Can Walmart gift cards be topped up? (full guide)
If you have a Walmart gift card at home, or if you’re environmentally conscious, you might be wondering if your Walmart gift card can be reloaded.
Since you can relead prepaid Walmart MoneyCards and Via/MasterCard debit cards, then Walmart gift cards must be the same, right? Here’s what I found!
Can Walmart gift cards be topped up?
Unfortunately, Walmart Gift Cards cannot be topped up. The only time you can reload funds onto a Walmart Gift Card is if a return is being processed. That means customers have to buy new Walmart gift cards every time their balance runs out.
To learn more about non-loadable Walmart gift cards, read on!
Why can’t Walmart gift cards be topped up?
Many stores, businesses and large retail chains offer reloadable gift cards that can be topped up regularly at any time.
For example, the Meijer gift cards available in stores of the US supermarket chain Meijer are reloadable, which allows you to deposit money to add to the existing gift card balance.
Walmart Gift Cards used to be reloadable; however, due to growing concerns that scammers are using gift cards for fraudulent activities, Walmart discontinued the reloadable feature of Walmart Gift Cards.
How is the Walmart MoneyCard different from the Walmart Gift Card?
One of the key differences between gift cards and prepaid debit cards (such as the Walmart MoneyCard) is that gift cards are stored value cards (SVC).
Therefore, the monetary value of the Walmart Gift Card is stored on the gift card itself.
In contrast, prepaid debit cards are not stored on the card, but in an external account managed by a financial institution such as a bank.
That means you can put money into your Walmart Prepaid Debit Card regularly or anytime.
What is the difference between the Walmart eGift Card and the Walmart Gift Card?
Walmart eGift Cards and Walmart Gift Cards are similar in that they can both be used for online and in-store Walmart purchases.
However, the clue to distinguish them comes from the “e” part, where the e stands for “electron”.
All this just means is that instead of sending a plastic card like a Walmart gift card, the sender of the e-gift card sends the e-gift card electronically to a designated email address.
Recipients of the eGift Card can use the Walmart eGift Card at a Walmart store by printing the eGift Card email or showing the email to the cashier on a mobile device.
Like the plastic Walmart Gift Card, the Walmart Digital Gift Card cannot be reloaded.
To learn more, also see our posts on whether Walmart Gift Cards can be used to purchase Visa Gift Cards, where Walmart Gift Cards can be used, and when Walmart processes MoneyCard deposits.
in conclusion
A Walmart gift card is a beautiful and thoughtful gift for a friend or family member.
However, be sure to choose carefully what you add to your gift card, as this will most likely be the first and last time you will be able to add money to a gift card.
Refunds are the exception, of course, and the value of returned items purchased with a Walmart gift card is then added back to the gift card used to make the purchase.
While Walmart gift cards cannot be reloaded like prepaid debit cards, they can still be a great gift for someone!
