Can You Buy Gift Cards At Self Checkout of Grocery and Retail Stores?

You might have heard of purchasing gift cards from retailers online and in-store through cashiers. But today, we will guide you on whether can you buy gift cards at self checkout at different stores or not! 

Can You Buy Gift Cards At Self Checkout?

Self checkout facility is quite common these days where you don’t have to interact with the cashiers to handle your transaction processes.

Moreover, gift cards have become quite famous over the years. While many of the gift cards can be bought online, various stores allow you to buy them at their self checkout service. The gift cards in this case are automatically activated as soon as you scan them and complete the transaction. 

Gift cards is a prepaid debit card where you load a certain amount of cash to utilize. A couple of gift card types that you can use online and in-store are closed-loop and open-loop gift cards.

• However, the loading amount varies with the card type and the limit you are allowed to load onto your card. 

Gift cards can be used for purchases, ATM withdrawals, carrying out other financial transactions, and as a unique gift for friends and family. Purchase the gift cards of their favorite shopping store or restaurant where they can use them as per their preferences. 

List of Stores Where You Can Buy Gift Cards At Self Checkout

Let go of pouring over your transaction processes to the store assistants and handle on your own as per your requirements. Stores, where you can buy gift cards at self checkout, are. 

Kroger

• Scan your Kroger shopper card when using the self checkout kiosk. 
• If the gift card you want to purchase already has an amount on it then you will only have to scan the card and cash out. 
• As soon as you complete the transaction, the gift card activates for usage. 

Safeway 

• Scan your card and fill in the amount you want to put on the gift card. 
• Then pay for the card at Safeway self checkout to complete the activation. 
• Safeway sells both the Visa and Mastercard prepaid gift cards in denominations from $25 to $250.

Walmart 

• To activate the prepaid gift card, scan the barcode and complete the transaction. 
• Enter the amount you want to load onto your gift card after scanning the card. 
• On completing the transaction, your gift card gets activated. 

The Home Depot 

• Scan the barcode of the card at self checkout and enter the amount you want on the card. 
• The scanning process is similar for all gift cards here like Mastercard, retailer cards, restaurants, and Visa too. 
• Moreover, the Home Depot has a variety of third-party gift cards but it doesn’t sell them online. 

BJ’s Wholesale Club 

• Various gift cards do not have any predetermined amount on them. 
• Then specify the amount you want to put on the card to pay. 
• The BJ’s Wholesale Club gift card gets activated when you complete the transaction. 

Target

• It offers a vast range of gift cards that can be scanned at the self checkout. 
• At Target, it would be best if you purchase the cards through cashier lanes. 
• Self checkout process gets hectic since the transaction is put on hold until the employee processes the activation procedure. 

Lowe’s 

• At Lowe’s, you can scan gift cards at a self checkout kiosk. 
• Your transaction is kept pending until the employee completes the transaction. 
• It charges no fee on the gift cards and is redeemable both online and in-store. 

WinCo Foods 

• You can get the gift card at self checkout with the help of an assistant there. 
• Also, you can simply scan the card and enter the amount you want to load onto it. 
• Complete the transaction to finish the activation process of your card. 

Stores Where You Can Not Buy Gift Cards at Self Checkout

Self checkout service is not available in few of the top-notch and eminent stores. Several such stores where you cannot buy the gift cards at self checkout include. 

• Tops Friendly Markets 
• Kmart 
• Whole Foods 
• CVS 
• Food Lion 
• Sam’s Club 

How To Activate Specific Gift Cards?

The gift cards that are bought at the self checkout require a certain scanning and activation process. The course of action slightly varies with every card type and it is important that you know about how each of them works. 

Prepaid Gift Cards 

As it is taken as read that prepaid gift cards work just like the debit cards, there are certain bits you must know to get the best experience of all. Prepaid gift cards can be activated in different ways as mentioned below. 

• You can activate your prepaid gift card at the self checkout by scanning and paying. 
• In addition to this, you can also do it over the phone once you have made a purchase. 
• You need to provide certain details to do so which include the account number and activation code of the gift card.
• To know the activation code, kindly scrape off the coating on the card done for security purposes and find your activation code beneath. 
• The self checkout prepaid gift cards go around in a way that there is always a certain amount on them that is preestablished. 
• Then all you need to do is scan the barcode on your card and the price of your gift card will be displayed on the total. 

No-Set Amount Gift Cards 

Unlike the prepaid gift cards that already have a predetermined amount on them, no-set amount gift cards are those where you have the authority to put a specific amount on the card. This means you can enter as per your requirement but within the loading limit of the card. 

Typically, the range within which you can load money onto your gift cards is $20 minimum and $500 maximum. These might vary with gift card types and several associated features. 

• The no-set amount gift cards can be purchased at the checkout by scanning the barcode present on them. 
• As soon as you scan your card, you will be asked to enter the amount you wish to put on your card. 
• Once done, you will then have to pay to complete the transaction. 
• Following this step leads you to the activation of your gift card. 
• Moreover, kindly make sure that you receive the notification informing you of the activation being completed. 
• The activation notice can either be on your purchase receipt, or it can also be on the separate receipt claiming the gift card activation. 

Store Specific Gift Cards 

This is another type of gift card that is quite popular. These are to be redeemed at particular stores or restaurants and you can utilize them to buy something. 

The store specific gifts cards go about two major ways. You can either put an amount on the card of your own choice, or you can also purchase the prepaid gift cards that already have a set amount. 

• At the self checkout, store specific gift cards can be activated by scanning them and completing the transaction. 
• If you are asked to choose the amount on your behalf, the process is similar to that of the Visa and Mastercard gift card. 
• Various stores have the facility of self checkout in addition to allowing the purchase of gift cards here. 

The Bottom Line

Self checkout kiosks are pretty common now and are supported by several grocery and retail stores. The convenience supersedes the traditional checkout counters as customers can handle their transactions without having to wait for the store assistants.

• You can activate the gift cards by calling the respective merchant or entering the right activation numbers at the provided URL. 

Various stores allow you to purchase the gift cards at self checkout where the activation occurs automatically on the completion of your payment. Apart from that, you can also purchase a gift card and take it to the cash register. Then the cashier then loads money onto your card and activates it for further usage. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Can I buy a gift card with Walmart Pay? 

Unfortunately, Walmart does not allow you to buy Visa gift cards with the Walmart gift cards. You can only buy them using cash in-store, credit, or debit cards. 

Does Asda allow to buy the gift cards at self checkout? 

Yes, you can buy their gift cards at self checkout ranging from £1 up to £500.

Can I purchase a gift card with a gift card? 

Purchasing one gift card with another is quite subjective depending upon the company’s policies. Therefore, kindly look into them for further confirmation. 

Is it possible to buy a gift card in the cash? 

Yes, it is possible to buy the gift card using cash only when you are buying it physically in-store. 

How can I convert the gift card to cash? 

To convert the gift card to cash, Check the balance on gift card > Gift Card Exchange kiosk > Enter the gift card information > Review the cash back > Accept it > Print the voucher > Show the voucher to the cashier who pays you. 

Can you take money off a gift card at an ATM? 

Yes, you are allowed to withdraw the cash against the balance on various gift cards and Mastercard prepaid cards at the ATMs.