Bellevue police reported on September 29 that they had distributed $12,000 in gift cards in exchange for 84 firearms at the department's September 26 event. The result documents the value of rewards handed to participants, rather than spending subsequently made with those cards. [S01] [S02]
The Washington city funded the event through a grant from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Its published terms specified prepaid Visa gift cards, with different reward amounts for the categories of firearm accepted. The department's result post did not disclose the issuing bank or fulfilment provider. [S02]
Grant funding converted into prepaid rewards
The published schedule ranged from $25 for certain inoperable or incomplete firearms to $100 for rifles and shotguns, $200 for handguns and $300 for the listed AR-15/AK-47 category. The result does not break down the 84 firearms by category or reconcile individual card denominations to the $12,000 total. [S01] [S02]
Published prepaid rewards by firearm category
Bellevue, Washington; September 26, 2026 event terms.
USD reward per eligible firearm
Tap or hover for details. All values are also available in the data table.
Source
Scheduled awards subject to event eligibility and ten compensated firearms per participant. These values do not establish category counts, actual average awards, card redemption or a reduction in gun violence.
Show data tableHide data table
| Category | USD reward per eligible firearm |
|---|---|
| Certain inoperable or incomplete firearms | 25 USD reward per eligible firearm |
| Eligible rifles and shotguns | 100 USD reward per eligible firearm |
| Eligible handguns | 200 USD reward per eligible firearm |
| Listed AR-15 / AK-47 category | 300 USD reward per eligible firearm |
The event limited compensated exchanges to ten eligible firearms per participant. Its rules required proof of Bellevue or King County residency while allowing participants to conceal their names; the department said names would not be recorded. Those conditions describe eligibility for this event, not general Visa gift-card requirements. [S02]
For the prepaid industry, the report provides a specific example of a public agency using stored value to deliver a grant-funded incentive. Police said they hoped to hold further events, but announced no date or additional card budget in the result post. The figures establish distribution at one event; they do not measure later card redemption, programme costs or a change in gun violence. [S01]
In this article
Maya Bennett
Maya Bennett covers customer loyalty, employee rewards and incentive programmes for Gift Card News.