Everything You Need to Know About Using Amazon Gift Cards in India

Sankar Shubham

If you have wanted to know more about the Amazon Gift Card – about how to buy it, what you can use it for, what are the advantages of this card, etc., then you have come to the right place. Here, we will tell you everything you need to know about the Amazon India Gift Card.

What is an Amazon Gift Card?

Amazon Gift Cards are basically vouchers with pre-loaded amounts that can be used to pay for your purchases on the Amazon platform. The amount that is loaded on the card is the maximum that you can spend on that gift card. So, if you have bought an Amazon Gift Card worth Rs. 1,000, then that is the maximum you or the recipient of this card can spend.

What Can I Use the Amazon Gift Card For?

This little card has many uses. You can – as its name suggests – present it to someone as a gift card, and they can use it to buy themselves something on Amazon India (within the limit of the pre-loaded gift card). An interesting little feature of this gift card is that it can be shared by multiple family members too. And you can even use this card on sale days to get even bigger discounts on your purchases.

With this gift card, you (or the recipient) can buy almost anything on Amazon India: Subscribe to Amazon Prime Video, get Kindle e-books, and buy anything on Amazon that allows you to pay for it using the Gift Card. You can also purchase electronics, pet products, groceries, mobiles, computers, home appliances, smart technology, beauty products, and much more.

Amazon Gift Cards are available in almost every form and for every occasion. You can shop for gift cards by occasion, by recipient, by brands and so on.

You can even use this gift card to pay phone bills as well as other utility bills! And finally, because this gift cards come with special discounts and offers, you can use them to get lower prices on your purchases. So, instead of gifting this card to others, you can gift it to yourself and wait for Amazon sale days. Then, say, during the Prime Day Sale, you wish to get further discounts on a product you have earmarked, you can then use your Gift Card to get additional discounts on that item.

All in all, this is a very handy little card to have.

How Can I Get an Amazon Gift Card?

Buying an Amazon Gift Card is simple. These gift cards are available in various denominations, starting from just Rs. 10 and going up to as much as Rs. 10,000. Each card is usually valid from 6 months to 1 year after the date of purchase, but it depends on the type of gift card you have purchased.

You can buy the following types of gift cards:

eGift Cards: You can send an eGift Card via WhatsApp, Messenger and even SMS.

If you wish to use the eGift Card option, select the style of the gift card you wish to send, enter the amount you wish to gift and select the Share via Linkoption. Next, you need to click on the Add to Cart/Buy Nowoption and complete the purchase. After that, you need to go to the Your Orders section in your Amazon account menu and check the Gift Card details.

Amazon will send you a notification when you Gift Card is ready to share; it usually takes a minute or two, but not more than 5 minutes. Once you get the notification, you can click on the Share this Gift Cardbutton and share it via the messaging app of your choice; most people choose WhatsApp, Messenger or SMS, but there are other social media options also available.

Alternatively, you can even send an eGift Card via email. Once again, choose the style/design, the amount you wish to send, and then click on the Email option. Enter the recipient’s email ID. You can even add a personal message and set the delivery date. Once you have done so, you simply add this card to your cart and complete the purchase. Once you have made the payment, the recipient will get the card in 15 minutes and you will get a delivered notification from Amazon.

Physical Gift Cards: If you want to go old school and present someone with a physical gift card, you can do that too. All you need to do is select the type/style/design of the gift card, the amount you wish to present and then input the recipients address and the card will be mailed to them. Your loved one or friend will receive a beautifully boxed gift card to enjoy in a few days (or maybe the same day).
Gift Cards from Other Brands: You don’t only need to gift an Amazon Gift Card. Amazon India also has gift cards from other brands that you can gift to your loved ones. For example, you can gift your wife a Lifestyle gift card that gives her a flat 8% off on any purchase she makes. You can even gift her a Tanishq gift card for a pre-loaded amount for gold jewelry. The choice of gift cards you have for other brands are massive.
Corporate / Bulk Gifting: Amazon also has an option where you can buy bulk gift cards that you may want to gift to your employees, partners, business associates and so on. For this gifting option, you need to get in touch with Amazon and the company’s sales team will get back in touch with you and discuss the details of your purchase. Amazon Gift Cards are an excellent choice for Employee Rewards, Sales Incentives, Gifting on festivals, and so on.

Receiving an Amazon Gift Card

If you are the recipient of an Amazon Gift Card, then here is what you need to do.

Via Messaging Apps: If you have received an eGift Card via Messenger, WhatsApp or even text, then you click on the link that has been shared with you. When you do so, you will be redirected to the Amazon portal, and you can view your gift card. Then, you simply click on the Add to my Account button and the Gift Card amount will be credited to your Amazon Pay balance. And now you are ready to go shopping.
Via Email: If you have received an eGift Card via email, then you can click on gift card. You will be redirected to the Amazon portal where you will be able to view your gift card. Once again, click on the Add to Account button and the amount will be credited to your Amazon Pay balance.
Via Physical Gift Card: If you have received a physical gift card, then you need to log into your Amazon account. Once you have done so, then click on the Gift Card tab. Select the Redeem a Gift Card option. There will be a 14-digit alpha-numeric code on your gift card; input that code here and then click on the Apply to your balance option. Your Amazon Pay balance will be credited with the gift card amount.

If you wish to gift your Gift Card to someone else, you must do so by giving them the gift card before you have entered the code into your account. Once you have transferred the funds to your account, the funds are non-transferrable.

Sending an Amazon Gift Card to Another Country

Amazon is now available in more than 100 countries however the Gift Card option is not. Therefore, if you wish to gift someone living outside India an Amazon Gift Card, here is what you need to keep in mind:

You first need to verify if that country has a Gift Card redemption option. You can do so by changing the country settings on your account and checking what that country’s Amazon Gift Card options are.
Do remember that Amazon Gift Cards are locked by region. Therefore, if you buy a Gift Card on Amazon India, a person using Amazon US cannot redeem this card.
Check the currency before you buy the Gift Card. Usually when you change the country settings, the currency also automatically changes to that country’s. However, there are some countries that prefer transactions to be done in international currencies and not their domestic one. This means that Amazon’s default settings may cause problems. So, it is important to check the currency in which you are gifting the card and paying for it before you finalize your transaction.
There are some countries that have restricted internet access, so you may not be able to access those countries’ Amazon sites. You can circumvent this issue by using a VPN service, however, you could be violating some laws in that country, so proceed with this step with great caution.

Receiving an Amazon Gift Card from Abroad

If you have received a $100 Gift Card from a friend in the US, then unfortunately, that gift card is going to waste if you try to use it on Amazon India. As we mentioned earlier, Amazon regions are restricted and you cannot use an Amazon Gift Card from one country in another.

However. There is a way that you can still use that gift card in India. You can change your country settings to the US (or whichever country the Gift Card was sent from) and then check the international shipping options. You can do so by keeping your Indian address on. Amazon will let you know which products can be shipped from that country to India. But. It would be wise to remember that this might end up being a rather expensive option since you would also have to pay shipping costs and import and customs fees.

Other Ways to Use Your Amazon Gift Card

You can use your Amazon Gift Card for other things besides making purchases on the Amazon India platform. Here are a few things you can do with your Amazon Gift Card:

Using the Card in Partner Sites: You can use your Amazon Gift Card to make purchases on partner websites. Amazon India has more than 100 partners on whose websites you can use your Amazon Gift Card. You can buy entertainment, travel tickets, food, fitness services and products, home services, and a lot more.
Trading/Selling Your Amazon Gift Card: While Amazon does not allow you to sell your gift card, you can sell it on other platforms such as Reddit, Facebook and many other social media platforms. Of course, you would need to sell your Amazon Gift Card at a discounted price.
Asking Amazon for a Refund: In case you do not wish to use your Gift Card, you can try asking Amazon for a refund. This is not guaranteed, but it doesn’t hurt to try!
Buy Google Play Credits: If you use Google Play a lot, then one way to use your Amazon Gift Card is to buy Google Play credits. Use your Amazon Gift Card and buy a Google Play Gift card with it and you can then spend your money outside the Amazon platform.
Buy an Online Subscription: You can even use your Amazon Gift Card to buy an online subscription to streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. Once again, all you need to do is buy a Netflix Gift Card on Amazon and then use that credit to buy your Netflix subscription. You can do this for almost any streaming service available in India.
Using Your Amazon Gift Card to Buy Groceries: There are no many online retailers that will allow you to use your Amazon Gift Card to buy groceries.

At the end of the day, there are many other uses of your Amazon Gift Card. In some countries, it is possible to use your Gift Card to buy Bitcoin! However, at this point, we do not think it is possible to buy cryptocurrencies using your Amazon Gift Card from India. However, who knows what is possible in the future.