Check a Costa Coffee gift card balance on the Costa balance check page, using the card number on the back of the card or in your eGift email.
The same number works for plastic cards and eGifts. A Costa card holds between £5 and £75, pays in participating Costa stores in England, Scotland and Wales, and its balance expires after 12 months without use. When the balance runs short, a new Costa Coffee UK card from £1 to £150 can be bought with Bitcoin, USDT or 300+ other coins on Genghis.
This guide follows the Costa gift card FAQ and the Costa balance check page, both read on 22 October 2026. It covers how to check the balance, why a balance can look wrong, where the card works and where it does not, how top-ups work, and how to buy a new card with crypto when your money sits in a wallet.
Balance too low for your next flat white?
Buy a new Costa Coffee UK gift card with Bitcoin, USDT or 300+ other coins, in 18 values from £1 to £150. No KYC at checkout, and your code appears on screen as soon as the payment confirms on the network. See the Costa Coffee UK gift card
How to check your Costa Coffee gift card balance
Costa checks gift card balances online, on one page that needs only the gift card number. The steps below match the page as it stood on 22 October 2026.
Online on the Costa balance check page
Open the Costa gift card balance check on the Costa gifting site. Type the gift card number into the one field on the page and press Check balance. The page returns the amount left on the card.
The form asks for nothing else: no PIN, no account and no login. That makes the number itself the thing to protect, since anyone who has it can read the balance and spend it at the till.
Where to find the gift card number
Costa says the number is on the back of a physical card, and in the email that delivered an eGift. The back of a plastic card also carries the QR code the barista scans. On an eGift, keep the original email: it holds both the number and the code you show at the till.
After a purchase at the till
Costa deducts each purchase from the card and keeps the rest for next time. Checking the balance page after a visit tells you what is left before you plan the next order.
Why a Costa balance can look wrong
A Costa balance usually looks wrong because of a mistyped number, a card left unused for a year, or a purchase that took more than you expected. Each has a simple check.
A digit out of place
Copy the number from the card or the eGift email itself, not from a photo or a note. A single wrong digit returns an error instead of a balance.
The card sat unused for 12 months
The Costa FAQ says the balance expires if the card is not used for 12 consecutive months. Using it at least once in each 12-month period keeps the balance alive. A card found in a drawer after a long gap may show nothing left for this reason.
Change is not given
Costa deducts the purchase amount and keeps the remainder on the card; it does not hand back change in cash. If the card covers only part of the bill, you pay the rest with cash or a bank card, since Costa treats the gift card as a payment method you can combine.
The card was lost or stolen
Costa asks you to contact its Customer Services team through the Contact us form, with your name and order number if you have one. At the time you report it, Costa replaces the card and moves the balance onto a replacement eGift.
What a Costa gift card covers
A Costa gift card pays for coffee, food and merchandise in participating Costa stores in England, Scotland and Wales. The rules below come from the Costa gift card FAQ, read on 22 October 2026.
| Rule | What Costa says |
|---|---|
| Where it works | Participating Costa stores in England, Scotland and Wales |
| Where it does not | Costa Express machines, Northern Ireland and stores overseas |
| Balance check | Online at gifting.costa.co.uk with the gift card number |
| Card values | From £5 to £75 added to a card bought on the Costa gifting site |
| Top-ups | Online only, £5 to £75 at a time, up to a balance of £75; not in store |
| Expiry | The balance expires after 12 consecutive months without use |
| Not for | Other gift cards |
| Refunds and cash | No refunds, no exchange for cash, no change given |
| Costa Club | Beans are collected on purchases paid with the card |
Two rules catch people out. Northern Ireland is excluded, and Costa points customers there to a separate card. Costa Express locations do not take the card either. Full wording in the Costa gift card FAQ.
How Costa top-ups work, and where crypto fits
Costa tops up a card online only, from £5 to £75 at a time, and a card never holds more than £75. The Costa gifting site also accepts only UK credit or debit cards, so a top-up there needs a UK bank card.
That leaves holders of crypto with no direct route on the Costa site. A second card bought with crypto does the same job as a top-up: you keep the old card for what is left on it and pay the rest with the new one, since Costa lets you split a bill across payment methods.
Why buy a new Costa card with crypto
Buying the new card with crypto skips the exchange, the bank transfer and the UK bank card. If most of your money is in crypto, the usual route means selling on an exchange, waiting for the transfer and then paying by card.
No bank card in the loop
You pay from your own wallet or from an exchange balance. No card number, no billing address and no bank statement line are part of the purchase on Genghis.
No KYC at checkout
No KYC at checkout: an email address is all we ask for. There is no document upload, no selfie and no proof of address. Purchase limits apply, and the how Genghis works page explains the full flow.
The code arrives on screen
Your code appears on screen as soon as the payment confirms on the network. We also email you a link to it. How long the confirmation takes depends on the network of the coin you pick.
Small amounts, from £1
The Costa Coffee UK card on Genghis comes in 18 values, from £1 to £150. A coffee costs a few pounds, so a small value that covers the gap between your balance and your order is often all you need.
Points on every order
Orders placed with a free Genghis account earn Genghis Points, and a Point is worth $0.01 of discount at checkout. The rewards section below has the rules.
How to buy a Costa gift card with crypto in 6 steps
Open the Costa Coffee UK page, pick the value and the coin, enter your email, send the amount, and copy the code once the payment confirms. Each step in detail:
- Open the Costa Coffee UK page. Go to the Costa Coffee UK gift card on Genghis. It is the card for Costa in the United Kingdom.
- Pick the card value. Choose the face value in pounds that covers the gap between your balance and what you plan to order.
- Choose your coin and network. Select Bitcoin, USDT, Solana, Monero or another of the 300+ coins, and the network you will send on.
- Enter your email address. This is where the link to your code goes. No account is required to buy.
- Send the exact amount. Copy the address or scan the QR code and send the amount shown, adding any withdrawal fee your wallet or exchange charges.
- Copy your code. Once the payment confirms, the code appears on screen and a link arrives by email, ready to use at a participating Costa store.
Match the card to your country
The Costa Coffee UK card is not a worldwide (WW) product. It works only in participating Costa stores in Great Britain, so it will not pay in Northern Ireland or abroad. Genghis also lists a separate Costa card for Poland, which redeems only there.
Costa and other UK coffee and food cards on Genghis
Genghis sells the Costa Coffee UK card in 18 values from £1 to £150, all in stock when read on the live product page on 22 October 2026. The price in crypto is shown at checkout and moves with exchange rates.
| Card | Works in | Face values |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Coffee UK | United Kingdom | £1, £2, £3, £5, £7, £10, £15, £20, £25, £30, £35, £40, £50, £60, £75, £100, £125 and £150 |
| Caffè Nero UK | United Kingdom | 16 values from £1 to £100 |
| Greggs UK | United Kingdom | 20 values from £1 to £250 |
Other UK food and grocery cards are in the UK food and grocery gift cards category, and the Tesco gift card balance guide covers another UK card.
Three ways to get a new Costa card
With crypto in hand, buying the gift card directly is the shortest route; cashing out first or paying by crypto debit card also work. The table sets the routes side by side, including the one where a bank card wins.
| Route | What you need | Identity checks | Where it wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sell crypto on a custodial exchange, then top up on the Costa site | Exchange account, UK bank account, UK bank card | Usually full ID verification at the exchange | Keeps everything on one Costa card |
| Crypto debit card | A card program account and a funded balance | Usually ID verification by the card issuer | Spends at any shop that takes cards |
| Paying by bank card at the Costa till | A bank card and a store visit | None at the till | No gift card at all, if your money is already in a bank |
| Buy the gift card with crypto on Genghis | A wallet or exchange balance and an email address | No KYC at checkout, within the purchase limits | Straight from wallet to card, in values from £1 |
The honest trade-off: a crypto debit card spends everywhere, and a gift card spends at one chain. If Costa is where your morning coffee comes from anyway, the gift card is the shorter path from wallet to cup.
The United Kingdom ranks #21 of 79 countries on the Rails Ranking but #48 on the Livability Ranking, where need for crypto counts (Genghis Research, 2026). Spending rails are there; a gift card adds a short path from wallet to the high street. The United Kingdom Crypto Livability Index page has the full scoreboard.
Lunch on the go too?
The Greggs UK card comes in 20 values from £1 to £250, paid with Bitcoin, USDT or 300+ coins. See the Greggs UK gift card
Which crypto to pay with
Pay with the coin you already hold: a stablecoin keeps the value steady, Solana confirms sooner than Bitcoin, and Monero keeps the payment private. Genghis accepts 300+ cryptocurrencies. The amount in your coin is shown before you pay. It includes our exchange-rate margin; a network cost applies only to USDT on Tron and to Monero.
Bitcoin (BTC)
The default for many holders. The code appears once the Bitcoin block confirms your payment. The Bitcoin gift card page covers the details.
USDT and USDC
Stablecoins keep the dollar value steady between quote and payment. USDT on Tron adds a network cost that checkout shows before you choose. See buying gift cards with USDT.
Solana (SOL)
Solana confirms sooner than Bitcoin, so it suits buyers who want the code without waiting for Bitcoin blocks. The Solana gift card page lists how it works.
Ethereum (ETH)
Supported on the networks listed at checkout. Pick the network your wallet actually holds the coins on, since coins sent on a different network can be lost.
Monero (XMR)
For buyers who want the payment itself to stay private. Monero adds a network cost shown at checkout. The Monero gift card page explains how it works.
How to use the code at Costa
Show the card or eGift at the till of a participating Costa store and the barista scans it. Costa says eGifts can be scanned straight from your phone or from a printed copy. Any balance left stays on the card, and you can check it again with the steps above.
Keep the delivery email until the balance reaches zero. It holds the link to your card details if you lose track of the number.
Is it safe
Yes, as long as the card is for you or a gift, never a payment someone demands. Nobody legitimate asks to be paid in gift cards for a tax bill, a fine or an emergency, and a card number shared with a stranger can be spent by them. The Costa balance page needs only the number, so treat it like cash.
On the Genghis side, payments are non-custodial: Genghis never holds your crypto. The security page documents what data is kept, and the AML and purchase limits page sets out the limits. If a code fails, the refund policy sets out what happens next.
Earn Genghis Points on the purchase
Yes, orders placed with a free Genghis account earn Points, and a new account starts with 100 Points. A Point is worth $0.01 of discount at checkout, the balance never expires, and there is no KYC to earn or redeem.
Points become spendable once your account has $25 in completed orders. Guest checkouts do not earn Points. The Genghis rewards page has the full rules.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my Costa gift card balance?
Enter the gift card number on the Costa balance check page at gifting.costa.co.uk. The number is on the back of a physical card or in your eGift email.
Do Costa gift cards expire?
The balance expires if the card is not used for 12 consecutive months, according to the Costa gift card FAQ. Using it once in each 12-month period keeps the balance.
Can I top up a Costa gift card in store?
No. Costa tops up cards online only, from £5 to £75 at a time, and a card holds no more than £75.
Can I use a Costa gift card in Northern Ireland?
No. Costa says the card works in participating stores in England, Scotland and Wales, not in Northern Ireland, at Costa Express or overseas.
Can I pay for a Costa gift card with Bitcoin?
Yes. On Genghis you pay for the Costa Coffee UK card with Bitcoin, USDT, Solana, Monero or 300+ other coins, in values from £1 to £150.
Do I need to verify my identity to buy one with crypto?
No KYC at checkout: an email address is all we ask for. Purchase limits apply: without an account, up to 500 USD in 24 hours and 2,000 USD in 30 days.
How fast does the code arrive?
Your code appears on screen as soon as the payment confirms on the network. We also email you a link to it. The wait depends on the coin you choose.
Can I pay with Monero?
Yes. Monero is supported at checkout and adds a network cost that is shown before you choose it.
Are there any fees?
The amount in your coin is shown before you pay. It includes our exchange-rate margin; a network cost applies only to USDT on Tron and to Monero. Your own wallet or exchange may charge a withdrawal fee.
What if my code does not work?
A code that fails at first redemption, arrives incomplete or never arrives is replaced, or refunded if no replacement comes within 5 business days; report it within 30 days. Open a request in the Genghis Help Center with your order number.
Bottom line
Check a Costa Coffee gift card balance on the Costa balance check page with the gift card number. The card holds up to £75, works in Great Britain only, and expires after 12 months without use.
When the balance falls short and your money is in crypto, buy a new card in the value you need and pay from your wallet, with no KYC at checkout.
Top up your Costa balance with crypto
18 values from £1 to £150, paid with Bitcoin, USDT or 300+ coins. No KYC at checkout.