An Xbox gift card is one of the best gifts you can give a gamer. It gives the holder the chance to buy whatever they want on Microsoft store. But you need to know how and where it works. So, will a Canadian Xbox gift card work in the US?
You can’t use a Canadian Xbox gift card in the US. This is because gift cards only work in the region and the currency denomination on the card. But if you want to give someone an Xbox game, you can do it through your Xbox gifting feature. You can use the card to buy items on the Microsoft Store.
However, it’s still possible to use a Canadian Xbox gift card in the US if the region isn’t locked. You can change your region to Canada or use VPN to redeem the card. Of course, this could be risky. Here, we discuss whether a Canadian Xbox gift card will work in the US and everything else to know about Xbox gift cards.
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How the Xbox Gift Card Works
An Xbox gift card is an alternative means of payment for items on the Microsoft store. It’s usually a digital card which means what you get after buying the card is a digital code for redeeming it. Regardless of where you purchase it, the vendor will send the code to your email. Xbox gift cards come at various prices starting from $100, $95, $90, $85, and any dollar amount between $80 to $1. There are also physical cards that you can get from some retail outlets. These cards come in $100, $50, $25, and $15. But you can still only use the card on Microsoft online stores.
The gift card doesn’t have any extra fees attached and doesn’t expire. So, you can use it anytime. This means if you get a Canadian Xbox gift card, you can keep it until you’re in Canada to use it. However, promotional cards such as Xbox Live rewards and Microsoft rewards can expire. Xbox gift cards and Microsoft gift cards work the same way.
How to Redeem Your Gift Card
Redeeming your Xbox gift card is easy. First, go to microsoft.com/redeem and log in to your Microsoft account. Then, enter the 25 characters, and you can start using the card to purchase whatever you want. You can also check your account balance to know how much you have left.
What can you get with an Xbox gift card?
You can use the gift card to buy almost everything on Microsoft Store. Some of the items and content you can purchase include:
1. TV shows and Movies
You can use an Xbox gift card to rent or buy the latest movies and TV shows on the Microsoft store. There are many exclusive contents on the platform ranging from the latest blockbusters and thrillers to legendary comedy shows and old movies. Here, film genres include action, anime, animation, documentary, romance, horror, drama, sci-fi, sports, etc.
2. Games and Apps
You can also use the gift card to download games from the Microsoft store. Fortunately, Microsoft has a large collection of games which continues to increase. A gift card can give you access to these games and additional game items such as map packs, add ons, etc. It’s also possible to use the gift card to buy in-app items. So, new levels, coins, game packs, etc., can be bought with a gift card. But some apps require a subscription which means you’ll have to use your credit card.
3. Devices and Accessories
Microsoft has several devices listed on its platform. If you’re looking to get game accessories and other devices, you can use a gift card. Get the latest Microsoft Surface PCs, phones, controllers, and consoles using an Xbox gift card.
4. Subscriptions
You can also use an Xbox gift card to subscribe to several things on Xbox or even other apps. For example, subscribe to Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass, etc.
Limitations of the Xbox Gift Card
Despite all the great items you can buy with a gift card, it has limitations. These include:
- You can’t use the gift card to buy items from Xbox 360 Marketplace or Xbox 360 content on Xbox One.
- If you redeem the gift card in a country that’s not what’s in your billing account, you won’t be able to use the funds.
- You can’t transfer the funds in your Microsoft gift card once you redeem the card.
- You can’t use the Xbox gift card to buy office 365
Why doesn’t a Canadian Xbox gift card work in the US
Xbox gift cards don’t work outside the country where they’re originally bought. This is so because the pricing is based on the local economy. Thus, if you purchase a gift card, you can only use it to buy content in the currency denomination on the card.
Gifting Feature Alternative on Xbox
Since you can only use an Xbox card in the region where you buy it, if you’re planning to send an Xbox gift card to someone outside of Canada, there’s an alternative. You can use the gift feature on Xbox instead. Through this feature, you can gift the person games and add-ons easily. Game gifting is a native feature for Xbox live and is available for Xbox One. The process for gifting a game is similar to buying a game for yourself. It differs because you have to identify the recipient that’ll get the redeemable key in their email. Here are the steps for doing this;
- Find the game on the Microsoft store
- Select Buy as a gift from the store listing
- Choose from the list of Xbox friends and select the gamer tag you’re sending it to from the list.
- You can enter the preferred sender name or compose a personal message
- Confirm payment details.
The recipient will get an email from Microsoft containing the 25-character key that they can use to redeem the game through Microsoft store on the console, redeem.microsoft.com, or any other official Xbox application.
If you don’t have a person’s gamer tag, you can always use the email instead. Just make sure you enter the right email to avoid gifting the wrong person. The steps are similar to what’s listed above.
In Conclusion
An Xbox gift card only works in the region where you buy it. So, you can’t use a Canadian Xbox gift card in the US. Even if there are ways to bypass the rules, it’s not advisable. Instead, you can use the gifting feature to send the item or content to the person.