Got a Kindle or Audible gift? Where to start
How to set up or redeem each kind of Kindle and Audible gift, in the UK and the US, and what to read or listen to first.
Find your gift in the list below. Each one takes three or four steps, and the steps start from the email or the box you were given. Where the UK and US rules differ, both are shown.
- A Kindle in a boxHow to set up a new KindleGo
- A Kindle book emailHow to redeem a Kindle book giftGo
- An Audible giftHow to redeem an Audible giftGo
- An Amazon gift cardHow to use an Amazon gift cardGo
- Not sure what it isThe gift email’s sender and subject line name the gift: Amazon for Kindle books and gift cards, Audible for audiobooks and memberships.
Every gift needs an Amazon account. Audible uses the same sign-in.
How to set up a new Kindle
You need your Amazon account email or phone number and password, and your Wi-Fi name and password.
- Select your device language.
- Select your location.
- Choose Set up on this Kindle, or Set up with your phone.
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Follow the steps on screen to register the Kindle to your Amazon account.
Setting up with your phone uses the Kindle app on iOS or Android, with Amazon Device Simple Setup turned on in the app and Bluetooth on (and Location on Android). The app picks up your Amazon account and saved Wi-Fi passwords. Other models, such as the Kindle Kids, Colorsoft and Scribe, have their own setup pages in Amazon’s help.
It is registered to another account, usually the giver’s. Deregister it: from the home screen swipe down for Quick Actions or select Menu, then Settings (or All Settings), Your Account (or My Account), Deregister, and confirm. Then register it to your own account. If registration fails, check the time on the Kindle, update its software (All Settings, Device Options, Software updates), check the Wi-Fi and restart.
Source: Amazon help, “Set Up Your Kindle Paperwhite”, checked 30 October 2026.
Source: Amazon help, “Deregister Your Kindle E-Reader”, checked 30 October 2026.
How to redeem a Kindle book gift
- Select Redeem your gift in the gift email.
- Select Redeem now, and sign in if asked.
- Choose the device to send it to from the drop-down menu.
No Kindle? You can read it in a free Kindle reading app on a phone, tablet or computer.
| If the giver is in another country | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | A recipient outside the giver’s country cannot redeem the book | The book may not be available; you can be offered an Amazon.com gift card instead |
Source: Amazon help, “Redeem a Kindle Book Gift”, checked 30 October 2026.
How to redeem an Audible gift
This works for a gift membership and for a single audiobook.
- Select Redeem your gift in the gift email.
- On the Audible website, select Redeem.
- Sign in with your Amazon account, or create one.
If the link in the email does not work, copy the claim code from the email and enter it on the Redeem a gift page (Audible UK, Audible US). Gift membership codes are case-sensitive.
Audible asks for a payment method and billing address so it can check the title is available in your country. You are not being charged for the gift. A gift membership does not renew on its own.
Already an Audible member? All the gift’s credits arrive at once. The gift does not replace or extend your plan, and a paid plan still bills on its normal date. On a free trial (US): Audible US says to wait until the trial ends, or cancel it, before redeeming a gift membership.
Source: Audible UK help, “Redeem a gift”, updated 28 April 2026, checked 30 October 2026.
Source: Audible US help, “Redeem a gift”, updated 3 September 2026, checked 30 October 2026.
What is an Audible credit, and do gift credits expire?
One credit buys one audiobook with the “1 credit” badge, including new releases and bestsellers.
| UK | US | |
|---|---|---|
| Gift membership credits | Audible UK’s help pages say gift credits expire six months after each one is issued, while its Gift Centre says a full year. Spend them within six months to be safe. | Expire 12 months after each one is issued |
| Passing credits on | Not stated | Credits cannot be gifted or transferred |
For what each plan costs and how ordinary plan credits work, see Audible vs Kindle.
Source: Audible UK help, “Learn about credits”, updated 3 September 2026, checked 30 October 2026.
Source: Audible US help, “Learn about credits”, updated 3 September 2026, checked 30 October 2026.
First steps in the Audible app
- Open the Audible app and sign in with your Amazon account.
- Go to your Library.
- Select a title to play.
To listen offline, select the title in your Library so it downloads, on a steady Wi-Fi connection with enough free space. The player has narration speed and a sleep timer. If a gift does not show in your Library, refresh it.
Source: Audible US help, “Listen in the app”, updated 13 October 2026, checked 30 October 2026.
How to use an Amazon gift card
- Peel or scratch the card to reveal the claim code (or open the e-gift email).
- Go to Redeem a Gift Card in your Amazon account, or select Apply to your Amazon Account in the email.
- Enter the code and select Apply to Your Balance.
Once redeemed, the balance cannot be moved to another account. In the US, gift cards never expire and work only on Amazon.com.
On Audible: in the US, yes for single titles at the Audible checkout; a membership can only be bought with one through Amazon.com. In the UK, Audible’s pages disagree: its help page says single titles can be bought with an Amazon gift card, while its Gift Centre says they cannot be accepted.
Source: Amazon help, “Redeem an Amazon Gift Card”, checked 30 October 2026.
Source: Audible US help, “Use an Amazon Gift Card”, updated 11 February 2026, checked 30 October 2026.
Does a new Kindle come with a free Kindle+ trial?
Kindle+ is the new name for Kindle Unlimited, from October 2026. It lets you borrow up to 20 titles at a time, and includes some audiobooks.
UK: new subscribers who have not tried Kindle+ may be eligible for a 30-day free trial. No free months with a new Kindle were found on Amazon UK. US: some Kindle bundles include 3 months of Kindle+. Amazon’s terms say the months start when the order is placed and cannot be transferred, so if your Kindle came with them, ask the giver whose account they are on.
Source: Amazon UK, Kindle+ FAQ, checked 30 October 2026.
Source: Amazon.com, Kindle + Kindle+ terms and conditions, checked 30 October 2026.
What to read first on your new Kindle
Books whose verdict on this site is to read them, mostly because the structure is easier to follow in print.
- Frankenstein: three accounts nested inside one another.
- Nothing Lasts Forever: the novel behind Die Hard, with no audiobook at all.
- We Chase Shadows: several viewpoints and a jump between 2001 and the present.
- Throne of Glass: several viewpoints in one narrator’s voice on audio.
- Verity: the present day alternates with a manuscript.
More on the best on the page shelf.
What to listen to first on Audible
Books whose verdict on this site is to listen, grouped by how long you have.
- Christmas Day, under an hour: The Snowman and the Snowdog, Benedict Cumberbatch, 11 minutes.
- One evening: Alice in Wonderland, Scarlett Johansson, 2 hours 44 minutes; The Great Gatsby, Jake Gyllenhaal, 4 hours 49 minutes.
- A long January listen: Pride and Prejudice, Rosamund Pike, 11 hours 35 minutes; The Hunger Games, Tatiana Maslany, 10 hours 35 minutes.
More on the best on audio shelf, or for Christmas itself, every Christmas verdict.
If something goes wrong
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The Kindle shows someone else’s name | Deregister it, then register your own account (see above) |
| The giver is in another country | UK: a Kindle book gift cannot be redeemed. US: you may be offered an Amazon.com gift card instead |
| You already own the audiobook | US: Audible refunds the giver. UK: Audible’s pages differ, saying either the gift becomes a credit or coupon, or the giver is refunded |
| The code is not accepted | Gift membership codes are case-sensitive; check 0 and O, and 1 and I |
| Audible asks for card details | It is to check your country, not to charge you for the gift |
Spotted an out-of-date step? Tell us. Giving a gift instead? See book gift ideas.
Questions people ask
How do I redeem an Audible gift?
Select Redeem your gift in the email, select Redeem on the Audible website, and sign in with your Amazon account. If the link fails, enter the claim code on Audible's Redeem a gift page.
Do Audible gift credits expire?
In the US, 12 months after each one is issued. In the UK, Audible's help pages say six months and its Gift Centre says a full year, so spend them within six months to be safe.
What is an Audible credit?
One credit buys one audiobook with the 1 credit badge, including new releases and bestsellers.
Can I use an Amazon gift card on Audible?
In the US, yes for single titles; memberships only through Amazon.com. In the UK, Audible's own pages disagree.
How do I set up a new Kindle?
Choose your language and location, choose to set it up on the Kindle or with your phone, connect to Wi-Fi and register it to your Amazon account.
My new Kindle has someone else's name on it. What do I do?
Deregister it from Settings, Your Account, Deregister, then register it to your own Amazon account.
Can I redeem a Kindle book from someone in another country?
In the UK, no. In the US, you may be offered an Amazon.com gift card instead.
Does a new Kindle come with a free Kindle+ trial?
In the UK, new subscribers may be eligible for 30 days free. In the US, some bundles include 3 months, which start when the order is placed and cannot be transferred.
How do I use Audible?
Open the Audible app, sign in with your Amazon account, go to your Library and select a title to play. Download it to listen offline.
What happens if I am given an audiobook I already own?
In the US, Audible refunds the giver. In the UK, Audible's pages differ: one says the gift becomes a credit or coupon, the other says the giver is refunded.
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