I hate wasting money, especially when it feels like gift card nickel-and-diming!
If you have cash gift cards lying around with, let’s say, $0.52 on one gift card and $0.60 on another, then I’ve got a simple tip for accessing that cash and finally throwing away your fully redeemed gift card.
Cash Gift Card Tip
My favorite, most convenient way to use small cash amounts left on cash gift cards is to convert the gift cards to Amazon gift cards.
Converting your cash gift cards to Amazon gift cards allows you to consolidate your cash gift cards and use every last cent off every cash gift card you have.
Check your current gift card balance.
The steps are easy; first, check your gift card’s balance. You can typically call the phone number or go to the website listed on your gift card’s backside. You’ll need to know your gift card number, expiration date, and 3-digit code.
You’ll need to know the exact amount left on your cash gift card for our next steps. I checked this Visa card’s available balance and found $0.63 left on the gift card.
Head over to your Amazon account
Next, log in to your Amazon account. You’ll want to navigate to the “Gift Card Balance” area. To point out, you can access this page directly: https://www.amazon.com/gc/balance/.
Click the “Reload Your Balance” button.
“Reload Your Balance” will take you to a page where you can reload or purchase Amazon gift card funds. Use the “Other” form field to use the exact amount left on your cash gift card. In this case, I’ll type in $0.63, and the Buy Now button to purchase an Amazon Reload for $0.63.
Amazon allows you to reload your Amazon balance with a fifty-cent minimum.
Surprisingly, I’ve found that transactions are visible immediately for most cash gift cards and Amazon. Consequently, you will see your new Amazon Reload purchase listed as an Amazon gift card balance immediately after completing your Amazon transaction. Amazon gift card balances are available to use on all future Amazon purchases.
Before tossing out your physical gift card, I recommend double-checking that your cash gift card has a zero balance. Then, it’s safe to throw out your cash gift card.
Celebrate your Zero Balance Gift Card
Tip for if you’re expecting the possibility of a return:
Return possibility? To have the card details handy for that pesky future return, take a picture of both sides of your card.
Voila! No more gift card nickel-and-diming
In conclusion, the Amazon gift card feature is an excellent way to redeem and use all the leftover cash on your random cash gift cards.
Amazon allows you to check out using multiple forms of payment. So, this means that a future purchase that costs $20 can first use my $0.63 Amazon Gift Card balance and then the second payment of my choice.
$23 Billion of “Free Money” in US Wallets
Unbelievably, Bankrate (a personal finance site) found in their survey that 47% of US adults have at least one unused “gift card, voucher, or store credit,” adding up to about $23 billion nationwide in unused free money.
My favorite way to use every last cent on cash gift cards is to convert the entire value or just the leftover money into an Amazon gift card.
An easy way to use up the remaining balances of gift cards is to convert your cash gift cards (Like Vanilla Gift Cards) to Amazon gift cards. You’ll need to know the exact balance left on your cash gift card. You can purchase any denomination Amazon gift card, such as $0.52 or $2.26. All random leftover cash amounts over $0.50 are fair game on Amazon.
During checkout, Amazon lets you choose more than one payment type, so you can use your Amazon gift card balance first and then pay the remaining Amazon cart balance with a different payment option.
Use the function called Amazon Reload. You’ll click a button that reads, “Reload your balance.”
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