William Lipovsky
It is possible to buy gift cards with a credit card at many major retailers. However, some of these stores only allow you to use credit cards for gift cards online.
I contacted corporate and store customer service representatives from retailers across the U.S. to verify where you can use credit cards to buy gift cards.
In-Person Options
Note: Be prepared to show ID when you use a credit card to purchase gift cards at any of the stores listed below.
ALDI
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for Mastercard, Visa, or American Express[1]
- Online or in stores? In stores[2]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[1]
- Find a location
Barnes & Noble
- Fees: None[3]
- Online or in stores? Both[4]
- Store cards or third-party? Store[3]
- Find a location
Costco
- Fees: None[5]
- Online or in stores? Both[6]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[6]
- Find a location
CVS
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; about $6 purchase fee for American Express, Visa, or Mastercard[7]
- Online or in stores? Both[8]; my related research lists gift cards available at CVS.
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[8]
- Find a location
Dollar General
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; about $6 purchase fee for Mastercard, Visa, or American Express[9]
- Online or in stores? In stores[10]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[10]
- Find a location
Game Stop
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; about $6 purchase fee for Visa and Mastercard, but they weren’t in stock at the locations I called[11]
- Online or in stores? Both[12]; my previous research features Game Stop’s list of gift cards.
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[12]
- Find a location
H-E-B
- Fees: Mastercard and Visa gift cards have a purchase fee of up to $6, but are cash-only purchases[13]
- Online or in stores? In stores[13]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[13]; see the list of gift cards at H-E-B.
- Find a location
The Home Depot
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to a $6 purchase fee for American Express, Mastercard, and Visa[14]
- Online or in stores? Both[14]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[15]. My related research features the list of gift cards sold at The Home Depot.
- Find a location
Kroger
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; about $4 purchase fee for Mastercard and Visa[16]
- Online or in stores? Both[16]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[17]; my previous research has the details on gift cards at Kroger.
- Find a location
Macy’s
- Fees: None[18]
- Online or in stores? Both[19]
- Store cards or third-party? Store[19]
- Find a location
Menards
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for Mastercard, Visa, and American Express[20]
- Online or in stores? Both[20]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[21]
- Find a location
Nordstrom
- Fees: None[22]
- Online or in stores? Both[22]
- Store cards or third-party? Store[23]
- Find a location
Office Depot
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for American Express, Mastercard, and Visa[24]
- Online or in stores? Both[24]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online (there is a link for specialty cards, too, but the link takes you to giftcardmall.com); both in stores[25]
- Find a location
Publix
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to about $6 purchase fee for Visa and Mastercard[26]
- Online or in stores? Both[27]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[27]. See the list of gift cards at Publix.
- Find a location
Safeway
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for Mastercard and Visa[28]
- Online or in stores? Both[28]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[29]. See my related research for the list of gift cards Safeway sells.
- Find a location
Sephora
- Fees: None[30]
- Online or in stores? Both[30]
- Store cards or third-party? Store[31]
- Find a location
Sheetz
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for Mastercard and Visa(credit card purchase is not allowed on non-denominational Visa or Mastercard)[32]
- Online or in stores? Both[33]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[33]
- Find a location
Speedway
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for Mastercard, Visa, or American Express[34]
- Online or in stores? In stores[34]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[34]
- Find a location
Staples
- Fees: About $2 for shipping; Visa and Mastercard gift cards also have up to $9 purchase fee, depending on gift card amount[35]
- Online or in stores? Both[36]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[36]
- Find a location
Stop & Shop
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for Mastercard, American Express, and Visa[37]
- Online or in stores? Both[38]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[38]. My previous research lists the gift cards at Stop & Shop.
- Find a location
Target
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to about $6 purchase fee for American Express, Mastercard, and Visa[39]
- Online or in stores? Both[39]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[40]
- Find a location
Ulta
- Fees: None[41]
- Online or in stores? Both[42]
- Store cards or third-party? Store[41]
- Find a location
Vons
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to about $6 purchase fee for Mastercard and Visa[43]
- Online or in stores? Both[44]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[44]. My related research features the list of gift cards at Vons.
- Find a location
Walgreens
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; about a $6 purchase fee for Mastercard and Visa[45]
- Online or in stores? In stores[46]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[46]
- Find a location
Walmart
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $7 fee for Mastercard and Visa gift cards, depending on the gift card amount[47]
- Online or in stores? Both[48]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[48]
- Find a location
Wegmans
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for American Express, Mastercard, and Visa[49]
- Online or in stores? Both[50]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards online; both in stores[50]. My related research lists the gift cards at Wegmans.
- Find a location
Online Options
The following retailers only accept credit cards for online gift card purchases:
Amazon
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; about $6 purchase fee for American Express, Mastercard, and Visa[51]
- Store card or third-party? Both[52]
- Shop
Best Buy
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; about $6 purchase fee for Mastercard, American Express, and Visa[53]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[54]
- Shop
BJ’s Wholesale Club
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to $6 purchase fee for American Express, Mastercard, and Visa[55]
- Store cards or third-party? Store[56]
- Shop
Kohl’s
- Fees: None; Kohl’s does not sell Mastercard, Visa, or American Express gift cards[57]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards[58]
- Shop
Lowe’s
- Fees: None[59]
- Store cards or third-party? Store cards only; Lowe’s sells both in stores, but only accepts credit cards for online gift card purchases.[59]
- Shop
Sam’s Club
- Fees: None for retail gift cards; up to about $12 purchase fee for American Express, Visa, and Mastercard, depending on the gift card amount and if it is a single card or multi-pack[60]
- Store cards or third-party? Both[61]
- Shop
Places That Don’t Accept Credit Cards for Gift Cards
In the course of my research, I found that the following places won’t let you buy a gift card with a credit card:
- 7-Eleven
- Albertsons
- BP
- Circle K
- ExxonMobil
- Giant
- Harris Teeter
- Meijer
- QuikTrip
- Rite Aid
- Save Mart
- Shell
- Sunoco
- Wawa
