Category Choice gift cards are a series of merchant category restricted Visa gift cards produced by Blackhawk Network. They work similarly to ShopBack and Cashrewards merchant category gift cards.
Summary
You can:
- Use each Category Choice gift card at selected merchant categories that correspond to the theme of the card (e.g. the Groceries card can be used at Woolworths, Coles etc)
You cannot:
- Use Category Choice gift cards anywhere like with prepaid open loop Visa gift cards as they’re limited to specific merchant category codes
- Spend more than ~$200 at a time with the Category Choice Groceries gift card
Types of Category Choice gift cards
Each Category Choice gift card supports a unique set of merchant category codes. You can use each card at businesses that have been assigned one of those codes (e.g. the Category Choice Groceries gift card works at Woolworths, Coles, IGA etc).
| Gift Card | Merchant Category Code(s) |
|---|---|
 Category Choice Cinema | 7832: Motion Picture Theatres 7841: Video Entertainment Rental Stores |
 Category Choice Department Store | 5251: Hardware Stores 5311: Department Stores 5331: Variety Stores 5611: Men’s and Boys’ Clothing and Accessories Stores 5621: Women’s Ready to Wear Stores 5732: Electronic Sales 5941: Sporting Good Stores 5942: Book Stores 5912: Drug Stores, Pharmacies |
 Category Choice Fuel | 5013: Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts 5532: Automotive Tyre Stores 5533: Automotive Parts, Accessories Stores 5541: Service Stations (with or without Ancillary Services) 5571: Motorcycle Shops and Dealers 7531: Automotive Body Repair Shops 7538: Automotive Service Shops |
 Category Choice Groceries | 5411: Grocery Stores, Supermarkets 5499: Miscellaneous Food Stores: Convenience Stores, Markets, Specialty Stores Unofficial: 5300: Wholesale Clubs |
 Category Choice Health & Wellness | 5912: Drug Stores, Pharmacies 7230: Barber and Beauty Shops 7297: Massage Parlours 7298: Health and Beauty Spas 8021: Dentists, Orthodontists 8042: Optometrists, Ophthalmologists 8049: Chiropodists, Podiatrists 8062: Hospitals |
 Category Choice Pets & Vets | 0742: Veterinary Services 5995: Pet Shops: Pet Food and Supplies 6300: Insurance Sales, Underwriting and Premiums |
 Category Choice Tradie | 5072: Hardware Equipment and Supplies 5198: Paints, Varnishes and Supplies 5200: Home Supply Warehouse Stores 5231: Glass, Paint, Wallpaper Stores 5251: Hardware Stores |
Some Category Choice gift cards have been reported to support merchant category codes outside of their official list (e.g. ‘5300: Wholesale Clubs’ for the Category Choice Groceries gift card).
Spending limits
In late 2025, Blackhawk Network began to enforce spending limits on the Category Choice Groceries gift card. As of Jan 2026, it does not appear possible to spend more than ~$200 at supermarkets such as Coles or Woolworths.
According to user reports on OzBargain, these limits apply per payment terminal so you cannot get around them by splitting a larger purchase into several smaller payments if the total amount still exceeds ~$200.
However, if you wait ten minutes or use another payment terminal (i.e. checkout) you should be able to use another Category Choice Groceries gift card, although the same ~$200 limit will apply.
The exact limits aren’t known as they do not appear to be published anywhere. Several years ago Blackhawk Network implemented similar limits on their gift cards but later removed them so it’s possible these may also be temporary.
Promotions
Amazon occasionally offer discounts of 3-4% on Category Choice gift cards. Paylab allow you to earn 2% “cashback” on selected Category Choice gift cards which sometimes increases during a promotion.
Some discounted gift card portals sell Category Choice gift cards for 3-4% off. These portals are usually only accessible to members of certain health funds (e.g. HCF, Australian Unity).
