Frequently asked questions

Anyone with a mailing address in the United States can buy a gift card, whether or not they have a Sterling account. Open the gift card page, pick one of the six card designs, choose an amount to give, and write a personal note for the recipient. A single card can hold between $30 and $1,750, and you can order several at once by adding them to your cart before you check out. There are no service fees or taxes beyond the value of the card itself.

Once your order goes through, a confirmation email lands at the address you entered at checkout, usually within a few minutes. Sterling gift cards are digital only for now — they aren't sold in retail stores or through third-party marketplaces.

You choose the delivery date at checkout — send it right away or schedule it up to 11 months out. The card arrives by email with your note, the card design you picked, and a redemption link. If the recipient never sees it, you can resend the same card from your order history without paying twice.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay on supported devices. Prepaid cards, existing Sterling travel credit, and bank transfers can't be used to buy a gift card.

Open the link in the gift email, or go to Account → Travel credit and enter the 16-character code. The value moves into your travel credit balance immediately and applies to your next trip automatically at checkout.

No. Once a card is redeemed the credit stays on the account with no expiry date and no dormancy fees. Unredeemed cards keep their full value too, so there's no rush to claim one.

Your balance sits at the top of Account → Travel credit on the web and under the Payments tab in the app. The same screen lists every credit you've added and every trip it has been applied to.

Travel credit works on any Sterling booking in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico — roughly 3,400 cities today. It covers the trip price, extras, and protection plans, but not tolls or fuel charged after the trip ends.

You can still redeem the card. The credit waits on your account until you're approved to drive, which usually takes under an hour once you've added a licence and a payment method. If approval doesn't come through, contact support and we'll refund the card to whoever bought it.