7 Easy Steps To Get Cash from Your Vanilla Visa Gift Card

A Vanilla Visa Gift card may have been gifted to you, or it may be something that you bought yourself for the convenience that it is reloadable. When you find yourself short on cash, you may want to know how to get money off Vanilla gift card. Whether the gift card is for $25, $50, or any other amount, the cash that you can get from it may provide you with more benefits.

A Vanilla Visa gift card works a bit differently than a Visa credit card. It’s not quite as easy to get cash from it, but there are some options. Knowing what the restrictions are will allow you to follow a few different steps to get cash – or to use the money in a way that isn’t a traditional purchase.

A Vanilla gift card does not come with a PIN number, so you won’t be able to use it at an ATM. The good news is that there are five other steps that you can take so you can figure out how to get cash from Vanilla gift card.

Methodology

We have an entire list of ways so you know how to get money off a Vanilla gift card. How did we come up with this list? We took the time to explore the restraints that are attached to the Vanilla Visa gift card, for starters.

First, it’s important to understand that it cannot be used at an ATM, nor can it be used to get cash back on any of your purchases.

Second, there are instances when you cannot use your Vanilla Visa online, even though you have sufficient funds. This is because some vendors will approve your card temporarily for more – and make the adjustments before it’s over.

Third, there are some security and safety measures in place with some online vendors, so they will only accept actual credit cards – not prepaid ones like the Vanilla Visa.

Knowing all of this, we did some research.

We considered a few different sources, including:

• Spending websites that offer advice on how to use various gift cards
• Gift card exchange websites to understand the process of exchanging a gift card for cash
• Banks, to learn more about how money orders are obtained

With all of this information, we present seven ways that you can use your Vanilla gift card to get cash back – or at least the cash equivalent so that you can spend as you desire.

Learn About Your Balance

Whether you’ve used the Vanilla Visa gift card before or not, it’s important to know what your exact balance is on it. This will make it easier when you want to get cash from it – regardless of whether you’re spending on the card or transferring it into a different kind of account.

There are a few ways to get the balance.

First, you can go directly to the website. You’ll need to be prepared to enter the gift card number, the security code, and the “valid through” date.

Second, you can choose to call the Vanilla Gift Card number, which is 1-833-322-6760. You’ll need the same info as if you went to the website.

Now that you have the actual balance on the gift card, you can figure out which method works best for you.

1. Add Your Card to PayPal or Venmo

According to Logical Dollar, one of the methods to get cash off your card is by transferring the money to your PayPal account. It is not a challenging process; there are just two things that you need: a PayPal account and a gift card registered in your name. Once you visit your PayPal account, go to the “PayPal Wallet” and then click “link a debit or credit card.”

You will have the option to link the card manually or through the bank. Choose “Link a card manually,” then enter the gift card information. Complete the process by clicking “link card.”

Sometimes you might encounter an error code when attempting to add the gift card to your PayPal account, and if this happens, you are supposed to register the gift card with the issuer. Gift cards come with instructions regarding registration, so you can get an address linked to the card for PayPal to accept.

Once the money is in your PayPal account, you can use it to send money to a family member or friend that you trust. Once they receive the funds, they’ll withdraw the cash on your behalf.

You can do the same thing with Venmo, but the process is just a little different. You can do it through your app. Once you have your card added, send the funds to someone. They can either withdraw cash for you or send money back so that it’s now in the form of immediate funds rather than being tied to a gift card.

Keep in mind that if you want the cash from your PayPal or Venmo transaction to go into your checking account, it can take 2-3 days for it to process. This may not work for your timetable, depending on how desperate you are for the cash in your hand.

2. Buy a Money Order

Money orders are bank-issued documents that work similar to checks. Whatever the money order is written for, you can go to the bank to either deposit it into your account or turn it into cash – whatever works best for your financial situation.

Money orders are extremely easy to obtain. You can get them from the US Post Office, Walmart, or even a Western Union counter. Your Vanilla gift card can be used to purchase the money order. You might as well have the money order written out for the entirety of the gift card so that it can be tossed out when you’re done.

Once you have the money order in hand, head right to the bank so that you can get the money you really want.

3. Sell Your Card on Apps and Websites

According to MoneyTamer, selling your gift card is the most straightforward way of getting your cash back. When linking it to PayPal, you will have to go the extra step of transferring the balance to a bank account. On the other hand, by selling your card, you get cash immediately.

The amount of money to get off your Vanilla Visa card depends on the vendor. For instance, on eBay, you pay a fixed fee of 10% of the sale amount, whereas Raise charges a fixed fee of 15 of the sale amount.

A 15% commission is quite steep, especially when you consider you are desperately in need of cash. GiftcardOutlets and EJGiftCards give you up to 90% cashback but do not charge fees. All you have to do is visit the website of the vendor you prefer, enter the details of the gift card, such as the merchant name and current value, and wait for the gift card to be credited to the account. This is usually completed within minutes.

Here’s the good news. There are more sites than ever when you want to sell your gift card. This works not only for the Vanilla Visa gift card but any others that you may have, too. Such sites are:

• GiftCash
• ClipKard
• CardSell
• Cardpool
• Gift Card Granny

Take the time to look at what the different sites will offer in terms of commission and how you’re going to get your credit. Some will allow you to withdraw cash to your PayPal while others may use Cash App, your checking account, or some other method.

The site then indicates the amount of cash you will get. You submit the offer if you are comfortable with it. Remember that dealing with digital gift cards is much easier than physical ones.

A digital gift card only requires you to submit the details, but a physical one will have to be posted by mail. Some sites cover the postage fees, but others do not, so you will have to do the math to avoid wasting so much money in the process of getting some cash from your gift card.

4. Sell Your Card to Friends and Family

Before you even go through the hassle of sending your card through the mail in the hopes of getting some cash in return, you should think of selling it to those close to you.

Your family and friends might be interested in getting that gift card, but you will have to give them a reason to buy it from you. Note that if they want a gift card, they can get it from a vendor, so the incentive to purchase from you will probably be a discounted price.

Still, not getting the face value of the gift card is much better than having it lying around until you require the items you can buy using the card. After all, not all places you may want to spend the money will accept the credit card. Typically, you can make a deal with someone close to you, especially if they are planning on making a purchase online in the near future.

Basically, pay attention to those around you when you have your Vanilla gift card in your pocket. If you see someone going to pay cash, offer to pay for it with the Vanilla card. Then, the cash that they were going to use can go directly to you. It’s easy, and no one has to lose money out of the deal.

5. Buying and Reselling Items Off Your Gift Card

With this option, you need to have an enterprising spirit. Not only will you be able to get cash back, but you may also end up making a decent profit by reselling the various items that you use your Vanilla Visa for.

You could also be on the lookout for those goods in high demand so that the buyer will be ready to pay higher than the face value of the card. While this is ideal because you are guaranteed to receive more money than what you would expect from selling to friends or through apps, it is quite inconvenient.

You will have to wait for the opportune time to sell the item and do your homework regarding which items could fetch a higher price.

Take a look at what sells on Facebook Marketplace. Yahoo recently made a list, which includes things like electronics, household items (laundry detergent, especially), baby supplies, and sporting equipment.

You can go to the grocery store when any of these items are on sale. Use your Vanilla Visa to buy the items. Take them home, take photos of everything, and load them onto Facebook Marketplace the moment that the items go off sale. People will be happy to buy from you – and they’ll pay cash or through an app that you have. Bam! You’ve figured out how to get money off a Vanilla gift card without having to sell the gift card itself. Plus, if you’ve found things deeply discounted, you can make a substantial profit.

6. Get Creative with What You Do Use the Gift Card for

What are you REALLY going to use that cash for? Think about it. When money is tight, you need cash so that you can do things like pay your bills, make rent, and more. You can certainly use your Vanilla Visa gift card to do many of those things. Although it’s a gift card, it still processes similar to a Visa. So, you might as well dust off that card, knowing that it can get you out of a pinch.

Many utility companies will allow you to pay your bill using a few different means. You can go down to your local cash checking store and pay with your Vanilla gift card as well as a combination of other payment options, such as cash, coins, and your debit card.

If you can prove that there is a balance on the card, such as bringing it up on the website, it can be used to pay friends and family members that you may owe money to – or even an understanding landlord.

Of course, you can also use the Vanilla card for the day-to-day purchases that you may need to make, too, including groceries and gas.

7. Buy a Different Gift Card

There may be times when there’s no need to use your Vanilla Visa gift card for cash. With so many businesses going cashless, why bother with the hassle of getting cash when you can simply use it for what you REALLY want?

For example, consider what places you go to often – stores or restaurants. Find out if they offer a gift card option. Although that location may not accept a Vanilla Visa gift card, they will accept their own gift cards. Go to Costco or a grocery store (or directly to a merchant’s website) to buy a gift card for your favorite places. When it comes to payment, use your Vanilla Visa. That way, your gift card will get used, and you’ll have something better than cash to use at your favorite place.

According to the New York Times, many small businesses are opting to go cashless because it’s the smartest way to do business. Businesses don’t have to deal with having plenty of cash on hand to make change, they don’t have to count cash at the end of the night, there’s nothing to steal, and there’s a faster checkout to keep customers happy.

So, you may actually be doing a local business a favor when you pay with your Vanilla Visa or one of their own gift cards. They don’t want your dirty cash, anyway.

Why Vanilla Gift Cards Are Popular

The VanillaGift.com website has launched an enhanced customer experience by providing custom gift options and integrating the cards on certain mobile wallets.

Many consumers have been provided with the option of buying physical or digital gift cards and customizing them using colors and stamps. Businesses often find it easy to use gift cards as a way of rewarding employees – and businesses could even upload logos and photos. The changes came at an ideal time because the COVID-19 pandemic brought the need for contactless payments. Even though the pandemic is over, many people still see the benefit of contactless payments.

Consumers prefer mobile wallets, and the gift card market took advantage of that. Vanilla Visa gift cards are open-loop. You can use them at any place that accepts Visa cards. This is for both online and physical retail stores. Also, even with as little as $10, you can load your card. The card can be used again and again because it is reloadable. This also makes it ideal for parents who want to give their children the ability to use a “credit card” without worrying about them going into debt or overdrafting on a bank account.

While the card does have the inconvenience of having to check your balance frequently, the process is relatively simple. Unlike debit cards, where cashiers can find out the balance, prepaid gift cards do not permit this. It is up to you to check the balance before transacting to avoid failed payments.