Can you buy a gift card with a gift card?

Whether you can use a gift card to buy another gift card depends entirely on the terms and conditions of the gift card you hold and the policies of the retailer where you’re looking to spend it. There is no universal rule that applies across the board. Some gift cards are specifically designed to be exchanged for other gift cards, while others explicitly exclude this. 

Before attempting to use a gift card to buy another one, it's always worth checking your gift card’s terms and conditions, as well as the retailer's policy on gift cards and vouchers.

The most common scenario where buying a gift card with another gift card is not only possible but actively encouraged is with multi-store gift cards. These cards are specifically designed to be redeemed in exchange for a gift card from a participating retailer of the recipient's choice. Rather than spending the balance directly in store, the holder uses the card to purchase a specific brand's gift card.

A good example of this is the All-in-1 Choice Gift Card, which can be redeemed on Giftcard.co.uk for one or multiple gift cards from a wide range of top UK brands. The whole purpose of the card is to give the recipient the freedom to choose the gift card(s) that suits their wants and needs. Similarly, the Fashion Gift Card works in the same way, allowing the holder to exchange the balance for a gift card from a selection of popular fashion retailers.

If you have a multi-store gift card, using it to obtain another gift card is usually the intended and correct way to redeem it.

For most major retail brands, buying a gift card using another gift card is not permitted. This is a common restriction among large UK retailers, and it exists for a practical reason. Retailers want to prevent gift card balances from being cycled indefinitely without any actual purchase of goods or services taking place. 

If gift cards could be used to buy other gift cards, it would make it much harder for retailers to manage their gift card liabilities and would increase the risk of fraud and money laundering.

The Amazon Gift Card, for example, cannot be used to purchase other gift cards on the Amazon platform. Amazon explicitly excludes gift cards from the list of products that can be bought using a gift card. The same applies to the Argos Gift Card, where the terms and conditions state that gift cards cannot be used to buy other gift cards or vouchers in store or online.

This restriction is standard practice among major retailers and is typically set out clearly in the terms and conditions for each gift card. If you're unsure whether the specific gift card you hold allows this, the safest approach is always to read the terms or contacting our customer service team before attempting the purchase.