Region-locking explained
Why are gift cards region-locked, and how to pick the right country
Short answer
Most gift card balances are locked to the country that issued them, by the brand — not by the reseller. An Amazon card issued for the United States will not load into an Amazon France account, so you must match the card's country to the account you will redeem it in.
Updated August 3, 2026
Region-locking exists because brands run separate catalogues, currencies and tax rules per country. It is enforced by the brand at redemption, which is why no reseller can override it. This is the single most common reason a gift card cannot be used.
On PrivGift every product page states the country the card is valid in, and the catalogue can be filtered by country so you only see cards that will work for your account.
Frequently asked
Are any gift cards not region-locked?+
A few brands issue region-free or worldwide cards. Those are marked as such on their product page; most cards, however, are tied to one country.
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