How to Buy and Use a Valorant Gift Card: The Ultimate Guide
A Valorant gift card is a prepaid Riot code you redeem for Valorant Points (VP). Redeem it on Riot’s Code Redemption page or, on PC, in the Valorant client under Prepaid Cards & Codes. Codes are region-locked to where they were bought, can be used on one game and one account only, and never expire. Buy from authorised retailers, because Riot can’t help with cards bought from third-party sellers.
What is a Valorant gift card?
Riot calls these cash codes: a catch-all term for prepaid cards and gift cards that add premium currency to your account. For Valorant, that currency is VP, which you spend on skins, bundles and the battle pass. Physical cards have a scratch-off code on the back; digital ones arrive as a text code by email.
Why bother with a card at all? The main appeal is simple. You don’t need a credit card or bank account, which makes a gift card the easiest way to give someone VP or to control how much you spend. Riot’s own support article describes them as a way to buy in-game currency “without the need for a credit card or bank account.”
The rules for Riot cash codes
Riot’s support page on prepaid cards lists four rules for cash codes. They matter more than the design on the card:
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| One code, one game, one use | The whole amount goes to one game on one account, instantly. You can’t split it. |
| Region locked | You can only redeem the code in the region where it was bought. |
| PC only in the client | In-game redemption works in the PC versions; console players use the Code Redemption page. |
| No expiration | Cash codes never expire. |
Region locking is the strictest rule. Riot’s examples: a card bought in the United States or Canada only works on the NA server, and a card bought in Australia or New Zealand only works on OCE. Buying a cheaper card from another country’s store won’t work on your account, however tempting the exchange rate looks. Is there a workaround? No, and Riot’s error message (“This Code is Not Valid in Your Region”) is the end of that road.
Where to buy a Valorant gift card
Honestly, the store matters less than the region. Riot sells prepaid cards through physical stores and online retailers, and the right card depends on where you live. Riot’s older support article notes that Valorant-specific prepaid cards in the US were sold digitally through Amazon, while Riot’s multi-game cards are sold at major retailers in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In Europe, Riot announced that its multi-game prepaid cards (and the older League of Legends cards) can be redeemed for Valorant Points too.
Whatever the store, follow Riot’s advice: buy from authorised retailers only. Its support page says it “highly advise[s]” against third-party sites like online auctions or non-authorised sellers, because those cards “may have already been used or not be properly activated,” and Riot can’t help with them. A discounted code from a random marketplace listing is exactly the kind of card that turns out to be redeemed already.
How to redeem a Valorant gift card
There are two ways to redeem, and both put the VP on your account immediately in most cases.
Option 1: Riot’s Code Redemption page (PC or console)
- Go to Riot’s Code Redemption page at shop.riotgames.com/redeem.
- Enter the code exactly as it appears on the card, email or receipt, with no spaces.
- Log in to the Riot account that should receive the VP if you aren’t already.
- Choose Valorant as the game and confirm.
This is the only route for console players, since in-client redemption is PC-only. It works from a phone browser too, which is handy if the card is a gift you’re redeeming away from your PC.
Option 2: inside the Valorant client (PC)
- Log in to Valorant on PC.
- Click the Valorant Points icon to the right of the Store tab.
- Select Prepaid Cards & Codes.
- Enter your code and press Submit.
Your VP balance updates right away. Riot notes that content can occasionally take up to 24 hours to show, so if your balance looks unchanged, wait a day before contacting support.
Common redemption errors and fixes
Riot lists five error messages for cash codes. Here’s what each means:
| Error | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| This Code Does Not Appear to Be Valid | The code doesn’t exist in Riot’s system | Retype it without spaces (123456789, not 123 456 789) |
| This Code Appears to Not Be Properly Activated | The store didn’t activate the card at the register | Go back to the store and ask them to activate it |
| This Code Has Already Been Redeemed | Someone already used it | Check your own history; if bought from a third party, contact the seller |
| You Have Exceeded the Maximum Number of Code Redemption Attempts | Too many attempts in a short time | Wait 24 hours |
| This Code is Not Valid in Your Region | The card is for another region | Use it on the server it was issued for |
Two more tips from Riot’s support pages. Scratch physical cards lightly, because an over-scratched code can become unreadable (support can help if you send the card and receipt). And keep the card and the receipt until the VP is in your account. Without them, support has nothing to investigate.
Gift cards vs content codes
The two are easy to mix up, and the difference decides whether you get currency or a single item. A gift card, or cash code, adds VP. A content code adds one specific item, like a gun buddy, a player card or a skin, and usually comes from streamers, events or promotions. Content codes are single-use, generally work across regions, and won’t give you anything if you already own the item; Riot says the code is still marked used and you get no refund. Put simply, check you don’t own the item before redeeming a content code, and don’t worry about region for those.
How far does the VP go?
That depends on the card’s value in your currency and on the VP packs in your region, which Riot prices locally. As a reference point, a single Exclusive Edition gun skin costs 2,175 VP and a full premium bundle commonly costs around 8,700 VP, so a small card might cover one skin while a bigger one covers a bundle. Our Valorant Points to USD guide shows what each VP pack costs in common regions, and the Valorant bundles page lists current collections and their prices.
One last thing about refunds. VP from a gift card follows the same rules as VP bought with a card, so read our summary of the Valorant refund policy before spending a large balance on something you’re unsure about. Real talk: the cheapest mistake is the one you don’t make, so preview a skin in the store before you buy it.
Using gift cards to control spending
Gift cards aren’t only presents. They also work as a budget. Load a fixed amount once a month or once per act, and when the VP runs out, you’re done until the next card. Parents can use them the same way for younger players, since a card means no saved payment method on the account and no surprise charges.
Look, skins are designed to be tempting, and a daily store with four offers is a lot of temptation. A prepaid balance turns “should I?” into “can I?”, which is an easier question to answer. Thing is, it only works if you don’t also keep a card saved in the client, so remove it if budgeting is the goal.
Is a Valorant gift card a good gift?
Yes, with one check. Make sure you buy a card for the recipient’s region, not yours, if they live in a different country. A card from a US store won’t work for a friend on EU servers. To be fair, that’s the only real catch, and it’s easy to avoid if you ask which server they play on first.
For a player who already has every skin they want, VP still works for the battle pass each act. And for a new player, a card plus a few weeks of games is a better start than a skin they might not like. If you’re gifting a fresh start instead, our Valorant accounts page shows what we have in stock, and it updates on its own when new accounts arrive.
FAQ
How do I redeem a Valorant gift card?
Enter the code on Riot’s Code Redemption page at shop.riotgames.com/redeem, or on PC open the Valorant client, click the VP icon next to the Store tab, choose Prepaid Cards & Codes and submit the code.
Can I redeem a code on console?
Yes, through Riot’s Code Redemption page. In-client redemption is PC-only, so console players redeem online.
Do the codes expire?
No. Riot says cash codes, including prepaid and gift cards, never expire.
Can I use a gift card from another country?
No. Cash codes are region-locked. A card bought in the US or Canada works only on NA, and a card bought in Australia or New Zealand works only on OCE.
Can I split a gift card between two games?
No. A cash code must be used in full on one game and one account.
What should I do if my code says already redeemed?
Check whether you already used it. If you bought it from a third party, contact the seller; Riot cannot help with codes redeemed on another account.
