Can you purchase gift cards with a debit card?

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The Cards4all Visa Gift Card is issued by Indue Ltd ABN 97 087 822 464 (Head Office located in Brisbane). Cards4all Pty Ltd ABN 99 118 809 886 is an agent of Indue.

Visa gift cards are thoughtful gifts anyone can enjoy. They can be used to make multiple purchases everywhere Visa is accepted, unlike other gift cards that are used only at specific stores. Visa gift cards are available in varying amounts, offered by each provider.

Sometimes, it is hard to find a perfect gift for the people we love the most. If you are still looking for a present that will put a smile on your special someone’s face, why not consider the wide range of VISA and Mastercard prepaid gift cards from GiftCardStore? Any of our prepaid cards make for an effective, original and convenient solution, and your giftee can use them in various situations.

Insider's experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

• You can buy gift cards using a credit card, but in rare cases you could run into an issue buying a store-issued gift card.
• You could encounter a retailer that doesn't accept credit cards, or that requires additional ID to check against your credit card.
• If you're buying a gift card with a credit card, note that you might not earn rewards on your purchase, depending on the terms and conditions from your credit card issuer.

Whoever devised the concept of gift cards deserves a hearty pat on the back. Not only do the ingenious little rectangles of plastic serve as convenient presents and an easy way to show your support for local businesses, but they can also represent an excellent method for spending or earning rewards points.

Many different merchants sell gift cards, from supermarkets to restaurants to office supply stores. These merchants often fall into credit card spending categories that earn 4+ bonus points per dollar.

To earn these rewards, however, you must be able to purchase them with a credit card. That begs the question — can you buy gift cards with a credit card?

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Can you buy gift cards with a credit card?

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

4.8/5

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4.8 out of 5 Stars

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Rewards

Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.

$95

Annual Fee

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On Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

4.8/5

A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star

4.8 out of 5 Stars

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Rewards

Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.

$95

Annual Fee

View Full Details

$95

Annual Fee

Apply now

On Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apply now

On Chase's website

Details

Rewards

Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.

Annual Fee

$95

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Recommended credit score. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application.

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Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

19.74% - 26.74% Variable

Editor's Rating

A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star

4.8 out of 5 Stars

Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available.

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Pros & Cons

Pros

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Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.

Cons

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Highlights

More Information

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
• Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.

Additional Reading

Read our review

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In the majority of cases, you can buy gift cards with a credit card. But there are some occasions where you might run into a bit of trouble.

Just to make sure we're starting out on the same page, let's do a quick recap on the differences between a debit card, a credit card, and a gift card. A debit card works like liquid cash, allowing the user to spend what they have in the bank, and no more. But with a credit card, you can spend money before you have it — up to the cap that's known as your credit limit.

Read more: What is a credit utilization ratio and how does it affect your credit score?

Gift cards, of course, work similarly to debit cards, letting you draw down an existing balance. The main difference is that instead of being connected to a bank account like your debit card, the balance on your gift card has been prepaid by the gifter. Once you've exhausted the funds, the card has no more value.

But since there are rules governing the use of credit cards and gift cards, it's perfectly natural to wonder if you can use one to purchase the other.

There are 2 types of gift cards

There exist two gift card variants: Store-based and open-loop. Typically, you should be able to use your credit card to purchase either.

As the name suggests, store-based gift cards have to be purchased from that particular purveyor, and can be used only at that location. So if you have a Starbucks gift card, for example, you can't use it to pay for your burrito bowl at Chipotle, and vice versa.

Read more: Prepaid debit card vs gift card: Which is the better gift?

An open-loop gift card is an even more broad form of gift card that's issued through a financial institution — like Visa or Mastercard, for example — and can be used anywhere that that type of card is accepted. It's essentially an all-purpose charge card, designed for when you don't want the recipient to be tied down to one specific outlet.

Some store-based gift cards have stricter purchasing rules

The majority of retailers allow store-based gift cards to be purchased with credit cards, but it isn't a hard and fast rule. Some stores will have their own restrictions, either limiting or outright prohibiting these types of purchases.

In some cases, you might be asked to show some form of identification to make sure the name on your ID matches the one on your credit card. Or in some very strict cases, you might be asked to pay in cash.

Open-loop gift cards can almost always be purchased with a credit card, though they typically come with a purchase fee of $6+.

Read more: 44 thoughtful gift card gifts they will actually appreciate

If you really think that the outlet you're purchasing from accepts credit cards, and you're still getting refused, it could be that your credit issuer is flagging the transaction as suspicious, trying to protect you from fraud. If that's your experience, get in touch with your financial institution to see if flagged transactions might be the culprit.

You may not receive credit card rewards for your purchase

No matter what type of gift card you're purchasing, be aware that your credit card provider might not issue rewards points for gift card purchases. Many issuers are great about letting you purchase gift cards with rewards points. Just make sure you read up on your institution's policy so you know what to expect.

For example, American Express gift cards are not eligible to earn credit card rewards. In some cases, your card may even be charged a cash advance fee.

Read more: Many people are reconsidering earning travel rewards, but it's impossible to get stuck with flexible credit card points that work for both travel and cash back

Finally, something to bear in mind for any credit card purchase is that no matter how great the rewards are, it's not a good idea to overextend yourself. Regardless of how quickly you're planning to pay it off, you should avoid using more than 30% of your available credit — doing so can negatively affect your credit score, which can have long-term effects. 

As with any other credit card purchases, make sure you spend within your means and pay off your balance in full whenever possible, so that interest doesn't start piling up.

Bottom line

It's almost always possible to buy a gift card with a credit card. In some rare cases, however, a merchant may demand that you use cash. And buying gift cards directly from a financial institution (Like Amex or Wells Fargo) won't earn you any credit card rewards on your purchase.