13 Simple Options to Convert Visa Gift Cards to Cash (Today!)

Receiving gift cards is great – but making sure you’re actually able to use the balance is the best part of all. That’s why knowing how to convert Visa gift cards to cash can be a great way to make sure that you use what’s on the card.

After all, it gives you the added flexibility of being able to spend the balance anywhere, not only places that accept Visa!

Perhaps you were given the card as a gift or you bought it as part of a promotion. The latter is pretty common, as you’ll often find stores that offer discounts or bonus deals if you buy Visa gift cards from them. This can, in turn, save you a good amount on the actual value stored on the card.

You could even have gotten it by having earned it yourself! Sites like Swagbucks offer this from time to time, by letting you earn Visa gift cards for free by watching videos, playing games and searching the internet.

But now that you’ve got the card, you may be struggling to figure out what to do with it. Or you could just prefer to have straight up cash to be able to use how you want.

Whatever your reason, it’s actually not hard at all to get cash from a gift card. It also can be a really good thing to do if you want to use the cash for something that doesn’t involve buying an actual object, like to pay off your credit card bill this month!

How to convert Visa gift cards to cash

The most straightforward way to convert a Visa gift card to cash is to sell it to a private individual or a website that specializes in buying gift cards. However, you won’t always get the full value of the card, so other less direct methods tend to result in you getting more money.

There are a bunch of different ways to get your Visa gift card balance converted to cash. In a few cases, like the ones mentioned above, they’ll let you end up with actual cash in your hand. On the other hand, other methods let you treat the card as if it were cash based on how you use it.

There are a few ways though that involve a transfer of the Visa gift card to your bank account. From there, you’ll then be able to withdraw the money as cash.

Whichever option you choose though to get cash from your Visa gift card, the outcome is the same. So it just becomes a question of which one is easier (and cheaper!) for you.

1. Use your Visa gift card to buy other merchants’ gift cards

If there’s a particular store you shop at that doesn’t accept your Visa gift card for purchases, you can use this card to buy a gift card from the store where you want to buy something.

And if you look online, you can sometimes find these for sale for up to 20% off – meaning you’re getting 20% of the Visa gift card balance for free.

This could include stores like Amazon, Walmart or even Starbucks if you were planning to convert your Visa gift cards to cash simply to get a caffeine hit.

(And you can double up on the benefits by using these Amazon gift card deals to get you free Amazon credit.)

Alternatively, you could earn gift cards to all these stores and dozens more just by signing up for an app like Swagbucks. It’s basically like earning free coffees from procrastinating on your phone!

2. Add it to your PayPal wallet

Another way to convert Visa gift cards to cash is with PayPal. That is, PayPal lets you add prepaid cards, including Visa gift cards, to your PayPal wallet. What this means is that you’re then able to treat the balance like cash, by using it to purchase things from any merchant that accepts PayPal – which is most major ones, these days.

By doing this, you also have the option to transfer money from the gift card to a bank account that’s linked to your PayPal account or sending the money on your gift card to other PayPal users.

Just keep an eye on the fees if you do this, as sometimes when you transfer a Visa gift card balance to a bank account using this method, you may be charged up to 3% of what you’re transferring.

(It’s worth noting that a far easier way to earn money to put towards your PayPal account is to sign up for a free cash back app like Ibotta. You can cash out your earnings – including the $20 bonus you’ll receive just for signing up – on a PayPal gift card, which is basically like receiving cash.)

How can I get money off of a gift card through PayPal?

To get money off a Visa gift card to a PayPal account, just do the following:

1. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Select the “Wallet” option at the top of the page
3. There should be an option on the left to “Link a card or bank”. You’ll be able to find this under any existing cards or banks you have linked. Click this and continue through the prompts.
4. When you get to the point where PayPal asks you for the relevant information, add your Visa gift card details. Then click “Link Card”.

There’s a chance that you may get an error when trying to do this. If that happens to you, you may have to first register the card with the issuer so an address is linked to the Visa gift card. After that, PayPal should have no problem accepting it.

3. Add it to your Venmo account

Similar to PayPal, you can convert your Visa gift card to cash via Venmo by putting your gift card balance on your Venmo account. And this is actually a better option than PayPal if you were planning to transfer the money to your own account as cold, hard cash.

This is because Venmo doesn’t charge any fee to transfer money from your Venmo account to your bank account, unless you select the Instant Transfer option. Otherwise, the money should arrive in your account within one to three business days.

To do this, go into the Venmo app and find the option that lets you add gift cards. There’s a chance that you’ll get a warning message here for fraud prevention, so either try again or give Venmo customer service a call at their helpline to see if they can clear up the issue.

4. Pay your bills with your Visa gift card

Using your gift card to pay a bill is exactly the same as converting your Visa gift cards to cash – although you’ll never actually get to see the money.

Just remember that because the Visa gift card is treated the same as a credit card, you’ll also incur any credit card fees, so make sure you do the math to confirm that it’s worth it.

How do you liquidate a Visa gift card by paying bills?

You can use a Visa gift card to pay bills with any billing provider that accepts Visa credit cards for bill payments. This is because Visa gift cards are treated exactly the same when it comes to making this payment. 

Not every single company will allow you to get cash from a Visa gift card using this strategy, but you’ll almost certainly be able to use your card in this way for things like topping up your phone credit, buying groceries and gas or renewing your subscription at the local yoga studio.

5. Go to a Gift Card Exchange Kiosk to trade it in to get cash from your Visa gift card

One super easy way to convert Visa gift cards to cash is to find a Gift Card Exchange Kiosk. They’re usually yellow and you can often find them in shopping malls and supermarkets.

All you have to do is enter your gift card’s information into the kiosk, which will include things like the set of numbers on the front of the card.

You’ll then be presented with a range of offers for you to decide which one you want. Once you’ve made your selection, you’ll be issued a voucher to take to the cashier to get your money – making it one of the ways that will actually see you get cash from your Visa gift card in your hand.

Related: Coinstar Gift Card Exchange: A Way To Get Quick Cash?

6. Sell your Visa gift card through an app

Another option is to sell your Visa gift card on various apps that will buy it from you in order to resell it.

While this can be a quick way to convert your Visa gift cards to cash, the fees are really steep so this should probably only be your last option if the others aren’t possible for some reason.

For example, Raise has an app that does this for both iOS and Android, although they’ll take 15% commission for doing this. Ouch.

A similar one is Prepaid2Cash, another site that has an app for iOS and Android in order to trade in your Visa gift cards for cash. This one works slightly differently, in that: 

• First you tell them the brand of the gift card (in this case: Visa)
• They then send you an offer through the app for the card
• You have no obligation to accept this offer but once you do, they’ll deposit it into your account in up to five business days

This means that the fees they charge are incorporated into the offer, so it’s not entirely transparent. They state, however, that the offer will be up to 92% of the card balance, meaning the fees are at least 8%.

7. Convert your Visa gift card to cash by selling it to a website

There are plenty of websites that will pay cash for your Visa gift card. In addition to the ones mentioned above that have apps for this, there are also others like Gift Card Granny.

If your gift card is digital, then the process can be instantaneous. But even if you have a physical card, some of these sites will pay for your postage to send them the card, so you won’t end up losing any money on that front.

Like with the apps, the sites will take a fee based on a percentage of the balance of the card, so make sure you know just how much this is before agreeing to the sale.

Also, it can be a good idea to do some searches for the site you’re considering using, just to get the most up to date reviews on whether other people have had a good experience with them. You don’t want to go through all the hassle of learning how to turn Visa gift cards into cash with your site of choice then find out it’s all for nothing.

8. Sell your Visa gift card to other people

Another option you could consider is to sell your Visa gift card to other people. While this can be one of the quickest ways to access that balance, just keep in mind that you’re probably going to have to accept less money than the balance on the card to make it worth the other person’s while to buy it from you.

That is, most people will only pay a portion of the balance when they’re buying a gift card from someone else. This is because they know that it’s convenient for you to offload the card like this and there’s also a small element of risk on their part.

Sites like eBay or Craigslist will work perfectly for these kinds of arrangements. Make sure you keep in mind shipping costs if you’re selling a physical card – and, as always on these kinds of sites, keep an eye out for any scams. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

9. Use it to buy a money order

Stores like Walmart as well as certain grocery stores will let you buy money orders using your Visa gift card. That said, the availability of this can vary, so check if this is an option in your area. 

But once you’ve done this, the money order can then be deposited into your bank account to be used as straight up cash.

One thing you should keep in mind, however, is that some banks have had a habit of shutting down accounts if too many money orders are deposited. As such if you do choose to do this, perhaps combine it with some of the other options on this list.

10. Give them out as gifts

One way to convert Visa gift cards to cash is to use them like cash. We mentioned things like using them to pay bills, but you can also give them as a present. 

This can be a great alternative to giving someone, say, money in a card or a store-specific gift voucher.

11. Turn your Visa gift cards to cash by buying and reselling items

This may take a few extra steps to do but it may be the only other option on this list that lets you make money from converting your Visa gift cards to cash (in addition to buying merchants’ gift cards).

As mentioned, most stores treat Visa gift cards like credit cards. This means that you can generally use them to buy items at almost any store, so keep an eye out for things that are either heavily reduced or in high demand.

In both cases, there’s a good chance you may be able to resell the item at a higher price than what you paid. This, in turn, will let you – eventually – get cash from your Visa gift card.

12. Sell your Visa gift cards for cash with GiftCardBin

GiftCardBin is a retailer that pays people for their unwanted gift cards. They have over 600 partner locations in the US, so you’re likely to find one near you at places like check cashing stores and pawn shops. 

If you go to their website, you can enter your city, state, or zip code to find the partner location that’s nearest to you.

Don’t expect to get the full value of your Visa gift card, given that their payouts are generally up to about 70% of the balance. That said, if you need actual money, this is one good way to convert your Visa gift card to cash in hand.

13. Go to a pawn shop to sell your Visa gift card

Pawn shops are always an option for quick cash, and using them to sell a Visa gift card for money is no exception. And while I mentioned pawn shops in the last step, even those stores that aren’t partner locations with retailers like GiftCardBin will likely be interested in buying your unwanted gift card from you.

Of course, you shouldn’t expect to get anywhere near the full balance, with it honestly being a good outcome if you get even half of what the card is worth.

However, if you really, truly need the money immediately, this is always one way to convert your Visa gift card to cash.

Can you turn a Visa gift card into cash in hand?

Yes, you can turn a Visa gift card into cash in hand, although the options to do this tend to be limited to those that involve trading your card in in-person, such as when selling it to someone or converting a Gift Card Kiosk voucher into money.

However, having the money added to your PayPal or bank account is as close to cash in hand as you can get. Simply add the extra step of going to withdraw it and you’re on your way.

Can you put a Visa gift card in your bank account?

Yes, you can deposit a gift card in your bank account, but not directly. Visa gift cards are treated like Visa credit cards, so the balance isn’t transferable. Instead, you will need an indirect route, like using the card to buy a PayPal gift card and adding that balance to your bank account.

As shown above, there are some roundabout ways to transfer a gift card to a bank account. For example, there are several options to transfer money from a gift card to your bank account via PayPal.

All you do is follow the steps outlined above for getting the balance into your PayPal account and, from there, transfer that money to your bank account.

Keep reading to find out which specific options are available to transfer a gift card balance to a bank account. These may work better for you if you’d prefer the money end up in your account rather than converting your Visa gift card to cash in hand.

How to transfer a Visa gift card to a bank account?

You can transfer money from a Visa gift card to your bank account indirectly by trying some of the following options, which we go into more detail about above:

1. Add the card to your PayPal or Venmo account and transfer the gift card balance to your bank account.
2. Get money for a voucher issued by a Gift Card Exchange Kiosk and then deposit it into your account.
3. Choose an app or website to sell your gift card to that pays you through direct deposit, letting you then use the selling price as a way to transfer the Visa gift card to your bank account.
4. Use the card to buy a money order, with the value of this then placed in your account.

Can you withdraw cash from a prepaid Visa?

Yes, you can withdraw cash from a prepaid Visa, with the card being treated the same way as any Visa debit card. This means that you can use the prepaid Visa to make purchases online or in-person, make bill payments and withdraw cash.

Just keep in mind that a prepaid Visa is different from a Visa gift card, with the latter being more restricted in terms of how you use them.

While a Visa gift card can be used the same way as a prepaid Visa when it comes to making purchases, it’s usually isn’t possible to use a Visa gift card for ATM withdrawal or as cash back in a store.

Can you transfer money from a gift card to a debit card?

While you can’t directly transfer money from a gift card to a debit card, there are indirect ways to do this. For example, if you add your Visa gift card to your PayPal wallet and then transfer that money to your own account, you’ll have access to that cash via your debit card.

Similarly, by selling the card through an app or a website, the company that buys it from you will either transfer the money that you make to your bank account or may send you a check.

Either way, you’ll effectively be able to transfer money from the gift card to your bank account, where it will be ready to be used by your debit card.

This means that while it’s not strictly the case that you can transfer money from a gift card to a debit card, the workarounds are super straightforward to do.

How to get cash from a Vanilla Visa gift card?

While you can’t get cash from a Vanilla Visa gift card directly, you can sell the gift card online or in person or have the money transferred to your PayPal account. You will then receive money in exchange for the gift card.

That is, much like the other cards in this article, you can’t transfer money or withdraw money from your Vanilla Visa gift card. However, there are several workarounds available.

In fact, the process of how to get cash from a Vanilla Visa gift card is the same as how to convert any Visa gift card to cash, allowing you to use the balance in exactly the same way as cash. Check out some of the options earlier in this article to see which one may work best for you.

Can you use a Visa gift card at an ATM?

No, Visa gift cards cannot generally be used at an ATM as they don’t have a PIN. That is, ATMs only allow you to withdraw cash if you have a PIN for security reasons. This means that any card that doesn’t come with this will not be able to finish the transaction.

There are, of course, other ways to get cash from your Visa gift card, as you’ve probably seen from all the other options in this article. That said, most of them require a couple of extra steps to get to that point.

While they’re all pretty simple, unfortunately none of them are quite as straight forward as simply withdrawing the balance in cash from an ATM. Don’t consider that as too much of a hurdle though, as those extra steps needed to access that cash really aren’t that difficult to do.

Can you transfer a Visa gift card to the Cash App?

No, you can’t transfer a Visa gift card to the Cash App as this app doesn’t allow gift cards to be used as a payment option. Instead, you have to find a way to convert the Visa gift card to cash and then add that as a balance to the Cash App.

I’d particularly recommend checking out some of the options in this article on how to add the money from your Visa gift card to your PayPal account. This is because, from there, it’s very easy to add this amount to your Cash App account.

Final thoughts on converting Visa gift cards to cash

Visa gift cards are pretty flexible in terms of how you can use them. Given that they’re accepted anywhere that also takes Visa credit cards, you already have a huge array of options on where to spend the balance on your gift card.

But it’s true that sometimes having cold, hard cash is preferable. It’s easier to track as part of your overall liquid net worth, for example, and you’re not limited in case you plan to use the money somewhere that a Visa credit card wouldn’t work.

In those cases, one of the options on this list will definitely help you out. Just keep an eye on the fees to make sure there’s not a more affordable option for what you intend to do with the money.

But once you’ve decided how to proceed, in only a few clicks, that money will be yours!