Can You Sell a Gift Card You Won in a Sweepstakes?

You may be able to sell a gift card won in a sweepstakes, but only if both the sweepstakes rules and the card issuer's terms permit it. Do not assume that receiving the card automatically gives you an unrestricted right to resell it. A sweepstakes gift card is generally treated as a promotional or award gift card.

That classification affects its expiration rules and disclosures, while separate prize and issuer terms determine whether you may transfer it for money.

Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on September 09, 2026.

Why the type of gift card matters

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau classifies cards distributed through sweepstakes or contests as "loyalty, award, or promotional gift cards." These cards are generally excluded from many substantive federal consumer gift-card protections. They must disclose their promotional status, expiration date, and applicable fees. However, the usual federal rule keeping consumer gift-card funds valid for at least five years should not be assumed to cover a sweepstakes prize card, according to the CFPB's gift-card regulation.

This classification does not settle whether you can sell the card. It explains why the card's printed details and issuer terms deserve close attention.

Two sets of rules can prevent a sale

Start with the official rules for the sweepstakes you entered. Look for language stating that a prize cannot be "assigned," "transferred," "substituted," or "redeemed for cash." Such restrictions may apply before or during the award process. For example, Amazon's official rules for a 2025 gift-card giveaway required winner verification and prohibited assigning, transferring, substituting, or redeeming prizes for cash, as stated in the Amazon giveaway rules.

Next, read the current terms for the specific card. Issuer restrictions remain relevant after you receive the prize. Shopbop's terms, for example, prohibit resale and transfer for value and describe remedies for suspected violations, including voiding cards or canceling orders, under its gift-card terms and conditions.

How to decide whether selling is permitted

Check every document connected with the prize before listing or transferring the card: A general statement that the prize has "no cash alternative" does not, by itself, answer every resale question. Read the entire transfer provision and the issuer's separate resale rules. If either document bars resale or transfer for value, selling the card is unsafe.

If neither document addresses resale, that silence is not necessarily permission; state law and other applicable terms may still matter.

• Read the sweepstakes rules that applied when you entered.
• Find the prize-transfer, assignment, substitution, and cash-redemption clauses.
• Read the current terms published by the named card issuer.
• Check the card or accompanying notice for an expiration date and fees.
• Confirm whether the card is tied to your name, account, or winner verification.

Selling the card does not erase the tax issue

A sweepstakes prize generally counts as federal taxable income. For a noncash prize such as a gift card, the winner includes the prize's fair market value in income, according to IRS Publication 17 (2025). Selling the card later for less than its stated value does not automatically change the value initially associated with winning it.

Keep the winner notice, prize description, tax documents, and sale record for your files. If you do not want the prize or its potential tax consequences, you can refuse it. The IRS guidance states that refusing a prize avoids including its value in income.

Protect the card while making your decision

Do not share the card number, PIN, redemption code, or a readable photo while asking whether someone wants to buy it. A person with those details may be able to use the balance before any legitimate transfer occurs. Do not pay a sponsor, supposed buyer, or intermediary to "release" the prize or card.

If the rules or issuer terms remain unclear, ask the named sponsor or issuer for written clarification before disclosing the card credentials. Finally, check the expiration date before waiting to decide. Sweepstakes prize cards may be promotional cards, so the five-year federal protection commonly associated with ordinary consumer gift cards may not apply.