How to Buy Gift Cards with Monero (XMR) Without Getting Scammed

Buying gift cards with Monero is still easy once you find the right shop. Finding it is the hard part, because the honest options have shrunk while the fake ones have grown.

Why fewer sites accept Monero now

The big exchanges led the retreat. Binance delisted XMR in February 2024. Kraken stopped Monero trading for customers in Belgium and Ireland in June 2024, then across the European Economic Area by the end of October 2024, ahead of the EU's MiCA rules taking full effect on 30 December 2024.

More is coming. Under the EU Anti-Money Laundering Regulation, banks and licensed crypto firms may not keep accounts in coins like Monero from 2027. That rule binds regulated businesses. It does not stop you holding XMR or spending it.

The result is a shorter list of places to spend XMR, and plenty of people searching for them. That is exactly the gap fake shops aim at.

Why gift card shops attract scams

A fake gift card shop costs almost nothing to run. It needs a checkout page, a list of famous brands and a wallet address. Monero payments cannot be reversed, so once the coins leave your wallet there is no chargeback.

The numbers show it. XMR List, an independent Monero directory, tracks 43 card services as of 5 November 2026. It flags 10 of them as scams and 5 more as questionable. That is a far higher share than its exchange or wallet categories.

The warning signs repeat:

• A fee to release your code. A shop asks for more XMR after you have paid. No real shop does this.
• Discounts that make no sense. Gift card margins are thin, so a $100 card for $70 is a lure.
• No history. A new domain with no reviews, no forum posts and no named operator.
• Pressure to hurry. Countdown timers and messages pushing you to pay now.
• Support only on a messaging app, with no email or site contact.

Check community reviews before you pay

Monero holders keep their own public records of who pays out and who does not. Three directories are worth a look before any first order:

• Monerica lists Monero merchants by category, marks each one verified, unverified or flagged, and shows reviews tied to verified orders.
• XMR List reviews listings by hand, gives each a grade from A to F using a published rubric, and marks scams in red. It also logs uptime and when the details were last checked.
• XMR Hub runs a directory of 200+ Monero services, with verified badges and star ratings from its members.

When you read a listing, look past the stars. Check the number of reviews and how recent they are, whether the shop answers complaints, and whether the shop's name turns up on more than one directory. A new shop with a handful of good reviews is a different bet from one with years of them, so start small either way.

Where CardsRelay stands

CardsRelay launched in 2026, so its record is short. What it has so far, as of 5 November 2026:

• XMR Hub: verified, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 2 reviews, the highest rating among the gift card shops in its Cards section.
• XMR List: verified, grade B, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 2 reviews, the highest user rating of the 4 card services out of 43 graded B or above. Its grade is B rather than A for one reason only: it has been online for under 2 years.
• Monerica: verified, 5 out of 5 from 1 review tied to a verified order, for two Amazon cards.

That is a good start, not a long track record. The way to judge it is the way to judge any shop: buy a small card first and see the code arrive.

How to buy gift cards with Monero on CardsRelay

1. Choose a card. Browse the gift cards and pick the brand, the region and the amount.
2. Enter your email. It is used only to send the code.
3. Pay in XMR. Choose Monero at checkout. The invoice shows the exact amount and locks the price while the timer runs. Send that amount from your wallet.
4. Get the code. A Monero payment typically confirms in 5 to 20 minutes, and the code and PIN are emailed once it does.
5. Redeem it at the store, following the steps on the card's page.

The network fee for a Monero payment is typically under a cent. Full details are on the fees page.

What you can buy with XMR

CardsRelay has 5,000+ gift cards and mobile top-ups from 2,200+ brands. A few that Monero buyers pick often:

• Amazon: UK GBP 1 to 1,500, US USD 5 to 1,000, Germany EUR 1 to 1,400. See what one costs in XMR.
• Steam: US USD 5 to 200, EU EUR 5 to 100.
• PlayStation Store: UK GBP 10 to 200, US USD 1 to 250, Germany EUR 10 to 250.
• Apple Store & iTunes: US USD 2 to 500.
• Google Play: UK GBP 1 to 500, Germany EUR 1 to 500.
• Netflix: US USD 15 to 100, EU EUR 25 to 150.
• Uber & Uber Eats: US USD 10 to 500, UK GBP 15 to 150.
• Airbnb: UK GBP 50 to 1,000, EU EUR 50 to 1,000.

You can also top up a phone with XMR. The Monero mobile top-up guide covers how.

Things to know before you buy

• Match the region. A card works only in the country it was issued for, so buy the one for the store you use.
• Send the exact amount shown on the invoice, before the timer runs out.
• Codes are single use and cannot be refunded once revealed.
• Check validity. Read the card's page for validity and whether it works online, in store or both.
• ID may come up later. Some stores ask for ID when a card is spent in person, and prepaid Visa or Mastercard issuers may run their own checks.

FAQ

Can I still buy gift cards with Monero?

Yes. Fewer shops accept XMR than a few years ago, but CardsRelay takes Monero on every gift card and mobile top-up in its catalogue, 5,000+ products from 2,200+ brands.

Did MiCA ban Monero in the EU?

No. Holding and spending Monero is not banned. Exchanges dropped it to meet their own licensing rules, and from 2027 the EU anti-money laundering rules bar regulated crypto firms from handling it. Those rules bind the firms, not the people who hold XMR.

How do I know a Monero gift card shop is not a scam?

Look it up on Monerica, XMR List and XMR Hub before you pay. Check whether it is verified, how many reviews it has and whether any are flagged, then make a small first order.

Is CardsRelay trusted by the Monero community?

The reviews so far say yes. As of 5 November 2026 it is verified on Monerica, XMR List and XMR Hub, and rates 4.5 out of 5 on XMR Hub and XMR List and 5 out of 5 on Monerica. The review count is still small, because it launched in 2026.

How long does a Monero payment take on CardsRelay?

A Monero payment typically confirms in 5 to 20 minutes. The code is emailed once it confirms.

What do I need to buy a card?

An email address and a Monero wallet. CardsRelay asks only for an email address. Some stores may ask for ID when a card is spent in person.

Which other coins can I use?

Zano, Zcash and Freedom Dollar (fUSD), plus Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Litecoin, Dash, Dogecoin and the stablecoins USDT, USDC and DAI.

Start with a small card

Pick a low value card, pay in XMR and watch the code land in your inbox. Then come back for the rest. Browse gift cards.