An Xbox gift card is prepaid credit for your Microsoft account: you redeem its 25-character code and the value lands in your balance, ready for games, add-ons or Game Pass. Before you buy one, check the country. A gift card only works in the country where it was bought, and neither a region switch nor Microsoft support will change that.
What an Xbox gift card actually buys
The card doesn’t unlock one product. It adds money to your Microsoft account, and Microsoft lists what the balance covers: games, add-ons, in-game content, apps, movies and TV shows on Xbox consoles and in the Microsoft Store, plus subscriptions like Game Pass. You can spend it in three places – the Microsoft Store online, on Windows and on Xbox.
If you plan to put the money into Game Pass, pick the tier first. Our overview of Game Pass tiers and what each one includes shows the differences, and the guide to what’s in Game Pass and how to track games leaving tells you whether the games you want are in the library at all.
There are a few limits worth knowing:
- Some in-app subscriptions need a card. Most in-game purchases like map packs, levels and coins work with gift card balance, but Microsoft says some app subscriptions require a credit card.
- No Office 365. Microsoft states you currently can’t buy Office 365 with a gift card.
- No cash back. Except where the law requires it, the credit can’t be exchanged for cash and isn’t refundable.
Physical or digital, and where to buy it
Microsoft sells Xbox gift cards directly in the Microsoft Store and through participating retailers. The digital version arrives by email as a 25-character code, which you can print, forward or send over a messenger. Physical cards are sold in retail stores. The amount depends on the country: in the US Microsoft Store, the digital card comes in values from $3 to $100, while cards for other countries are issued in their local currency.
Gift cards bought at retail don’t expire. Promotional cards are different: credit from Microsoft Rewards or Game Pass Rewards does have an expiry date.
The risk sits with unofficial key marketplaces, where cards for other countries are sold next to local ones. If you buy outside the Microsoft Store or a known retailer, check which country the card is issued for before you pay. When a wrong-region code reaches you, Microsoft won’t convert it – the only fix is a refund or a replacement code from the seller.
Region lock: the card must match your account
Microsoft’s own product page puts it briefly: gift cards are in local currency, so a card only works in the country where it was purchased. The US digital card, for example, is issued for a US Microsoft account. Microsoft’s support moderators add the parts that catch people out:
- Changing your account region to redeem a foreign card doesn’t solve it. Your existing balance doesn’t move with the account, and items often don’t work across regions.
- Microsoft support won’t change a card’s region or transfer its value.
- There’s no supported way around the lock. Using a VPN or switching regions to redeem it can break Microsoft’s rules.
Buying for a friend abroad? Get a card issued for their country.
How to redeem an Xbox gift card
Before you type anything, sign in to the account the money is meant for. Microsoft warns that a redeemed code can’t be transferred to another account. On a family console, redeeming on a parent’s account instead of the child’s is the classic mistake, and it’s worth reading how Xbox parental controls handle spending and balance if the card is for a kid.
| Where | Works? | Path |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One | yes | Xbox button → Store → View button → Redeem |
| Web browser | yes | microsoft.com/redeem → sign in → enter the code |
| Microsoft Store app on Windows | yes | your account (top right) → Redeem code or gift cards |
| Xbox app for PC | yes | gamerpic (top left) → Settings → Redeem |
| Xbox mobile app | no | Microsoft doesn’t offer redemption there |
On the console
- Press the Xbox button to open the guide and select Store.
- Press the View button to open the side menu and select Redeem.
- Enter the 25-character code, select Next and follow the prompts.
On the web or a PC
With a keyboard, the fastest route is microsoft.com/redeem: sign in and enter the code. The Microsoft Store app and the Xbox app for PC follow the paths in the table above and end the same way, with the 25-character code and the Next button.
After redeeming, you can see the balance under payment options in your Microsoft account. We cover every type of code, including game and subscription codes, in the separate guide on how to redeem a code on Xbox.
When the code doesn’t work
- Region. If the message mentions the wrong region, nothing on your side will fix it. Contact the seller for a refund or a code for your region.
- Already redeemed. Check the order history on account.microsoft.com, where your redeemed codes are listed. If you use more than one account, check each of them – the money may be sitting on the other one.
- Typos. Typing 25 characters with a controller invites mistakes. Retry on the web with a keyboard.
Gift card or a game as a gift?
A gift card is the safer choice when you don’t know exactly what the other person owns. They pick the game, and the value doesn’t expire. It also avoids buying a game they already play through Game Pass – and if you’re weighing the subscription itself as a present, see whether Game Pass is worth it. For Game Pass itself, Microsoft offers a “Buy as gift” option at checkout, so you don’t need a card for that.
A specific game is the better gift when you know the person’s platform and wishlist. Region rules apply to digital gifts too, so match the recipient’s country either way. Once they spend the balance, what they buy follows the normal store rules, including the ones in our guide on how to get a refund for an Xbox game.
For a bigger present, our breakdown of how much an Xbox costs in total helps with the budget, and anyone without a console can start with Xbox Cloud Gaming.
FAQ
No. Microsoft says a gift card only works in the country where it was purchased. Changing your account region won’t help, your existing balance doesn’t move with it, and Microsoft support won’t convert the card. Ask the seller for a refund or a code issued for your region.
Gift cards bought at retail don’t expire, according to Microsoft. Promotional credit is the exception: balance from Microsoft Rewards or Game Pass Rewards does have an expiry date, so spend that first.
Not in the Xbox mobile app, where Microsoft doesn’t offer code redemption. On a phone you can use a web browser instead: go to microsoft.com/redeem, sign in to your Microsoft account and enter the 25-character code. The console, the Microsoft Store app and the Xbox app for PC work too.
Yes. Microsoft confirms you can pay for Xbox Game Pass with gift card balance, online or on your Xbox. Redeem the card first so the money is on your account, then pick the tier you want. To give Game Pass directly, use “Buy as gift” at checkout.
In practice, yes. Microsoft says both cards work the same way: once redeemed, the value becomes balance you can spend in the Microsoft Store online, on Windows and on Xbox. Buy whichever one is available, as long as it matches your region.
No. Microsoft warns that you can’t transfer a code once it’s redeemed, so sign in to the right account before you enter it. The balance also can’t be exchanged for cash, except where the law requires it.
More Xbox guides are in our Xbox and cloud gaming hub. Information verified as of 28 September 2026.