Where Can You Use Walmart Gift Cards in 2022? I‘ll Explain Every Option As an Experienced Seller

As an experienced e-commerce seller, I often get asked about where Walmart gift cards can be redeemed. I‘ve been selling on Amazon for over 10 years and have become very familiar with different gift card programs and policies.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll clearly explain everywhere you can use Walmart gift cards, including at stores, online, gas stations, and more. I‘ll also share insider tips on getting the most value from your Walmart gift card based on my extensive knowledge.

Let‘s dive in!

Use Walmart Gift Cards at any Walmart Store

The most obvious place to use a Walmart gift card is at any Walmart retail location. As of January 2022, there are over 4,700 Walmart stores throughout the United States.

When checking out, simply hand your gift card to the cashier and they will scan it to apply the balance to your purchase. It‘s that easy!

As a seller, I need to be aware of any purchasing restrictions. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Alcohol purchases: Walmart does sell beer, wine, and spirits at many locations. However, in some jurisdictions, gift cards cannot be used for alcohol per local liquor laws. Always check with customer service if unsure.

• Tobacco products: Similar to alcohol, there may be tobacco restrictions in certain areas regarding gift card use. Verify with a store associate before purchasing tobacco with a gift card.

• Firearms: Walmart sells rifles, shotguns, ammunition, and more at select stores. Use of gift cards for firearm purchases may be prohibited based on specific state and local regulations.

The vast majority of merchandise can be bought with a Walmart gift card. But I advise double-checking on any age-restricted items first with store management based on the location.

Shop Walmart.com with Ease Using Gift Cards

One of the great benefits of Walmart gift cards is that they can also be used for online Walmart.com purchases!

As an e-commerce seller, I often buy inventory and supplies online instead of going to physical stores. So I appreciate being able to use gift cards towards Walmart.com orders.

During checkout on Walmart.com, you‘ll just need to enter the 19-digit gift card number and 4-digit PIN. The balance gets automatically applied to your order – it‘s very convenient.

I do recommend linking your gift card to your Walmart.com account if you have one. That way the card balance is easily accessible for future online purchases.

The only limitation is that Walmart gift cards cannot be used for Walmart Marketplace orders from third-party sellers – only items shipped and sold directly by Walmart are eligible. So I always verify this before purchasing something through Marketplace with a gift card.

Getting Cash Back from a Walmart Gift Card

Now, there‘s no direct way to get the full cash value from a Walmart gift card. As per the Walmart gift card terms and conditions, they cannot be exchanged for cash back.

However, through my experience as a seller navigating all kinds of gift card and payment policies, I‘ve found a few helpful workarounds:

• Buy a prepaid debit card: Use your Walmart gift card to purchase a reloadable prepaid Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card. You can then use that prepaid debit card to withdraw cash from ATMs or spend it directly. Do keep in mind that prepaid cards charge fees, so this reduces how much cash you ultimately get.

• Get cash back at checkout: When using a Walmart gift card in-store, you can get cash back up to $100 on a debit card purchase. Simply request cash back at the register when checking out with your debit card and pay the remaining balance with your gift card.

• Sell to a gift card exchange service: You can sell unused Walmart gift card funds to verified gift card buyers on sites like CardCash and GiftCardSpread and receive around 70-90% of the balance in cash via PayPal or check, less applicable fees. Rates vary based on supply and demand.

I‘ve successfully used all three methods above to get some cash from Walmart gift cards through the years. They each have their pros and cons, but they‘re reliable ways to extract some value without directly exchanging the card for cash.

Purchasing on Competitor Sites Like Amazon

As a Walmart seller, I directly compete with other major retailers like Amazon. So I‘m very aware of which gift cards can (and can‘t!) be used on competing sites.

Walmart gift cards definitively cannot be used to make purchases on Amazon or any non-Walmart retailer. If someone tries to use a Walmart gift card on Amazon, it will be immediately declined at checkout.

The only way to buy on Amazon is with an Amazon gift card or other accepted payment method. This exclusion applies to other big chains like Target, Kroger, Home Depot, etc. as well – no Walmart gift card usage allowed.

This restriction makes complete sense from a business perspective. But it‘s still a common misconception among some gift card users that Walmart cards work anywhere. As a seller, I make it a point to set proper expectations with buyers upfront if gifting a Walmart card.

Alternative Retailers That Accept Walmart Gift Cards

Beyond the core Walmart stores and website, there are a handful of other retailers that accept Walmart gift cards:

• Sam‘s Club: All Sam‘s Club locations in the U.S. accept Walmart gift cards, since Sam‘s Club is owned by Walmart. This is great for bulk and wholesale shopping.

• Murphy USA: Most Murphy USA gas stations located right at Walmart stores take Walmart gift cards for fuel purchases. Always verify before using though, as standalone Murphy USA stations likely don‘t accept them.

• Seiyu GK (Japan): An interesting niche case – Walmart gift cards bought in the U.S. can be used at Walmart‘s Seiyu GK stores located in Japan. So if travelling to Japan, keep this option in mind! Cards only work in their purchased country though.

Beyond the merchants above, it‘s highly unlikely any other major chains will take Walmart gift cards. As a seller, I remind buyers to always confirm ahead of time that the retailer accepts Walmart cards before assuming so.

International Usage of Walmart Gift Cards

When I was expanding my e-commerce business internationally, I learned a lot about country-specific gift card rules.

The key takeaway is Walmart gift cards can only be redeemed in the country where they were purchased.

So if you buy a card at a Walmart in the U.S., it will only work at Walmart stores and websites in America. That card could not be used to shop at a Walmart in Canada, for example.

The one exception is U.S. Walmart cards being accepted at Seiyu stores in Japan. But otherwise, internationally purchased gift cards can only be spent domestically.

As a seller, I avoid potential hassle by only selling internationally-usable gift cards to my international customers. So for Canada, I would sell a card bought from a Canadian Walmart store. This prevents any usage issues down the road.

Checking Your Walmart Gift Card Balance

Before using a Walmart gift card either in-store or online, it‘s advisable to check the remaining balance first. As a seller, the last thing I want is for a customer to be surprised at checkout if they thought a gift card had more funds left.

Here are some easy ways to check your card‘s current balance:

• Ask any Walmart associate at the customer service desk or registers to scan your card and check the balance
• Call the 24/7 gift card customer service line at 1-888-537-5503 to speak with a representative
• Visit Walmart.com/giftcard and enter the card number and PIN to view the online balance
• The balance will also display on the card reader screen during checkout when you provide the card number

I recommend checking through the website if possible for convenience. That way you‘ll never have any doubts about your remaining balance!

Replacing Lost or Stolen Walmart Gift Cards

In my experience running an e-commerce business, gift card numbers do occasionally get misplaced or lost in transit.

If your original Walmart plastic gift card or gift card number ever becomes lost or stolen, you can request a replacement card with the remaining balance transferred over.

Here is the process I advise to customers:

• Call 1-888-537-5503 or visit Walmart.com/giftcard to report your card lost/stolen
• Provide the gift card number and any requested personal information like name, address, etc.
• Walmart will review your replacement request and mail out a new gift card, typically within 7-10 business days
• There may be a small $5-$10 replacement card fee depending on the original card value

For eGift cards, the replacement is often sent right away to your email or Walmart.com account. So digital replacements are much faster.

It‘s important to act quickly if your gift card is ever lost or stolen so you don‘t miss out on the remaining funds. Based on my seller data, lost gift card numbers are seldom recovered or used by others. But reporting it right away provides peace of mind.

Reloading Your Walmart Gift Card

A common gift card question I receive is whether existing cards can be directly reloaded with more funds.

Unfortunately, Walmart does not allow gift cards to be registered and reloaded online or in-store. The only way to add more money is to purchase an entirely new gift card.

However, one reload-like option exists:

• You can consolidate multiple Walmart gift cards into one new combined card at the customer service desk.
• Ask the associate to transfer and merge the balances from several cards into a single consolidated gift card.
• A small $3 balance transfer fee typically applies.

This consolidation process allows you to combine multiple gift cards into one, avoiding having several cards with tiny remaining balances.

Beyond combining cards, new gift cards have to be purchased separately. As a seller, I generally recommend buyers treat gift cards more like cash and use up the balances rather than frequently reloading. The unused balances don‘t expire for at least 5 years anyway.

Purchasing Gas with Walmart Gift Cards

Gas stations are one retailer category that customers often ask me about using Walmart gift cards.

The short answer is only select gas stations located directly at Walmart stores accept Walmart gift cards. These include:

• Murphy USA gas stations located on Walmart premises (but not standalone locations)
• Walmart-branded gas stations attached to Walmart Supercenters that sell fuel

No major gas chains like Shell, Exxon, BP, etc. accept Walmart gift cards. I advise my customers to always verify the gas station is either Murphy USA or Walmart-operated before assuming they take Walmart cards. Most do not.

This is a very common misconception that‘s important to clarify. Unless it‘s physically attached to a Walmart store itself, traditional gas stations won‘t accept Walmart gift cards.

How and Where to Buy Walmart Gift Cards

Since Walmart gift cards can only be spent at Walmart, you won‘t find them sold at other competing retailers.

Based on my research, here is where Walmart gift cards can be purchased in the U.S.:

• Physical gift card racks and checkout lanes at any Walmart store
• Digitally on Walmart.com as eGift cards
• Resale sites like CardCash often resell cards at a small discount, which can score buyers savings on balance amounts over $100

Both physical and eGift Walmart gift cards are available in preset amounts from $10 up to $500 online or in-store. eGift cards get delivered to your email, phone, or Walmart account.

One nice eGift card perk is that Walmart.com allows you to customize the gift card design, include personalized photos, and add custom gift messages. This makes eGift cards a bit more fun to gift!

Walmart does not charge any fees or sales tax on gift card purchases. The full denomination value can be redeemed.

Walmart Gift Card Purchase & Use Restrictions

While very flexible, there are a few common items that cannot be bought with Walmart gift cards:

• Other gift cards – This includes Visa, Mastercard, Amazon, etc. No purchasing gift cards with gift cards!
• Walmart Marketplace seller items – Only items shipped and sold by Walmart are eligible
• Money order purchases over $500 (varies by state)
• Prescription medications cannot be purchased with gift cards
• Potentially alcohol, tobacco, or firearms depending on local and state laws

I advise customers to always check the customer service desk for any posted signs regarding gift card restrictions before purchasing age-restricted items.

The majority of Walmart merchandise both online and in-store has no purchase restrictions with gift cards. But these categories require extra verification to avoid problems at checkout.

Interchangeable Usage at Walmart and Sam‘s Club

An important synergy to mention is that Walmart and Sam‘s Club gift cards can be used interchangeably between the two retailers.

Sam‘s Club is owned and operated by Walmart. So Walmart gift cards work at Sam‘s Club for bulk shopping, and vice versa.

As a seller who buys a lot of supplies at Sam‘s Club, I utilize this crossover capability frequently. It provides extra convenience and flexibility between Walmart and Sam‘s Club.

Just remember that Sam‘s Club membership is still required – a Walmart gift card only covers purchases, not membership itself. But being able to use gift cards at both chains is an incredibly useful perk.

Buying Other Gift Cards with a Walmart Gift Card

The last key gift card policy restriction to highlight is that you cannot purchase any other new gift cards using a Walmart gift card.

For instance, you cannot buy an Amazon, Target, Starbucks, or Visa gift card with a Walmart gift card. This includes both Walmart and non-Walmart gift cards.

I know this can be confusing for some gift card owners. But no retailer will allow purchasing their own or competitor gift cards with gift card value. Only "real" forms of payment like cash, credit, and debit can be used to buy new gift cards.

So if you want to get a friend a gift card from another brand, you‘ll need to use your Walmart gift card on other items at Walmart instead.

Final Thoughts: Where Can Walmart Gift Cards Be Used?

In summary, while Walmart gift cards can only be spent at Walmart stores and websites, there are still plenty of usage options:

• All Walmart stores and Walmart.com for shopping purchases
• Sam‘s Club membership clubs
• Select on-premise Murphy USA gas stations
• Seiyu GK Walmart locations if traveling to Japan

The cards cannot be used at competing retailers like Amazon or to buy other gift cards. But overall they provide versatile, restriction-free purchasing power for Walmart devotees.

I hope this guide clearly outlined everywhere you can (and can‘t!) use Walmart gift cards this year. Let me know if you have any other Walmart or gift card questions! I‘m always happy to share my insider knowledge as an experienced e-commerce seller.