Category Choice gift cards are a series of merchant category-restricted Visa gift cards produced by Blackhawk Network.
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)
- Sometimes obtain modest discounts on Category Choice gift cards
You cannot:
- Use Category Choice gift cards anywhere like with prepaid open loop Visa gift cards
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 Unofficial: 5310: Discount Stores |
 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 known to support merchant category codes outside of their official list (e.g. ‘5300: Wholesale Clubs’ for the Category Choice Groceries gift card).
Check the Merchant Database for a list of places where Category Choice gift cards have been tested and found to work. If you’ve used them somewhere that isn’t already listed, let us know and we will add it to the list.
Promotions
Discounts on Category Choice gift cards aren’t terribly common. The best publicly available offer is 3-4% on Amazon every couple of months.
Some discounted gift card portals sell Category Choice gift cards for 3-4% off. However, these portals are usually only available to those who belong to certain memberships or health funds (e.g. Australian Unity).
Zip Visa Category and ShopBack Category gift cards are very similar to Category Choice gift cards so there are cashback opportunities there as well.
