At the end of the holiday season, some folks may find themselves with an abundance of gift cards, not quite sure what to do with them.
Some of these cards might be specific to certain retailers, taking the guesswork and decision-making out of where to spend these gifted funds and how much to use at once. But in the case of Visa gift cards, essentially temporary debit cards, the choices become wider and more varied.
Instead of fumbling at checkout with multiple forms of payment and multiple cards, shoppers can combine their Visa gift cards with digital wallets like Cashapp or Venmo to transfer the funds to their checking account or personal debit card.
In a video posted to TikTok by user @lavitavirginia that has garnered over 5.6 million views as of Saturday, the content creator shares her hack for getting those gifted funds straight to her bank account.
“Here’s how you transfer your Visa gift card that you got for Christmas into your bank account,” she says in the video. “You’re going to add that gift card into your Venmo or Cashapp or whatever, and then you’re just going to transfer the balance to your bank account.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @lavitavirginia via TikTok direct message regarding the video.
@lavitavirginia ♬ original sound – VIRGINIA
However, some viewers shared in the comments section that the method did not work for them, as their zip code is designated as incorrect by these digital wallets.
“It doesn’t work for me :/ it wants a zip code and when I put it in it says invalid,” one commenter wrote.
“On Venmo it tells me I have an incorrect ZIP Code,” another said. “What ZIP Code do you use for a Visa gift card?”
“I’ve tried this numerous times and it says my zipcode is wrong,” another echoed.
A potential solution put forth by another viewer is to access the card issuer’s website and register the recipient’s address as the mailing address for the card.
Some viewers commented with some suggestions for what the Visa card might be used for after the funds have been transferred over, as the card number is likely valid until its expiration.
“And then save that empty card and use it for free trials that require a card so it can’t actually pull any money next month and automatically cancels,” one commenter wrote.
“Keep like $5 on it,” another suggested. “Most places now will try and charge $1 to make sure there is money available.”
