How to Use an American Express Gift Card

Checking Your Balance

Navigate to the main American Express website. Type www.americanexpress.com into the navigation bar to bring up the company's homepage. It's important to start at the company's main site rather than typing "American Express gift card balance" into your search engine because there are many authentic-looking scam sites on the web phishing for account numbers. Many of these scam sites look like they're affiliated with American Express, but if you check the navigation bar, the website address will start with a prefix like "www279" or some other variation. This should be an immediate red flag. You can also go directly to www.balance.amexgiftcard.com, which is the correct page run by American Express. Keep in mind that if you make any mistakes when typing in the address, you could be taken to a scam site.

Click the "Cards" tab at the top left of the homepage. At the top of the page, you'll see tabs like "My Account," "Travel," "Rewards," and so on. Click "Cards" and wait for the dropdown menu to appear.

Click "Gift Cards" under the "Prepaid Cards" dropdown menu. A large dropdown menu will appear after you click "Cards." On the far right, you'll see a menu with the header "Prepaid Cards." "Gift Cards" is the second option on the list.

Click the "Check Balance" tab at the top right of the page. After you click "Gift Cards," you'll be taken to the main gift card page. There will be a few tabs at the upper right hand corner of the page. Click "Check Balance." The "Check Balance" tab is between the "Gift Ideas" tab and the "Login" tab.

Enter the card information and click "Sign In" to pull up the balance. The site asks you to type in the 15-digit card number, the expiration date, and the 4-digit security code, which is on the back of the card. Then, click "Sign In" to see your balance. You can also add your email address before you click "Sign In" if you want to create an Amex account. This is optional, so you can leave the field blank if you want to.

Using the Card in a Store

Check your card balance before you go shopping. Even if your card is brand new, it's best to check your balance online first to avoid any surprises at the cash register. You can navigate to www.americanexpress.com to get to the "Check Your Balance" page, or you can go straight to www.balance.amexgiftcard.com.

Swipe your gift card at the register like a normal credit or debit card. You do not need to activate your card to start using it! When you're ready to pay for your items at the register, you will use gift card exactly the same way you'd use a regular credit card. Swipe it through the card reader as you normally would. You may need to ask the cashier to enter the card information manually if there seems to be a problem with the card reader.

Select "Credit" and sign your name to complete the purchase. Finish the transaction the same way you would for a credit card purchase. After you swipe, the reader will ask you to select "Debit" or "Credit." Select "Credit" and sign your name to complete the transaction.

Bring another payment method if your purchase exceeds the balance. If your purchase goes over the gift card balance, your card could be declined if the merchant doesn't do split transactions. However, most merchants will do a split transaction for you. Once the gift card amount is deducted from the purchase total, use your other method of payment to pay the remainder and complete the transaction. You can usually use cash, a debit card, or a credit card to pay the remaining balance at the register.

Use your gift card to purchase products and services only. Don't try to get cash from an ATM with your gift card. While the American Express gift card is as good as cash in many respects, you can only use it to purchase products or services using credit card functions. You cannot get actual cash with it.

Avoid using the gift card if you expect you may have to return an item. Vendors may not be able to refund money to your American Express gift card, so it’s important that you only use your card for purchases you’re sure you won’t have to return. Many vendors have policies that purchases can only be returned to the card originally used for the purchase, so this could cause problems for you if you have to make a return. If you have to return an item, you’ll need to contact the merchant directly to see if there is an alternative solution.

Don’t use your gift card to make reservations or deposits. Your American Express gift card should not be used to make reservations or deposits – most businesses will not allow you to do so. But even if the card somehow works for this type of transaction, you won’t be able to get a deposit refunded back to the card, so you run the risk of losing your money. Only use regular debit or credit cards for deposits and reservations. This includes hotel reservations, car rentals, or another kind of transaction in which you must provide a lump sum of money up front to be refunded later.

Paying for Online Purchases

Check your gift card balance before you start the payment process. It's important to check your balance before buying something online, since most online merchants will decline the purchase if the total exceeds the balance on your card. You can check your balance at www.americanexpress.com or www.balance.amexgiftcard.com. Online merchants typically aren't set up to do split payment transactions, which is why the card will be declined. You may be able to call the merchant directly and do a split payment over the phone to complete your purchase, but it depends on the merchant.

Purchase from a retailer based in the United States or Puerto Rico. If you try to use your American Express gift card online to pay for something overseas, you will run into problems and probably be declined. Typically, only merchants and retailers in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands accept American Express Cards.

Enter the card information on the Payment Method page to check out. Online purchases with an American Express gift card are just like any other kind of credit or debit card purchase. Enter your name, the 15-digit card number, expiration date, and the 4-digit security code when the site prompts you to enter the payment information.

Provide the correct shipping address to receive your items without issue. To avoid any issues with your shipment, be sure to enter your shipping information correctly. This is your regular home address that you use for any other online purchase, which includes your name, street address, city, state, and zip code. If you're shipping the items directly to someone else, enter their shipping address instead of yours. This shouldn't cause any issue, because the gift card is not registered to your home address.