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Do you ever hang onto an old gift card because it has $5.48 left on it, but you’re not sure where to use it, and it takes up space in your sock drawer?

If you have old Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express brand gift cards, you can unload the remaining balance into your Amazon account to use on Amazon purchases, and the Amazon credit will not expire.

Before you load the gift card into Amazon, make sure to activate the gift card through the website listed on the back of the card. Through the website, you can also check your balance and access your account. 

Transfer Balances on Credit Card Gift Cards to Amazon for Shopping Credit

Here's how to transfer your balances:

1. Go to Amazon's "Reload Your Balance" page.
2. Make sure you know how much is left on your gift card and load it following the prompts.
3. Enter the exact amount left on your non-Amazon gift card in the amount field.
4. Select the payment method as a credit card and enter the gift card number.
5. Select “Reload,” and the funds are transferred from the gift card to your Amazon account. 

This trick is also beneficial if you have a large Amazon purchase to make. Amazon does not let you split transactions between two credit cards but will allow you to apply an Amazon gift card to the total purchase amount. So, if you have, for example, a Visa gift card worth $100, you can apply it to a $500 Amazon purchase with this trick.

Prime Visa Credit Card

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Secure application on Amazon’s site

• Our Rating 3.5/5 How our ratings work Read the review
• APR19.49% - 27.49% (Variable)
• Annual Fee$0 More info

  $0 with Prime membership

• Sign-Up Bonus $100Gift Card More Info

  Get a $100 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval exclusively for Prime members

This card is a good fit for consumers who do a lot of shopping at Amazon and Whole Foods because they can earn an unlimited 5% cash back on purchases there. Cardholders also earn some cash back on other purchases, with decent rates for restaurants and gas stations. If you already have or plan to get a Prime membership, using this card could quickly earn you sizable cash back.

• Overview
• Pros & Cons

Overview

With high rewards rates, this card could make up for the required Prime membership fee if you shop a lot at Amazon and Whole Foods. Non-Prime members can qualify for the Prime Visa Credit Card, which is pretty similar but with lower rewards rates.

Read the review

Pros

• No annual fee
• High rewards rates
• Sign-up bonus offer
• Can redeem rewards as soon as the next day
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Must have a Prime membership for highest rewards rates
• No intro APR offer

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The Best Credit Cards to Maximize Amazon Purchases

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Purchase New Gift Cards to Earn Points and Miles

All of these gift cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express gift cards) can be a great way to earn points and miles through your credit cards as well, depending on where you purchase the gift cards.

If your local gas station sells Visa or Mastercard gift cards, you can purchase these from the gas station using a credit card with a qualifying rewards structure.

However, be aware that many of these gift cards require an activation fee of around $4 to $8, which can erode the points you earn from purchasing them.

You can also ask Chase to combine your business and personal accounts so you can transfer the points value of cash back from a Chase Ink Business Cash account to a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Ink Business Preferred® account. Once transferred to one of these accounts with access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, all of the combined points can be used for travel, which can be more lucrative than redeeming points for cash back.