Shopping for gifts isn’t easy. You’re looking up great ideas online, shuffling through tons of products, and battling tough choices. But sometimes, the perfect gift is to let your loved ones choose what they want. Amazon gift cards are a good way to give them that luxury.

As impersonal as gift cards seem, they are timeless and present endless possibilities since Amazon sells about everything you can think of. So, if you’re short on time and need a gift that doesn’t scream, “I picked up this Chili’s gift card at the gas station on the way here,” an Amazon gift card is as easy to find and lets your friends and loved ones get something decent (besides a Mix and Match Fajita Trio).

How to buy Amazon Gift Cards online

If you’re thinking of snagging an Amazon gift card, open your top-of-the-line Chromebook or Windows PC and navigate to the Amazon website. Gift cards come in preset amounts, but you can create custom values from $1 to $2,000. You can shop by occasion or card type and have the gift Card delivered via email, text message, or physically. You even have the luxury of printing and handing it out yourself.

Stores where you can buy Amazon Gift Cards

If you’re not a fan of buying online, Amazon gift cards are available at nearly 500 retail store brands. While you can pick up a gift card at your local Whole Foods Market, you’ll also find them at most drug, convenience, and grocery stores. They’re usually available in $15, $25, $50, and $100 denominations near the checkout counter. And if that doesn’t fit your needs, some stores can load any amount between $25 and $500.

You’ll find a full list of the participating retail stores on Amazon.com. But if you’re in for a quick treat, here are the major retailers that sell Amazon gift cards:

• Best Buy
• CVS
• GameStop
• Apple Market
• Lowes
• 7-Eleven
• Kohls’s
• Kroger
• Office Depot
• Walgreens
• Safeway
• Food City
• GameStop
• Ingles Markets
• Wesco

If you’re buying a gift card in-store, ensure the packaging isn’t damaged, and the gift card code is not exposed.

Do Walmart and Target sell Amazon Gift Cards?

Like you won’t find the superb Google Pixel 7 Pro at an Apple Store, you won’t find Amazon Gift Cards at Walmart and Target. Those stores are direct competitors to Amazon, so it makes sense that one isn’t promoting the other at its own peril. You can’t redeem Amazon Gift Cards at these stores. So, when customers buy a gift card, Amazon gains more customers from Walmart and Target.

In a turn of favor, Amazon doesn’t sell gift cards from these mega-retailers. You must visit Walmart or Sam’s Club to get Walmart gift cards, while Target gift cards are available at other retail stores except Amazon.

Can you buy Amazon Gift Cards at warehouse stores like Sam’s Club or Costco?

Walmart owns Sam’s Club, and Costco is a direct competitor to Amazon, meaning you won’t find Amazon gift cards there. You’re better off buying Amazon gift cards directly from its website or one of its participating retail stores.

Where can I find discounted Amazon Gift Cards?

While Amazon rarely offers discounts on gift cards, even on Amazon Prime days, they’re not nonexistent on the internet. Some third-party merchants buy gift cards from people who don’t need them and then sell them at lower rates. Not at extremely cheap amounts, but you can expect between 1% and 5% discounts, depending on where you shop. You might also get a cut if you use a coupon code when checking out, but that doesn’t count as a discount.

All the same, merchants selling real discounted gift cards online are rare. If the price cut is too good to be true, it’s likely a scam. So, watch out for scams in your pursuit to find cheap Amazon gift cards online.

How to send a gift card online

Amazon eGift cards are the most convenient of the lot. After you’ve decided on the details, what’s left is to get the card and send it. Here’s how:

1. Go to the Amazon Gift Cards landing page.
2. Click the Amazon Gift Cards image.

3. Choose Amazon.com eGift Card.

4. Select a design of your choice. You’ll see Amazon’s standard JPEG and animated designs, but you can also upload custom photos or videos.
5. Select an amount and the delivery method (email or text message). You can only send to one person via text message, while email allows up to 999 recipients.

6. Include a customized message if the default “Hope you enjoy this Amazon gift card!” doesn’t sound creative enough for you.
7. Choose the number of gift cards to send to the recipients. This option is only available when sending to one person over email. If there is more than one email, it automatically sends one to each person.
8. Choose a delivery date, which can be anywhere from immediate to one year later.
9. After you get the details in, click Buy Now or Add to cart in the upper-right corner to complete your order.

If you prefer physical gift cards over virtual ones, you can choose the amount, design, and shipping location and have Amazon deliver them by mail. As far as designs go, you can choose between gift boxes, gift bags, mini envelopes, reveals, or greeting cards.

Things to know before you buy an Amazon gift card

Gift cards purchased on Amazon.com are only redeemable on the same platform. If your friends in other countries use Amazon, you need to buy the card from there. It’s also worth noting that you can’t return or refund gift cards. But those caveats aside, Amazon gift cards never expire and carry no fees, making them some of the best items to gift loved ones.

With Amazon Cash, you can add funds to your gift card using your debit or credit card online or at various retailers. This is an excellent option for people who are unbanked and want to shop online. It’s worth noting that most retailers accept cash, but other payment methods may vary. Check out the Amazon Cash FAQ to learn about the process and participating retailers.

One more gift is out of the way

Sending gifts to loved ones is a great way to strengthen bonds. It shows thoughtfulness, even more so when you go out of your way to get something the person likes. But this isn’t always feasible. In such instances, Amazon gift cards offer a cool alternative. If you received a few gift cards, here’s how to check your Amazon gift card balance.