American Express Gift Cards Reviews
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About American Express Gift Cards
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American Express Merchant Services delivers payment processing and merchant account solutions. The company offers credit card processing, point-of-sale systems and fraud protection tools for businesses of various sizes, while integrating secure payment technologies and customer support to enhance transaction efficiency.
- Widely accepted at many retailers
- Useful for budgeting expenses
- Good for gifting purposes
- Easy to purchase and load
- High activation and maintenance fees
- Customer service issues reported
- Limited online usability
American Express Gift Cards Reviews
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Reviewed June 8, 2026
For the past three years, I have purchased gift cards to give to students to cover incidental costs while traveling to and from a national conference. This year, we have had a multitude of issues. I will say the customer service reps are kind and patient, but it seems they are not able to offer any actual solutions to problems and overall, these cards are very glitchy (three students this year have reported issues using them). And when they get deactivated for security measures, there are apparently NO ways to reactivate them, so students are stranded in transit without the money they were counting on. (AMEX does offer to send a replacement card, but apparently they can only go to the original shipping address which does not help if someone is traveling.)
Their website is also quite glitchy. With one order, the order was sent to the billing address instead of the shipping address. I called within minutes of the order going through but they could not re-route the shipping. (I understood there were logistical reasons for this, and followed directions to place a second order to the correct address - but then for some reason they sent the second order ALSO to the wrong address.) And I thought the whole thing was my error in the first place, but when I placed another order, the shipping address defaulted back to the billing address on the last screen!! I only caught it this time because I was specially looking at that section. Then, no matter how many times I tried to switch the address, it kept switching back to the billing address. I could only change it by deleting our billing address from the account. The "check balance" website has also been down for at least six hours today.
Reviewed June 5, 2026
I was given an AX gift card for 100.00. It came with 2 numbers missing on the card. I called them and was told the card was good even though the last 2 numbers were missing. The idiot on the phone, I barely could understand him said, "Oh, yeah, it's good", but would not give me the last 2 numbers that were missing on the card. I could not create a PIN because without the full card numbers, you can't access the card on the site.
So I tried to use it at Sam's Club towards a TV. I had 3 -100 gift cards. The AX card was declined. This was at 3:15 in the afternoon. I went home to go online and find out what was going on that I could not use it. (I didn't buy the TV, I wanted to use the gift card.) I called and was told the card had a zero balance on it. How can that be, I was declined a little over an hour ago. I filed a report, and they told me the card was used at Walmart in Porter Ranch within the same time I was at Sam's Club 19 miles away in Santa Clarita trying to use it.
I went to Walmart, and they printed out the charge. Someone used 2 -$ 100.00 gift cards to buy some Apple device. Now, how can someone use the card when I had it my hands in Santa Clarita. AX sends me back a report a week later, accusing me of giving the card info out to someone. What BS! They said the case was closed. I replied and reopened the case with the info I have, plus that I was 19 miles away and could not be in Porter Ranch, and I had the card in my hand. So how can it be charged?
Today June 4th, they sent me an email saying the case is closed and again accused me of giving the number out to someone, but never ONCE do the talk about the missing numbers on the card or how is it possible the card is used less than an hour from where I was and no way I could get to Porter Ranch 19 miles away, to use the card.
I also asked them to prove that I give the card info out to someone. Prove it! They never responded to Prove it. They proved nothing except that they are the worst company to do business with, and any business owner should get rid of them. Don't pay the highest service charges in the industry to them. So I replied, I am familiar with AX poor customer service and it is why I cut up the AX Card I had 29 years ago, and when I was in business, I did not take AX because they were the highest service charge. So I replied to them to **. Don't buy American Express gift cards unless you want to lose your money to thieves. Ax cannot control or protect the cards. My daughter give that card as part of my birthday. So she's out a 100. Ax, I wish you bad karma.
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Reviewed May 26, 2026
The worst of gift cards. My son received as a gift for Christmas. Even after contacting AMEX, it continued to be declined online. Unable to add to PayPal or GPay as a work around. I ended up gifting him a Mastercard replacement. I'll try using the Amex at a local retailer.
Reviewed May 18, 2026
Worst product ever, credit card DOES NOT WORK. They say they will fix but they can't. I was on support for over an hour and these idiots just keep saying they are sorry. Only fix is to send you another card in the mail but they cant overnight, they cant get you to a supervisor they cant fix. Many reviews say they never send a replacement. DO NOT BUY!!!!
Updated review: May 9, 2026
I did I believe use the entire 150.00 amount on the card after receiving an itemized purchase list. I've requested to close this case.
Original Review: May 8, 2026
I received a 150.00 gift card for my reservation with Monster Vacations from American Express. After about 50.00 in purchases I had a "zero balance." I spoke to someone who told me a merchant put a hold on the card and to call back after April 22, 2026. I called them back, twice and spent over an hour on hold etc, just to reactivate my card. They have now filed "a dispute" for unauthorized purchases, I don't recall any unauthorized purchases and I was the only one with the card! They need "to review" the unauthorized purchases and it will take at least 30 days then get back to me...
The whole thing is some kind of scam, they're going to pocket the 100.00 out of the 150.00 most likely, as another reviewer wrote, I doubt anyone will get back to me. Their CR reps are intentionally obtuse, chances are I've lost the money, which was part of the package I bought from Monster Vacations. American Express is based in Sweden btw, I looked up how to file a complaint, the number is long distance from the US.
Reviewed April 25, 2026
Do not buy!! You will add money go to use it once and they block / lock the card for being compromised from you trying to use it then you have to wait 6 months to a year for a new card. They will never send it. And boom they just made 100$ plus activation fee and they do this 100000 a year. That makes them a lot of money. I never got the card. It’s been over a year.
Reviewed April 6, 2026
My Card Number was stolen & used in another State, I put in to dispute but they said they have evidence I used the card. I provided my address (which is in another state than transactions) & explained I work 6 days a week so it's impossible to use my card with a 3rd party. I was robbed & they do not care, I would NOT recommend American Express services of any kind to anyone!!
Reviewed April 6, 2026
Can’t use this gift card for online purchases, better off buying a prepaid Visa card. American Express gift cards are a scam and joke.
Reviewed March 21, 2026
WARNING!! DO NOT PURCHASE! I made a horrible mistake of purchasing a $150 gift card from them.
2) I wasn't aware of a hold placed on my egiftcard because it was "compromised".
3) Instead of replacing me with another egiftcard, they're "mailing" me a refund paper check.
I'm very disappointed and I'm gonna inform as many people as possible about them.
Reviewed March 16, 2026
These cards are not worth the hassle. You cannot use them with every place that takes American Express; they are barely usable anywhere actually. Tried using this card to make a $500 purchase (card was loaded for $600) and not accepted by vendor. Called to ask the card center why and a whole new card now has to be issued “for my protection”. If a company is issuing these cards as gifts - just know they are likely not going to be a good customer/service provider.
American Express Merchant Services author review by Tammy Burns
American Express Gift Cards are prepaid personal gift cards from $25 to $3,000 that can be purchased and then given away.
Pricing and fees: There are no usage fees associated with American Express Gift Cards.
One-time use: American Express Gift Cards aren’t reloadable.
Customizable: Select from dozens of designs and customized messages.
Widely accepted: Cardholders can use the card anywhere American Express is accepted, both in-store and online.
No Expiration: Gift card funds never expire.
A former finance phobe, Tammy now devotes her career to ensuring that people don’t make the same money mistakes she once did. Her work has appeared in Fortune, the Toronto Star, Advisor’s Edge, Greedy Rates, and Money Under 30. She joined ConsumerAffairs in 2023. Tammy studied magazine publishing at Toronto Metropolitan University and has a BA in psychology from York University, and her earlier journalism took her from editing law books to writing restaurant reviews to reporting live from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in Iceland. A part-time digital nomad, Tammy calls Toronto home but has also lived in Chiang Mai, Prague, Glasgow and rural Crete.
American Express Gift Cards Company Information
- Company Name:
- American Express Merchant Services
- Website:
- www.americanexpress.com