While getting a Walmart gift card or any other gift card can be great, it can also be annoying as you are forced to spend it at the given location.
Can You Get Cash Back From a Walmart Gift Card?
No, you cannot generally get cash back from a Walmart gift card. But, in certain states, if the remaining balance is under $10, you may receive cash back as mandated by state laws such as California (up to $10), Colorado (up to $5), Maine, and Massachusetts.
The short and to-the-point answer is that in most situations you will not typically be allowed to get cash back from your Walmart gift card.
That being said, there are a few states that have laws in place requiring retailers to give you money for your gift card. Below we are going to cover these states and how you can go about converting that Walmart gift card into cash.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cashing Out a Walmart Gift Card
- Check Your Gift Card Balance: Make sure that it has a remaining balance of $10 or less, as the law allows cash refunds only for balances below this amount.
- Visit a Walmart Store: Go to your nearest Walmart location.
- Request Cash Back: Ask customer service if you want to exchange your gift card for cash. Mention that your state law permits this for small balances.
- Present Your Gift Card: Give your Walmart gift card to the person and let them check the balance and confirm eligibility for cashback.
- Receive Your Cash: If approved, you will receive cash equivalent to the remaining balance on your gift card.
While Walmart does not allow a return on their gift cards, there are some states where they are legally obligated to give you cash back on your Walmart Gift Card. It’s not as simple as taking your gift card to them however and getting your money back.
In some states, retailers are required to offer cash back on your gift card if there is a small remaining balance, typically lower than $5.
When this happens, the retailer is required to offer you the remaining balance.
For example, if you just finished a transaction using your Walmart gift card and you have $2.32 left on your card, you can get this money back in certain states.
What States Is Walmart Gift Card Cashback Allowed/ Legal In?
In certain states, laws may require retailers to provide cash back for gift cards with small balances, typically under $10. States where this is applicable include:
- California (up to $10)
- Colorado (up to $5)
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Vermont
- Washington
Walmart itself states that it has to provide cash back for gift cards in any states that require it but they don’t go on to list them themselves.
The states that will require you to give you cash back on your Walmart gift card or any gift card for that matter are California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
Please be advised that when attempting to get cash back for your Walmart gift card, many workers in the store will be unaware of these laws and will question if this is allowed.
Do not get into an argument with them, but instead kindly state that it is the law and if they still are confused, simply ask for a store manager to come in and rectify the issue. We do not condone arguing with a Walmart employee because they are unaware of this policy and law.
General Policy of Walmart Gift Card
Walmart’s policy states that you cannot return gift cards for cash, regardless of their value. This applies to all types of Walmart gift cards, including specialty ones linked to third-party retailers.
Should you Do it?
To restate the point, with Walmart gift cards or any other type of gift card, you are ineligible to get cash back on it unless it is below a certain threshold.
If you are looking to sell off a gift card, there are plenty of websites online where you can sell them or trade them to another person.
Keep in mind that with these websites you are often going to get less than what the gift card is actually worth, however, you at least have the freedom to spend this money wherever you want.
