Can you use 2 gift cards for 1 purchase?

The Art of the Double Gift Card: Combining Your Gift Card Power for Online Purchases

Gift cards: the ubiquitous present that often sits unused, or at least, not used to their full potential. Many people find themselves with multiple gift cards, perhaps of small denominations, rendering them insufficient for a desired purchase. The question then arises: can you use two gift cards for one purchase? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t a simple yes or no.

While brick-and-mortar stores generally exhibit more flexibility, allowing the combination of multiple gift cards – especially Visa gift cards – during a single transaction, the online world often presents a more restrictive environment. Most online retailers will only allow the application of one gift card per purchase. This limitation can be frustrating, leaving you with a collection of cards that individually fall short of your shopping goal.

However, there’s a clever workaround that can unlock the combined purchasing power of your gift cards: the strategic use of a gift card as an intermediary.

Let’s say you have two $25 Visa gift cards and want to buy a $50 item online from a specific retailer, like Amazon or Target, that doesn’t allow multiple gift cards at checkout. Instead of directly attempting to use both cards, consider this:

1. Use one gift card to purchase a gift card for the desired retailer. Use one of your $25 Visa gift cards to buy a $25 gift card from the retailer’s website (if they offer this option). Many large retailers allow this kind of transaction.

2. Consolidate your funds. Now you effectively have one $25 gift card for the specific store, plus your remaining $25 Visa gift card.

3. Complete your purchase. You can now use the newly acquired store gift card, combined with the remaining Visa gift card, to complete your $50 purchase. The retailer will treat these as separate transactions, neatly bypassing the single-gift-card limitation.

This method leverages the flexibility of Visa gift cards for the initial transaction, effectively consolidating your funds into a single, usable gift card for the online retailer. It’s a workaround that requires a little extra planning, but it can save you the hassle of trying to find alternative uses for smaller gift cards or settling for a less desirable purchase.

Remember to always check the terms and conditions of both your Visa gift card and the retailer’s gift card policy before attempting this method. While this workaround generally works, specific limitations or exceptions may exist depending on the retailer and the type of gift cards involved. However, it offers a practical solution for maximizing the value of your gift cards and making the most of your online shopping experience.