can you transfer amazon gift card balance to another account

You’ve just received an Amazon gift card, and it’s a wonderful feeling. But what if you’d rather someone else had the credit? Perhaps you received a duplicate, or you want to help a family member make a purchase. This leads to a very common question: can you move that balance from your account to someone else’s?

The short and direct answer is no, Amazon’s policy does not allow you to directly transfer a gift card balance from one account to another. The funds are permanently tied to the account that redeemed them. However, don’t lose hope just yet. While a direct transfer isn’t possible, there are a few clever and completely legitimate workarounds to achieve a similar result.

What You Can Do Instead of a Direct Transfer

Since the balance itself is locked to your account, the simplest solution is to use your balance to buy a new gift card for someone else. Think of it as a balance conversion. You use the funds in your account to purchase a digital gift card, which you then email directly to the recipient. They receive the code, redeem it on their own Amazon account, and the credit is now theirs. It’s a quick and seamless process that effectively moves the value.

How to Send a Gift Card Using Your Balance

Using your existing balance to send a new gift card is straightforward. First, go to the Amazon Gift Cards page. Select the design and amount for the new gift card. At checkout, the system will automatically apply your gift card balance to cover the purchase. Just ensure you enter the recipient’s email address correctly. They’ll get the gift card almost instantly, and you’ll have successfully shared the credit.

Important Considerations Before You Proceed

Before you send a new gift card, it’s good to keep a couple of things in mind. Be aware that promotional credit or gift card balances from certain sources, like trade-ins, often cannot be used to buy another gift card. Also, once you send a new gift card, you cannot cancel it. The value belongs to the recipient as soon as it’s delivered to their email.

While you can’t move an existing balance like transferring cash between bank accounts, the gift-of-a-gift-card method is Amazon’s intended and very effective way to share the credit. It’s a simple process that lets you use your funds to give someone else the joy of an Amazon shopping spree.