Using US gift cards abroad

[origami]

This is sort of a spin-off of the post below.

Since the holidays are almost here I'm getting asked what to get my kids for christmas. Frankly, I'd rather not have to take anything back with us on the plane b/c I'm bringing back a crap ton of food and toiletry items but I have to tell them something. We have a Toys R Us (and Starbucks, Gap, H&M, and a few other chains). Is it possible to use US gift cards in other countries? Maybe this is store-specific but I'm hoping there's a >0% chance of this working out.

[MauMau]

Probably not. I know some are specific to the country they are purchased in. Switzerland didn't really have stores that were also in the US. So I never did much research. Of the ones you mentioned. I would only think H&M would be a close possibility. But even then the currency issues and exchange?

[potatopie]

I would contact one of the stores as a possibility, but I think I tried a few years ago and wasn't able to do it. Can't remember what store it was for though.

[dorothyinAus]

I've never been able to transfer US gift cards to non-US stores.
I'd ask for Amazon gift cards, as you can use those for shipping as well.

[mrsukyankee]

Nope. Tried it. Doesn't work.

Amazon gift list is the way to go (it's how my parents shop for me for presents - they go to my wishlist on Amazon.co.uk and buy from there)

[UnderProtest]

Starbucks works the other way. My aunt got me a Starbucks gift card in the US and it works here in the UK. Not sure about the other ones though.

[origami]

Amazon's shipping costs to here are redamndiculous and we have to pay customs/duty if it's over something like $100 (I forget the amount) so it's mostly not worth it. I cry.

[UnderProtest]

You don't have Amazon.kr?

[origami]

Nov 13, 2014 5:29:15 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Starbucks works the other way. My aunt got me a Starbucks gift card in the US and it works here in the UK. Not sure about the other ones though.

Oh wait...

Starbucks Cards activated in any of the participating countries can be used to make purchases and be reloaded in any other participating country. Starbucks Cards must first be activated by loading money onto the card in the country of purchase before being used internationally. The participating countries are; UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico, and the Republic of Ireland.

[UnderProtest]

Nov 13, 2014 5:39:46 GMT -5 origami said:

Nov 13, 2014 5:29:15 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Starbucks works the other way. My aunt got me a Starbucks gift card in the US and it works here in the UK. Not sure about the other ones though.

Oh wait...

Starbucks Cards activated in any of the participating countries can be used to make purchases and be reloaded in any other participating country. Starbucks Cards must first be activated by loading money onto the card in the country of purchase before being used internationally. The participating countries are; UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico, and the Republic of Ireland.

Well, I guess Korea is more of a third world country than the UK.

[Deleted]

My mom gets me amazon.com gift cards. They're pretty useless for me (in the UK). Have no idea why she doesn't at least get my .ca cards - then I could use them to buy books for my Kindle.

[origami]

Nov 13, 2014 5:47:58 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Well, I guess Korea is more of a third world country than the UK.

what?! I pass 4 Starbucks on my 5km drive to school!

The above quote was from Starbucks' UK site but I found something on their US site that makes me hopeful. I'm just going to call them I guess.

[UnderProtest]

origami

It was a joke. I often refer to the UK as a third world country considering how developed it is and they still suck at some things. It was something a telephone repair guy said when we first moved here....getting working utilities or a decent washer are impossible here.

[origami]

Nov 13, 2014 6:05:27 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

origami

It was a joke. I often refer to the UK as a third world country considering how developed it is and they still suck at some things. It was something a telephone repair guy said when we first moved here....getting working utilities or a decent washer are impossible here.

oh my bad! I'll go locate my sense of humor now. I actually told someone the other day that a country shouldn't be allowed to call itself first-world if you can't get out of season fresh food there. Not being able to buy strawberries in the summer is some Bush league bullshit. I'm always in a lather about how impossible it is to get info & products online here because their websites are a study in the Worst of the Web circa 2004. Starbucks' Korean site has no English version - or at least I can't find it because my phone's zoom feature inexplicably doesn't work on their site - and it won't switch to a mobile version. So I call. Oops only open US hours. :::rubs temples:::

Who needs electricity or a washing machine? Pfft. Are all of your clothes gray yet?

[UnderProtest]

Nov 13, 2014 6:34:25 GMT -5 origami said:

Nov 13, 2014 6:05:27 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

origami

It was a joke. I often refer to the UK as a third world country considering how developed it is and they still suck at some things. It was something a telephone repair guy said when we first moved here....getting working utilities or a decent washer are impossible here.

oh my bad! I'll go locate my sense of humor now. I actually told someone the other day that a country shouldn't be allowed to call itself first-world if you can't get out of season fresh food there. Not being able to buy strawberries in the summer is some Bush league bullshit. I'm always in a lather about how impossible it is to get info & products online here because their websites are a study in the Worst of the Web circa 2004. Starbucks' Korean site has no English version - or at least I can't find it because my phone's zoom feature inexplicably doesn't work on their site - and it won't switch to a mobile version. So I call. Oops only open US hours. :::rubs temples:::

Who needs electricity or a washing machine? Pfft. Are all of your clothes gray yet?

Not gray yet, just pilled and shredded.

[origami]

Nov 13, 2014 6:40:19 GMT -5 UnderProtest said:

Nov 13, 2014 6:34:25 GMT -5 origami said:

oh my bad! I'll go locate my sense of humor now. I actually told someone the other day that a country shouldn't be allowed to call itself first-world if you can't get out of season fresh food there. Not being able to buy strawberries in the summer is some Bush league bullshit. I'm always in a lather about how impossible it is to get info & products online here because their websites are a study in the Worst of the Web circa 2004. Starbucks' Korean site has no English version - or at least I can't find it because my phone's zoom feature inexplicably doesn't work on their site - and it won't switch to a mobile version. So I call. Oops only open US hours. :::rubs temples:::

Who needs electricity or a washing machine? Pfft. Are all of your clothes gray yet?

Not gray yet, just pilled and shredded.

lovely. That explains all the cute coats there.

[rupertpenny]

You definitely can't use a gap gift card, something which is nearly impossible for my MIL to understand.

I'm also dreading bringing back Christmas gifts. I'm going to pack some foldable duffle bass so we have more space coming back and pray that no one buys B a cosy coupe or something stupid. Knowing my in laws they will buy her something equally useless or difficult to transport.

[Deleted]

Nov 13, 2014 5:51:37 GMT -5 @bandwife said:

My mom gets me amazon.com gift cards. They're pretty useless for me (in the UK). Have no idea why she doesn't at least get my .ca cards - then I could use them to buy books for my Kindle.

Can you elaborate on this a bit? We are  about to move to the UK, and I saw on the amazon.com site that amazon.com gift cards will not work in the UK. Given the previous comments about how expensive Amazon UK shipping is, I would be using the gift cards primarily for kindle books. 

Are there any amazon gfs that they could but me in the us that I can use in the UK? 

Thank you !!

[Deleted]

Nov 17, 2014 23:07:04 GMT -5 tortis said:

Nov 13, 2014 5:51:37 GMT -5 @bandwife said:

My mom gets me amazon.com gift cards. They're pretty useless for me (in the UK). Have no idea why she doesn't at least get my .ca cards - then I could use them to buy books for my Kindle.

Can you elaborate on this a bit? We are  about to move to the UK, and I saw on the amazon.com site that amazon.com gift cards will not work in the UK. Given the previous comments about how expensive Amazon UK shipping is, I would be using the gift cards primarily for kindle books. 

Are there any amazon gfs that they could but me in the us that I can use in the UK? 

Thank you !!

I've found shipping from .co.uk reasonable if you are in the UK and just getting regular delivery service. Free shipping with delivery saver in 3-5 days is often an option.

But if I ordered something from .com to the UK they either couldn't ship it or the shipping costs were insane.

We would be thrilled to get amazon.co.uk gift cards. We use Amazon a lot because of convenience and we live in a remote area.

You will still have sticker shock though. Everything is more expensive here. Some of it is the 20% VAT that is included in the retail price. I'd suggest not price comparing with the US - often it is dollar to pound for the same item. Unless you are going back to the states often or have people visiting from the states frequently, you have to suck it up and pay UK prices.

[weelass24]

People in the US can buy from the .co.uk site and it will convert the cost to dollars. They'll pay in the home currency without incurring fees from the bank or CC to convert the currency. You can also do a wish list on your amazon country. We did that for the kids last year and it worked well.