That stack of leftover gift cards in your junk drawer might be about to lose a side hustle. If you have ever sold a gift card on eBay, even a used one with a zero balance, new rules could shut that door, and sellers are being told to get ready.
According to Value Added Resource, in a report published October 15, 2026 and updated October 17, eBay Australia will ban gift card sales starting November 12, citing fraud and misuse.
What the ban covers
The report says the Australian ban is broad. It covers eBay gift cards, digital gift cards and merchant gift cards. It also covers prepaid gaming cards and store credit. And it applies even to used or empty cards, which surprises many sellers, since a card with no balance is hardly a fraud risk on its face.
In other words, this is not a narrow rule aimed only at one type of card. It is a sweeping ban on the whole category, and the stated reason is fraud and misuse.
What about sellers in the United States?
Value Added Resource reports that a U.S. seller email shared on Reddit describes nearly identical restrictions starting November 16, with 30 days to remove listings. The U.S. policy page still shows the existing rules.
So here is where things stand. The Australian ban is announced, with a date of November 12. The U.S. version is described in a seller email that was shared online, with a start date of November 16.
The report also notes that existing eBay gift card balances remain valid. If you have an eBay gift card you plan to use as a shopper, nothing in the report suggests that it will stop working.
Why clear out your listings now
The smart move for any seller is to act before the deadline, not after it. The email described in the report mentions 30 days to remove listings. Waiting until the last minute leaves no room for mistakes, and it is not worth the risk for the small profit most gift card flips bring in.
Here is a simple plan:
- Search your active listings. Look for anything with the words gift card, gift certificate, store credit, prepaid card, gaming card or digital code.
- End those listings early. Do not wait for the last day. Take them down on your own schedule.
- Do not relist. If you are tempted to move a card to another listing format, do not. The reported rules cover the whole category.
- Keep your cards. If you have a card with a balance, you can use it yourself or give it to someone. If it is empty, it is probably time to shred it or throw it away.
- Watch your email. eBay sends policy notices to sellers. Read them closely and keep copies.
Why gift cards are a magnet for scammers
It helps to understand why platforms crack down on gift cards. A gift card is almost as good as cash, and it can be moved quickly and hard to trace. Scammers often ask victims to pay with them for exactly that reason. For a marketplace, that makes the category risky, and eBay Australia has said it is acting because of fraud and misuse.
A good rule for any shopper: if someone you do not know asks you to pay with a gift card, walk away. No real business, government office or bill collector is going to demand payment in gift cards.
That is also a good reason to be careful when buying gift cards from third parties. A card sold by a stranger may already be drained or may have been bought with stolen money. Buying directly from the store is the safer way to go.
The pattern is familiar to anyone who has dealt with a gift card scam. A caller or message pressures the victim to buy cards and read the numbers over the phone, and once the balance is spent, the money is gone for good. That is why a marketplace that sees cards change hands between strangers treats the whole category as a risk.
If gift cards were part of your income
Sellers who flipped cards as a side hustle should plan for a gap. Look through the rest of your inventory for items that sell steadily, such as clothing, books, small electronics and household goods, and put your listing time there instead. Decluttering the house has long been a reliable source of items that sell without any of the risk that comes with gift cards.
What to do with leftover cards
If you have a few cards with money left on them, you have a few simple choices. You can spend the balance, give the card as a gift to a friend or family member, or use it for an everyday purchase like groceries if the card allows it. Many people find that using the money on something they already planned to buy is the easiest option. Check the terms on the back of the card, and do not forget to look at expiration dates.
The bottom line
eBay Australia’s ban starts November 12, and a U.S. version described in a seller email is slated for November 16. The sellers who come out ahead will be the ones who read the news, clear out their listings early and move on to better ways to make money. If you have gift cards listed on eBay right now, take them down this week and save yourself the trouble.
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