3 easy ways to use Amazon gift card credit when paying with points

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Amazon often offers discounts when you pay with points.  For example, there’s a current targeted offer to save 20% when you pay with at least one Membership Rewards point.  At the same time, there are often deals to get Amazon gift cards at a discount.  For example, with the Lowe’s 10% back Amex Offer, you can go to Lowe’s and buy Amazon gift cards and get 10% back.  Often there are even better deals available.

The problem is that when you pay with 1 point, Amazon usually defaults to charging your credit card the balance rather than letting you use gift card credit that you’ve already loaded to your account.  Fortunately their are a few easy ways around this…

1) Set your Membership Rewards card (or whichever type of card you intend to pay with points) as your default payment card (under “1-Click Settings“) within Amazon.  Once this is set, Amazon should automatically let you use your gift card credit.

or…

2) Add an Amazon gift card at checkout.  When checking out, if you add an Amazon gift card of any amount (even 50 cents), it will unlock all of your gift card credit for that purchase.

or…

3) Make sure you have less gift card credit than the purchase price.  If you don’t have enough gift card credit to cover the entire purchase, Amazon will let you apply your credit.

Hat Tip to Doctor of Credit for identifying these options.

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