after that experience, i started using bitrefill for amazon.com gift cards. they are unfortunately the most expensive option by far. they charge an extra 2% on everything.
I've noticed this too after using them. As far as I know they are the one and only gift card provider that sticks a premium on top though I guess almost all others use Bitpay's exchange rate. It kind of negates the point. If you have a decent exchange you may as well use that as it'll almost certainly be cheaper than 2%.
they do offer a 2% discount for using LN.
that doesn't offer much consolation though. i can't be bothered with LN at this point. steep learning curve, alpha or early beta wallets with risk of losing funds.....or otherwise you need to use a custodial wallet. no thanks.
i've used cardcash a dozen or so times. i had a couple bad experiences where they sent an e-card with a $0 balance (were probably fraudulent). they covered them under their 45-day guarantee but it took some back-and-forth with support. bitpay refunds can be a hassle.
i'm now kinda paranoid about buying secondhand digital cards. i mostly use cardcash for physical gas cards (chevron, mobil, etc) now. those never give me problems.
there's a 2% discount for using bitcoin, which is nice.