There are three ways to check an Applebee's gift card balance: the balance tool linked from Applebee's own gift card page, a phone call to 1-800-252-6722, or asking staff at any Applebee's to run the card at the till.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Applebee's gift cards never expire and never lose value, so an old card in a drawer is still worth what it says. Here's how to check a balance safely, where the cards work and where they don't, and the scams Applebee's has warned customers about.
Start at Applebee's official gift card page (applebees.com/en/gift-cards) and use the "Check Balance" link there. You will need the card number and PIN.
Important, and this catches people out: The balance checker doesn't run on applebees.com. It opens on a third-party payments domain, because Applebee's gift cards are powered by CashStar and the balance system sits with its stored-value provider.
That's expected and legitimate, but it means "only trust applebees.com URLs" is advice that will make you distrust the real tool. The safe rule isn't the domain, it's the path: always start at applebees.com and follow the link from there. Never arrive at a balance checker from a search ad or an emailed link.
Call 1-800-252-6722. This is the number Applebee's publishes for gift card inquiries, including lost cards. Have the card number, or the purchase receipt, ready before calling.
Phone is the most reliable route if you're unsure about a website, because there's no URL to get wrong.
Any Applebee's can run the card at the till and tell you the balance. No account, no website, no typing a number into anything. If you're near a location, this is the simplest option, and the only one where you never enter your card details online at all.
| Situation | Best Method |
|---|---|
| You have the card in hand and a location nearby | In-restaurant |
| You want to check right now from home | Official site link |
| You're unsure whether a site is genuine | Phone (1-800-252-6722) |
| The card is lost or stolen | Phone, immediately |
The short version: a purchased Applebee's gift card can't lose value, so a wrong number means something happened to the card, not the card itself. Check the number first, then check what kind of card you're holding: a fake or tampered card, a drained number from a lookalike checker, a bonus card with its own expiry, or a secondhand card that was already partially spent. The phone line (1-800-252-6722) with the purchase receipt in hand is the fastest way to find out which one it is.
Start with the boring explanation: re-enter the number and PIN carefully, and make sure the scratch panel is fully revealed. If it still shows nothing, the common causes are:
If none of those apply, call 1-800-252-6722 with the card number or the purchase receipt. That's also the line for a card that's been lost or stolen — treat cards like cash, because anyone holding one can spend it.
A purchased card never loses value on its own, so the missing amount went somewhere. It's almost always one of these:
Practical rule: spend the bonus card first, keep the purchased card as long as you like. If nobody spent the difference and it isn't a bonus card, call the phone line with the receipt — that's exactly what it's for.
A card bought on eBay or from a gift-card exchange carries extra risk:
The safest route is buying directly from Applebee's or an authorised retail rack, checking the packaging for tampering first. A card bought at a legitimate retailer discount still spends at full face value.
These aren't guesses. Applebee's has warned customers about each of these scams itself.
Applebee's has no Meal Pass program. A card marketed as an "Applebee's Meal Pass Card" isn't issued by Applebee's and can't be redeemed at any location. Applebee's has published an image of the fake card specifically to warn people.
If you have been offered one, or bought one, it's worthless at the restaurant. It's the scam most tied to the Applebee's name, so it's worth knowing before you buy a card from anyone other than Applebee's or a trusted store.
The pattern is always the same: someone contacts you urgently, and the payment they want is gift cards.
The universal rule: An Applebee's gift card can only be spent at Applebee's. No utility company, hospital, debt collector or court takes them as payment. Any request to pay a bill with them is a scam, without exception.
Searching for a balance check surfaces paid ads and lookalike sites. Entering a card number and PIN on one of them empties the card within seconds, and a drained card isn't usually refunded. Go through applebees.com every time rather than through a search result.
Applebee's advises checking the packaging before buying. If it looks opened, resealed, torn, or the PIN panel has been scratched, don't buy it. Take it to store management. Cards are sometimes recorded in-store and then drained the moment they're activated.
Applebee's states plainly that its gift cards aren't free, and that ads or sites offering free or heavily discounted cards are scams.
Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Call 1-800-252-6722 about the card itself. Move fast. The window between a scammer getting the number and the balance disappearing is short.
No. Applebee's gift cards never expire and don't decrease in value. There are no dormancy fees, maintenance fees, or deductions for non-use.
Federal law backs this up: under the Credit CARD Act of 2009, funds on a purchased gift card can't expire for at least five years from the date of issue, and inactivity fees are tightly restricted. Applebee's goes further than the legal minimum by not applying an expiry at all.
A card found in a drawer years later is still worth its full face value. If the balance seems wrong, the phone line is the fastest way to resolve it.
During holiday promotions, buying a gift card sometimes comes with an additional bonus card. That bonus card isn't the same thing.
A purchased gift card is money you paid for, and the protections above apply. A bonus card was given away as part of a promotion, which makes it a promotional voucher rather than purchased value, and promotional vouchers carry their own expiry dates and their own terms.
Practical rule: Spend the bonus card first, keep the purchased card as long as you like. The bonus card is the one with a deadline, and the deadline is printed on it or in the promotion terms. Once it passes, it can't be reinstated at the till.
Short version: anywhere Applebee's takes the order, the card works; anywhere else, it doesn't.
| Where | Card works? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Any Applebee's restaurant | Yes | Present the card in person at the till. |
| applebees.com and the mobile app | Yes | Also the route for gift-card-paid food at home. |
| Third-party delivery platforms | No | Delivery service providers don't accept Applebee's gift cards — order through Applebee's own site or app instead. See delivery and takeout. |
| Any other business | No | Applebee's cards are only redeemable at Applebee's. |
| Buying another gift card | No | Gift cards aren't redeemable for gift cards. |
A gift card functions as payment against your bill, so it applies to the check as a whole. Some state or local rules govern how alcohol can be paid for, so if that matters for your visit, the restaurant can confirm. See our drinks menu.
Gift cards bought in either the US or Canada are accepted in both countries, and cross-currency redemption works between the two. That doesn't extend beyond those two markets.
Once a card's balance is spent, it can't be topped up. Applebee's doesn't offer reloading. A new card is the only route. Worth knowing before you plan to keep one card as a running balance.
| Where to buy | How it works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| In a restaurant | Available at any location, for any amount. | The fastest route if you're already visiting. |
| Online, digital | Sent by email, delivered within minutes or scheduled for a future date. Can also be printed immediately and taken into a restaurant. | Best for last-minute gifts. |
| Online, physical | Orders process and ship within two days, with delivery options from standard mail to overnight. | Cards shipped by UPS can't be delivered to a PO Box. Use a street address. |
| In bulk | A separate business ordering route exists for larger volumes. | Better value at higher quantities. |
| Not by phone | Applebee's doesn't take gift card orders over the phone, for security reasons. | Anyone calling to sell you one isn't Applebee's. |
Applebee's gift cards are sold through authorized retail partners as well as directly. Buying from a supermarket or warehouse club rack is legitimate, just check the packaging for tampering first, as covered above.
The value in buying elsewhere depends on whatever promotion that retailer is running at the time, so it's worth checking before a large purchase.
Call 1-800-252-6722 as soon as possible, with the card number or the purchase receipt to hand. Applebee's advises treating gift cards like cash, since anyone holding the card can spend it.
A gift card is a bearer instrument. Whoever holds it can use it, and there's no name attached to it. That's why Applebee's asks for the card number or the receipt. Without one of them there's no way to identify which card is yours among millions in circulation.
Keep the activation receipt for any card you aren't spending immediately, or photograph it. It costs nothing and it's the only thing standing between a lost card and lost money.
Digital gift cards can be stored on your phone rather than carried. A card that lives in your phone doesn't get left on a restaurant table or fall out of a wallet, and the number stays retrievable in your email if the phone is replaced.
The short version: Buy $50 in Applebee's gift cards and get a $10 bonus card. The offer runs from October 12, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and it applies whether you buy in-restaurant or online. Checked October 31, 2026.
Halloween flash sale — ends November 1, 2026: buy $50 in gift cards online between October 30 and November 1, 2026 and you get not one but two $10 digital bonus cards instead of one. This double bonus is online only; the standard single $10 bonus card above still applies in-restaurant.
| Term | What Applebee's states |
|---|---|
| Buy | $50 in gift cards |
| Get | A $10 bonus card |
| Purchase window | October 12, 2026 – January 3, 2027 |
| Where to buy | In-restaurant or online — the bonus applies either way |
| Bonus card expiry | February 28, 2027 — and the bonus card cannot be used on the day it is issued |
| Bonus card type | Promotional, with its own expiry — unlike a purchased card, which never expires |
The distinction in the last row matters. A purchased gift card never expires and never loses value, so it can sit in a drawer indefinitely. The $10 bonus card is a promotional voucher given away with a purchase, and promotional cards carry their own expiry dates and terms. Spend the bonus card first and keep the purchased card as long as you like — the same practical rule as in the expiry section above.
The bonus card is not reloadable, just like a purchased Applebee's gift card. More than one purchased gift card can be applied to a single check; see the frequently asked questions below for both points.
This section must be removed or updated after January 3, 2027, when the purchase window closes.
Three ways: use the balance link on Applebee's official gift card page, call 1-800-252-6722, or ask staff at any Applebee's to run the card at the till. You will need the card number and PIN for the online option.
No. They never expire and don't decrease in value, with no dormancy or maintenance fees. Promotional bonus cards received during holiday offers are separate and do carry expiry dates.
No. Applebee's states that delivery service providers don't accept its gift cards. To pay by gift card for food at home, order through applebees.com or the Applebee's app.
No. Applebee's gift cards aren't reloadable. Once the balance is spent, you'd need a new card.
No. Applebee's gift cards aren't redeemable for other gift cards.
Call 1-800-252-6722 with the card number or the purchase receipt. Applebee's advises protecting gift cards like cash, since anyone holding the card can spend it.
Yes. Cards purchased in the US or Canada are accepted in both, including cross-currency redemption between the two countries.
No. Applebee's doesn't have a Meal Pass program. Any card sold as an "Applebee's Meal Pass Card" isn't issued by Applebee's and can't be redeemed at any location.
No. Applebee's doesn't accept gift card orders by phone for security reasons. Cards can be bought in-restaurant or through the official website.
Orders process and ship within two days, with delivery speeds from standard mail to overnight. Cards sent by UPS can't be delivered to a PO Box.
No. Applebee's gift cards can only be spent at Applebee's. No government body, utility, hospital or debt collector accepts them. Any such request is a scam. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
No. Applebee's gift cards are not reloadable, and that includes the $10 holiday bonus card. Once its value is spent, it cannot be topped up; you would need a new card.
Yes. More than one purchased Applebee's gift card can be applied to a single check — ask your server to apply each card in turn. This is separate from any bonus-card terms printed on a promotional card.