You cannot transfer an Amazon gift card balance directly to a bank account
Amazon gift card funds live only in your Amazon account and can only be spent on Amazon.com or through Amazon services like Prime Video or Audible. There is no official Amazon process to move that balance to a checking or savings account, and no Amazon tool to convert it to cash.
What you can do instead depends on what you own and what you are willing to trade. You can sell physical items you buy with the balance, convert the balance into a different form of currency through a third party (with fees), or spend the balance on something you can resell. Each route has real costs and real risks.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon gift card balances cannot move to a bank account through any official Amazon channel.
- Selling items you purchase with the balance is the most straightforward way to convert it to cash, though you absorb shipping costs and marketplace fees.
- Third-party sites that buy Amazon balances charge 5 to 20 percent in fees and carry fraud risk on both sides of the transaction.
- Amazon does not recognize or reverse transactions with third-party conversion services, so if something goes wrong, you have no recourse.
- The safest option is to spend the balance on items you actually need or want, or to give the balance to someone else as a gift.
Selling items you buy with the gift card balance
This is the most direct route and the one Amazon will support if something goes wrong. You use your gift card balance to buy a new or used item on Amazon, then resell it on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or another resale platform. You keep the cash from the sale, minus the cost of shipping and any marketplace fees.
The math works best for items that hold value well and ship cheaply. Electronics, books, and brand-name goods tend to resell closer to their original price. Clothing, shoes, and items that are heavy or fragile cost more to ship and may sell for less than you paid. You will also need to account for eBay's final value fee (typically 12.9 percent plus $0.30 per sale) or Facebook Marketplace's lack of fees but slower sales velocity.
The risk is that you buy something, it does not sell, and you are left holding an item you did not want. You can return most items to Amazon within 30 days, which puts the balance back in your account—but you are back where you started.
Using a third-party gift card marketplace
Sites like Raise, CardCash, and Gameflip buy Amazon gift card balances directly from you. You list your balance, they connect you with a buyer, and they deposit cash into your bank account. The process typically takes one to three business days after the buyer confirms the transaction.
The catch is the fee. Most platforms take 5 to 20 percent of your balance, depending on demand and the size of the balance. A $100 Amazon balance might net you $80 to $95 in actual cash. Smaller balances (under $25) often have higher percentage fees because the transaction cost is fixed.
There is also fraud risk on both sides. Buyers can claim they never received the code or that it did not work, and the platform may reverse the payment to your bank account. Sellers can send invalid or already-used codes. These platforms have dispute processes, but they are slow and do not always rule in your favor. Amazon does not recognize these transactions and will not intervene if a code is disputed after the sale.
What happens if you try to use a code that was already redeemed
If you buy a gift card balance from a third party and the code has already been used, Amazon will reject it when you try to redeem it. The message will say the code is invalid or has already been applied to an account. At that point, you have no recourse with Amazon—the company does not track or reverse third-party sales.
Your only option is to dispute the transaction with the third-party platform or your bank. If you paid through a credit card or debit card, you can file a chargeback with your bank, which reverses the charge and opens an investigation. If you paid through PayPal or another payment service, you can file a dispute there. This process takes two to four weeks and is not may provide to succeed.
Spending the balance on items you can resell later
A middle ground is to buy items with your gift card balance that you know you can resell quickly and with minimal loss. Popular electronics, video games, and collectibles often hold value. You buy them on Amazon, then list them on eBay or Mercari the same day. You do not have to wait for the item to arrive—you can list it as "new, unopened" and ship it directly to the buyer once it reaches you.
This works if you have the cash flow to cover shipping costs upfront and can absorb the marketplace fees. It also requires you to be comfortable with the resale process and to have a sense of what items will sell quickly. If you guess wrong, you end up with inventory you did not plan for.
Giving the balance to someone else
Amazon allows you to send a gift card balance to another person's Amazon account. You go to your account, select "Gift Cards," and choose "Send a Gift Card by Email." You enter the recipient's email address and the amount you want to send (up to your full balance). They receive an email with a code they can redeem into their own account.
This does not get you cash, but it does move the balance out of your account if you do not plan to use it. The recipient can then use it to buy something, or they can attempt to convert it to cash using the same methods described above. There are no fees for sending a gift card balance to another person.
Why Amazon does not allow direct transfers
Amazon gift card balances are stored credit, not actual money. They exist only within Amazon's system and are tied to your account. Transferring them to a bank account would require Amazon to process a cash withdrawal, which creates tax and accounting complications for the company. It also opens the door to fraud—if balances could move freely to bank accounts, stolen gift cards would be instantly converted to untraceable cash.
From Amazon's perspective, keeping the balance locked in the account encourages you to spend it on Amazon products and services, where the company makes a margin. Allowing cash-outs would defeat that purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my Amazon gift card balance to pay a credit card bill?
No. Amazon gift card balances can only be used to buy items or services on Amazon.com, Prime Video, Audible, or other Amazon-owned services. You cannot use them to pay external bills or credit cards. Your only option is to convert the balance to cash through resale or a third-party marketplace.
What if I have a very small balance left, like $2?
Small balances are difficult to convert because third-party marketplaces charge flat or percentage-based fees that eat up most of the value. Your best option is to spend it on a low-cost item on Amazon—a digital book, a song, or a small physical item—or to combine it with another payment method to buy something you need.
Is it safe to use a third-party gift card site?
Third-party sites are not inherently unsafe, but they carry risk that Amazon does not. If a code is invalid or already used, Amazon will not help you recover the money. Your only recourse is through the third-party platform or your bank's dispute process, both of which take time and are not may provide to succeed. Read reviews of the specific platform before you use it.
Can I sell my Amazon gift card balance on eBay?
eBay prohibits the sale of gift card codes or digital gift card balances. If you list a code for sale and eBay finds out, your listing will be removed and your account may be suspended. You can sell physical items you buy with the balance, but not the balance itself.
What if Amazon closes my account while I have a balance?
If Amazon closes your account for a violation of their terms of service, any remaining gift card balance is forfeited. Amazon does not refund balances to closed accounts. This is rare, but it is a reason to spend or transfer your balance if you are concerned about your account status.