Cash App Gift Card: How to Use and Transfer Gift Cards

Cash App gift cards aren’t like the usual plastic you get from big retailers. You can send and receive gift cards right inside Cash App, and those balances are ready to spend with your Cash Card almost instantly. But if you’ve got a gift card from a store or brand outside Cash App, you can’t just add it to your account.

A lot of folks wonder about moving money from their old gift cards into Cash App. Cash App doesn’t support most direct gift card transfers, but there are some clever ways to turn those balances into Cash App funds. These little workarounds help you unlock gift card money and spend it where you actually want.

How Cash App Gift Card Works

Cash App treats gift cards differently than most payment apps, and you’ll need to know which cards play nice with their system.

Compatibility With Cash App Accounts

When you add a compatible gift card, the balance drops right into your Cash App account. All your gift card money lives there, ready to spend.

You use your Cash Card—a personalized debit card from Cash App—to spend those funds in stores or online. It’s basically your ticket to using gift card money in the real world.

If you get a gift card from someone else through Cash App, it works immediately with your account. Gift cards from outside the Cash App ecosystem? Those take a little more effort.

Once your gift card balance lands in Cash App, you can send it to friends or family just like your regular cash.

Accepted Gift Card Types

Cash App only takes network gift cards—think Visa and Mastercard prepaid cards that act like debit cards.

Store gift cards (Amazon, Target, you name it) don’t work directly with Cash App. You can’t just punch those in and go shopping.

Both physical and digital network cards are fine. What matters is the payment network, not the format.

Cash App asks for ZIP code verification on all gift cards. If your card doesn’t have a valid ZIP code, you’re out of luck.

Steps to Link a Gift Card

You’ll need to activate your Cash Card before you can link any gift cards. That Cash Card is what lets you actually spend the funds.

When you add a network gift card, Cash App usually processes it right away. The money shows up in minutes.

You’ll need:

• Gift card number

  
  

• Security code

  
  

• ZIP code tied to the card

  
  

• Expiration date

If you’re stuck with a non-network card, third-party services can help. They turn your gift card balance into cash, which you can move to your bank and then into Cash App.

Limitations and Restrictions

Cash App no longer lets you buy new gift cards from within the app. You can only manage cards you already added.

Here’s what you can’t do:

• Buy new gift cards in Cash App

  
  

• Use anything but Visa/Mastercard network cards

  
  

• Skip ZIP code verification

  
  

• Add store-specific cards

US users still get access to the gift card features that remain. Cash App keeps these rules in place for security.

Once you’ve moved your gift card balance into Cash App, you can’t send it back to the original card. The money’s stuck in the platform after conversion.

Transferring Gift Card Balance to Cash App

Cash App doesn’t let you use most gift cards directly, but you can get the money in with a few workarounds. Usually, you have to turn the gift card into cash first, then move that cash into Cash App using your linked debit card or bank.

Converting Visa and Mastercard Gift Cards

Visa and Mastercard gift cards make things easiest. Since they’re prepaid debit cards, you can use them in a lot of places.

You can add these cards to PayPal, for example. Just put the gift card in as a payment method, then move the money to your linked bank account or debit card. Once it lands in your bank, you can use Cash App’s “Add Cash” feature to move it over.

Here’s how the PayPal route works:

• Add your gift card to PayPal

• 
  

• Transfer the balance to your bank

• 
  

• Use Cash App to add that cash from your bank

Venmo’s pretty similar. Add the card, send funds to Venmo, transfer to your bank, then pull it into Cash App.

Some prepaid cards let you pull out cash at the ATM if you set up a PIN. You can deposit that money into your checking or savings, then move it into Cash App.

Transferring Store Gift Cards

Store cards like Amazon or Target can’t go straight into PayPal or Venmo. You’ll need a different approach.

Gift card exchange sites let you sell those store cards for cash. Sites like Cardtonic, Raise, and CardCash buy your card info, give you an offer (usually less than face value), and pay you through bank transfer or another method.

How the exchange sites work:

• Upload your card details

  
  

• Accept an offer (often 70-90% of value)

  
  

• Get paid to your bank

  
  

• Move the cash to Cash App

Some exchange sites pay out instantly to debit cards, so you don’t have to wait for a slow bank transfer.

You can also try peer-to-peer selling through places like r/cashapp, but honestly, that’s riskier than using a legit exchange.

Third-Party Services and Alternatives

Some third-party services go beyond the usual exchange platforms and might pay a bit better or move faster.

A few digital wallets let you fund your account with gift cards, then you can shuffle money around between apps until it lands in Cash App. Watch out for fees, though—they can eat into your total.

Other options:

• Buy money orders with your gift card

  
  

• Purchase bitcoin or other crypto

  
  

• Use peer-to-peer trading

  
  

• Try cash advance services

Some people buy prepaid debit cards with their gift cards, then link those new cards to Cash App. This can work if your original card isn’t eligible.

A handful of crypto exchanges and lightning wallets take certain gift cards, letting you convert to digital assets you can sell for cash. Not for everyone, but it’s out there.

Transfer Fees and Processing Times

Transfer costs swing pretty widely depending on how you move your money. Direct bank transfers tend to be cheaper than those instant debit card transfers, which, let’s face it, are tempting when you need cash fast.

Common Fee Structure:

• PayPal bank transfer: Free (3-5 business days)

  
  

• PayPal instant transfer: 1.5% fee

  
  

• Gift card exchanges: 10-30% reduction from face value

  
  

• Money order purchases: $1-3 per transaction

Processing times jump from nearly instant for same-day transfers to several days for standard bank moves. If you want your money on your debit card right away, you’ll pay extra for that speed, but sometimes it’s worth it just to have the cash in Cash App.

Bank transfers to savings accounts often drag out a bit longer than those to checking accounts. Weekends and holidays can throw off your timing, so it pays to keep that in mind.

Gift card exchange platforms usually wrap up sales within 24-48 hours. After that, the bank transfer tacks on another 1-3 days before you finally see the funds in Cash App.

Some short term lenders will front you cash based on pending gift card sales. But honestly, those come with steeper fees—and that’s not something to jump into lightly.