Can You Cash Out A Visa Gift Card? Answering Your Questions!

Gift cards, or gift vouchers, have been around for a long time. You’ve probably gotten a gift card in your lifetime whether it be from a birthday, holiday, or a gift from work. Typically you’ll find that gift cards are “one store” specific, meaning you can only use said gift card or voucher at one store and once the value on the card is used up the gift card can be thrown away. The reason gift cards make for great gifts is a few key factors:

1. They’re easy to buy! You’ll find gift card racks in most major retailers, grocers, and convenient stores with handfuls of gift cards to a number of different restaurants and chain stores.
2. A great alternative to “just cash.” Gift cards feel a bit more personal than a $20 bill. If you know someone really well and you know they absolutely love to shop at one specific store, getting them a gift card for there shows you know them well.
3. Digital gift cards = flexibility. Gift cards aren’t just plastic anymore. With the rise of digital gift cards and websites like GiftYa you can have more options with your gift cards than ever before- (more on that later).

One super popular gift card many will give and be gifted is a Visa gift card. Visa gift cards can be used anywhere where Visa cards are expected- (which are most businesses). So instead of being limited to only one place, you can use your Visa gift card at any participating store in the country! How neat is that?

If you’ve recently been given a Visa gift card and have questions about it like “can you cash out a Visa gift card?” or “what all can I do with my Visa gift card?” then you’ve come to the right place cause we’re going to answer all your Visa gift card and eGift questions like:

• What is a Visa Gift Card?
• What’s the difference between a Visa Gift Card and a Prepaid Debit Card?
• How do I know if I can use my Visa Gift Card at a store?
• Can you cash out a Visa Gift Card?
• What are eGift cards? And is there an “eGift card” for Visa?
• Can I swap my Visa Gift Card or any gift card out for another merchant?

What is a Visa gift card?

A Visa gift card is an open loop gift card. An “Open loop” card means that it can be used anywhere where that specific brand is accepted, sorta like what we described in the intro. While a “closed loop” card is one you can only use at one specific place. It’s loaded with a set amount of funds and then once the money is spent the card is no longer of value- just like a regular gift card. But instead of being limited to one store, Visa’s open loop allows you to use it at any store that accepts Visa.

What’s the difference between a Visa Gift Card and a Prepaid Debit Card?

If you’re doing research into Visa gift cards there’s a good chance you’ve come across the term “prepaid debit card” and you might be wondering what that is and if it’s anything similar to a Visa credit card.

So let’s break it down.

We know a Visa gift card is just like any old gift card, you buy it with a set amount of funds and then once the money has run out, the gift card is no longer valuable. 

But prepaid debit cards can be reloaded with funds whenever you want! You can use these cards to buy things up to the cash amount on the card and then you can reload money from your account onto the card when it’s running low. You can use that prepaid card at any store accepting that particular prepaid debit card, along with paying bills, and you have the ability to get cash from the prepaid card from an ATM! They are a great alternative to cash but they do sometimes require monthly fees depending on where you get the prepaid card from.

Now that you know the difference, let’s talk about what you can do with a Visa gift card…

How do I know if I can use my Visa Gift Card at a store?

Any restaurant, retail store, online shop, and business that accepts Visa cards also accepts a Visa gift card. So always make sure that the store accepts Visa cards before relying on just your Visa gift card or part of the gift card to make a purchase. 

Can you cash out a Visa Gift Card?

Now onto the main question! Can you cash out a Visa gift card?

Well, it’s a bit complicated. In most cases you cannot get cash off of your Visa gift card by going to a store and asking to trade the card for cash or use an ATM to try and get cash off the gift card that way.

However, there is a way you can possibly get cash off of your Visa gift card and that’s by selling the gift card online through credible websites that buy gift cards from you.

Sites like CardCash and Raise buy gift cards from almost any store, including Visa gift cards, and you can get cash back! There’s normally a small fee that the site will take from the original value of the card but nothing more than a few dollars. So you can get cash back from an unwanted Visa gift card through these means but not through an ATM or cash register at a store.

However, with GiftYa you can in fact cash out your Visa gift card if you are signed up with Zelle. Zelle is an online money transfer app like Venmo or Cash App. If you receive a GiftYa gift card, in this case a Visa GiftYa gift card, then you will have the option to transfer those funds to your Zelle account. There will be an option to “Send to your bank account with Zelle” where a $3.99 processing fee will be taken from the card’s value so keep that in mind. But you will get the cash sent to your account almost immediately- (though in some cases it can take up to 24 hours). 

What are eGift cards? And is there an “eGift card” for Visa?

The  “e-gift” card, also known as electronic gift cards, are the online version of regular plastic gift cards. Instead of having to keep track and potentially losing your regular plastic gift card, an e-gift card is something that will stay online where you never have to worry about it getting lost or stolen. 

• GiftYa is an online source that sells eGift cards from thousands of different vendors all over the country. They sell gift cards from restaurants, famous retailers, online stores, spas, hotels, local businesses, and more. 

eGift cards offer a lot more flexibility over a plastic gift card. Plastic gift cards normally come with a fixed amount displayed on the card, so if you need to buy a gift card for $75 but they only sell $20 versions of that gift card then you’ll be stuck having to buy multiple and not have it equal to the amount you wanted it to in the first place. While eGift cards purchased through websites like GiftYa will allow buyers to write in their own amount, you can be super specific and choose a random number like $43 to put on the card or you can spend big and go over $100. (With GiftYa you can choose to spend up to $250 on a virtual gift card).

eGift cards come with style too. When you buy a digital gift card from GiftYa or another site we love, Gift Card Granny, there’s an option to customize and add fun things to the gift card to make it more special. You can add a picture, video, message, and gift wrapping to be added to the eGift. 

And you can use eGift cards both online and in store, so if you’re thinking you can only make purchases electronically with your eGift- think again! In GiftYa’s case the digital gift card will be loaded onto your credit/debit card, but in other cases you will need to print out the eGift card with the card number, dollar amount, and the PIN to make sure the eGift is valid.

• In most cases though if you don’t have a printer you can simply take a screenshot of that info on your phone and show the cashier the eGift card that way. Most, if not all places will be accommodating for that method.

What’s great about eGifts is not having to worry about keeping track of a physical gift card. Never worry about losing it and have it on you always as long as you have your phone and/or debit/credit card!

And now to answer the other question: is there an eGift card for Visa?

Yes there is!

You can get a Visa e-gift card online through sites like GiftYa and Gift Card Granny.

First through GiftYa:

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1. Go to the Visa gift card page on the GiftYa website.
2. Select an amount from $5 to $250.
3. Choose a “Wrapper” design- (add a photo, video, or use one of GiftYa’s pre-designed wrappings).
4. Select to deliver the eGift via text or email. Then type in the recipient's information. 
5. Choose a delivery date- (you can deliver the card ASAP and they should get it within a couple minutes).
6. Write them a custom message and then send it once you type in the payment information required.

Secondly we have Gift Card Granny:

1. To create a Custom Visa Gift Card you will need to go onto the Gift Card Granny website’s “Customize Your Own Visa Gift Card” tab.
2. Select an amount to put on the card, you can pick from $5 to $500.
3. Add how many cards you want to buy. If you want to go with just the one or you want to buy in bulk you can purchase 50+!
4. Choose if you want the card to be made as a plastic card or kept as an eGift.
5. Add a photo onto the card by choosing one of your own or a pre-designed option. 
6. Choose to add a “Greeting Card” to go along with the Visa gift card for an extra bit of flare.
7. Then send it away once you type in your payment info!

Can I swap my Visa Gift Card or any gift card out for another merchant?

We won’t speak for all gift card websites, but at GiftYa you can certainly swap your GiftYa Visa Gift Card for another merchant. When you first receive the gift card you will have the option to “swap for a different merchant.” There they can choose from any one of GiftYa’s thousands of vendors for one better suited to their liking. That way the gift will never go to waste and you or the recipient can spend the money on exactly what they want.

So, can you cash out a Visa gift card? With GiftYa you can cash out using Zelle or you can sell your gift card through a different website to get cash back.