What a Build-A-Bear Workshop gift card gets you
Build-A-Bear gift cards are branded Bear Bucks and they spend on everything in the workshop, not just the make-your-own furry friends: outfits, sound and scent inserts, the Build-A-Bear Bonus Club bundles, online exclusives at buildabear.com, and the older-skewing After Dark and collectible lines. There are no activation or per-purchase fees, and the balance never erodes from dormancy charges.
two formats:
- Physical card: Mailed or bought at a Build-A-Bear Workshop store. Whole-dollar amounts, redeemable in store and online.
- E-gift card (Bear Bucks): Emailed within minutes, redeemable at buildabear.com or shown at a store register. $5 to $500 per card via Dyme; presets of $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, and $200.
You can apply more than one Bear Bucks card to a single transaction in store or online, which is handy for splitting a bigger gift across several smaller cards.
Where to buy: four channels compared
| Channel | Format | Denominations | Delivery | Discount | Adds on top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for MilesDyme | E-gift only | $5 – $500 | Instant | None | Dyme Miles + instant paperless delivery |
| Buildabear.com | Physical + e-gift | $5 – $500 | Instant / 5–10 days | None | Bonus Club points at redemption |
| In store at Build-A-Bear | Physical only | $5 – $500 | Immediate | None | Bonus Club points at redemption |
| Secondary marketplacesRaise, CardCash | Digital code | Varies | Instant | Occasional few percent below face | — |
Secondary-market discounts rotate by supply and demand. Verify the balance before you redeem a resold card.
Can I get a Build-A-Bear Workshop gift card at a discount?
Yes, but not through Dyme. Dyme sells Build-A-Bear e-gift cards at face value; the value-add is Dyme Miles and instant paperless delivery, not a face-value discount. Build-A-Bear is not a club-store multi-pack staple, so the discount routes are narrower than for a big-box brand:
- Secondary marketplaces (Raise, CardCash). Resold Build-A-Bear cards from third parties, usually a few percent below face value. Supply is thinner than for mass-retail brands. Verify the balance before redeeming, since secondary sellers occasionally list partial-balance cards.
- Build-A-Bear promotions. Build-A-Bear runs frequent in-store and online promotions such as Pay Your Age events, birthday deals, and bundle pricing. These discount the toys, not the gift card itself, so a card bought at face value stretches further when you redeem during a promo.
- Bonus Club bundle savings. Members get exclusive bundle pricing and birthday perks. Redeeming a gift card during a Bonus Club offer effectively stretches the card's buying power.
Build-A-Bear is not stocked as a Costco or Sam's Club multi-pack, so there is no club-store discount route. The bigger combined return comes from the rewards stack below: your credit card, Bonus Club points at redemption, and Dyme Miles on the purchase.
How to stack rewards
Three rewards programs fire on a single Build-A-Bear gift card purchase through Dyme.
Credit-card rewards
Your credit card earns rewards on the Dyme purchase.
Gift-card resellers typically code as MCC 5947; many cards exclude this MCC from category bonuses.
- Capital One Venture X: 2x miles on essentially every purchase, including gift cards
- Citi Double Cash: 2% back on everything (1% when you buy + 1% when you pay)
- Amex Gold: falls back to 1x on gift cards. 4x dining and 4x groceries do not apply
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: falls back to 1x on gift cards. 3x dining and 2x travel do not apply
Build-A-Bear Bonus Club
- Join cost: free
- Applies at: redemption
- Earning rate: 1 point per $1 spent in store and online
- Reward threshold: Points convert to reward vouchers once you reach the program threshold, plus a birthday reward each year
Bonus Club does not earn on the gift card purchase. It earns on the toys and accessories when you redeem, at the same rate as paying with cash or credit.
Dyme Miles
- Base rate: 1 Mile for every dollar
- Special rate: 5 Miles per dollar
- Expiration: never
- Blackouts: none
- Redeem on: over 2 million hotels and 600 airline partners
$100 Build-A-Bear e-gift on Dyme, paid with Citi Double Cash, redeemed by a Bonus Club member
- Citi Double Cash: $2 back (2% of $100)
- Build-A-Bear Bonus Club at redemption: 100 points toward the next reward voucher
- Dyme Miles on the purchase: 100 Miles (1 per dollar), or 500 on a special offer (5 per dollar)
Illustrative only. Card rates, brand-program terms, and Dyme Miles offers change and vary by member; figures above are examples, not a guarantee of value.
How to buy via Dyme
Build-A-Bear e-gift cards on Dyme arrive in the recipient's inbox in under a minute.
- Open the Build-A-Bear Workshop brand page on Dyme.
- Enter the recipient's email, the denomination, and an optional personal message.
- Check out. The e-gift sends immediately, ready to redeem at buildabear.com or any store register.
You earn 1 Mile for every dollar you spend, and 5 Miles per dollar during special offers. Miles post to your Dyme account within 3 business days. Dyme Miles never expire, have no blackouts, and are redeemable on any airline, any hotel — across over 2 million hotels and 600 airline partners.
Every dollar you spend through Dyme helps fund clean energy for local communities.
How to buy on buildabear.com
- Go to buildabear.com and open the gift cards page.
- Choose physical or e-gift, pick a design and the amount, and add a recipient message if you want one.
- Add to cart and check out. Build-A-Bear does not run a member discount on gift cards, and Bonus Club points accrue on toy purchases, not on buying the card.
How to buy in store
Any Build-A-Bear Workshop store sells gift cards at the register. Tell the associate the amount, pay with cash, credit, or another gift card, and walk out with the physical card. There is no minimum and you can load any whole-dollar amount. With roughly 400 stores worldwide, a nearby mall location is usually the fastest way to get a card in hand.
Designs and personalization
Physical cards: Build-A-Bear offers several Bear Bucks designs, including birthday and seasonal holiday art, with the option to add a printed message at checkout.
E-gift cards: multiple digital designs with a customizable message line, delivered straight to the recipient's inbox.
There is no co-branded card for individual purchase. For bulk and corporate orders, see corporate ordering below.
Delivery and timing
- E-gift via Dyme: 1 to 60 minutes by email, ready to redeem online or at a store register.
- E-gift via buildabear.com: 1 to 60 minutes by email.
- Physical via buildabear.com: 5 to 10 business days standard. Faster shipping options at checkout.
- Physical in store: Immediate — walk out with the card.
Dyme does not mail physical cards. If you need a physical card in hand, buildabear.com or a store visit is the path.
Corporate and bulk buying
Build-A-Bear runs a corporate and bulk gift-card program for businesses ordering in volume, with custom amounts and invoicing for employee gifts, client appreciation, and event giveaways. Contact the Build-A-Bear corporate sales team to set up an order.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I redeem a Build-A-Bear gift card?＋
At any Build-A-Bear Workshop store and online at buildabear.com. The card covers furry friends, outfits, sound and scent inserts, accessories, and online exclusives — anything Build-A-Bear sells.
What denominations are available?＋
Whole-dollar amounts from $5 to $500. Through Dyme, common presets are $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, and $200, and you can choose a custom amount within that range.
Do Build-A-Bear gift cards expire?＋
No. Build-A-Bear gift cards do not expire and carry no dormancy or service fees. The full purchased value stays on the card until you redeem it.
Can I check my Build-A-Bear gift card balance?＋
Yes. Use the balance-check page with your card number and PIN, or ask an associate at any Build-A-Bear store to look it up at the register.
Can I use more than one gift card in a single purchase?＋
Yes, both in store and online. You can apply multiple Bear Bucks cards to one transaction, which makes it easy to combine smaller cards toward a bigger furry friend.
Can I return a Build-A-Bear gift card?＋
No. Gift cards are non-refundable once purchased. They can be re-gifted or applied to any in-store or online purchase, but the value cannot be redeemed for cash except where required by law.
Can I use a Build-A-Bear gift card online and in store?＋
Yes. Both physical and e-gift cards work at buildabear.com and at any Build-A-Bear Workshop location. An e-gift card can be shown at the register or entered at online checkout.
Does buying a gift card earn Bonus Club points?＋
No. Build-A-Bear Bonus Club points accrue on toy and accessory purchases, not on buying the gift card itself. You earn the points when the recipient redeems the card on merchandise.
Does Build-A-Bear offer corporate or bulk gift cards?＋
Yes. Build-A-Bear runs a corporate gift-card program for volume orders, with custom amounts and invoicing for employee gifts, events, and client appreciation. Contact the corporate sales team to start.
Are e-gift cards delivered instantly?＋
Usually within 1 to 60 minutes by email. If you don't see it, check the Promotions or spam folder, since gift-card emails sometimes get filtered there.
