Can I Return This?
Can you return a gift card?
Short answer: Usually not. Most stores treat gift cards as final sale. Target says its own and prepaid gift cards (including Visa, Mastercard and American Express gift cards) can't be returned or redeemed for cash or credit except where the law requires it. Apple Gift Cards can't be returned. Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, Macy's and Best Buy (for third-party gift cards and prepaid cards) also list gift cards as non-refundable or final sale. What you can return is an item bought with a gift card; the refund usually goes back onto a store card.
Details
- Checked against each store's official return policy on Oct 21, 2026.
- "Except where required by law" (Target's wording) matters: some states require stores to cash out small remaining balances. Ask the store, or check your state's rules, if you have a nearly used-up card.
- Regifting is the usual fix for a gift card you don't want. A store won't take it back.
Store by store: gift cards you can't return
- Target: Target GiftCards, specialty gift cards and prepaid gift cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, restaurant, entertainment and lottery cards) can't be returned or redeemed for cash or credit except where required by law.
- Apple: "Apple Gift Cards cannot be returned."
- Costco: Gift Card and Ticket items and Shop Cards are non-refundable.
- Home Depot: "Sales of gift cards and store credits are final and can only be used for purchases."
- Lowe's: any gift card, including Lowe's, third-party, Visa or Mastercard gift cards, is nonrefundable, as are merchandise cards and in-store credits.
- Macy's: gift cards are final sale and can't be returned, exchanged or price adjusted.
- Best Buy: codes and prepaid cards, including third-party gift cards and prepaid phone cards, are nonreturnable once purchased.
- Amazon: its Return Policy lists "redeemable products" among items you can't return. It doesn't name gift cards in that list.
Returning something you bought with a gift card
- Target: purchases made with a Target GiftCard are credited back as a new Target eGiftCard. Items bought with a Visa, Mastercard or American Express gift card are refunded to that card, up to its original value.
- Best Buy: the part paid with a Best Buy Gift Card comes back as a new Best Buy Gift Card or e-Gift Card.
- Lowe's: purchases paid with a gift card, refund card, merchandise card or in-store credit are refunded as in-store credit.
- Amazon: refunds to an Amazon.com Gift Card balance arrive in 2 to 3 hours once the refund is issued.
Returning a gift and getting a gift card
- This is the common case. Gift-receipt and no-receipt returns usually come back as a store card: an Amazon.com Gift Card, Target GiftCard, Walmart Gift Card or Apple Gift Card, or store or merchandise credit at Best Buy, Kohl's, Macy's, Home Depot and TJ Maxx. See the holiday gift return guide for each store's rules.
Sources (official policies): Target Returns help · Apple Sales Policy · Costco return policy · Home Depot Return Policy · Lowe's Returns policy · Macy's Return Policy · Best Buy Return & Exchange Policy · Amazon Return Policy · Last verified 2026-10-21
Policies change and stores may make exceptions—confirm with the official page before you go.
Related
- Holiday gift return guide 2026
- Can I return a gift without the giver knowing?
- Return gifts without a receipt
Holiday gift returns by store
- Holiday gift return guide 2026: every store compared
- Can I return a gift without the giver knowing?
- Amazon gift return without a receipt
- Walmart gift return without a receipt
- Target gift return without a receipt
- Best Buy gift return without a receipt
- Costco gift return without a receipt
- Kohl's gift return without a receipt
- Macy's gift return without a receipt
- Home Depot gift return without a receipt
- Lowe's gift return without a receipt
- Apple gift return without a receipt
- TJ Maxx gift return without a receipt