Lululemon gift card changes hit Amex
Lululemon has made it harder to use the American Express Platinum Card's quarterly $75 credit by removing physical gift card sales online and restricting in-store purchases.
American Express Platinum Card holders can no longer easily use their quarterly $75 Lululemon credit to buy physical gift cards. Doctor of Credit reported in August 2026 that Lululemon added new terms prohibiting multiple payment methods for a single gift card purchase.
This follows an earlier move where Lululemon stopped selling physical gift cards on its website. Online purchases of e-gift cards are processed by a third party, CashStar, and do not trigger the Amex statement credit. The removal of the online physical card option was a significant blow to cardholders without a nearby store.
In-store purchase restrictions
A second restriction emerged for in-store purchases. Reports indicate Lululemon instructed stores to sell gift cards only in $50 denominations. This prevents cardholders from buying a single $75 card to cleanly use their quarterly credit. The blogger Nick reported on August 31, 2026, that his local store enforced a rule allowing only one payment method per gift card, forcing separate transactions.
Previously, a common strategy was to buy a $150 gift card and split the payment across two Platinum cards to use two quarterly credits. The new terms appear designed to block this. While some stores or cashiers may not enforce the rules strictly, consistent application is becoming the norm.
Workarounds and resale value
Cardholders seeking workarounds might try buying a $50 card and a $25 card in separate transactions, though this is not guaranteed. Another option is to ask if a cashier will accept split payment for multiple $50 cards, though this contradicts the reported single-payment-method rule.
The change is particularly frustrating because Lululemon gift cards have a high resale value. They typically resell for about 88% of their face value. This made the benefit valuable for offsetting the card's annual fee.
| Gift Card Face Value | Approximate Resale Value |
|---|---|
| $75 | $66 |
| $150 | High |
A cardholder buying one $75 card per quarter could previously resell them for roughly $264 annually. Now, achieving that requires more effort and may not be possible at all for some.
The rationale and impact
The blogger speculates that Lululemon is intentionally making it difficult to purchase gift cards with the Amex Platinum benefit. They suggest Lululemon may not have anticipated how cardholders would maximize the credit rather than spend it directly on merchandise. Nick called the policy "a little crazy," noting Lululemon is forgoing potential breakage income from unused gift cards.
The changes mean cardholders must now spend at Lululemon directly or find a compliant store to purchase a higher-denomination card, leaving a balance on the card or requiring additional spending. The benefit's utility for pure statement credit conversion has been severely diminished.
