How to Use Up Low Balance Gift Cards (So You Don’t Lose Money)
One of the reasons I don’t like getting gift cards is because I always forget to use them. Or, I end up with a few bucks left on old gift cards, and then they expire. In other words, I’m leaving money on the table! I’m losing out on prepaid gift card balances.
Of course, you can always use low-balance prepaid cards to set up trial free offers. If the card has a balance below what the possible subscription would cost, then the company can’t charge you if you forget to cancel. Using a prepaid gift card is a great way to safeguard against unwanted charges. But, that doesn’t actually use up the balance.
If you try to use a prepaid card to pay for an order on Amazon, for example, and the balance is lower than the total. Amazon will instead default to your primary payment method. For example, if I had an old gift card with $5 balance and I’m trying to buy something for $20 using the old gift card, Amazon will instead default to my credit card which is set up as my primary method of payment. So, that won’t use up the balance either.
First thing I recommend doing is going through any old gift cards and looking up their current balance. I keep all of mine in one place, so it’s easy to grab the oldest one (expiring first) when I need to use them.
How can I use my old gift card balance on Amazon?
Keep in mind, Amazon is just one way to do this. But, they do allow you to buy Amazon gift cards of ANY amount. So, you can head on over and buy an Amazon gift card for the exact amount left on your old prepaid card.
Then, you can apply your Amazon gift card(s) to your account and use them to check out!
Can I use old gift cards with low balance to pay at Walmart, Target, Kohl’s etc?
Yes! You can apply this method anywhere that allows you to buy gift cards of any amount. It’s a great way to stop losing money when old prepaid cards expire!