How to know if a gift card code was already used

2026-09-30

The most common reason a gift card sale is rejected is simple: the code was already redeemed. Here is how to avoid it.

Where used codes come from

• The card was redeemed by someone else in the family
• The card was bought second-hand
• The code was shared in a chat or a photo and someone used it first

Check before you sell

• If the card came in a store package, make sure the scratch strip was not scratched before you got it
• If you bought it online, check the order email from the store: some stores show whether it was redeemed
• Do not redeem a card on your own account "to test it" — once redeemed, it cannot be sold

If only the value is different

Sometimes the code works but the card holds a different amount than you chose. On Giftoia we correct the value and pay you for the real amount instead of rejecting the order, and you see the corrected value on your order.

If the code is rejected

You get the reason clearly on the order page. You can ask our team about it in the order chat.