Beginning tomorrow, June 30, 2016, all Home Depot store credits (gotten from returns and the like) can only be used in-store. Ordinary gift cards and e-gift cards will continue to be useable both in-store and online.
Here are the details from homedepot.com:
STORE CREDITS
- Can I use Store Credits online? No. Beginning June 30, 2016, The Home Depot will no longer permit Store Credits to be redeemed online.
- Why can Store Credits only be used for in-store transactions? To avoid potential fraud, theft and consumer confusion, beginning June 30, 2016, The Home Depot will no longer permit Store Credits to be redeemed online. This change may also protect customers from purchasing fraudulent store credits from third parties.
- Does this change affect Store Credits issued before June 30, 2016? Yes. Beginning June 30, 2016, The Home Depot will no longer permit any Store Credits, regardless of date of issuance, to be redeemed online.
- How can I check the balance remaining on my Store Credit? Visit a local The Home Depot store and ask a cashier to check the balance for you. Store Credit balance inquiries cannot be made online. Please note that you will no longer be able to receive balance inquiries by calling 1-800-HOME-DEPOT.
- Can I still use Gift Cards online? Yes. Gift Cards can be purchased and redeemed in-store and online.
You’ll notice on second-hand gift card resellers like Raise and Cardcash that they have two categories for Home Depot gift cards; one which are ordinary gift cards and might get electronically delivered, and the other is physical Home Depot store credits which can only be used in stores. Raise has also been reminding sellers of this upcoming change that all Home Depot store credits must be listed as store-only due to the upcoming change.
This is also an opportunity for those who are buying second-hand Home Depot gift cards: if you plan on using them in-store, consider buying the store credits instead of the gift cards since these might go for a better price. Just be sure to buy a bit in advance to give time to get the store credits in the mail as you’ll need the physical card.
Update: More recently, they started requiring photo ID for using merchandise credits, making them unusable for anyone but the recipient.
Hat tip to @lagredell
