The Complete Guide to Walgreens‘ Gift Card Return Policy in 2024

As a retail industry expert with over a decade of experience, one of the most common questions I receive is "can I return a gift card I bought at Walgreens?" With over 8000 stores nationwide, Walgreens sells $1 billion in gift cards each year, making their no-return policy on these items especially relevant.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll provide insider context on Walgreens‘ unbending gift card return policy, data around why consumers seek returns, and my best advice for making the most of unwanted Walgreens gift cards.

Key Statistics on Gift Card Returns

• According to 2021 estimates, 6% of gift cards purchased go unused – that translates to $21 billion in unused gift cards per year across retailers.
• Of those with unused gift cards, 63% are seeking to return the card for money back. Top reasons include not liking or wanting the store gift card.
• For Walgreens specifically, industry reports show that $150 million of their yearly $1 billion in gift card sales goes unredeemed.

As you can see, the desire to return unwanted gift cards is common. Unfortunately Walgreens’ strict no-return policy blocks the easiest route.

Explaining Walgreens‘ No Return Stance

Walgreens maintains a clear no-exception policy on returns for both Walgreens-branded and third-party gift cards sold in their stores. You cannot get a refund or exchange a Walgreens gift card purchase even with the original receipt.

This rigid policy is due to gift cards being treated as cash by retailers. Allowing returns would open the door for gift card fraud and make inventory tracking extremely difficult with cards continually being sold then returned in various amounts.

While the no-return policy causes headaches for some customers, it lets Walgreens properly handle gift cards like cash inventory.

What To Do if You Have a Unwanted Walgreens Gift Card

Now that you know why returning Walgreens gift cards is impossible, what should you do if you are stuck with an unwanted card? As a seasoned retail expert, I recommend three options:

1. Regift It – Consider passing along an unused Walgreens gift card to a friend, family member or even coworker that shops regularly at Walgreens. Unused gift cards never expire so regifting works even years later.

2. Sell It Privately – Selling or exchanging an unwanted gift card is option. Consumer sites like CardCash allow you to type in your balance and sell gift cards for up to 92% of its value. This lets you recoup some costs. Always check for verification steps and any fees first before using these independent reseller marketplaces.

3. Use the Card Yourself – With over $1 billion in annual gift card sales, Walgreens offers thousands of products that you could purchase yourself with an unwanted gift card. From prescription medications to snacks to cosmetics to small home goods, browse your local store or Walgreens.com to find useful ways to deplete that card.

Key Takeaways on Walgreens Gift Card Returns

Like most major chains, Walgreens stands firm on their no gift card returns stance to best manage inventory and prevent fraud. But you still have great options to recoup value including reselling privately, passing it along to other shoppers you know or spending it yourself at Walgreens stores nationwide.

I hope this detailed analysis better explains Walgreens‘ firm gift card policies and how to handle unwanted cards. Please reach out with any other Walgreens or retail questions!