You’re staring at a plastic card or a 16-digit code in your email and wondering if it’s worth ten bucks or a hundred. We've all been there. Maybe it was a birthday gift from an aunt who forgets things, or perhaps you found an old card tucked into a desk drawer like some kind of retail archaeology. Either way, you need to know the number. The good news is that figuring out how do i check my amazon gift card balance is actually remarkably fast, provided you know where Jeff Bezos hid the button this month.
It’s a bit of a psychological game. Amazon wants that money sitting in your account because once it’s there, you’re significantly more likely to spend it—and then some.
The Desktop Method: The "Account" Rabbit Hole
If you are sitting at a computer, this is the most stable way to do it. Honestly, the mobile app UI changes so often it can feel like a moving target, but the desktop site is like a reliable old friend. First, you have to log in. That sounds obvious, but if you’re on a shared family computer, make sure you aren't accidentally looking at your spouse's balance.
Hover your mouse over the "Account & Lists" section in the top right corner. Don't click it yet—just hover. A massive dropdown menu will appear, and you’re looking for the link that says "Account." Click that. Now, you're in the command center. There is a specific box labeled "Gift Cards."
Once you click that, the screen will show you your current "Redeemable Balance" in big, bold numbers. This is where people get tripped up. If you have multiple gift cards, Amazon aggregates them. You won't see "Card A has $5" and "Card B has $20." You just see $25. If you haven't redeemed the card yet, there is a button right there that says "Redeem a Gift Card." Punch in your claim code—it’s usually letters and numbers like ABCD-123456-EFG7—and hit apply.
Checking via the Mobile App (The "Where Did They Move It?" Version)
The Amazon app is a different beast. It’s designed for quick scrolling and "Buy Now" impulses, not necessarily for deep accounting. Open the app. Tap the little person icon at the bottom of the screen. This is your profile tab.
Scroll down. Keep scrolling. You're looking for the "Payments" section. Usually, there’s a sub-menu for "Your Payments." Tap that. Now, look for the "Rewards and Balances" tab or a similar header. It’s often tucked away behind a "Manage" link.
One thing that drives people crazy is that the app sometimes caches old data. If you just redeemed a card and the balance hasn't changed, kill the app and restart it. It's a classic tech support cliché, but it works.
Can You Check a Balance Without Redeeming It?
This is the million-dollar question. Or the twenty-dollar question.
Many people want to know the value of a card before they link it to their account. Maybe you want to re-gift it. Or maybe you're trying to sell it on a secondary market.
Here is the cold, hard truth: Amazon does not have a "check balance only" tool for unredeemed cards.
If you type that code into the "Redeem" box and hit enter, that money is permanently tied to your account. You can't un-ring that bell. There is no official "validator" tool like you might find for a Starbucks or Target card where you enter the number and a CAPTCHA to see the value.
If you really need to know the value without redeeming it, your only real option is to find the original receipt. If it was a physical card bought at a grocery store, the receipt usually lists the activation value. If it was an e-gift card, the sender’s email (and usually the one you received) will state the amount.
Why Does My Balance Look Wrong?
Sometimes you check the balance and it’s lower than you expected. This isn't usually a glitch; it's usually "pending" behavior.
Amazon doesn't always take the money the second you click "Place Order." They usually charge you when the item ships. If you have an outstanding order, the balance you see might reflect the "available" balance, or it might still show the "total" balance because the transaction hasn't finalized.
Also, watch out for Prime memberships. If you have a gift card balance and your Prime renewal comes due, Amazon will often default to using your gift card funds before hitting your credit card. It’s a sneaky way they keep your "liquid" cash in their ecosystem.
Common Scams to Avoid
Since we are talking about how do i check my amazon gift card balance, we have to talk about the dark side. If any website—literally any website that isn't Amazon.com—tells you they can "verify" your gift card balance, they are lying.
They are "checking" your balance by stealing your code.
They’ll have you type in the code, show you a fake loading bar, and then tell you the card is invalid. Meanwhile, they've already scripted a bot to redeem that code on their own account. Stick to the official app or the official website. No exceptions. No "discount gift card" checkers.
What About Physical Cards With the Silver Stuff?
If you have a physical card, you have to scratch off that silver coating on the back. Use a coin, not your fingernails—you don't want that metallic gunk under your nails, trust me. Be gentle. If you scratch too hard and accidentally peel off the actual printed numbers, you’re in for a long afternoon with Amazon Customer Service.
If you do mangle the code, take a high-resolution photo of the back of the card and the front, and find the serial number (usually 16 or 30 digits, not the claim code). Contact Amazon support via chat. They can usually verify the balance and manually add it to your account if you can prove you have the physical card in your hand.
Real Talk: Using the "Scan" Feature
If you are using the mobile app, don't type the code. It’s 2026; we have technology for this. When you go to the "Redeem Gift Card" screen, there is a tiny camera icon.
Tap it.
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Line up the card in the little box on your screen. It usually snaps the code instantly. It's much more reliable than trying to figure out if that character is an "O" or a "0" (zero).
Actionable Next Steps for Your Balance
Once you’ve confirmed your balance, don't just let it sit there. Gift card balances are not protected like bank accounts. If your Amazon account gets hacked, that gift card balance is the first thing the hackers will spend because it's untraceable and non-refundable once the items ship.
- Set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If you have a high balance (over $50), ensure your account is locked down.
- Check the Expiration: In the US, Amazon gift cards don't expire, but in some other regions, they might have specific "valid-thru" dates. Check the fine print if you're outside the States.
- Use it for Subscriptions: You can actually go into your settings and tell Amazon to use your gift card balance for things like Kindle Unlimited or Audible. It’s a great way to "set it and forget it" for monthly costs.
- Merge Your Accounts: If you realize you have balances on two different accounts, you can't technically "merge" them, but you can buy a "new" gift card using the balance of the old one and send it to your main email address. It’s a bit of a workaround, but it centralizes your "fun money."
Checking your balance shouldn't be a chore. Whether you're doing it to plan a big purchase or just to see if you can afford that weird vegetable slicer you saw on TikTok, the process is straightforward as long as you stay within the official Amazon garden. Log in, go to "Account," hit "Gift Cards," and you're done. No mystery, no stress.