You can’t send a gift card inside Facebook or Messenger today. Facebook’s own gift feature, Facebook Gifts, closed in August 2014 (TechCrunch). What you can do instead: buy a Meta gift card for the Meta Horizon Store and have it emailed, send money in Messenger if you’re in the US, or send a friend an e-gift card from a store.
Option 1: a Meta gift card (for the Meta Horizon Store)
Meta’s gift card is for Meta Quest content. It can only be spent in the Meta Horizon Store, on apps, games and experiences, not on Facebook itself (GiftCards.com).
- Buy the card from a retailer that sells it. GiftCards.com, for example, sells amounts from $15 to $100.
- Choose the eGift version to have it emailed to your friend, or a physical card by mail.
- Your friend redeems the code in the Meta Horizon app or on the web (GiftCards.com, Meta Quest Help).
Option 2: send money in Messenger (US only)
With Meta Pay you can send money to friends and family in Messenger. It works in the US except Wisconsin, and personal transfers are free for both people (Business.com). This sends money, not a gift card.
Option 3: an e-gift card from a store
If your friend would rather shop somewhere specific, buy an e-gift card on that store’s website and have it emailed to them. You can tell them it’s coming in a Messenger chat. Share the code only with the person you’re giving it to.
Tipping a creator with Stars
Stars are for supporting creators, not for gifts between friends. You buy Stars in the app and send them during a creator’s Live, video or Reel (Meta).
Watch out for gift card scams
If someone on Facebook or Messenger asks you to pay them with a gift card, treat it as a scam. The FTC says no real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. If you already sent the code, contact the gift card company right away and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC).
A friend’s account asking for a gift card may have been hacked. Check with them another way, and see how to report someone on Facebook.
FAQ
Can I buy a Facebook gift card?
No. Meta’s gift card is for the Meta Horizon Store, not for Facebook.
Can I send a gift card through Messenger?
Not as a Messenger feature. You can send a message about an e-gift card you bought elsewhere, and in the US you can send money with Meta Pay.
What happened to Facebook Gifts?
Facebook launched it in 2012 and shut it down on August 12, 2014.
Can I use a Meta gift card for Facebook ads?
No. It only works in the Meta Horizon Store.