Have you ever received an Amazon Gift Card from a friend or family member and wondered – how can I check the balance? Or perhaps you‘re a frequent Amazon shopper with gift card funds applied to your account that you need to keep on top of.
This comprehensive 2500+ word guide will walk through everything related to checking gift card balances straight from your Amazon account.
I‘ll explain:
- Exactly how to view gift card balances in 4 quick steps
- When to check and why balances matter
- How to easily top-up and redeem cards
- Plus extra tips and answers to frequently asked questions
As an experienced tech specialist and avid Amazon user myself, I‘ll be sharing insider advice so you can master the ins and outs of managing gift card funds seamlessly.
Think of me as your friendly expert guide! I‘m going to clearly walk you through the topics above so checking your balance becomes quick, easy, second nature.
Let‘s dive right in…
An Overview: What We‘ll Cover About Amazon Gift Card Balances
Here is an outline summarizing everything I‘m going to explain in detail throughout this guide:
What is an Amazon Gift Card Balance
- Definition – prepaid funds linked to your account
- Never expires but evolves over time
- Used like cash towards Amazon purchases
Why Check Your Amazon Gift Card Balance
- IMPORTANT: Avoid overspending, monitor deductions
- Before making purchases to budget spend
- Ensure gifted card amount has been applied
- Combine with other payment methods
How to Check Amazon Gift Card Balance in 4 Steps
I‘ll walk through exactly how to view balance:
Step 1: Log into Amazon Account
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Your Account‘ > ‘Gift Cards & Top Up‘
Step 3: Locate overall ‘Gift Card Balance‘ total
Step 4: See activity statement with deductions
Redeeming, Checking & Topping-Up Tips
Additional guidance on:
- Applying and tracking new gift cards
- When and how to top up your balance
- Best practices for seamless management
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Including:
- What you can/can‘t purchase with gift card funds
- Do my funds expire? Can I lose my balance?
- Are maintenance fees deducted?
…and much more!
Let‘s start unraveling exactly how to access that handy gift card balance.
What is an Amazon Gift Card Balance?
When you receive or redeem an Amazon Gift Card, the stated value becomes linked straight to your Amazon account as prepaid funds or store credit.
This creates a virtual gift card balance wallet tied directly to your account profile.
As you place orders on Amazon, any available gift card balance automatically deducts like cash towards your purchases. Just like tapping a Starbucks rewards card!
Once redeemed, Amazon gift cards don‘t have to be used up fully in one go either.
Any remaining balance simply sticks around in your account for future Amazon spending online or in-store. It‘s always there deducting automatically at checkout if funds available.
Pretty handy right?
Over time new gift cards add to your total balance, while spending deducts from it in an ongoing cycle. Being able to check the latest balance is therefore important…
Here‘s why:
Why You Should Check Your Amazon Gift Card Balance
On the surface, checking an unused gift card balance seems pointless.
Once redeemed to your account, any funds essentially become vouchers for future Amazon purchases. However, there are some excellent reasons for keeping across your card activity:
Ensure Full Value Applied
When redeeming a gifted Amazon card for the first time, always validate the correct balance was credited.
Amazon has robust processes to prevent errors or digit typos, however it has been known to occur so best to check.
Avoid Overspending Your Balance
It‘s easy to get carried away browsing for items, filling your cart, only to find at checkout your collective balance across cards can‘t quite cover it.
Checking before a purchase ensures no payment shocks!
MonitorBalance Deductions
Gift cards aren‘t just set-and-forget either. It‘s smart to monitor your balance activity every so often to ensure legit deductions.
Amazon itemizes each transaction that has debited funds from your card. You can cross-check purchases or deductions made.
Combine Funds with Other Methods
When completing a purchase, you can choose to partly pay by gift card, topping up the rest with a secondary payment option like credit card.
Before selecting split-payment, check your balance fits within your budget for the order.
Gift Card Balance = Spend Budget
Speaking of budgeting, maintaining awareness of your card balance is actually a neat way to keep tabs on available spend funds for Amazon, especially around special events.
Much like allocating vacation or Christmas shopping cash in an envelope, your card balance visually indicates spending power.
Checking intermittently means you know exactly how much you have left to play with!
Ensure You Top-Up Before a Purchase
If funds start running low, Amazon makes adding money easy via gift card Top Ups applied to your existing card wallet.
But before topping up $100, $50 may be all you need for that next book purchase or birthday gift. Quickly check first so not overfunding your card.
And that leads nicely into how to check that handy available balance…
How to Check Amazon Gift Card Balance in 4 Steps
Checking current total balance tied to your account requires just 4 simple steps:
Step 1: Log Into Your Amazon Account
First, access your Amazon account via desktop, mobile site or in the Amazon Shopping app.
Sign in using your regular username and password credentials:
Log into your Amazon account as normal
Once signed in, your gift card balance and any transaction activity is readily available.
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Your Account‘ > ‘Gift Cards & Top Up‘
Hover over ‘Accounts & Lists‘ in the top header menu and click ‘Your Account‘:
Head to Your Account page
Alternatively in-app, tap the profile icon in the bottom toolbar then select ‘Your Account‘.
Next on your Account page, look for and click ‘Gift Cards & Top Up‘ in right-hand menu:
Access Gift Card section from Your Account
This brings up your gift card wallet dashboard.
Mobile app users, tap the menu icon ≡ instead for account options > Payments > Gift Cards & Promotional Credit.
Step 3: Locate Overall ‘Gift Card Balance‘ Total
Your current combined balance across all cards on your account displays prominently at the top:
Beneath shows expiry (10 years from last use) and separate card details.
Step 4: View Balance Deduction Activity
Next view amount claimed and transaction activity drawing down your balance:
Redeemed amounts appear as credits, while spends show as deductions.
And checking current balance plus recent activity becomes that easy!
Tip: bookmark the gift card section on Your Account for quick access later.
Let‘s cover a few related topics around topping up and redeeming gift card codes…
Topping Up Your Amazon Gift Card Balance
Gift cards aren‘t single load use only. As balance depletes or that next purchase exceeds remaining funds, Amazon makes topping up easy.
I‘ll explain how to add money quickly:
Why Top-Up Your Amazon Gift Card
Topping up reloads extra funds directly onto existing gift card balance. Common reasons include:
- Original gift card fully spent but want to keep using
- Large order exceeds current balance
- Given money/voucher to allocate towards next Amazon purchase
It saves hassle of redeeming multiple singular gift cards and associated codes. Consolidates value into one central wallet.
How to Top-Up Your Balance in 2 Steps
Adding money only takes seconds:
Step 1: Select ‘Top Up Your Balance‘
Underneath your current card balance is a handy link saying ‘Top up your account‘:
Click here to go directly to the Top Up checkout page.
Step 2: Choose Top Up Amount to Add
On the Top Up product page, pick an amount from suggested presets like $25, $50 etc or enter your desired whole dollar sum:
Select your value then click/tap yellow ‘Buy Now‘ button to go through checkout paying by card, completing top up.
That instantly adds chosen dollars to your current gift card balance, ready for spending!
Redeeming New Amazon Gift Cards
What happens when you receive fresh Amazon gift cards – either physical or emailed – that you want to add?
Rather than create multiple singular card balances, Amazon has a slick process to apply new card value straight to your current wallet.
Here‘s how:
Activate and Merge New Gift Cards in 2 Steps
To amalgamate any new or additional gift card amounts into total balance:
Step 1: Locate ‘Redeem Gift Card‘ Link
Underneath your current card statement is option reading ‘Redeem a gift card‘:
Click here after receiving a new Amazon voucher, whether physical or email gift card.
Step 2: Submit Gift Card Claim Code
On next screen, carefully enter the gift card‘s claim code without dashes in the box:
Then click ‘Apply to Your Balance‘. New value instantly merges with existing card funds in your account!
Now any available total balance deducts together when shopping.
And it‘s as straightforward as that checking, topping up and activating Amazon gift cards towards your balance wallet.
Before we wrap-up, let me quickly zip through some commonly asked questions.
FAQs on Amazon Gift Card Balances
Here I‘ll tackle the most frequently asked questions on gift card balances – from expiry dates, fees, what you can buy and more:
Do Amazon gift card balances expire?
Yes, but very slowly. Amazon‘s policy gives balances 10 years after last use before expiring, with remaining money escheated (surrendered) to the state.
What can I purchase using Amazon gift card balance?
Virtually anything on Amazon – physical products, Prime membership, digital content, plus items from third party sellers all deduct from your card funds automatically during checkout.
Are any fees deducted from claimed gift card balances?
Nope! Amazon states you receive the exact full cash value original balance with no hidden charges.
Can I use Amazon gift card balance for non-Amazon purchases?
Unfortunately no, the prepaid funds only apply on Amazon affiliated domains. Can‘t pay other sites like eBay either.
What countries allow Amazon gift cards?
Amazon gift cards redeemable online in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Spain, United States plus more. View full list here.
Can I transfer Amazon gift card balance to another user?
No, balances always remain tied to the original Amazon account in which first activated and can‘t be extracted out or gifted to other people.
Still have questions? Amazon‘s help section has you covered with additional gift card FAQs here.
And that wraps up this complete step-by-step guide on checking Amazon gift card balances!
You now know:
- How to view current balance in 4 quick steps
- When and why checking activity matters
- Tips to seamlessly top-up and redeem gift cards
So next time you score an Amazon gift voucher for your birthday or the holidays, you can promptly validate funds and monitor that card balance with confidence over time.
Happy (gift card) spending!
