If you‘ve landed on this article, chances are you‘ve recently been the lucky recipient of a Walmart Visa Gift Card or perhaps purchased one for a friend or family member. These versatile prepaid debit cards have exploded in popularity in recent years, and for good reason. Walmart Visa Gift Cards can be used anywhere that accepts Visa debit for online or in-store purchases, making them an extremely convenient and flexible gift option.
In fact, gift cards have become the most popular holiday present request in recent years, with over 60% of consumers reporting that they‘d like to receive one according to the National Retail Federation. Walmart is the top gift card retailer in the U.S., selling millions of both store-branded and Visa gift cards each year. In 2021, Walmart sold over $2 billion in gift cards during the holiday season alone.
Before your Walmart Visa Gift Card can be used to start shopping, it will need to be activated. This process is quick, easy, and essential for security purposes. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to activate your card as well as troubleshoot any potential issues you may encounter.
Walmart Visa Gift Card Basics
First, let‘s cover some fundamental information about these gift cards. Walmart Visa Gift Cards are available for purchase in-store at any Walmart location or online at Walmart.com. You can buy them in preset amounts ranging from $25-$500 or choose a custom amount. At checkout, you‘ll pay the gift card amount plus a small purchase fee of $4.94 for plastic gift cards. Digital gift cards are also available with a lower purchase fee of $3.95.
One important thing to note is that Walmart Visa Gift Cards are not reloadable. They are intended for one-time use until the balance is depleted. If you need a card that can be reloaded, consider purchasing a Walmart MoneyCard instead which is a reloadable prepaid debit card.
It‘s also good to know that Walmart Visa Gift Cards have some purchase protections compared to other prepaid cards or cash. The funds do not expire and the card can be replaced if lost or stolen. However, it‘s still very important to keep your card number and PIN secure. Treat your gift card like cash and report a lost or stolen card to Walmart as soon as possible at 1-866-633-9096.
Why Activation Is Required
So why is activation necessary in the first place? There are a few key reasons:
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Security: Activating your gift card helps prevent fraud or unauthorized use. This is especially true for cards with large balances of $250 or more. Walmart requires activation on these higher value cards before they can be used.
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Bulk purchasing: If you purchase 25 or more Walmart Visa Gift Cards at once, regardless of the individual card values, activation will be required on all of them before use. This helps prevent scams or illegal reselling of mass quantities of gift cards.
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Online or third party purchases: If you buy a Walmart Visa Gift Card online from Walmart.com or receive one from a third party seller, activation is also mandatory as an extra security step since the card isn‘t being purchased directly in-store.
While most gift cards sold in-store at Walmart (aside from the scenarios above) will be automatically activated at the point of purchase, it‘s always good to double check your card‘s status before attempting to make any purchases.
How to Check If Your Walmart Visa Gift Card is Activated
If you‘re unsure whether your card requires activation, there are two easy ways to check:
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Look for an activation sticker on the front of the card. If you see a sticker that says "Activation Required" or provides instructions for activating, your card will need to be activated before use.
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Check your receipt if you purchased the card yourself from Walmart. The receipt should show whether the card was activated at the point of sale. If you don‘t see any indication of activation, you‘ll need to activate the card before spending.
Alternatively, you can always check the balance of your Walmart gift card online or by calling 1-866-633-9096. If your balance is reflected when you check it, that means your card has already been activated. If it shows a $0 balance, you‘ll need to proceed with activation.
Two Easy Ways to Activate Your Walmart Visa Gift Card
Now that you know the why behind gift card activation, let‘s get into the how. There are two primary methods for activating a Walmart Visa Gift Card:
1. Online Activation
Activating your gift card online is a popular and convenient option, especially if you want to take care of it right away. Here‘s how to do it:
- Visit www.walmartgift.com and click "Activate a Card"
- Enter your 16-digit card number, expiration date, and 3-digit security code (located on the back of the card)
- Create an account by providing your name, address, phone number, and email
- Verify your email by inputting the 6-digit code sent to your inbox
- After logging into your account, you should see a confirmation that your card has been activated and is ready for use (see screenshot below)
The online card activation process typically only takes a few minutes from start to finish. One advantage of activating online is that you can easily keep track of your card‘s balance and transaction history by logging into your Walmart Gift Card account anytime.
2. Phone Activation
Don‘t want to mess with going online? No problem. You can also easily activate your Walmart Visa Gift Card over the phone by following these steps:
- Call 1-866-633-9096
- Press 1 to activate your card
- When prompted, input your 16-digit card number followed by the # sign
- Enter your 3-digit security code when asked (located on card back)
- Create a 4-digit PIN that you can use for future phone balance checks
- Once you create a PIN, you should hear a confirmation that your "card is active and ready to use"
Phone activation is automated and can be done 24/7. Just like online activation, it‘s a quick and straightforward process that will have you ready to start spending in no time. The only downside is that you won‘t be able to view your card‘s balance or transaction history online later on since you‘re not creating an online account. However, you can still easily check your balance by phone anytime using your 16-digit card number.
How Long Does Walmart Visa Gift Card Activation Take?
Most Walmart Visa Gift Cards are activated instantly after completing the steps above, regardless of whether you activate online or by phone. In the majority of cases, your card will be ready to use anywhere that Visa debit is accepted within the U.S. immediately after activation.
However, there can be some exceptions to this instant activation timeframe. If you receive an error when attempting to activate or your card shows an incorrect balance after activation, it‘s best to wait a full 24 hours and then try again.
In some rare cases, it may take up to 48 hours for the activation to fully process. This is more likely to occur if you purchased the card online rather than in-store. If it‘s been more than 48 hours since you activated and your card is still not working, reach out to Walmart Customer Service for assistance at 1-866-633-9096.
According to data from GiftCards.com, over 98% of Walmart Visa Gift Cards are activated instantly with no issues. Only a very small percentage require any additional waiting period or troubleshooting after activation.
What to Do If Your Walmart Visa Gift Card is Not Working
If you‘ve successfully activated your Walmart Visa Gift Card but are having trouble using it to make a purchase, don‘t panic. There are a few common reasons this may occur and most have simple solutions.
First, always check your card balance before attempting to make a purchase. It‘s easy to lose track of your remaining funds, especially if you‘ve used the card multiple times already. You can check your balance online, by phone, or in-store at any Walmart register. If your purchase amount is greater than your available balance, your card will be declined.
Another frequent reason gift cards get declined is if a merchant has placed a hold on your card for more than the available balance. This is very common at restaurants, hotels, and gas stations in particular. For example, if you use your card to put down a deposit for a hotel room, the hotel may place an initial hold for more than your actual room rate to account for potential incidentals. If this hold amount is greater than your card‘s balance, the transaction won‘t go through.
To resolve this, ask the merchant to only charge the actual purchase amount or use an alternative payment method to cover the amount that exceeds your gift card balance. Once the merchant releases the hold, those funds should become available on your card again.
It‘s also important to be aware of a few restrictions on Walmart Visa Gift Card usage. Unfortunately, you can‘t use them to withdraw cash at an ATM or bank. They also cannot be used for recurring transactions or subscriptions. And finally, the cards can only be used within the United States and District of Columbia, not internationally or in any U.S. territories. If you try to use your card for any of these purposes, the transaction will not go through.
Other FAQs About Walmart Visa Gift Cards
What do I do if my gift card is lost or stolen?
If your Walmart Visa Gift Card is lost or stolen, contact Walmart Customer Service immediately at 1-866-633-9096. They will work with you to cancel your old card and issue a replacement. Be sure to also update your online Walmart Gift Card account with your new card number to easily track your balance and spending.
Can I exchange a Walmart Visa Gift Card for cash?
No, you cannot exchange a Walmart Visa Gift Card for cash. The funds must be spent on purchases or spent down to a zero balance before disposing of the card.
How do I check my Walmart Visa Gift Card balance?
There are three easy ways to check your Walmart Visa Gift Card balance anytime:
- Online at www.walmartgift.com by signing into your account
- By calling 1-866-633-9096 and following the automated prompts
- In-store at any Walmart register or customer service desk
Do Walmart Visa Gift Cards expire?
The funds on your Walmart Visa Gift Card will never expire. However, each card does have a printed expiration date, typically 5-7 years from the purchase date. Once that date passes, you‘ll need to request a replacement card from Walmart in order to spend any remaining balance.
Can I combine multiple Walmart Visa Gift Cards into one?
Unfortunately, Walmart does not currently offer the ability to combine the balances of multiple Visa Gift Cards into one. However, you can easily keep track of multiple card balances by saving each card number to your online Walmart Gift Card account. This allows you to view the balances all in one place so you know exactly what you have left to spend on each card.
Conclusion
Walmart Visa Gift Cards are an incredibly popular and versatile gift option for any occasion. Before you can start spending, however, you‘ll need to make sure your card is activated. Fortunately, whether you activate online or by phone, the process is quick, easy, and painless in most cases.
Once activated, your gift card funds can be spent anywhere that Visa debit is accepted, both in-store and online. While there are a small handful of usage restrictions to be aware of, these cards still offer a great deal of flexibility for the gift recipient to put the funds toward anything they‘d like.
Now that you‘re equipped with all the essential information about activating and using Walmart Visa Gift Cards, we hope you feel empowered to purchase or spend them with confidence. Enjoy the shopping freedom that your versatile new gift card brings!
