Can you buy gift cards with gift cards at walmart

Allen84 [OP] Deal Addict

Jan 20, 2006 2670 posts 3157 upvotes

Dec 17th, 2020 2:52 pm

I've been given a Walmart gift card from work. I have no interest in shopping there anymore ever since they axed their price matching policy. I don't even go there nearly enough anyway.

Would I be able to get a Best Buy or Amazon GC if they have it?

In my experience: no.
Can't buy gift cards with a gift card there.

Allen84 [OP] Deal Addict

Jan 20, 2006 2670 posts 3157 upvotes

Dec 17th, 2020 3:14 pm

jrakutt wrote: ↑In my experience: no.
Can't buy gift cards with a gift card there.

Damn it. I did some googling, but I've been only able find answers from people having success, but only at US Walmart. Couldn't get a straight answer for the Canadian stores, and thought I asked here.

Allen84 wrote: ↑ I've been given a Walmart gift card from work. I have no interest in shopping there anymore ever since they axed their price matching policy. I don't even go there nearly enough anyway.

Would I be able to get a Best Buy or Amazon GC if they have it?

I'm a Walmart associate and the answer is a hard NO. The reason why is because people were stealing stuff, returning it without a receipt, and then purchasing prepaid Visas & MasterCards (although some people bought gift cards for the LCBO too). While there are gift cards that are designed to show they're store credit, if the customer service desk runs out of them then we just use regular gift cards. I can't tell you how many people I saw lined up at the customer service desk, were handed a Walmart gift card, walked right over to the gift card rack, and then to self-checkout.

Another reason, is that the purchase of other stores gift cards aren't very profitable for Walmart. If I'm not mistaken on a $25 gift card for another store that Walmart sells, we only get to keep $2.50 of that. Profit margins are much, much higher on regular products. I had to buy a pair of safety shoes a couple months ago (which the company sells us at cost). A $100 pair of safety shoes costs $35. The markup on some products would shock you. Last week I was curious to find out how much a pack of $40 batteries costs the company...less than $15. The list goes on. What I'm trying to say is let's say you use a $25 gift card on on most products Walmart sells, they're profiting a minimum of 30-40% whereas if you use that same $25 gift card to buy another store's gift card then Walmart's profit goes down to 10%. I should point out that profit margins are much, much lower on groceries.

SenatorsFan wrote: ↑ I'm a Walmart associate and the answer is a hard NO. The reason why is because people were stealing stuff, returning it without a receipt, and then purchasing prepaid Visas & MasterCards (although some people bought gift cards for the LCBO too). While there are gift cards that are designed to show they're store credit, if the customer service desk runs out of them then we just use regular gift cards. I can't tell you how many people I saw lined up at the customer service desk, were handed a Walmart gift card, walked right over to the gift card rack, and then to self-checkout.

Another reason, is that the purchase of other stores gift cards aren't very profitable for Walmart. If I'm not mistaken on a $25 gift card for another store that Walmart sells, we only get to keep $2.50 of that. Profit margins are much, much higher on regular products. I had to buy a pair of safety shoes a couple months ago (which the company sells us at cost). A $100 pair of safety shoes costs $35. The markup on some products would shock you. Last week I was curious to find out how much a pack of $40 batteries costs the company...less than $15. The list goes on. What I'm trying to say is let's say you use a $25 gift card on on most products Walmart sells, they're profiting a minimum of 30-40% whereas if you use that same $25 gift card to buy another store's gift card then Walmart's profit goes down to 10%. I should point out that profit margins are much, much lower on groceries.

can I buy gc at self checkout?

ml88888888 wrote: ↑ can I buy gc at self checkout?

No, the machine will freeze and the balance of your gift card will deplete temporarily for up to 24 hours for the amount you were trying to use.

Is that a recent change? How about mobile payment cards? Back in 2019 I was able to use Walmart GC to buy Public Mobile vouchers.

vkrasov wrote: ↑ Is that a recent change? How about mobile payment cards? Back in 2019 I was able to use Walmart GC to buy Public Mobile vouchers.

Here in Ottawa, our store manager in conjunction with loss-prevention stopped allowing Walmart gift cards to be used for ANY sort of other gift cards. Mobile vouchers are considered gift cards for our purposes.

SenatorsFan wrote: ↑ Here in Ottawa, our store manager in conjunction with loss-prevention stopped allowing Walmart gift cards to be used for ANY sort of other gift cards. Mobile vouchers are considered gift cards for our purposes.

Hmm, what kind of loss is addressed by this measure? Shoplifting or unprofitable GC/voucher retail?
It would be so much more efficient to deny returns whiteout receipt.
But it looks to me, it is about keeping customer base (including alleged thieves)))
Yes, they shoplift, but they will keep shopping here...

vkrasov wrote: ↑ Hmm, what kind of loss is addressed by this measure? Shoplifting or unprofitable GC/voucher retail?
It would be so much more efficient to deny returns whiteout receipt.
But it looks to me, it is about keeping customer base (including alleged thieves)))
Yes, they shoplift, but they will keep shopping here...

I believe most if not all retailers won't let you purchase GCs with other GCs. They will let you use them for cards such as PlayStation plus membership cards though.

xfftwf Sr. Member

Dec 6, 2013 842 posts 396 upvotes Ontario

Jan 6th, 2021 10:43 pm

SenatorsFan wrote: ↑ I'm a Walmart associate and the answer is a hard NO. The reason why is because people were stealing stuff, returning it without a receipt, and then purchasing prepaid Visas & MasterCards (although some people bought gift cards for the LCBO too). While there are gift cards that are designed to show they're store credit, if the customer service desk runs out of them then we just use regular gift cards. I can't tell you how many people I saw lined up at the customer service desk, were handed a Walmart gift card, walked right over to the gift card rack, and then to self-checkout.

Another reason, is that the purchase of other stores gift cards aren't very profitable for Walmart. If I'm not mistaken on a $25 gift card for another store that Walmart sells, we only get to keep $2.50 of that. Profit margins are much, much higher on regular products. I had to buy a pair of safety shoes a couple months ago (which the company sells us at cost). A $100 pair of safety shoes costs $35. The markup on some products would shock you. Last week I was curious to find out how much a pack of $40 batteries costs the company...less than $15. The list goes on. What I'm trying to say is let's say you use a $25 gift card on on most products Walmart sells, they're profiting a minimum of 30-40% whereas if you use that same $25 gift card to buy another store's gift card then Walmart's profit goes down to 10%. I should point out that profit margins are much, much lower on groceries.

Just wanna say I love insider information like this

vkrasov wrote: ↑ Hmm, what kind of loss is addressed by this measure? Shoplifting or unprofitable GC/voucher retail?
It would be so much more efficient to deny returns whiteout receipt.
But it looks to me, it is about keeping customer base (including alleged thieves)))
Yes, they shoplift, but they will keep shopping here...

See my quoted post above. Essentially people were stealing stuff, returning it, getting store credit, using it buy other store's gift cards. Plus we don't make much money off other store's gift cards. It's way 1 to ensure that the money stays within the company.

SenatorsFan wrote: ↑ Here in Ottawa, our store manager in conjunction with loss-prevention stopped allowing Walmart gift cards to be used for ANY sort of other gift cards. Mobile vouchers are considered gift cards for our purposes.

But is this hard-coded into the till system?

Arrow wrote: ↑ But is this hard-coded into the till system?

Mobile vouchers have never been able to be purchased at self-checkouts regardless of payment due to a glitch in the system. As for regular gift cards, it's been hard-coded into the self-checkout system in terms of being able to use gift cards to buy gift cards for over a year. As for being able to do so on regular registers, I haven't tried in over a year. I just know if I'm on a regular register and a customer tries buying a gift card or mobile voucher with a gift card, I'm to refuse it. If the customer contests my decision, I call my supervisor who upholds my decision as does the assistant manager. The company has taken a hard line on this issue. It can no longer happen under any circumstances. The few times a customer 'demands' to buy a gift card with a gift card and won't listen to management, then we call loss-prevention.

The only other way to buy gift cards at walmart is using mall gift cards (at wal marts attached to malls). They process under credit so the cashier won't know the difference.

Arrow wrote: ↑ But is this hard-coded into the till system?

hard coded in both self and regular check out.
when you swipe scan you gift card, it will print out error receipt saying you can't buy ANY gift card/prepaid visa/master with gift card
I tried buy Nintendo card with gift card, no dice

Last edited by Dreamrider on Jan 8th, 2021 7:40 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Put it on Kijiji and see if someone will straight up swap with you or even just buy it for less than face value.