Yes! You can purchase Gift Cards online through our secure online ordering system. It's safe, easy and provides all the same options as when purchasing Gift Cards from one of our physical locations. Click here to purchase a card online.

Your Gift Card is valid through the expiration date shown on the front of the card or until the value of the Gift Card reaches zero. The "valid thru" date indicated on the Gift Card is required to ensure that the Gift Card can be used at Merchants that request and/or require customers to provide a card expiration date during the transaction process. You must not use the Gift Card after the "valid thru" date. The available funds on the Gift Card do not expire. If Available Funds remain on the Gift Card after the "valid thru" date, call 1-800-331-5597 to obtain a free replacement Gift Card or visit Guest Services. We reserve the right to decline to issue a replacement Gift Card.

Refunds or Exchanges are not available for Gift Cards. Available funds can be redeemed after the 'valid thru' date expires. Before redeeming any Available Funds after the "valid thru" date expires, American Express may hold the Available Funds for 10 business days after you request a check to ensure that all transactions have posted to our system.

Sign the back of your card upon receipt. Record your Gift Card number on a separate piece of paper and keep it in a safe location in case the card is lost or stolen. If your Gift Card is lost, stolen or used improperly, contact us immediately at the Customer Service number — 1-800-331-5597. You must provide the Gift Card number and other identifying details. If our records show that there are still Available Funds remaining on the Gift Card, we will cancel the Gift Card and send you a replacement card in the amount of available funds on your lost/stolen Gift Card at the time you notified us that it was lost/stolen.
NO REFUNDS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR AMOUNTS DEBITED FROM YOUR LOST/STOLEN GIFT CARD BEFORE YOU NOTIFY US.
If you have a question about a transaction that has been posted to your Gift Card, notify us immediately, but no later than 60 days from the date of the transaction, by calling the Customer Service number at 1-800-331-5597.

No! As of October 1, 2009, American Express eliminated all fees after purchase on all American Express-branded Gift Cards. This means American Express-issued Gift Cards will no longer incur monthly service fees. This includes Gift Cards now in stores, those headed to market for the coming holidays, and those already purchased that are in consumers’ wallets and purses. American Express Gift Cards are the only open-loop gift cards on the market for which after-purchase service fees have been eliminated.

Some Merchants such as restaurants and salons will obtain an authorization on the Gift Card for an amount up to 20% more than the total bill to cover any tip/gratuity that you may add to the purchase. Make sure your balance can accommodate the additional 20% or your transaction may be declined.

Many retailers CANNOT determine the balance on your Gift Card on their cash registers. In these situations, if your balance is less than the purchase amount, your transaction will be declined, UNLESS you tell the cashier what your balance is and provide a second form of payment for the remainder of the purchase. There is no charge to check your balance regularly, and you can do so either by visiting www.givethegiftcard.com/balance.aspx; at Guest Services; over the phone at 1-800-331-5597 or by tracking your purchase on your Gift Card carrier.

Keep your Gift Card in case you need to return merchandise for credit. Merchandise return and refund policies vary by merchant. If a credit is issued to the Gift Card, it may not be added to the available funds for up to seven days. Check your balance regularly at www.givethegiftcard.com/balance.aspx to determine when your card has been credited for the return.

Your Gift Card can be used at retailers and other merchants located in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that accept the American Express Card, including mail order, online and brick and mortar merchant establishments. The Gift Card cannot be used at cruise lines, for recurring billing purchases, or at casinos or ATMs. Usage restrictions apply for international airlines.

Additionally, when using your Gift Card to pay for gasoline, do not pay at the pump. Always pay inside and tell the operator how much you want taken from your card. When you pay at the pump $75 is automatically deducted from your card, until the actual transaction posts (typically within three business days). If you have less than $75 on your card, your transaction will be declined at the pump.

Hotels and gas stations will also secure an authorization on the Gift Card in excess of the estimated purchase amount to ensure that adequate funds are available to cover the final purchase. The entire amount of the authorization will remain unavailable until the actual transaction posts (typically within three business days), although only the amount you actually authorize will be deducted from the value of the Gift Card.

Car rentals may only accept the Gift Card at the end of the rental.

The slightly increased fee for the GIVE Green Gift Card allows us to package the card with 30% post-consumer recycled materials. In addition, a portion of the gift card fee will benefit our national environmental partner, American Forests. We have made a commitment to donate at least $100,000 to the organization to support its mission to plant and preserve trees and forests across the United States.

The Santa Monica Place Gift Card carries a slighly higher fee which includes upgraded packaging and a special note card with an envelope and embossed seal to send with the Gift Card.  

A portion of the fee ($.70) for each GIVE Green Gift Card sold will be donated to American Forests. Contributions will be made on a quarterly basis, based directly on the number of GIVE Green cards sold.

American Forests' efforts to plant and preserve trees and forests are far-reaching and impact communities throughout the United States. You can find a complete listing of programs at www.americanforests.org.

Customers told us that although they enjoyed the benefits of Gift Cards – namely convenience, security and control– but felt that having service fees undermined the value of the Gift Card, both for the Gift Card purchaser and the Gift Card recipient. We wanted to address this concern for our customers. They helped us make this decision, making a good product great.

Yes, an upfront purchase fee will still apply to Gift Cards (fee depends on the type of Gift Card) which is true for all American Express-branded Gift Cards. But there will be no service fees after purchase.

The change is immediate and applies to all Gift Cards in addition to all American Express Gift Cards – those now in the stores, those headed to market for the coming holidays, and those already in consumers’ wallets and purses. American Express Gift Cards are the first and only open-loop Gift Cards that don’t have after-purchase fees – which means they won’t lose any value until they are used.

Unlike other open-loop gift cards in the market, all American Express-branded Gift Cards do not have any after-purchase fees—no activation fees, no fees to check a balance, no card replacement fees, no servicing fees, and no expiration of funds. In addition, American Express Gift Cards are backed by the high-quality service that American Express has become known for over the past 159 years. Further, American Express has the largest, most robust gift card distribution network – at 70,000 retail outlets – so American Express Gift Cards are widely available.