How to Add a Gift Card on PayPal?

You can add some gift cards to PayPal, but not all of them.

Here’s the thing: gift cards come in a few “types,” and they don’t all act like a normal debit card. So if you are wondering “how to add a gift card on PayPal?” It is simple and easy.

A lot of people try prepaid Visa gift cards for this, since they can work like a debit card, and they’re usually the easiest option when they’re the prepaid kind.

What Types of Gift Cards Work with PayPal?

Here are some gift cards that can be added to PayPal.

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Prepaid Visa Gift Cards

These are the ones that act like a debit card. They have:

• A card number
• An expiry date
• A security code (CVV)

If your gift card has those, it has a real chance of working in PayPal.

This is why Mastercard or Visa prepaid gift cards are usually the best option to add to PayPal. They’re built to run on card networks, so PayPal can treat them like a regular card.

Virtual Gift Cards

Virtual cards can work if they’re basically a prepaid Visa in digital form.

If it only gives you a code to spend on one website, it will not work in PayPal. If it gives full card details like a normal card, it might.

What You Need Before You Add a Gift Card on PayPal?

Keep this simple. If any of these are missing, PayPal might decline the card.

• A valid prepaid Visa gift card
• Enough balance for PayPal verification (more on this in a sec)
• A billing address registered to the card (very important)
• An active PayPal account

You try adding the card, it declines, you panic, you retry 7 times, and nothing changes. Then you register the Visa gift cards billing address on the issuer site and suddenly it works. That happens a lot.

5 Steps on How to Add a Gift Card on PayPal

Here are 5 steps you can follow to add a gift card on PayPal:

1. Log in to PayPal

Use the app or browser. Either is fine.

2. Go to Wallet

This is where PayPal keeps cards and banks.

3. Choose “Add a Debit or Credit Card”

PayPal treats prepaid Visa like a debit card when they’re compatible.

4. Enter your Visa Gift Card Details

Type in your gift card details:

• Card number
• Expiry date
• CVV
• Billing address (make sure it matches what the card issuer has)

5. Confirm and Verify

PayPal may place a small temporary charge of up to $1 to check the card works for online payments. That charge is not a real purchase. It usually shows as pending while PayPal verifies the card.

Pro Tip: Prepaid gift cards usually won’t work for subscriptions or recurring payments.

Wrapping It Up

If your gift card is the prepaid Visa type, PayPal can be a clean combo.

Just remember not all gift cards are built the same. When you can add a gift card on PayPal, it feels magic. When it doesn’t, it’s usually because the card needs a billing address, has online restrictions, or the details don’t match.

Quick tip so you don’t waste leftover balance: use the gift card for a purchase that matches the balance closely, or you might end up with that annoying “$1.83 stuck forever” situation.