Can I earn cashback when buying or paying with gift cards?

Question

Accepted Answer

In most cases, you don't earn cashback when you buy a gift card or when you pay for an order using a gift card. This is industry standard across every Australian cashback platform, not a Kick-specific rule, and it comes down to whether the retailer pays a referral commission on those transactions. There are a small number of exceptions, and the store's page in the Kick Cashback portal always flags the current rules for that specific retailer. Buying a gift card When you buy a gift card from a major Australian retailer, the retailer almost always excludes the order from earning referral commission. The reason is simple: a gift card hasn't yet been used to buy a product, so the retailer hasn't actually made a sale — they've effectively borrowed money from you against future purchases. They don't want to pay a marketing commission twice (once on the gift card, once again when it's spent), so commission is paid only on the redemption. The same applies to bulk gift-card portals like Prezzee, Giftpay and Karta — most of their inventory is excluded from cashback. Full rules on payment methods and cashback . Paying with a gift card If you pay for an order partly or entirely with a gift card you already own, the retailer typically pays referral commission only on the cash portion of the transaction. So if you spend $100 with a $40 gift card and $60 on your credit card at a retailer offering 5% cashback, you'll earn around $3 (5% of $60), not $5. This is calculated automatically by the partner network — there's nothing you need to do. If the entire order is paid with a gift card, the cash portion is $0 and the cashback is $0 — even though the order tracked correctly through your portal click. The exceptions Charity gift cards and corporate reward gift cards — typically don't earn cashback when bought or spent. Specialist gift-card resellers — a small number of dedicated gift-card sites pay commission on the gift-card purchase itself. Where this applies, the store's portal page lists the rate clearly. Promotional codes that look like gift cards — a single-use discount code marketed as a "gift" usually still earns cashback as long as the order has a non-zero cash component. How to check before you shop Open the store's page in your Kick Cashback portal , scroll to the Cashback rules section, and look for the gift-card line. If gift cards are excluded, the page says so explicitly. If not stated, assume the standard exclusion applies. Still unsure? Email info@kickcashback.com with the retailer name and we'll confirm. Practical workaround If you want both the gift-card convenience and the cashback, buy the gift card directly from the retailer (without expecting cashback) and then redeem it in a separate trip you don't try to claim. Or skip the gift card and pay with a normal credit or debit card via your portal click — that earns the full cashback rate plus your card's own rewards. More on stacking with card rewards .

Can I earn cashback when buying or paying with gift cards?

Buying a gift card

Paying with a gift card

The exceptions

How to check before you shop

Practical workaround

About Kick Cashback