Amazon gift cards cannot be transferred directly to a bank account
Amazon does not offer a way to convert gift card balance into cash that lands in your bank account. Once a gift card is redeemed into your Amazon account, that balance stays locked inside Amazon's system and can only be spent on Amazon purchases—including physical goods, digital content, and services like Prime membership or AWS credits.
If you have an Amazon gift card you haven't redeemed yet, you have a few options to get cash instead. If you've already added it to your account, your options narrow significantly. The path forward depends on which situation you're in and how much friction you're willing to accept.
Key Takeaways
- Unredeemed Amazon gift cards can sometimes be sold to a third-party reseller for cash, though you'll receive less than face value.
- Once a gift card balance is added to your Amazon account, Amazon will not refund it to your bank account or convert it to cash.
- You can spend Amazon balance on physical goods and resell them, but shipping costs and the time to sell make this inefficient.
- Amazon account credit from returns or refunds is subject to the same restrictions as gift card balance—it cannot be withdrawn as cash.
Selling an unredeemed gift card for cash
If you still have the physical card or the code and haven't added it to your Amazon account yet, you can sell it to a reseller. Websites like Raise, CardCash, and Decluttr buy Amazon gift cards at a discount—typically 80 to 95 percent of face value, depending on demand and the card's condition.
The process is straightforward: you provide the card number and PIN (or the code from an email gift card), the reseller verifies it has the stated balance, and they send you payment via bank transfer, PayPal, or check. Turnaround is usually one to three business days. The tradeoff is that you lose 5 to 20 percent of the card's value immediately.
Some resellers require you to verify the card balance on Amazon's website before listing it, which means you'll need to log in but not redeem it. Read the reseller's terms carefully—some will not accept cards that have already been added to an account.
What happens if the balance is already in your Amazon account
Once you've redeemed the gift card code and the balance appears in your Amazon account, it becomes account credit. Amazon treats this the same way it treats refunds: the money stays in your account and can only be used for future purchases. There is no mechanism to withdraw it, transfer it, or convert it to cash.
Amazon's terms of service explicitly state that account credit is non-transferable and has no cash value. If you contact Amazon customer service and explain that you want to convert the balance to cash, they will decline. This applies even if the gift card was a mistake or a duplicate.
The only exception is if Amazon made an error—for example, if they charged you twice for an order and credited your account by mistake. In that case, you can request a refund to your original payment method. But a gift card balance that you intentionally redeemed has no refund path.
Converting balance to cash by buying and reselling items
Some people try to recover cash from account credit by purchasing items at full price and then reselling them on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or other platforms. This works in theory but rarely makes financial sense in practice.
You'll lose money to shipping costs, seller fees on the resale platform (typically 10 to 15 percent), and the time spent photographing, listing, and communicating with buyers. A $50 gift card balance might net you $30 to $35 after all costs. You're also taking on the risk that the item won't sell or will sell for less than you expected.
This approach makes sense only if you were planning to buy the item anyway and can resell it quickly at a small loss. Otherwise, the effort and cost outweigh the recovery.
Refunds and returns go back to your original payment method, not gift card balance
If you purchase something with your Amazon account credit (gift card balance) and then return it, the refund does not go back into your account credit. Instead, Amazon refunds to your original payment method—the credit card, debit card, or bank account you used to buy the gift card in the first place.
This is one of the few ways account credit can indirectly become cash: buy something with the balance, return it, and the refund lands in your bank account. But this only works if you have a returnable item and you're willing to wait for the return to process (typically 5 to 10 business days after Amazon receives it).
Why Amazon doesn't allow cash withdrawals from gift cards
Amazon's restriction on converting gift card balance to cash is a business decision, not a technical limitation. Gift cards are a form of stored value that Amazon can hold without immediately delivering goods. Allowing cash withdrawals would turn gift cards into a payment instrument similar to a prepaid debit card, which carries different regulatory and accounting requirements.
From Amazon's perspective, keeping the balance in your account increases the likelihood that you'll spend it on Amazon purchases rather than elsewhere. It also simplifies their accounting and reduces fraud risk compared to processing cash refunds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my Amazon gift card balance to someone else's account?
No. Amazon account credit is non-transferable. You cannot send it to another person's account, and Amazon will not process a transfer request. If you want to give someone money to spend on Amazon, you must purchase a new gift card and send them the code.
What if I received a duplicate gift card or one I didn't want?
If you haven't redeemed it yet, sell it to a reseller like Raise or CardCash. If you've already added it to your account, you're stuck with the balance. Amazon does not make exceptions for unwanted or duplicate gift cards once they're redeemed.
Do Amazon store credit and gift card balance work the same way?
Yes. Whether the balance came from a gift card, a promotional credit, or a return refund, it all functions as account credit. None of it can be withdrawn as cash or transferred out of Amazon.
Can I use my Amazon balance to pay a credit card bill or loan?
No. Your Amazon account credit can only be used to purchase items and services sold by Amazon or third-party sellers on Amazon's platform. It cannot be used to pay external bills or loans.
What if I contact Amazon customer service and ask them to refund the gift card?
Amazon will decline. Their policy is that redeemed gift cards have no refund value. Customer service representatives do not have the authority to override this, even in cases where the card was unwanted or received as a duplicate.