Buyer guide
Best Buy gift cards: where they work, what they can’t buy, and how refunds come back
How to redeem a Best Buy gift card
In a US Best Buy store
Hand the card — or the eGift card details — to the associate at checkout. You can stack up to 15 cards in one transaction, and pay any difference with another method. It works for services bought in store too.
On BestBuy.com
At checkout, choose to pay with a gift card and enter the card number and PIN. BestBuy.com accepts Best Buy gift cards and Best Buy store credit, up to 10 cards per order.
eGift cards
Best Buy eGift cards are emailed and normally reach the recipient within minutes. The email carries the card number and PIN, so you redeem it exactly like a plastic card. Keep that email until the balance is spent.
What you can and can’t buy
Covered
- Products in any US Best Buy store
- Products on BestBuy.com
- Services bought in store or online
Not covered
- Another Best Buy gift card
- Third-party gift cards and prepaid open-loop cards (Visa, Mastercard and similar)
- Payments on a Best Buy Credit Card
- Cash — the card isn’t redeemable or returnable for cash
One more line in the terms worth knowing: the card is “not a credit or debit card” — it only works inside Best Buy — and each card holds at most $500.
Can you use a Best Buy gift card outside the US?
Best Buy’s US terms say the card is redeemable in any US Best Buy store or on BestBuy.com — nothing more. Best Buy Canada runs its own site and its own cards: BestBuy.com’s FAQ says it does not accept Best Buy Canada gift cards, and the US terms give no route the other way. Here is how that plays out:
| Your situation | Can you use a US Best Buy gift card? |
|---|---|
| Shopping in a US state or Washington, D.C. | Yes — in store or online, shipped anywhere Best Buy delivers |
| Living in Puerto Rico | Hard. Best Buy says it does not ship to Puerto Rico, and store pickup isn’t available there. |
| Living in Canada | Not at Best Buy Canada. Only on a BestBuy.com order shipped to a US address or picked up in a US store. |
| Visiting from abroad | Yes, in any US store, or on BestBuy.com for delivery to a US address or US store pickup (held 5 days). |
| Using a parcel forwarder | No — Best Buy does not ship to known freight forwarders. |
Best Buy also notes that orders placed by international customers are intended for use in the US. If the person you’re rewarding lives outside the US, a card for a retailer in their own country will go further — see tax-free employee gifts in Canada and rewarding remote teams in different countries.
Expiry and fees
Best Buy prints it plainly: no expiration date, no fees. Federal rules (Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.20) would already require at least five years before funds expire and forbid inactivity fees in the first 12 months; Best Buy goes further. Promotional e-gift cards — the ones Best Buy sends after you buy an eligible product — have their own terms, and you have to confirm your email within 60 days to receive them.
Returns, refunds and lost cards
Return something you bought with a gift card and the amount goes back to that card, typically within 30 minutes of Best Buy receiving the return; cancellations work the same way. If you no longer have the card, call 1-888-BEST BUY to request a new one.
Lost, stolen or damaged cards can be replaced for the remaining balance, but only with the original proof of purchase. For cards bought at Best Buy, the number is 1-888-716-7994; for cards bought at another retailer, contact that retailer.
Checking the balance
In any US store, on BestBuy.com or by phone at 1-888-716-7994, with the card number to hand. Full walkthrough: how to check a Best Buy gift card balance.
FAQ
Can I use a Best Buy gift card for Geek Squad services?
Best Buy says its gift cards can be used for merchandise and services in stores and online.
Can I use a US Best Buy gift card in Canada?
Not at Best Buy Canada. The US card is redeemable only at US stores and on BestBuy.com.
Can I buy an Apple or PlayStation gift card with a Best Buy gift card?
No. Best Buy gift cards can’t buy third-party gift cards, prepaid open-loop cards or other Best Buy gift cards.
Does a Best Buy gift card expire?
No. Best Buy states there is no expiration date and no fees.
Where does my refund go if I paid with a gift card?
Back to the gift card, usually within 30 minutes of the return being received.
Rewordin Store — coming soon. We’re preparing digital Best Buy gift cards for US accounts, delivered by email. Nothing is for sale yet; pick an amount at the top to join the waitlist, or see the full store. Buying for a team? The bulk order calculator and recognition budget calculator help you plan, and this guide covers the tax.
Maciej Kamieniak
Writes Rewordin’s gift card guides and builds its reward delivery.
Natalia Kamieniak
Reviewed the refund, fee and expiry sections. Last updated October 28, 2026. This guide was checked against Best Buy’s official gift card help pages and terms on that date.