Gift card bought in US i am in CA

Question

How to use gift card? that was bought in different country and given as a gift

Answer 1

Dear Amber Jessica, 

Thank you for your question and for sharing the details into Microsoft Q&A Forum. 

I understand how confusing this can be, especially when a gift card is purchased in one country and you’re trying to use it from another location. At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in the AI generated answer on your thread. That reply typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario. To help narrow this down and provide the next step, could you please share a bit more information? 

• What type of code is it? Microsoft/Xbox gift card balance (adds money to your Microsoft account), a game/app/subscription code or an Office/Windows product key? 
• Where are you redeeming it? (Web browser, Microsoft Store on Windows, or Xbox console?) 
• What exact error message do you see (if any)? For example: “Incorrect region” / “purchased in a different region,” etc. 

In the meantime, if your digital gift card was purchased online from the Microsoft Store and has not been redeemed, you may be eligible for a refund. 

• Visit How to cancel a Microsoft Store gift card. 
• Locate the gift card order. 
• Select Cancel > Confirm to initiate the refund. 

Important Notes: 

• Refunds are available within 14 days of purchase. 
• Gift cards are non-transferable between accounts. 
• This policy does not apply to physical gift cards or product codes (e.g., Office, Xbox). 

If these steps don’t work, I highly recommend contacting: 

• The original retailer (if not purchased directly from Microsoft), or 
• The Microsoft Store & Billing Help team or the Support team for further assistance. 

While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding. 

Wishing you a smooth experience getting everything set up so you can start enjoying your purchase soon. 

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Answer 2

Microsoft and Xbox gift cards are region-specific. A gift card purchased in one country/region generally must be redeemed to a Microsoft account whose country/region matches where the card was bought.

Key points from the terms and support content:

1. A Microsoft account is required
   • To use the gift card, it must be redeemed to a Microsoft account balance.
   • Sign in at Microsoft account or go directly to https://redeem.microsoft.com and sign in.
2. Redeem the card/code
   • On the Microsoft account site:
     1. Go to Subscriptions or Payment & billing.
     2. Select Redeem a code or gift card (or Redeem).
     3. Enter the 25-character code and select Next to redeem.
   • Once redeemed, the full value is added to the Microsoft account balance and can be used at participating Microsoft Stores (Microsoft Store online, Microsoft Store on Windows, Xbox, etc.).
3. Region limitations
   • Gift cards are redeemed to a specific Microsoft account region, and the balance is non-transferable between accounts or regions.
   • If the gift card was bought in the US and the Microsoft account is set to Canada, the card may not redeem successfully due to region mismatch.
   • If the code fails because of region, changing the account region just to redeem is generally not supported as a workaround in official guidance; the correct approach is usually to use the card with an account whose region matches the purchase country or contact the retailer/support.
4. What can be bought with the redeemed balance
   • After successful redemption, the balance can be used to buy apps, games, movies, TV shows, and in many regions devices and accessories from Microsoft Store.
   • It cannot be exchanged for cash (except where required by law) and is non-transferable once redeemed.
5. If the code does not work
   • If the code is rejected, verify that the Microsoft account region matches the country where the card was purchased.
   • If it still cannot be redeemed, contact the retailer that sold the card or Microsoft support as applicable; third-party retailer return policies apply if the card was not bought directly from Microsoft.

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References:

• Microsoft gift cards terms and conditions
• 2. Microsoft accounts
• Redeem a gift card or code to your Microsoft account
• Use a screen reader to manage your account billing and subscriptions
• Add money to your Microsoft account