How to Use an Amazon Gift Card with a Shop-with-Points Order

Update 8/11/24: It seems all 3 methods no longer work – you’ll just have to let the payment go on the card if you want to use Shop With Points. Another update: It seems some readers in the comments note they are still having success with Method #1 of using a gift card which is lower than the purchase amount.

[Update 6/26/19: Reposting as the 20% deal has returned.]

If you’ve been following this blog, you’re probably aware that there’s a great offer available now on Amazon to get 20% off when you use at least one American Express Membership Rewards point at checkout, and even working a second time for many people, up to $100 discount.

Separately, some people have been noticing an offer on their Amazon account to get $30 off $60 when using shop-with-points, presumably that’s from this deal we posted a while back which they never got around to using up. You can do both of these deals if targeted, and you can even order third-party gift cards with these deals (affiliate links are in this post), but you can’t get both discounts on a single checkout, they need to be used independently (use the $100 one first). Be sure to activate each of these offers separately and see if they work for you.

When using shop-with-points, the way it works is that you assign how many points you want to use (as little as one point or as much as the entire order), then Amazon automatically charges the remainder to the associated card. For example, with this Amex deal, most of us are ordering $500 in gift cards for $400, applying 1 MR point, and the remaining $399.99 gets automatically charged to the Amex card.

Using a Gift Card

In brief:

  1. If your gift card balance is less than the purchase amount.
    • As an added tip, you can increase your cart quantity until it’s above the gift card balance, then, on the final screen, reduce quantity. The gift card will stick.
  2. If you apply a gift card it ‘unlocks’ your gift card balance.
  3. If you set the points card as your default payment method.

Longer explanation:

  1. A lot of people want to use up their Amazon gift card balance, yet Amazon won’t always allow them to use a gift card on a Shop-with-Points purchase. For a while I’ve been vaguely aware that it sometimes works and sometimes does not, without quite figuring out why. I now bumped into an explanation that if your Amazon gift card balance is less than the purchase amount, the Amazon system uses up the gift card and allows you to apply Shop-with-Points for the balance. But your Amazon gift card balance covers the entire purchase amount, it won’t allow you to then apply the Amex point to the purchase. (hat tip to myi on DDF)
    • You can ‘trick’ the system by adding a larger quantity than desired so as to make your cart higher than your gift card balance. Then, at checkout, adjust the quantity down and it’ll keep the gift card payment.
  2. Another trick I discovered yesterday is that you can initiate the Amazon checkout with Shop-with-Points alone, then on the final checkout screen apply a new Amazon gift card to the order, and the system will allow you to pay for your entire order with the Amazon gift card. A reader notes that when using this method, you can even apply a small $1 Amazon gift card, and this ‘unlocks’ your Amazon gift card balance and allows you to pay for the order using the gift card balance already attached to your Amazon account.
  3. A third method mentioned by a reader is to set the points card as your default payment method. This then allows you to apply points along with gift card payment. (Update 7/1/19: I can’t seem to get this one to work anymore. YMMV.)

These methods help for using an Amazon gift card in conjunction with Amazon Shop-with-Points. It also helps someone who doesn’t want to put the remaining charge on their Amex card: simply purchase an Amazon gift card with your chosen card type, and use the methods described to have the gift card applied in conjunction with shop-with-points.

Two notes:

  • Reader Kyle adds the caveat that some/all of these methods won’t work if you are buying something pegged “This is a gift”.
  • Do not try ordering and ‘apply gift card balance’ afterward. I tried it and it removed the 20% discount when applying the gift card.
    Chuck
  • On August 11, 2024, 16:00

View Comments (99)

  • was able to place the order using method #1 with GC balance (net total is $0.00).

    but for the first time ever, it shows warning message in Your Orders page, saying
    “Action is required on one or more of your orders. Please see below.”

    “Waiting for payment
    We are processing your payment. If your payment is not completed, we will send you a message and ask you to try paying again.”

    I do see GC balance already deducted, and AMEX MR pending.

    Anyone had similar experience? Should I worry about it?

  • I checkout today using the Amex 40% off (up to $40) offer by apply 1 point and surprisingly it also applied my gift card balance to my purchase. My subtotal was $389 -$40 (Amex discount) - $156 (gift card balance), remaining balance was charged to my Amex card. I wanted to reload my balance with my other Amex card that had an Amazon Amex offer but was too scared to risk it not coming back.

  • Played around with method one, couldn't get it to work. This is on an Amex 15% off by using 1 point offer. Method one has worked for me earlier this year with US Bank, maybe it depends on the card used? Or perhaps Amazon has nerfed the work arounds.

  • DP for me just now (success with Method 1):

    1. Had $100 Amazon GC balance
    2. Cart total w/ taxes was $114.
    3. Changed payment method to AmEx BCP and paying $0.01 with American Express Reward Dollars, which applied the $30 discount. Cart now $84.
    4. Amazon GC balance successfully used to cover $83.99

    • I had the same experience. Loaded up GC balance (for AMEX 5 MR pt/$ offer) to just below the cost after $0.01 AMEX points redemption, $30 AMEX promo discount, and taxes. I only put $0.79 on the AMEX Blue cash card that was used for the AMEX $30 offer.

  • Method 1 worked for me yesterday. I purchased a $95 GC and immediately used it with the Discover 10 off 75 on a $105.11 purchase. I only paid 11 cents on Discover.

  • Not so long ago, you could use the same credit card on different accounts and get the shop with points offer on each Amazon account. Now it's one per credit card. When did they change this?

  • "As an added tip, you can increase your cart quantity until it’s above the gift card balance, then, on the final screen, reduce quantity. The gift card will stick."

    This worked for me with the discover 10 off 75

  • Method 1 works for me, too. I started out with a $25 gift card balance and bought a $24.99 item this morning:

    Item(s) Subtotal: $24.99
    Shipping & Handling: $0.00
    Amex RD 30% OFF: -$7.50
    Total before tax: $17.49
    Estimated tax to be collected: $1.46
    Gift Card Amount: -$18.94
    Rewards Points: -$0.01
    Grand Total: $0.00

      • I started with a $0 gift card balance, added a $25 gift card and then made the purchase. This was all done this morning.

  • For me this below worked last month (not sure if it still works though)...as in I did the apply after the fact and it kept the discount. The points offer was a $ off, not a % off and it included multiple sold and shipped by Amazon only items. I had selected slow shipping and waited a full day after the order was placed to apply the GC:

    Do not try ordering and ‘apply gift card balance’ afterward. I tried it and it removed the 20% discount when applying the gift card.

    The order is now delivered and I was able to get invoice and verify that the discount was reflected in the final order total.

  • not sure if people know that when you use Amazon GC to pay for all purchases and haven't put anything on a non-Amazon GC for 12 months, then you are not allowed to participate in Amazon community for things like writing review

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