Have you received a gift card from Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover lately? If so, you can easily add it to Venmo to unlock quick payments and flexible spending directly from the Venmo app.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explain what Venmo is, the benefits of linking gift cards, and provide a start-to-finish tutorial on adding a gift card with screenshots. Let‘s get started!
Introduction to Venmo and Gift Cards
Founded in 2009, Venmo is a free digital wallet and peer-to-peer payment app owned by PayPal. It allows users to quickly send and receive money with friends and family. According to Venmo, it has over 60 million active user accounts as of 2021.
One useful feature of Venmo is the ability to add and use gift cards directly within the app. Major gift card brands supported include:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
In 2021, mobile gift card use rose by 22%, indicating a growing preference for digital gift cards used via apps [1]. Key benefits of adding gift cards to Venmo include:
- Ability to split payments between gift card balance and Venmo balance
- Send gift cards to friends right within Venmo
- Use gift card funds to make Venmo payments to other users and businesses
- Transfer gift card balance to bank account
- Reload expired gift cards
- Purchase and send eGift cards with linked payment method
Now let‘s walk through exactly how to go about adding a gift card to your Venmo account.
Step 1: Open Venmo App and Log In
First, make sure you‘ve downloaded the latest version of the Venmo app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android). Open the app and log into your account. If you don‘t already have an account, you‘ll need to sign-up first before proceeding.
Once logged in, you‘ll see your main Venmo feed with recent transactions.
Step 2: Go to Settings
To add a gift card, we first need to access the Settings menu. Tap on the profile icon in the top right corner, then tap on "Settings" along the bottom.
This will open up the full Settings menu where we can manage account details, security, notifications, and more.
Step 3: Tap on Payment Methods
Under the "Preferences" section, scroll down and tap on "Payment Methods."
This is where you can manage connected bank accounts, debit cards, and gift cards.
Step 4: Tap "Add Gift Card"
On the Payment Methods screen, tap on the option for "Add Gift Card."
This will open up the gift card details form.
Step 5: Enter Your Gift Card Details
Carefully enter the 16-digit gift card number and expiration date. Make sure to enter them accurately. You‘ll also need to enter the 3 or 4 digit CVV code from the back of the card.
Tip: For faster entry, try using your phone‘s camera to scan the gift card‘s barcode if it has one printed.
Once all the necessary info has been entered, double check that everything looks correct.
Step 6: Tap "Add" to Confirm
Finally, tap the "Add" button to finish linking your gift card to Venmo.
It may take a few seconds to process, and you may get a notification that the card needs to be verified first. Don‘t worry – this is normal.
Once successfully added, you‘ll see the gift card balance available in your Venmo account.
And that‘s it – you‘ve now added a gift card to Venmo!
Transferring Funds Between Gift Card and Venmo
Once linked, you can easily transfer money between your gift card balance and main Venmo balance.
To transfer funds from the gift card to your Venmo balance:
- Tap the profile icon
- Select your balance
- Tap "Add or Transfer"
- Enter the transfer amount
- Pick your gift card as the source
- Confirm the transfer
The process works in reverse too. To move funds from your Venmo to the gift card:
- Tap your balance
- Tap "Add or Transfer"
- Enter the transfer amount
- Select your gift card as the destination
- Confirm the transfer
Transfers typically take 3-5 business days when done for free. Instant transfers are also available for a fee.
Troubleshooting Issues Adding a Gift Card
In some cases, you may run into issues getting your gift card added to Venmo properly. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Double check the gift card number, expiration date, and CVV were entered correctly.
- Try re-entering the details slowly and carefully.
- If the card needs to be verified, wait for the verification process to complete.
- Contact the gift card issuer if you need help with balance or pin issues.
- Try scanning the barcode with your phone camera instead of manual entry.
- Make sure the gift card has a sufficient balance (> $0).
- Contact Venmo support for help if you still can‘t get it working.
Reaching out to Venmo customer service directly can help resolve most gift card issues.
Benefits of Linking a Gift Card to Venmo
There are many advantages to going through the steps to add a gift card to your Venmo account:
- Acts as a financial backup – Gift card funds can serve as extra spending power or savings
- More flexible spending – Make payments without needing a bank account or debit card
- Send/receive gift cards – Trade digital gift cards with Venmo friends
- Make purchases – Use linked gift card for Venmo payments to merchants
- Easy transfers – Quickly move money to and from your Venmo balance
- Recharge cards – Easily add funds to expired/empty gift cards
Ready to Add Your Gift Card to Venmo?
We hope this guide covered everything you need to know to successfully add a gift card to your Venmo account. With gift cards linked to Venmo, you can enjoy convenient digital payments, flexible spending, easy transfers, and more.
If you run into any issues getting your gift card connected, don‘t hesitate to reach out to Venmo customer service for help getting it fixed.
Happy spending with your Venmo gift cards! Let us know if you have any other questions.