We often receive Visa gift cards having smaller amounts during our birthday parties, Easter, and Christmas. Those cards mostly remain unused due to the varying amounts on each one. But can you combine Visa gift cards to make use of a bigger cash pool for a grand purchase? Yes, it is very much possible in 2024!
It is as easy as getting a free Xbox gift card or a free Amazon gift card! You can now seamlessly combine, extract balance, and even use that balance to purchase another Visa gift card. It is also possible to directly transfer the remaining balance to your bank account.
And there are many benefits to combining two or multiple Visa gift cards, as it will become easy to keep track of all those cards from a single place.
Although there are many ways available to do this merging, not every way is reliable. So, I personally tested different methods to figure out the working techniques this year. Without any further ado, let’s jump into the world of Visa gift cards!
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What Is A Visa Gift Card?
Visa gift cards issued by the American financial giant Visa Inc. are a type of prepaid card that you can use to make any purchase, both online and offline.
It works similarly to a traditional debit card, where you can only spend if you have a balance, unlike credit cards.
You must have already known about the $750 Shein gift card or other similar cards. But Visa gift cards are a bit different. Even though it is a gift card, most retailers count it as real cash, as it gives you the convenience of shopping.
Many people prefer to use these gift cards during online shopping, as they are reluctant to use their original credit cards for safety.
These Visa gift cards are also very accessible, and you can even buy those from your local grocery or convenience stores.
Note: Never share the card number and PIN of your Visa gift card with anyone. In case you lose your card, contact their customer service immediately to block it and also to get a replacement card.
How Do Visa Gift Cards Work?
Before you know if you can combine Visa gift cards or not, you must understand how these gift cards work.
Most of the payment processing firms, such as Amex or Mastercard, have their own gift cards. And things are no different for Visa, as they also launch their own set of gift cards.
Visa gift cards are highly gift-worthy as a replacement for traditional cash gifts. It comes with the same power that cash can give but offers better security and convenience.
These premium cards are also beautifully designed so that the owner can take a bit of pride in them (compared to other gift cards). And you can use Visa gift cards in most outlets.
Some of the consignment stores near me also let me use these cards for regular purchases.
But unlike other gift cards, you need to activate Visa gift cards before you can start using them. Every Visa gift card comes with an activation instruction (either on the back panel of the packaging or as a sticker inside the box).
You need to visit the Visa Prepaid Processing website and enter your card number and details to activate it. You can also activate it by calling their customer support.
My Take: Every Visa gift card comes with a 3-digit CVV number (like your credit card). So, even after activating your gift card online, you still need the CVV to complete any transaction.
What Are The Fees Associated With A Visa Gift Card?
There is no fee involved in purchasing or using a Visa gift card. But you may need to pay an activation fee for many of the Visa gift cards (not all).
These activation fees range from $2.95 to $5.95/card, depending on the value of the card.
For a Visa gift card up to $74.99, you need to pay $2.95/card. For cards up to $149.99, you need to pay $3.95/card. And for cards above that, the standard activation fee is $5.95/card.
If your gift card remains unused for 90 days (3 months), you need to pay a dormancy fee of $3.95/card to reactivate it.
Other than this, you may also need to pay a transaction fee if you buy Visa gift cards in foreign currency. And this fee usually ranges between 2.5% and 3% as of 2024.
What Is the Difference Between Visa Gift Cards And Visa Prepaid Cards?
There is no denying that Visa gift cards and Visa prepaid cards have some uncanny similarities, although they are poles apart. The primary difference between these two cards is the usability and timeframe.
Gift cards are temporary solutions for your purchasing needs without having any connection with your actual bank balance.
You can combine Visa gift cards easily, but it is tough to reload them. These cards come with a specific balance without any option to increase it.
On the other hand, Visa prepaid cards are the advanced version of the traditional Visa gift cards.
You can recharge your prepaid card and top it up with more balance. But these prepaid cards come with a fixed monthly maintenance fee.
My Findings: Visa prepaid cards are an amazing option for minors. If your teen doesn’t have a bank account, you can give them shopping power with these cards. You can also control how much they can spend as these prepaid cards come with a fixed amount.
How To Combine Visa Gift Cards In 2024? Is It Even Possible?
Yes, it is very much possible to combine Visa gift cards online, although not many people know how to do it the right way.
Even some proven money tips in 2024 suggest you combine your Visa gift cards to make a bigger pool (required for bigger purchases).
But there is a catch! You cannot directly combine two or multiple Visa gift cards. That means you cannot accumulate the remaining balance of multiple Visa gift cards into one. However, there are some other ways to do it, which I’ll discuss shortly.
5 Best Ways To Extract Or Combine Funds From Visa Gift Cards
Can you combine Visa gift cards? The answer is both yes and no (it’s a tricky one). Although Visa doesn’t give you the option to directly combine two or more cards, you can take a bit different route to combine them the other way.
And here are my top 5 recommended methods to combine Visa gift cards in 2024.
1. Sell Your Visa Gift Cards At Exchange Kiosk
If you can’t consolidate Visa gift cards together, it is better to sell or exchange them. And there are many gift card exchange kiosks near me that give this option.
If you still remember the Coinstar exchange machines (which are now discontinued), those were the best option in those golden days!
While you can only exchange gift cards up to a certain value (up to $9.99 in most states), there is no upper bar for Visa gift cards.
And here are my favorite exchange kiosks.
The exchange process is also very simple. You need to visit your nearby exchange store with your physical gift card and a photo ID. The counter guy will check the balance (many stores also have automatic machines) and will give you an offer.
If you are satisfied with the price offer, you can either opt for a cash payout or an exchange for other gift cards of your choice.
2. Use Multiple Cards For A Single Transaction
Not many people know that most online and offline retailers will let you use multiple cards for a single transaction. And it is among the most convenient methods to use multiple gift cards at once to ensure a bigger money pool for a bigger purchase.
Most grocery, convenience stores, and supermarkets will let you use multiple gift cards at once. And you can divide the total billing amount into multiple segments and pay those through multiple cards.
But if you don’t know the remaining balance of your cards, follow this method!
- Step 1: Use that gift card first for which you want to utilize the total remaining balance.
- Step 2: Check how much amount is still due after all your remaining balance is vested.
- Step 3: Use another gift card for the remaining amount due.
- Step 4: Complete the transaction.
If you are not sure if you have any balance or not in any of your Visa gift cards, you can check it by contacting the support center. You can also call the number printed on the gift card to get the remaining balance details.
My Findings: There are multiple legit short-task sites that offer gift cards as payout methods, although the amount will be less. So, you can use multiple such cards to make a single transaction.
3. Add The Remaining Balance Of Your Visa Gift Cards To PayPal
Yes, PayPal is a versatile portal that lets you do many things other than just boring, traditional money transactions.
You can now even consolidate Visa gift cards by using your PayPal account. Moreover, you can now also sell gift cards for instant PayPal money in 2024.
The steps to add the balance of Visa gift cards to your PayPal account are as follows.
- Step 1: Log in to your PayPal account on the official website or app.
- Step 2: Make sure to click if you get any captcha prompt to log in to your dashboard.
- Step 3: Once you are in the dashboard, click on your profile picture (located at the top-right corner).
- Step 4: Click on the “Account Settings” option.
- Step 5: Navigate to the left panel and click on the “Money, banks, and cards” option.
- Step 6: Click on the “Link a new card” option under the “Cards” header.
- Step 7: Enter the details of your Visa gift card, such as card number, type of card, expiry date, and PIN or CVV.
- Step 8: Click on “Add card,” and it will be stored in your linked card section.
- Step 9: Now, go to the dashboard again and click on the “Add money” option.
- Step 10: Select the Visa gift card that you have linked to and enter the amount you want to add to your PayPal account (it must be lower than the remaining balance of your gift card).
- Step 11: Your PayPal wallet will now reflect the balance.
Kindly note that PayPal will deduct a small transaction fee to get the balance from Visa gift cards. So, you need to ensure that you have a remaining balance of more than the amount you add plus the transaction charges.
My Findings: Don’t try to add gift cards that have a high remaining balance (more than $100). If your profile is not very active, you may face a temporary restriction, and the balance may hold for up to 21 days.
4. Add Remaining Funds To e-Gift Cards
There is another easy method you can try if you are still in doubt about whether you can combine Visa gift cards or not!
You can now convert the remaining balance of your Visa gift card to an e-gift card of your choice.
Almost every major e-commerce and marketplace, such as Amazon and eBay, accept Visa gift cards as a legit payment method. So, you can technically purchase almost any e-gift card of your choice from Amazon by using your Visa gift card.
You also don’t even need to pay the full amount from your gift card, as Amazon allows multiple payment options in a single transaction.
Besides Amazon, there are many websites available where you can purchase an e-gift card by exchanging or selling your Visa gift card.
My top recommendations for 2024 are as follows.
My Take: You get a better value if you don’t sell the gift card; rather, you exchange it for another gift card. So, don’t sell your Visa gift card. Instead, try to exchange it with another gift card.
5. Use The Power Of Gift Card Management Apps
A few of my money-minded friends have asked if there is an app to consolidate Visa gift cards. Yes, there are many!
These apps let you combine the balance of Visa gift cards by adding the remaining balance to the in-app wallet.
Financial services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay offer this facility. After creating an account on these apps, you can add money to the wallet right from your Visa gift card.
However, it is only available for banking-grade gift cards, as they don’t accept traditional gift cards.
You can also try Gfyt, which lets you redeem your Visa gift cards at a minimal fee. Besides, you can also utilize the balance of your card on GiftPocket and use that to purchase other cards.
My Findings: There are many great alternatives to YNAB that also exist that let you have the same opportunity. You can utilize and keep track of your remaining balance through these apps.
Can You Combine Multiple Visa Gift Cards On Amazon?
Yes, you can combine Visa gift cards on Amazon in 2024. You can add as many accepted gift cards as you want directly to your Amazon Pay balance to make a bigger pool of money. You can then utilize that total amount to make any bigger purchase.
But before you start adding your card on Amazon, you need to make sure of three things.
- The Visa gift card must not expire (Check the expiry date).
- You have the complete card number and CVV with you.
- You haven’t already added it to another Amazon account.
Once you are confident about these three things, you can start adding your card to your Amazon Pay balance. And the steps are very easy.
- Step 1: Visit Amazon and log in to your account.
- Step 2: Once logged in, click on the “Amazon Pay” option from the header menu.
- Step 3: Click on the “Add Gift Card” option from the left panel.
- Step 4: After you are redirected to the next page, enter the gift card number in the designated field.
- Step 5: Click on the “Add gift card to balance” option.
- Step 6: Your remaining balance will now be reflected in your Amazon Pay balance.
It is important to note that if you are adding multiple gift cards to your Amazon account, the card that has the closest expiry date will be utilized first.
It is an automated way to make sure that you are not losing any money from your gift cards.
Bonus: Amazon is one of my favorite employers that provides both part-time and full-time opportunities. And there are many ways to make money on Amazon that can fetch you as much as $50/hour.
How To Make A Purchase With Visa Gift Cards On Amazon?
I’ve already shown you how to combine Visa gift cards on Amazon. But there is another way to make a direct purchase with your Visa gift card.
Source: Amazon
You need to have the Amazon app installed on your smartphone to do that.
Here are the steps to purchase on Amazon with a Visa gift card.
- Step 1: Launch the “Amazon” app on your smartphone and log in to your account.
- Step 2: Tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom-right corner.
- Step 3: Click on the “Amazon Pay” button.
- Step 4: Click on the “Add a card” option.
- Step 5: From the selection menu, tap on the “Add a Credit or Debit Card” option.
- Step 6: Enter the 16-digit card number, expiry date, and CVV in the respective fields.
- Step 7: Click on “Add card,” and it will be added to your Amazon account.
- Step 8: During checkout, use the gift card you have already added as the default payment method.
You may need to enter the CVV again while completing a transaction on Amazon. So, don’t throw away your Visa gift card right after adding it to your Amazon account.
Bonus: Do you know that Amazon now also offers side-hustling opportunities? Check out my favorite Amazon WFH jobs if you want to make $20/hour or more without leaving the comfort of your crib.
Can You Combine Multiple Visa Gift Cards On PayPal?
Yes, you can combine two or more Visa gift cards on PayPal and can redeem them directly to your PayPal balance. It is as easy as getting free PayPal money, where you don’t have to do much!
If you don’t know how to combine Visa gift cards on PayPal, you can do it within a few seconds. Just log in to your PayPal account and navigate to the loading section.
You need to then enter the gift card number, expiry date, and CVV. Once successful, your balance will be reflected on your PayPal balance.
But there are four things you need to remember while adding Visa gift cards to PayPal.
- Make sure that the card you are trying to add is not already expired.
- Check the remaining balance first to avoid any overdraft errors.
- Use multiple cards and make a bigger pool to avoid multiple transaction charges.
- Make sure that your balance is not “Automatically withdrawn” to your bank account.
If your PayPal account is not very active, don’t try to add a gift card that has a higher amount. Try it with a card that has a smaller remaining balance.
There is always a chance of your money going on “hold,” as I’ve said before.
Pros And Cons Of Combining Visa Gift Cards
Unlike other gift cards, the Visa gift card is way more powerful as it is a banking-grade card that you can count as real cash. But combining multiple cards has both advantages and disadvantages.
- You can create a bigger money pool to make a bigger purchase.
- It will be easier for you to manage multiple cards and keep track of them.
- You don’t need to worry about the expiry date and the remaining balance of every card.
- You can ensure a seamless checkout process while eliminating the need to use multiple cards.
- You don’t need to pay multiple transaction fees for a single purchase.
- Anyone can utilize their unused gift cards by combining two or more cards.
- It is not easy for everyone to combine multiple Visa gift cards.
- Chances will be less if you stay outside the USA, Canada, and the UK.
- You may not be able to combine multiple cards from different issuers.
- The hassle will be unworthy if the remaining balance is small.
- You may need to keep the gift card even after adding it to a wallet (for CVV).
Final Note
You must have already understood by this time that you can combine Visa gift cards, as it is legal to do it. But make sure that you add all your gift cards to your wallet or combine them before they get expire. So, it is necessary to keep track of the expiry date.
It is also better to avoid multiple small transactions with your Visa gift cards, as you’ll waste more transaction fees that way. So, wait till you can create the required money pool and then make the purchase at once.
If the gift card balance is not sufficient for your dream purchase, you can also make money with PayPal to utilize that to achieve your goals.
Be steady and invest time in creating multiple income streams to be future-safe.
FAQs
Can you use a Visa gift card to buy another Visa card?
Yes, you can now use your Visa gift card to purchase another Visa gift card or any other gift card of your choice.
It is a unique feature for all banking-grade cards.
Can you transfer money from a Visa gift card to another card?
Yes, you can easily transfer money from one Visa gift card to another. You can do it from the Visa portal or from any banking app that supports Visa.
All you need is to use the 16-digit Visa card number of the recipient to make a transaction from your card.
Is it possible to transfer a Visa gift card to a bank account?
In most cases, it is possible to transfer the remaining amount of a Visa gift card to your bank account.
Third-party services like PayPal, Payoneer, and Venmo allow you to load balances from Visa gift cards. You can then transfer that balance to your linked bank account using the same portal.
Can you load a Visa gift card into Cash App?
No, it is not possible to load a Visa gift card to your Cash app. Instead, you can add and link Visa and other accepted gift cards to your Cash App account.
While making any purchase through the Cash app, select the gift card you have already linked as the payment method.
How many times can you use a Visa gift card?
You can use a Visa gift card as many times as you want, given the fact that it has the remaining balance to be used.
There is no limit to the frequency and number of uses in any of the baking-grade cards.
If you want even more ideas for making money, consider checking our posts on:
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Hello there, I’m Siva Mahesh, an MBA Finance post-graduate and a Remote Career & Personal Finance blogger for 5+ years. Over the years, my work has been featured on US News, Entrepreneur, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GoBankingRates, EverQuote, Legal Zoom, The Simple Dollar, Databox, Business.com, Business News Daily, Venngage, Score.org, and more. My primary mission is to help our readers maximize their earning potential with legitimate online business ideas, side hustles, and passive income ideas we publish on Dreamshala. Currently, more than 100,000 readers from all around the world visit this blog every month and learn new ways to improve their finances.
