How to Check Your Amazon Gift Card Balance Without the Headache

Ever found an Amazon gift card buried at the bottom of a drawer and wondered, “Did I already use this?” You’re not alone. Whether it’s a birthday gift you forgot about or a promo card from a return, Amazon gift cards can be tricky to keep track of, especially when they don’t come with a printed balance.

This guide will show you exactly how to check your Amazon gift card balance, whether it’s already tied to your account or still waiting to be redeemed. We’ll also cover what to do if the card is unreadable, how to contact Amazon without going in circles, and a few quirks about how these cards actually work.

Let’s get into it.

What Happens When You Redeem an Amazon Gift Card?

Before we get into how to check the balance, it helps to understand how these cards work behind the scenes.

When you redeem an Amazon gift card – whether it’s a physical card or a digital code – it doesn’t act like a regular payment method you pick at checkout. Instead, it adds money to your Amazon account as a kind of “store credit.” That balance sits there quietly and automatically applies itself the next time you buy something.

And here’s the kicker: Amazon doesn’t let you apply just part of a gift card. If you redeem it, the full amount goes straight into your account. You can’t partially redeem or transfer it later.

So if you’re trying to check a balance before redeeming, especially if you plan to give the card away, you’ve got to take a different route. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Checking the Balance of a Redeemed Amazon Gift Card

If you’ve already redeemed the card to your account (even if it was years ago), finding out how much is left is pretty easy.

On Desktop:

1. Go to Amazon.com and log in.
2. Hover over “Account & Lists” in the top right corner.
3. Click “Account.”
4. Scroll down and click on “Gift Cards.”

From there, you’ll see:

• Your current gift card balance.
• A list of your gift card activity (when you added funds, when it was used, etc.).
• Buttons to redeem a new card or reload your balance.

If you use gift cards often, this history section is helpful. It shows which purchases used gift card funds and how much was deducted.

On the Mobile App:

1. Open the Amazon app and log in.
2. Tap the “Account” icon (person symbol at the bottom).
3. Scroll down to “Payments.”
4. Tap “Manage gift card balance.”

Here, you’ll see:

• Your current gift card balance.
• Past transactions and redemptions.
• An option to redeem a new gift card or reload your balance.

It’s the same info as the desktop version, just packed into a smaller screen.

How to Check the Balance of a Gift Card Without Redeeming It

This is where things get a little weird. Amazon doesn’t let you check the balance of an unredeemed gift card directly online. There’s no “check balance” button like you’d find with most store gift cards.

But you can still do it – you just have to go through customer service.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Log in to your Amazon account (yes, you need one for this).
2. Search “Help” in the search bar and select Help & Customer Service.
3. Scroll down and click or tap Contact Us.
4. Select Something else > I need more help.
5. Start a live chat or request a call.
6. Tell the agent: “I want to check the balance of an Amazon gift card without redeeming it.”
7. Provide the 14- or 15-digit claim code (found on the back of the card or in your email).

The rep should be able to look it up and tell you the remaining balance, without applying it to your account.

Important: This only works if you have the claim code. If the code is missing or unreadable, see the next section.

What If Your Gift Card Code Is Damaged or Missing?

If you’ve scratched off the back of a physical gift card and the numbers are unreadable or part of the code is missing , it’s not game over just yet.

Here’s what you can do:

• Contact Amazon Customer Service through chat or phone.
• Explain that your card’s claim code is damaged or illegible.
• Be ready to provide the serial number on the card (usually still visible).
• If you have a receipt, even better – include that too.

They may ask for photos of the card or documentation. If they can verify the purchase, they’ll usually help you retrieve or replace the code.

Can You Check a Gift Card Balance Without an Amazon Account?

Short answer: Not really.

Unlike other retailers, Amazon doesn’t offer a public balance checker. If you don’t have an account, you won’t get far.

The only workaround is to ask someone you trust (who has an account) to check it for you via the chat method we covered above.

It’s a bit of a pain, but considering that you can’t use the gift card without an account anyway, you’re probably better off just creating one.

Can You See the Balance on a New Card Without Scratching It?

If you’re giving the card as a gift and want to double-check the balance beforehand without damaging the code, look at the purchase receipt.

Most store receipts will list the amount loaded onto the gift card at the time of purchase. If you ordered the card online, the email confirmation usually includes this too.

Still no luck? You’ll have to carefully scratch the code and use the chat method to check the balance. Just don’t redeem it unless it’s for your own use.

What Gift Card Balances Can’t Be Used For

Once a gift card is in your account, it’s pretty flexible, but not totally unlimited.

You can’t use your gift card balance to:

• Buy other Amazon gift cards.
• Pay for Prime membership in some regions.
• Purchase items from third-party sellers in rare cases.
• Pay for digital subscriptions outside Amazon (like Kindle Unlimited through a separate app).

Most standard purchases work just fine, but it’s worth knowing where the limitations are, especially if you’re planning a specific purchase.

Tips for Managing Your Amazon Gift Card Balance

If you regularly receive or use Amazon gift cards, here are a few small habits that can make things easier:

• Screenshot the code: If it’s a digital card, take a screenshot and save it in a folder. That way, you have a record even if the email gets buried.
• Set a reminder: If you’ve redeemed a card and don’t plan to shop right away, set a calendar reminder in a month or two to use the balance before you forget.
• Keep the receipt: Whether you bought it or someone gave it to you, a receipt makes resolving issues way easier if something goes wrong.
• Disable auto-use if needed: During checkout, you can manually toggle off your gift card balance if you’d prefer to save it for another time.

Turn Insights Into Action With Real Amazon Data

If you’re managing a business on Amazon, knowing your gift card balance is just one small piece of the bigger picture. We help you go way beyond that. At WisePPC, we’ve built a platform that gives sellers deep visibility into how their ad spend translates into actual performance – whether it’s organic sales, promoted listings, or customer behavior trends across campaigns.

We’re an Amazon Ads Verified Partner, which means our tools integrate directly with Amazon’s systems to give you access to historical data, live metrics, and campaign optimization features that go far beyond what the native dashboard offers. From tracking real-time revenue impact to bulk editing thousands of campaigns at once, our system is designed to make complex ad operations easier, faster, and more profitable. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start scaling, we can help you take control of your marketplace growth.

Final Thoughts

Amazon makes it easy to spend your gift card balance, but not always easy to see what’s left or check a new card without redeeming it. Still, once you know where to look (and how to ask), it’s not that complicated.

Whether you’re hunting down an old balance or trying to avoid an awkward checkout moment, following the steps in this guide will help you stay in control of your Amazon gift cards without having to guess or hope.

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