When you’re returning an item to Amazon, it’s nice to know exactly where your refund is going — because sometimes, you might not get the money put back on your card. Instead, Amazon may send your refund to an Amazon gift card!
If you’ve found yourself in this situation, keep reading below to learn more about this common issue!
Why Did Amazon Refund Me to a Gift Card Instead of My Credit Card?
Amazon often chooses to send refunds to gift cards, as this is normally the default option. However, you can change this when returning items and choose to have your refund sent to the card you used to purchase the returned order or item.
There’s a lot you should know about this common situation — and below, we explain everything in detail!
Can I Change My Amazon Refund Method?
Yes, you can change your Amazon refund method! According to Amazon, the refund process and refund method can vary from customer to customer. However, Amazon does almost always give you an option on where you’d like your refund to go.
Your refund may automatically be set to go to an Amazon gift card by default. You can easily change this when beginning the return process. Simply find the area where Amazon states where your refund will go and click on the card of your choice (or the other option of your choice).
Don’t assume that your refund will automatically go back to the card that you used when purchasing the returned item, as this isn’t actually the case! Therefore, during the return process, make sure you read everything carefully.
Can I Move the Refunded Amount From the Amazon Gift Card to My Credit Card?
Unfortunately, once your refund has been sent to an Amazon gift card and has been added to your Amazon balance, you cannot change it. You cannot send it to any card or cash it out in any way — through Amazon, at least.
There are a few different ways you can exchange your Amazon card for cash. However, Amazon does not allow this within its own site.
As a result, the only thing you can do with your Amazon gift card is using it when purchasing items on Amazon. If you buy items on Amazon often, then this shouldn’t be too much of a problem!
Does an Amazon Refund Go Back to My Credit Card by Default?
Refunds often will go to an Amazon gift card by default. However, you can change this! You can choose to change the settings of your refund and direct your refund to go back to the credit or debit card that you used to purchase the item or order.
As we’ve mentioned above, you should never assume that Amazon will just send your refund back to the card you used when purchasing these items. This is almost never the case. Instead, Amazon will always send the refund to an Amazon gift card — unless you change your settings.
Why Does Amazon Prefer That Refunds Go to Gift Cards?
Amazon likes to send refunds to Amazon gift cards, as this means that you will have to spend that money you’ve already spent with them once again. They want to always do business with you, and they never want to lose money if they don’t have to.
Thus, they always push sending your refund to an Amazon gift card rather than back to the card that you’ve already used. Amazon isn’t the only retail company that does something like this.
Even clothing stores and other retailers will often push getting a Store Credit card for use only in the store rather than refunding the money back to you directly or putting it back on your card.
So, if Amazon can get you to spend money with them again, they’ll encourage it. As a result, they’ll always want to try to keep you spending money at Amazon — and will always send your refund to a gift card if they can.
Conclusion
Amazon often sends refunds to Amazon gift cards by default. This means that you will not receive your refund on your credit or debit card. However, you can change this in your return settings to ensure you get your refund on the correct card.
