Sometimes the best gift is the power to choose your own gift! The beauty of a Visa gift card is that it can be used to pay for whatever you like, anywhere regular Visa cards are accepted.
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But there may come a time when you’d rather transfer your remaining balance into your checking account. Join us for a look at how to easily transfer money from a Visa card to your bank account.
What Exactly is a Gift Card and How Does it Work?
Before we get into how to transfer money from a gift card, let’s take a look at different types of gift cards and how they work. A gift card is a prepaid payment card that’s loaded with a predetermined value at the time of purchase.

The value then remains stored on the card, so that it can be given as a gift, allowing the lucky giftee to spend the pre-loaded funds on whatever they like. In general, there are two different types of gift cards available: open-loop and closed-loop.
An open-looped gift card, such as a Visa card, can be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted. You can use them to make a purchase at almost any store, online, or even to pay bills.
A closed-looped gift card, however, can only be charged at certain stores. For example, a Starbucks gift card is only valid for purchases made at (you guessed it) Starbucks.
So what’s the difference between a gift card and a prepaid debit card? While they work similarly in terms of making purchases, a prepaid debit card is usually purchased by the person who intends to use it themselves, often as an alternative to a traditional debit or credit card.
Another major difference is that many gift cards are not intended to be re-loadable. For instance, you can’t add money to a Visa gift card once you’ve spent the balance. You can reload, however, Visa prepaid debit cards - just be aware that many charge a monthly or yearly fee for use.
What Are the Most Effective Methods for Transferring a Visa Gift Card Balance?

It’s important to understand that not all Visa gift cards operate under the same set of terms and conditions. A Visa gift card may be issued by a certain retailer, while others are issued by an online or third-party supplier.
Look for telltale signs on the card, such as a retailer’s name or logo, that may hint at its issuer. If you can locate the issuer’s website, you should be able to use it to easily check your Visa gift card balance at any time.
But your issuer’s site may also include instructions on how to transfer your balance directly to your bank account. If not, however, then one of the easiest workarounds is to use a payment app like PayPal.
In the next section, we’ll walk you through how to use the payment app to easily transfer money from your Visa gift card.
What Are the Steps to Transfer Money from a Visa Gift Card to Your Bank Account?
Let’s start by breaking down how to use a PayPal account to get money from your Visa gift card into your bank account. If you don’t yet have a PayPal account, you’ll want to start by signing up for one - don’t worry, it’s free.
Next, you’ll want to link your PayPal account to both your gift card and the bank account you’d like to move your balance into. You’ll be able to do both by navigating to the section of your PayPal account called “Wallet.”
You can link your bank account by following the steps below:
- Select “Add banks and cards”
- Search for your bank or select it from the list.
- Follow the onscreen prompts to log into your bank account.
- If your bank isn’t available, you can manually enter your account information and follow the onscreen prompts to confirm.
Once your bank is connected to your PayPal account, it’s time to add your Visa gift card to your wallet. Navigate back to your digital wallet and follow the steps below:
- Select “Add banks and cards”
- Select “Debit and credit cards”
- From here, you can either scan your gift card or enter the information manually.
Once you've connected both your bank account and gift account, you’re ready to transfer your balance. Start by navigating to your PayPal homepage and then follow these steps:
- Select the “Add money” option beneath your balance.
- Select “From your bank or debit card”
- Enter the amount of money you want to transfer from your gift card.
- On the next screen, select “in seconds with debit” and then “Change”. Select your funding source.
- Choose your Visa gift card from the funding options.
- Click the “Add Now” button at the bottom of the screen to transfer money from your gift card to your PayPal account.
Now it’s time to send your money from PayPal to your bank account. Head back to your home screen, where your balance should now include the funds you just transferred from your card.
- Navigate to the “Balance” section and scroll to the bottom of the screen.
- Under “More options,” select “Transfer.”
- Select “Transfer to bank”
- Enter the amount of money you want to transfer.
- You can choose whether you want to transfer your balance immediately for a 1.75% fee or within 1–3 days for free.
- Tap the “Change” option and select your bank account from the list of linked banks.
- At the bottom of the screen, select “Transfer” to complete your transaction.
What Should You Consider Before Transferring Your Gift Card Balance to Your Bank Account?

If you have any issues using the PayPal transfer method, there are a few things you’ll want to go back and consider. The first is that while many Visa gift cards are automatically activated upon purchase, others may require activation.
If this is the case, your card should come with a sticker on the front that will tell you how to activate it for use. If you still run into issues, however, then it’s possible that your gift card’s issuer may not allow fund transfers. While rare, you do still have a few options, even if this is the case. You might consider:
- Selling your gift card to a friend or family member.
- Selling it to an online site like Raise and CardCash, though you may not be able to exchange it for the full balance amount.
- Use your gift card to purchase a money order.
- Stow the gift card away and give it as a gift to someone else.
- Use it anywhere Visa is accepted.
We hope this has helped answer your questions about what a Visa gift card is, how it works, and how to turn your balance into cash! If you have any additional questions about your Visa gift card, feel free to reach out to Visa Support at any time.
The responses below are not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any financial entity or advertiser. It is not the advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.