Gift card donation is one of the easiest and most flexible ways to support America's veterans. We accept gift cards from hundreds of well-known national retailers, restaurants, and brands — whether the card is full and unused or has just a small balance left over. There's nothing to ship and nothing to mail. Here's a look at the kinds of cards we accept and how the balances help.
Hundreds of Participating Brands
Our gift card donation program works with a large network of major national merchants — over 300 recognizable brands across retail, dining, home, electronics, outdoor, and travel. Below are some of the popular names donors give from. If you don't see a specific brand listed here, it may still be accepted — just include the details when you reach out and we'll confirm.
Retail & Department Stores
Cards from major retail and department stores are among the most common and useful donations, including Walmart, Target, Kohl's, Nordstrom, JCPenney, Belk, Dillard's, Bloomingdale's, and Saks Fifth Avenue, among many others.
Home & Hardware
Home improvement and housewares cards are welcome, including The Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, CB2, and At Home.
Electronics & Tech
Popular electronics and tech brands include Best Buy, Apple, B&H, and GameStop.
Apparel, Footwear & Sportswear
Clothing and footwear cards are widely accepted, including Nike, Adidas, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, J. Crew, American Eagle, Athleta, Lululemon, and Foot Locker.
Restaurants & Dining
Restaurant and coffee cards are a great way to give a leftover balance new purpose, including Starbucks, Applebee's, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster, The Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chipotle, and Panera Bread.
Outdoor & Sporting Goods
Outdoor and sporting brands include Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Dick's Sporting Goods, REI, Scheels, Camping World, and Callaway Golf.
Travel
Select travel and hospitality cards are accepted, including Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, Marriott, Best Western, Amtrak, and Carnival Cruises.
Prepaid Visa, Mastercard & Digital Cards
Open-loop prepaid cards — such as prepaid Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover cards that work almost anywhere — are especially valuable because their balances are flexible. Digital and e-gift cards delivered by email are accepted too, and are often the simplest of all to donate.
Full or Partial Balances — Both Help
You do not need a full or large balance to donate. A card with a $4 leftover balance is just as welcome as a $100 card. Americans collectively hold billions of dollars in unspent gift card balances every year — small amounts that individually feel too minor to bother with, but that add up to real support when pooled together. If you have several cards with small balances sitting in a drawer, donating them together is a simple way to turn forgotten money into meaningful help.
What We Cannot Accept
To keep the program secure and trustworthy, there are a few things we cannot accept:
- Expired gift cards with no remaining usable value.
- Cards with a zero balance.
- Store-credit or merchandise-return cards that are tied to a specific account and cannot be transferred. (Some brands' merchandise-credit cards are specifically excluded.)
- Cards you are not the rightful owner of. Please only donate cards that belong to you.
How Balances Are Used
Donated gift card balances support the mission of Salute Veterans Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Balances may be used directly for program needs or converted to unrestricted funds that support veteran resources, transition assistance, and the free services offered across the Salute Veterans network. Every dollar of value — no matter how small — goes toward helping veterans and their families.
Ready to Donate a Gift Card?
Getting started is simple. Head to the gift card donation page, tell us the store and approximate balance, and we'll follow up with easy instructions to complete your donation. It's fast, paperless, tax-deductible, and it directly supports U.S. veterans.