How to Use Uber and Uber Eats Gift Cards for Your Purchases
If someone handed you an Uber gift card, here's the good news from Granny: one card covers both a ride across town and dinner delivered to your door. Uber and Uber Eats draw from the same balance once you redeem the card, so there's no wrong way to spend it. Here's how to put it to work in about a minute, plus a setup detail most people miss.
The short version
Redeem your Uber gift card in the Uber or Uber Eats app and the value becomes Uber Cash on your account. From there it pays for rides, Uber Eats orders, and other things you book in the app. Uber Cash gets used first at checkout, the funds don't expire, and one important catch: you still need a regular payment method on file to cover anything your gift card balance doesn't.
How to redeem an Uber gift card
Redeeming takes a few taps in either the Uber app or the Uber Eats app:
- Open the app and tap the Account icon.
- Go to Wallet.
- Tap + Gift Card (or "Add Gift Card").
- Choose Enter Gift Code and type in the code from your card or email.
The balance is added to your Uber Cash right away. Trust Granny, keep the email or the physical card until the funds show up, just in case you mistype the code.
Using it for rides and Uber Eats
This is the part people get pleasantly surprised by: an Uber gift card and an Uber Eats gift card are the same currency once redeemed. The value sits in your Uber Cash balance and works across the app, whether you're booking a ride, ordering dinner on Uber Eats, or using another service Uber offers in your area. At checkout, Uber Cash is applied first, so your gift card money goes toward the trip or order before any other card is touched.
The one setup catch to know
Here's the detail the fine print buries, and Granny won't let you get caught by it. Uber requires a valid payment method on file even when you have gift card funds. If your Uber Cash balance covers the whole ride or order, that backup card is never charged. But if the total runs higher than your balance, Uber asks you to add another gift code or a payment method to cover the difference before you can finish. So load the card, and keep a debit or credit card on the account as backup.
Do Uber gift cards expire?
No. Uber gift card funds do not expire once they're on your account, so there's no clock ticking and no rush to spend one down. The card is also non-reloadable, carries no fees, and is good only in the United States, in cities where Uber or Uber Eats operates.
How to check your Uber gift card balance
Your gift card balance lives in your Uber Cash total, and you check it right in the app. Open Account, go to Wallet, and your Uber Cash balance is listed there. There's no separate Uber balance-lookup website, since the funds live on your Uber account rather than on the card itself once you've redeemed it.
Can you use a Visa gift card on Uber instead?
You can, with a little care. A prepaid Visa or Mastercard gift card can be added to Uber like any debit or credit card, under Wallet → add payment method. Two Granny tips make it go smoothly: register the card's billing ZIP code first (many prepaid cards let you set one online), since Uber checks it, and know that Uber may place a small temporary authorization hold, so a card with a low balance can get declined even when it technically has enough for the ride. For a clean experience, redeeming an actual Uber gift card to Uber Cash is the simpler path.
Where to buy an Uber or Uber Eats gift card
Uber gift cards turn up in plenty of places. You'll find them on racks at major retailers, inside the Uber and Uber Eats apps under "Send a Gift," and online. If you'd rather buy one digitally and send it by email in minutes, you can buy an Uber gift card from Gift Card Granny or grab an Uber Eats gift card here, in amounts from $25 to $500. Many brands on Gift Card Granny also earn cash back, though the eligible list and rates rotate, so check the card's page before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use an Uber gift card? Redeem it in the Uber or Uber Eats app (Account, then Wallet, then + Gift Card, then Enter Gift Code). The value becomes Uber Cash and pays for rides and Uber Eats orders, with Uber Cash applied first at checkout.
Can I use an Uber gift card for Uber Eats, and an Uber Eats gift card for rides? Yes, both ways. Once redeemed, the funds sit in your Uber Cash balance and work for rides and Uber Eats interchangeably.
Do Uber gift cards expire? No. Uber gift card funds don't expire once added to your account. The card is non-reloadable, has no fees, and works only in the U.S.
Do I need a credit or debit card to use an Uber gift card? Yes. Uber requires a payment method on file. Your gift card (Uber Cash) is used first, and the backup card only gets charged if a trip or order costs more than your balance.
How do I check my Uber gift card balance? Open the Uber app, go to Account then Wallet, and your Uber Cash balance is shown there. The gift card funds live on your account, so there's no separate card-balance website to check.
Where can I buy an Uber gift card? At major retailers, in the Uber and Uber Eats apps, and online. You can buy an Uber or Uber Eats gift card from Gift Card Granny in amounts from $25 to $500 and send it by email.