Anyone had any success cashing out visa gift cards?

[kdonnel]

This past weekend my wife and I volunteered to be bumped from our flight and scored a significant quantity of gift cards from Delta. Because of the limit Delta placed on the value of the cards we ended up with 8 cards between the two of us.

I am trying to convert them to actual cash and struggling at the moment.

I have added one to my Venmo account and tried to use it as a payment source to send money to my wife but Venmo says the transaction failed to authorize. I don't see any authorization attempts on the gift card site but it might just not be showing me.

I am going to give Venmo support a call but was wondering if anyone has done something similar using another means?

 

[eticketplease]

I have never had any luck. Hopefully others have so I can also learn.

Some will let you assign a pin so I will do that and then use them at Kroger's or Meijer's when buying groceries as it will apply whatever is left on the card to your balance and then onto the next card. BTW people love me when I do this at self checkout

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I've found that Visa gift cards are pretty restrictive. I always make sure to use the entire balance of each card in a single transaction. For example, if I have a $200 card, I'll use it up on a single grocery purchase. I just find it easier not to leave anything on the card. I'm sure there are less-restrictive ways to use them. I just do it this way to avoid any potential issues.

 

[mjkacmom]

My go to is to take the amount, purchase an Amazon gift card with it, and add the Amazon card to my Amazon account.

 

[eticketplease]

My go to is to take the amount, purchase an Amazon gift card with it, and add the Amazon card to my Amazon account.

Hopefully your grocery store gives money off of gas for gift card purchases and you can just buy the amazon card there?

 

[_19disnA]

I don't think there is any easy way to turn a gift card into cash. Seems like too many ways for them to get stolen or used to launder money and then turn around and walk away with cash. There are a number of older threads about stores getting more restrictive regarding handling of gift cards.

Are these Delta gift cards intended for the purchase of future flight tickets or some other type of gift card? I know the type of vouchers (not a gift card) I have gotten in the past for a delayed/cancelled flight were only good for a set period of time and could only be used to buy airline tickets.

 

[DisneyHardin]

The way I "cash" out those kind of cards is to use them at the grocery store and then get cash from the ATM for the amount of the card to tuck away for future use.

 

[mjkacmom]

Hopefully your grocery store gives money off of gas for gift card purchases and you can just buy the amazon card there?

I don’t think they do, but I just buy them through Amazon, get a code, and add it to my account. I also do the same at change machines, when I get an Amazon gf they don’t take a percentage. I shop a lot on Amazon.

 

[dioxide45]

No easy way to get cash, but you can always add them to your Amazon balance to be used for purchases. They don't usually work well at restaurants because card companies will take the amount from the restaurant and try to over authorize to cover a tip. So if you have a $50 card and $49 restaurant check, it will likely decline because the credit card company is trying to make sure there is $60 available. Some stores allow you to set the amount of money to charge to the card. Meaning if you have a $100 grocery bill you can tell the cashier you want to pay $50 on one card and then the remainder on another or in cash. So if you have a $50 Visa gift card, tell them you want to charge $50 and then run the card. They will then show the remaining balance due. Some merchants can somehow do this automatically. I notice things like Vanilla Card will only authorize the balance of the gift card. This doesn't seem to work at all stores or with all Visa gift cards though.

 

[kdonnel]

Are these Delta gift cards intended for the purchase of future flight tickets or some other type of gift card? I know the type of vouchers (not a gift card) I have gotten in the past for a delayed/cancelled flight were only good for a set period of time and could only be used to buy airline tickets.

They are generic digital Visa prepaid credit cards.

We were so happy to get bumped we forgot to ask for a check.

 

[georgina]

I use them at Costco for purchases, add them to my Amazon account, pay for online orders, doctor bills, etc. Occasionally I have to register them online before I can use them to pay certain bills, but most of the time I can just use it as a credit card.

Costco is easy because they will drain any small amounts left, if I use a $200 visa gift card to pay DH's monthly medicare bill that's $164.xx, then I use the rest on my Costco in store purchases. (I run it through the self checkout payment thingy and just hit credit, no PIN needed.) My Amazon account is also a way to use up small amounts.I just load the card as a payment method, make it my default card, and reload my Amazon gift card balance. I have done as little as $2.xx on Amazon relaod.

 

[tvguy]

No luck. Which is why I don't give them as gifts, cash only.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Have you read the back of your Visa gift cards?

Mine have always said "This Card is not redeemable for cash except where required by law".

 

[starry_solo]

You pretty much use them as a credit card. Just keep a running balance on them…

 

[kdonnel]

I guess I will pay the electric and water bill for the next 6 months.

 

[dioxide45]

I guess I will pay the electric and water bill for the next 6 months.

Do your utilities accept credit card? Most utility companies don't.

 

[nick262]

This past weekend my wife and I volunteered to be bumped from our flight and scored a significant quantity of gift cards from Delta. Because of the limit Delta placed on the value of the cards we ended up with 8 cards between the two of us.

I am trying to convert them to actual cash and struggling at the moment.

I have added one to my Venmo account and tried to use it as a payment source to send money to my wife but Venmo says the transaction failed to authorize. I don't see any authorization attempts on the gift card site but it might just not be showing me.

I am going to give Venmo support a call but was wondering if anyone has done something similar using another means?

If you are going to Disney any time soon, you can buy Disney gift cards with them, from either on their website or on property. I get those visa cards as bonuses from work and from Swagbucks and do this all the time to use at the parks or cruiseline. You just have to buy the amount that is on the visa gift card. You will have to register the visa gc before using the Shop Disney website though.

 

[kdonnel]

Do your utilities accept credit card? Most utility companies don't.

Both I listed do.

 

[eticketplease]

If you go this route you might be able to pay more than your balance and then in a few weeks ask them to send you a check for the over payment. I have done this many times when maximizing the 5% for utilities with my credit card.
It's not worth the hassle if you just have a credit of a few bucks though as it does take awhile for them to cut the check.

 

[Minnesota!]

Do your utilities accept credit card? Most utility companies don't.

Really? All of mine do - I have them all on autopay to my Chase Rewards, and then I pay them off each month.

OP - I tried to cash in some Visa gift cards once and my bank specifically told me that it is not allowed. Very, very restrictive, which is why I won't buy them anymore.