Why can't I redeem my gift card? (Self-gifting policy)
Gifts sent to the same phone number used to purchase them cannot be redeemed. Here's why, and what to do next.
The short answer
Our gift cards are intended to be given to someone else. Because of that, any order where the purchaser and the recipient share the same phone number is automatically flagged as self-gifting and cannot be redeemed. If this happened to your order, you have two simple options: update the recipient, or request a full refund.
Why self-gifting isn't allowed
Blocking self-gifted orders helps us prevent fraud and keeps the gifting experience working correctly for everyone. When a single phone number is used as both the purchaser and the recipient, our redemption flow cannot verify that the gift reached an intended recipient, so the redemption is blocked.
Policy
Due to the gifting nature of our product, a gift is unredeemable when self-gifted. When redeeming a gift, the recipient must use a different phone number than the one used to purchase the gift.
What you may see
If your order was blocked for self-gifting, you may see one of these messages or symptoms when you try to claim, activate, or use the gift card:
- "There was an error claiming your gift."
- The activate / redeem button does nothing, loops, or shows a generic error.
- The redemption page tells you the site is "blocked" or that you are "unable to claim this gift."
- The order shows as pending for an unusually long time and the activation code never works.
Your options
If your order was flagged for self-gifting, choose whichever of the two options below fits what you need.
| Option 1: Send to a different recipient | Option 2: Full refund |
|
Keep the gift, but send it to the person you meant to gift. What we need from you:
Our team will re-send the gift to that number or address, typically within a few hours. |
Cancel the order and get your money back. What to expect:
No further action is needed from you once the refund is confirmed. |
Important
Please reply from the same email address used to place the order so we can verify ownership before we make any changes or issue a refund.
How to avoid this next time
- At checkout, enter the recipient's own cell phone number (or email)—not your own.
- If you want to keep the gift yourself, consider buying a standard prepaid or merchant-branded gift card instead of a peer-to-peer gift product.
- If you're buying for a household member who shares your phone, use their mobile number or personal email so the gift can be delivered and claimed.
Still need help?
If you aren't sure whether your order was blocked for self-gifting, please follow the process outlined in this article Requesting-a-Refund
- Contact us through the chat on this Help Center or reply to your order confirmation email.
- Include your order number (for example, a GiftYa or Perfect Gift order ID) so we can look up your purchase quickly.
- Let us know whether you'd like to update the recipient or request a refund.