It’s worth noting that VISA debit cards can “freeze” in lieu of suspicious activity.

VISA gift cards expire seven years from the purchase date.

(In this case, your best bet is to purchase a money order with the card.)

A $25 VISA gift card on a table.

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While registering your card, be sure to check its balance.

A card that hasn’t been removed from its packaging may still fall victim tocard-draining scams.

There are dozens of VISA gift card issuers, and they all use different websites.

The PayPal app listed on the Google Play store.

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Check the back of your card for registration and balance-checking instructions.

So, we’re going to use PayPal as an intermediary service.

Start by opening the PayPal app (Android,iPhone) on your smartphone.

Selecting the ‘Add money’ button in the Paypal app.

Your PayPal balance will appear at the top-left corner of your screen.

Tap the “Add Money” button under your balance.

PayPal will redirect you to your digital wallet.

Selecting the ‘Add money from bank or card’ button in the PayPal app.

Tap the “Add Money From Bank or Card” button.

Enter the full balance of your VISA gift card.

punch in in the VISA gift card’s details, and pick the correct billing address.

Adding a new payment method in the PayPal app.

Press the big blue “Add” button to transfer the funds from your VISA gift card to PayPal.

The money from your VISA gift card should instantly appear in PayPal.

From here, you canwithdraw the fundsto your chosen bank account or simply spend the money through PayPal.

Adding $50 to a PayPal balance from a debit card.

Again, some VISA gift card issuers do not allow deposits into banks or money transfer services.

Just know that the invoice trick is accompanied by a 2% to 3% fee.

Purchasing a money order may be a better option, as money order fees are comparatively small.

Opening the ‘Me’ page in the Venmo app.

Tap the “Wallet” button to see your balance.

pop in in your VISA gift card details.

Navigate back to your “Wallet” and tap the “Manage” button next to your balance.

Entering the ‘Wallet’ section of the Venmo app.

From here, select your VISA gift card and transfer its full balance into Venmo.

Again, this process requires a Venmo debit card.

You’ll take on a nominal fee, but it’s better than nothing.

Adding a debit card to a Venmo account.

(For example, Walmart has a$1 maximum feefor money orders.)

This fee will be chargedon topof your money order purchase.

Note that some financial institutions do not accept VISA gift cards for money orders.

Selecting the ‘Manage’ button in Venmo’s wallet section.

This is usually dictated by store policy rather than company policy.