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Adding a Walmart gift card to your PayPal account is a great way to increase your buying power and flexibility when making online purchases. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
add-walmart-gift-card-to-paypal
Why Add a Walmart Gift Card to PayPal?
Here are some of the key benefits of adding a Walmart gift card to your PayPal account:
More Buying Power
- Adding gift card funds gives you more money to spend on PayPal purchases
- Handy if your bank account balance is low or you’ve hit your credit card limit
Flexibility
- Use gift card balance and standard PayPal balance interchangeably
- Gives you an extra payment option if another card is declined
Gift Card Funds Don’t Expire
- Walmart gift cards have no expiration dates
- Prevents you losing money from unused gift cards over time
Budget Control
- Allows you to allocate gift card funds for certain purchases
- Keeps gift card spending separate from bank account funds
So in summary, using Walmart gift cards with PayPal gives you more purchasing flexibility and control.
Also check out: (Ultimate Guide) How To Pay Your JCPenney Credit Card Bill Using PayPal Updated year 2024
What Types of Walmart Gift Cards Work with PayPal?
When adding a Walmart gift card to PayPal, it’s important to note that only Walmart Visa gift cards are compatible, not regular Walmart store gift cards.
The Visa gift cards have the Visa logo on them and work just like any other Visa debit or credit card. They can be used to buy items in-store or online anywhere Visa cards are accepted, including with PayPal.
Incompatible Gift Cards
These types of Walmart gift cards cannot be added to PayPal:
- Regular plastic or eGift cards that can only be spent at Walmart
- Any non-Visa branded Walmart gift cards
Compatible Gift Cards
These can be added:
- Walmart Visa Gift Cards – Work like regular Visa cards with PayPal and online
So before trying to add a gift card, double check that it is a Walmart Visa gift card. Other gift cards will not work even if purchased from Walmart.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a Walmart Gift Card to PayPal
Follow these steps to securely add your compatible Walmart Visa gift card to PayPal: online from Walmart
Step 1: Buy a Walmart Visa Gift Card
If you don’t already have one, purchase a Walmart Visa gift card from any Walmart store location. They are available in various denominations from $10 up to $500.
Step 2: Activate Your Walmart Visa Gift Card
After buying, locate the activation barcode on the gift card packaging or back of the card itself. Scan this code at an in-store register or activate online.
Activating the card verifies your identity and prepares it for card transactions.
Step 3: Log Into Your PayPal Account
Go to the PayPal website and log into your account using your email and password.
Note: You’ll need an existing PayPal account for this process – if you don’t have one, sign up for free first.
Step 4: Access the Wallet Section
Once logged in, click on the “Wallet” menu link near the top right. Other sections you may see are:
- Summary
- Send & Request
- Shop
- Pay & Get Paid
Selecting “Wallet” opens the wallet management portal where gift cards can be added.
Step 5: Click “Link a Card”
On the Wallet page you should see a large “Link a card” button. Click this to add a new debit/credit card to your PayPal account.
This will open the card linking popup display.
Step 6: Choose “Link Manually”
When the card link window appears, click the “Link manually” tab if given a choice between:
- Instant Link
- Link Manually
Manual linking allows you to type in the gift card details manually instead of linking to a bank.
Step 7: Enter Your Gift Card Details
With manual linking chosen, you will see input boxes to add your gift card information:
- Card Number: The 16-digit card number printed on the front
- Expiration Date: MM/YY date on front of card
- Security Code: 3-digit code on back of gift card
- ** ZIP Code:** ZIP code associated with the card
Enter the exact gift card number and additional details in these fields.
Step 8: Agree and Link
Once all the gift card information has been filled in, tick the small agreement box below to continue.
Then click the “Link Card” button to add the Walmart Visa gift card to PayPal.
Step 9: Confirm the Card Addition
It will take a few seconds for PayPal to verify the details. If successful, you will see a confirmation that the card has been successfully added.
The gift card balance and transactions will now show in your main PayPal account wallet, accessible via Website or App.
You’re all set to start using it!
Using Your Walmart Gift Card Balance on PayPal
Now that the gift card is safely added to your account, you can seamlessly use the funds towards PayPal online payments and transfers.
Here are some ways to utilize the Walmart Visa balance:
Online Purchases
When buying items online through PayPal checkout, your gift card is now an available payment option alongside your bank account or other cards.
To use it, simply select the Walmart Visa Gift Card from the payment method drop-down box during checkout. PayPal will automatically use the funds if the total transaction amount is less than your Walmart Visa’s balance.
Peer Payments
You can also use gift card funds to send personal PayPal payments to friends or family.
When using “Send Money” or “Request Money”, choose your Walmart Visa as the funding source prior to confirming the transfer.
Split Payments
If buying an item that costs more than your gift card’s balance, you can still put it towards the order in a split payment:
- Select Walmart gift card as payment option
- Check split payment box
- Cover remaining amount with second payment method
This conveniently lets you maximize use of balances across multiple funding sources when making bigger purchases.
Auto Top-Up
Another useful option is enabling Auto Top-Up for your gift card.
This will automatically draw extra funds from a secondary payment method if the gift card balance falls below a trigger threshold. This prevents payments failing due to insufficient funds.
Troubleshooting Issues Adding or Using Walmart Gift Cards with PayPal
Sometimes technical issues may occur when trying to add a Walmart gift card to PayPal or use existing gift card balance for payments.
Here are solutions for some common problems:
Can’t Add Gift Card to Account
- Double check it is a valid Walmart Visa Gift Card, not another type
- Verify the card is activated and ready for use
- Confirm account ZIP code matches billing details
- Contact PayPal support if still not working
Declined Payment when Using Balance
- Check if enough funds available on the gift card itself
- Try registering card address/details with issuer
- Use alternate funding method for amount over balance
Removed Gift Card Showing on Account
- Recently removed cards can still display temporarily
- Sign out and back in to refresh your PayPal wallet
- Give it several hours to clear from system
Balance Not Showing or Updating
- Log out and log back in to refresh wallet screen
- Check card transaction history externally
- Wait up to 24 hours for latest transactions to appear
If problems continue, contact PayPal’s customer support team for further assistance to troubleshoot.
Getting Free Walmart Gift Cards to Add to PayPal
Rather than buying gift cards out of your own money to add, there are also legitimate ways to earn free Walmart gift cards. These can still be added to PayPal for extra funds.
Here are some recommended methods to get free Walmart gift cards:
1. Swagbucks
- Popular rewards program where users earn points (“SB”) through online activities
- Can redeem SB for free $5, $10 or $25 Walmart gift cards
- 1,000 SB = $10 Walmart gift card
2. MyPoints
- Another well-known rewards site similar to Swagbucks
- Earn points by shopping, surveys, games, etc
- Redeem points for $10 or $25 cards
3. Rakuten Cash Back
- Get cash back on Walmart purchases via Rakuten
- Accumulate at least $10 to cash out
- Convert to Walmart gift card
4. Fetch Rewards
- Free app provides cash back rewards for scanned grocery/Walmart receipts
- Exchange points for Walmart gift cards
5. MobileXpression
- App rewards users for sharing mobile usage data
- Can cash out for Walmart cards once reach $5
So try utilizing some of these handy services to earn free Walmart gift credit. You can then easily link the rewards cards to PayPal for more flexible spending power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about adding Walmart gift cards to PayPal:
Can I transfer money from a Walmart gift card to PayPal?
No, you cannot directly transfer or add money from a regular Walmart gift card to PayPal. Only Walmart Visa gift cards are compatible through the steps shown above.
What about non-Visa Walmart gift cards? Can I still use them?
Unfortunately regular Walmart gift cards without a Visa logo cannot be added. But they can still be spent in Walmart stores or redeemed for eGift cards to use online. Consider exchanging any unused non-Visa cards via GiftCardExchange sites.
Is adding gift cards to PayPal risky?
It is perfectly safe – linking verified gift cards poses no security risk to your PayPal account. As long as the correct balance displays, it is safe to use.
What happens when my gift card balance reaches $0?
The empty gift card will remain in your PayPal wallet but not show on checkout until a balance is added again. It can then be topped up and reused if it is a reloadable card. For non-reloadable cards, remove it once all funds are spent.
Can I use Walmart gift cards internationally?
Walmart Visa gift cards only work for domestic U.S. online purchases and payments. If attempting international PayPal payments or transfers, it may be declined.
