Unable to Redeem Microsoft gift card

Question

I have gift my friend a gift card from microsoft store. But now it saying "It was purchase on different region". But both of us are in same region.

Even when I try to redeem on the account from which it was purchase still showing same error.

Answer 1

Microsoft gift cards and account balances are region-locked. A gift card purchased for one country/region can only be redeemed to a Microsoft account whose country/region matches the card’s region. The balance can then only be spent in Participating Stores for that same region.

If the error says the card was purchased in a different region even though both people are physically in the same country, the usual causes are:

1. The Microsoft account’s country/region does not match the gift card’s region.
2. The Microsoft Store region on the device does not match the account/gift card region.

To troubleshoot:

1. Check the Microsoft account region for both accounts (the buyer and the friend) and confirm it matches the country/region where the gift card was issued.
2. Ensure the Microsoft Store region on the device matches the Microsoft account region.
3. Try redeeming the card directly at the online redemption page instead of via the app: use the Redeem Code flow described in the documentation and sign in with the correct-region account.
4. If the card truly matches the account region and the error persists, contact the retailer or Microsoft Support. If the card was bought from a third party, that seller’s return policies apply. Non-redeemed gift cards may be refundable in some regions (for example, under EU cooling-off rules), but once redeemed they cannot be refunded.

Note that gift cards cannot be exchanged for cash and are not reloadable, and Microsoft is not responsible if a card is lost, stolen, or used without permission.

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References:

• Microsoft gift cards terms and conditions
• Redeem a gift card or code to your Microsoft account