Can't Use Gift Card Balance to Buy different Gift Cards- Any Other Options? (Apple)

My work has a reward system in which you can redeem points in an online store. Amazon gift cards are available and I have usually cashed in for them to make purchases or grab other gift cards for stores (I have done this for Nintendo and Playstation stores in the past).

Now it seems that Amazon has changed their policy to not allow the use of gift card balances for purchases of other gift cards since I have last done this. I was hoping to use the balance to purchase an Apple gift card and upgrade my phone.

Am i out of luck? Anybody have suggestions on how to get around this? I have yet to find a solution if there is one, other than buy a marked up phone from a third party amazon seller...