Can You Get Cash From a Visa Gift Card? Answered

Short Answer

If you have a prepaid, reloadable Visa card, you can withdraw money from an ATM or get cash back from a retailer. However, you can only convert an ordinary Visa gift card into cash by selling it to a third-party purchaser, returning it to the original store where it was purchased, or using it to purchase a money order. For more details, see below.

Can You Get Cash From a Visa Gift Card?

If you have a prepaid, reloadable Visa card, you can usually use it to withdraw cash from an ATM or receive cash back from a retailer when using it to make a purchase. However, if you have a non-reloadable Visa gift card, you cannot use it to withdraw cash at an ATM or get cash back at a store. Because standard gift cards can be purchased anonymously, they are governed by anti-money laundering laws and cannot allow cash withdrawals.

If you’re unsure whether your Visa card is prepaid, check its face or packaging for verbiage like “reloadable,” “permanent,” or “direct deposit.” Companies that sell reloadable prepaid Visa cards include Green Dot, NetSpend, MyVanilla, MOVO, and others. You can also call the toll-free number on the back of your card and ask a representative about its terms and conditions if you aren’t sure.

We confirmed this information with customer service representatives for Visa.

Ways to Get Cash From a Non-Reloadable Visa Gift Card

While you can’t directly get cash back from a non-reloadable Visa gift card, there are ways to get cash from your gift card. One of the simplest methods to convert it into money is to sell it to third-party purchasers. See our research on places that buy gift cards.

If you have the receipt, another option is to return your gift card to the store where it was purchased. If the store allows gift card returns, you may be able to get a cash refund.

Finally, you may be able to buy a money order with your Visa gift card. Sellers of money orders mostly accept chipped cards as payment, but some vendors may still take a Visa gift card. Call your preferred seller first to be sure you can use a Visa gift card to buy your money order. For more on money orders, see our research on what you need to get a money order and where you may be able to buy a money order with a gift card.

Note that you generally should not use money transfer sites such as PayPal, Cash App, or Square to deposit a Visa gift card into your bank account. This violates the terms of service of these sites and can lead to the cancellation of your account.