FAQs

National Book Tokens gift cards are sold in bookshops across the UK and Ireland. 

National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) can be spent in bookshops across the UK and Ireland. This includes Waterstones, WHSmith (excluding Travel outlets in stations and Airport locations), Blackwell's, Easons, John Smith, Foyles, and local independent bookshops.

Search for your nearest bookshop here.

National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) can also be spent online at bookshop.org, blackwells.co.uk, foyles.co.uk,  hatchards.co.uk, and waterstones.com (UK), bookstation.ie, omahonys.ie, and blackwells.co.uk (Ireland), and at a number of independent bookshops. 

Learn more where to spend online here.

Please note: National Book Tokens gift cards cannot currently be spent on the WHSmith website, in supermarkets, or on Amazon. To spend online, you'll need both the gift card number and PIN.

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Yes.

UK (£) National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) can be spent online at:

bookshop.org

blackwells.co.uk

foyles.co.uk

hatchards.co.uk

waterstones.com

and at a number of independent bookshops, learn more here.

National Book Tokens gift cards cannot be redeemed on Amazon.

Ireland (€) National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) can be spent online at:

bookstation.ie

omahonys.ie

blackwells.co.uk

To use your National Book Tokens gift card (or e-Gift card) online, you'll need both the gift card number and PIN. Please note that you do not need to insert spaces when entering the gift card number. 

Older paper gift vouchers (paper National Book Tokens) cannot be spent online and can only be used in bookshops.

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If you have any queries about the £1/€1.50 World Book Day book tokens or World Book Day itself, many of these can be answered on the World Book Day's FAQs page. Otherwise you can contact the World Book Day team directly at wbd@education.co.uk

Yes, you can use multiple gift cards for your order in participating bookshops instore as well as online at Foyles and Bookshop.org. You can also use multiple gift cards online at a number of independent bookshops.

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National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) can be exchanged for all kinds of books, from bestselling new fiction to reference and school textbooks, as well as maps.

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National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) cannot currently be used to purchase ebooks.

National Book Tokens cannot be used to buy ebook readers (e-Readers). They are designed for, and restricted to, use on books.

If your National Book Tokens gift card (or e-Gift card) is not used for a period of 96 consecutive months, it will expire and you will not be able to use the value on it. It is our current policy to replace expired gift cards (conditions apply). Click here for more information. 

To ensure that a gift card remains active, you either need to use it to purchase a book, have it topped up or simply do a balance enquiry. 

Please note, some older gift cards (sold before October 2015) expire after 24 months of inactivity – we are happy to replace these for you. Please see below.

For queries about expired National Book Token gift cards:

Expired Card Policy

We are unable to guarantee a timeframe for replacing expired gift cards but aim to do this within appx.10 days. 

Yes, National Book Tokens paper gift vouchers do not have an expiry date and you can continue to redeem these in any participating bookshop (check ‘Accepts paper vouchers’). Search for your nearest bookshop here.

Please note that paper gift vouchers cannot be spent online. 

In order to have your vouchers exchanged, please post them to us (address below) and we will transfer the balance onto an eGift card.

Customer Services, Book Tokens Ltd, 6 Bell Yard, London, WC2A 2JR

Please remember to include your full name, postal address and email address, please also indicate if you would prefer a physical card to be posted.

Yes, please click here to view the specific terms and conditions which apply to National Book Tokens gift cards and e-Gift cards. 

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If you have a National Book Tokens gift card (or e-Gift card), and the value of your purchase is less than the value on the card, the balance remains on the card for future purchases. They cannot be exchanged for cash in bookshops and change will not be given.

National Book Tokens paper gift vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash. If the value of the book(s) you purchase is less than the value of the paper token, it is at the bookseller's discretion whether they give the change in the form of National Book Tokens gift cards or cash.

Simply take your gift card (or e-Gift card) to the till and use it as you would any gift voucher. The bookshop will deduct your purchase amount from the gift card’s value and give the gift card back to you. The gift card can be used any number of times until all the balance is used.

For e-Gift cards, print out the page and take it to the bookshop (or show it on your mobile phone or tablet device). 

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National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) can be loaded with any amount from a minimum of £1 to a maximum of £250, or €1 to €250 for Euro gift cards in the Republic of Ireland.

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National Book Tokens gift cards (and e-Gift cards) can be topped up with any amount up to the maximum value of £250 or €250 for Euro gift cards, by taking your gift card to your nearest bookshop where you can put more value on it. Find your nearest bookshop here.

We regret that Co-Op issued gift cards can no longer be topped up.

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No, you can spend as much of the gift card (or e-Gift card) value as you like, whenever you like, providing your gift card has not expired. Any remaining balance will stay on the gift card until your next purchase.

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You can check your National Book Tokens gift card (and e-Gift card) value at any time. You will need your gift card’s PIN for this which can be found on the reverse of the card, in the top right corner under a scratch-off panel. You can check your gift card’s value by using the online Balance Enquiry, by asking instore at your nearest bookshop or by contacting us.

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Your gift card may have expired, or the available balance on the gift card could be less than the purchase amount and you could use another form of payment to pay the difference. Alternatively, it may have been blocked due to fraudulent activity reported on it. Please contact us and we can investigate further.

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We always try to replace lost or stolen National Book Token gift cards. We can only do this if:

• You can provide an image of the gift card receipt
• You know your gift card number (this should be on the receipt)
• The value is still on the gift card

Lost cards will be replaced by an eGift card

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If your National Book Tokens gift card cannot be swiped or read when you try to use it in store, it could be that the magnetic stripe on the reverse of the card is damaged.

We can replace faulty gift cards - please submit a query below.

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We are really sorry if your gift card has not been properly activated. In order for us to find out why and hopefully send you a replacement, we need:

• Your National Book Tokens gift card number
• Information that tells us the gift card value and where and when the it was purchased – this should be on the receipt
• If you do not have a receipt it would really help if you can find out and let us know the time and place of purchase

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National Book Tokens can be purchased in bulk (a minimum purchase applies) for use in any incentive initiative, staff motivation, reward, as a simple thank you or for prize giving. For further details, please click here.

We do not recommend that you purchase National Book Tokens gift cards or paper gift vouchers from auction sites. Although the sellers may be legitimate, we have had reports of non-delivery of items. We advise caution especially if the seller has a large quantity, numerous lots to sell or is offering various denominations.

Please see the 'submit a query' buttons below each FAQ or you can visit our contact us page.