You're standing in the checkout aisle, or maybe staring at a digital code in your inbox, wondering if that plastic rectangle can somehow become digital gold in your PayPal balance. It’s a common headache. You have a Walmart gift card. You want to buy something on eBay, or maybe send some cash to a friend via PayPal. Can you just link them?
Nope.
Walmart and PayPal are, in many ways, rivals. Walmart has its own ecosystem, including Walmart Pay and its partnership with companies like MoneyGram. PayPal is the king of independent online transactions. They don't always play nice. If you try to go into your PayPal wallet and click "Add Card" using a standard Walmart gift card, you’re going to get an error message. It’s frustrating. It’s annoying. But there are ways around it if you're willing to take a couple of extra steps.
Why you can't just link a Walmart gift card for PayPal directly
Technically, a gift card is a "closed-loop" or "semi-closed-loop" financial instrument. PayPal requires a "bank-issued" debit or credit card that is attached to a verified name and billing address for most of its functions. Walmart gift cards—the ones that say "Walmart" on the front and don't have a Visa or Mastercard logo—are strictly for use at Walmart stores, Walmart.com, and Sam's Club.
Because these cards lack a CVV (that three-digit security code) and a registered billing address, PayPal’s security system flags them immediately. They aren't part of the major card networks like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover.
It's basically like trying to use a library card at a vending machine. The machine just doesn't speak the same language.
The nuance of the Walmart Visa Gift Card
Now, things get a little blurry here. Walmart sells "Walmart Visa Gift Cards." These are different. Because they carry the Visa logo, they are technically "open-loop" cards.
You can sometimes add these to PayPal, but there’s a massive catch. You usually have to register the card on the issuer's website (like Green Dot Bank or whoever is backing that specific card) and attach your home address to it. Even then, PayPal often rejects "prepaid" cards to prevent fraud. It's a coin toss. Honestly, even if it works, you can't usually use that balance to "send money" to people; you can only use it to pay for merchant goods.
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Real ways to turn that Walmart balance into PayPal cash
Since the direct route is a dead end, we have to get creative. You're basically looking for a bridge.
One of the most reliable methods is the resale market. Websites like CardCash, Raise, or Gameflip allow you to sell your gift cards for a percentage of their value. You won't get the full $100 if your card is worth $100. You'll probably get $80 or $85.
Here is how that usually goes down:
- You enter the card details on a site like CardCash.
- They offer you a buy-back price.
- You select "PayPal" as your payment method.
- They verify the balance and send the funds to your PayPal account.
It’s fast. It’s safe. It’s also a bit of a sting because you're losing money in the transaction. But if you absolutely need that money in your PayPal wallet to pay for a subscription or an item elsewhere, it's the most straightforward path.
The "Friend and Family" Workaround
This is the "old school" way. If you have a friend who needs groceries or a new TV, you can buy what they need using your Walmart gift card, and have them send you the equivalent amount via PayPal.
It sounds primitive. It is. But it’s the only way to get 100% of the value without a middleman taking a cut. Just make sure you trust the person. Don't do this with strangers on the internet, or you're asking to get scammed.
The Walmart-to-PayPal Receipt Trick (The Long Game)
This is a bit of a "pro-tip" that most people overlook. Walmart allows you to return items bought with a gift card, but they usually give you the refund back on a gift card.
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However, if you use the Walmart gift card to buy an item and then realize you don't want it, you sometimes can get a cash refund if the amount is very small (depending on state law) or if you have a very lenient store manager. Once you have physical cash, you just walk over to a retail location that supports "PayPal Cash."
You go to a CVS, 7-Eleven, or Walgreens. You open your PayPal app. You generate a barcode. You hand the cashier the cash. Boom. Your Walmart gift card has effectively moved into your PayPal balance.
It takes a lot of driving. It takes a lot of talking. It’s probably not worth it for a $20 card, but for a $500 balance? Maybe.
Avoid the Scams: What to look out for
If you search for "Walmart gift card for PayPal" on social media or weird forums, you’re going to find "generators" or "instant exchange bots."
Run away.
These are 100% scams. Nobody is going to give you $105 in PayPal for a $100 Walmart card. If the deal looks too good to be true, your gift card balance is about to vanish into a server in a country you've never visited. Real exchange sites will always take a fee. That's how they stay in business. If there's no fee, you're the product. Or the victim.
Card-to-Card Transfer Apps
There are apps like Prepaid2Cash. They specialize in exactly this. You scan the card, they verify the brand, and they deposit the money into your linked account. They are legitimate, they have been reviewed by major financial outlets, and they provide a clear paper trail.
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Again, expect a fee. They usually charge around 5% to 15% plus a small flat transaction fee. It’s the price of liquidity. Money sitting on a gift card is "stagnant." Money in PayPal is "liquid." Moving between those states costs energy—and in the financial world, energy is money.
Practical Steps to Take Right Now
If you're holding that card and need the money in PayPal today, don't waste time trying to "force" the card into the PayPal app. It won't work. It might even get your PayPal account flagged for suspicious activity if you try it too many times with different "tricks."
Step 1: Check your balance. Go to the Walmart website and make sure you know exactly how much is on there. Even a few cents off can cause an exchange site to reject the trade.
Step 2: Compare exchange rates. Check CardCash, then check Gameflip. Sometimes one offers 82% while the other offers 88%. On a large card, that's a meal's worth of difference.
Step 3: Verify your PayPal. Make sure your PayPal account is fully verified with a linked bank account. If it isn't, the exchange site might send the money, but PayPal might hold it in "pending" status for 21 days. That defeats the whole purpose of a quick exchange.
Step 4: Execute the trade. Use a secure connection (no public Wi-Fi) and follow the instructions on the exchange site. Most will have the money in your PayPal within 24 to 48 hours.
Step 5: Consider the Walmart app. If you just want to buy things online, remember that the Walmart app has a huge marketplace. You might be able to find what you were looking for on Walmart.com instead of using PayPal elsewhere. It saves you the 15% fee.
Trading a Walmart gift card for PayPal funds isn't a one-click process, but it is manageable. Be patient, expect a small loss in value, and stay away from anyone promising "instant 1:1 transfers" on Telegram or Discord.