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How To Add Money To Venmo With a Prepaid Card or a Gift Card?

You can add money to your Venmo account through various means. Although the most popular ones are using a linked bank account or credit/debit cards, Venmo also accepts prepaid card transactions. Let’s check out how to add money to Venmo with a prepaid card! 

What Will We Talk About Here?
  • You can add a prepaid card to Venmo by Open app > Menu > Settings > Preferences > Payment methods > Add bank or card > Add card > Card information > Add > Confirm.
  • Alternative ways to send money to Venmo is by requesting a friend or relative, adding a bank account, using direct deposit or using a check deposit.
  • Venmo works with network-branded cards such as Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.

…and Much More!

How To Add Money To Venmo With a Prepaid Card – Step By Step Guide

For user relief and convenience, Venmo works with prepaid and gift cards from different issuers, including Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. Therefore, you can add these cards to Venmo and use them to transfer funds to your Venmo account directly.

  1. Open the Venmo app and use your login credentials to access the account.
  2. Click on the Menu button on the home screen.
  3. Then tap on Settings.
  4. Look for the Preferences option under which you will find Payment Methods listed. Click on it.
  5. The next step is to click on Add Bank or Card.
  6. Since you intend to add a prepaid card in this example, click Add Card and proceed.
  7. Provide the necessary prepaid card information. This would include card number, expiry date, etc.
  8. You must also enter the Zip and Security codes to continue.
  9. Click on Add, and the prepaid Card will be linked to your Venmo account.

Now, you can use the prepaid Card to send money to Venmo without hassle. However, remember that the transfer may be turned down for several other reasons.

  • Venmo has the authority to reject a transaction if there is a problem with the card issuer or a threat of fraud. 

What Prepaid Cards Work With Venmo For Instant Transfers

As mentioned, Venmo works with network-branded cards such as Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover. You can link up to 4 cards with Venmo, including credit, debit, gift card, or prepaid card.

  • If you cannot link a card with Venmo, there may be reasons other than the card not supporting the Venmo app. 

For example, a lack of funds in the card or fraud issues can hinder Venmo from connecting with a prepaid card. Venmo stands strong against scamming issues on the app. Therefore, it will restrict your account if suspicious activity is suspected.

Why Was My Venmo Prepaid Card Declined?

There can be several reasons why your Venmo prepaid card is declined for a payment. Some are more common than others. Here are a few you should check off your list before contacting the customer support team for help.

  • First of all, confirm you have sufficient funds on the card.
  • Ensure that your card is registered to you and has a ZIP code.
  • Check that the issuer has not placed any fraud-related concerns on your card usage.

How to Transfer Visa Gift Card To Venmo Balance

You can easily transfer a Visa gift card to Venmo, but you need to add the gift card to your Venmo account first. Here’s how it works:

  1. Open your Venmo app and click on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner.
  2. Then tap on Settings and choose Payment Methods. 
  3. Click Add Bank or Card and select Card. 
  4. Then, enter the card number and expiration date, and provide the CVV code of your Visa gift card. Select Add, which will complete adding a gift card to your Venmo account.
  5. After that, press You tab in the Venmo app.
  6. Tap on Manage Balance and select Add Money.
  7. Select the Gift Card from which you want to transfer the Money and enter the amount you wish to transfer. Then, choose the Add Money option.

Extra Reading

How To Add Money To Venmo Without a Prepaid Card?

As we mentioned, there are other ways to add money to your Venmo account, some of which are more popular than using a prepaid card. First, you can request a friend or a relative to transfer money to your Venmo account.

  • You can later pay them back in cash or have funds sent to their bank account. 

However, only Venmo users can send you money via this method. This is because Venmo does not support direct transfers to other apps like Cash AppZellePayPal, etc. You must send money from Venmo to the bank account and then forward the amount to other platforms. Let’s take a look at some other alternatives now. 

  • Use a bank account. 

Another reliable method is using your linked account to send money to Venmo. This is a direct method and shouldn’t take more than a couple of days to receive the money.

Open Settings in your Venmo account and tap on Payment Methods. Then click on Add Bank and choose the preferred transfer mode and the amount of money to send.

Venmo may only accept payment if you provide the correct bank account information. Therefore, it is crucial to check the details you add so you don’t lose money. Moreover, Venmo instant transfer requires an additional 1.5% fee. Ensure you have sufficient funds in your account before confirming the transaction.

  • Use direct deposit 

Your employer can also send you money on Venmo via direct deposit. You need to provide Venmo routing and account numbers to the company. Similarly, you can receive tax returns, government benefits, and other deposits through this method.

  • Use check deposit

Checks can also be deposited into a Venmo account digitally. You must sign the checks back and upload photos to Venmo. Transferring money through this method can also take a couple of days.

Steps To Create Venmo Account

If you have just learned how to send money to Venmo with a prepaid card but do not yet have a Venmo account, then begin the procedure by creating one. Check that your internet is working, and then follow the quick guide below to open an account with Venmo.

  1. Download Venmo on your device and choose to sign up via Facebook or email.
  2. Provide your phone number to verify the account.
  3. Enter the 4-digit number that is sent to your phone to proceed.
  4. Add a photo to Venmo for verification.
  5. Choose a username and password for your Venmo account.
  6. Click on Done to finish off the procedure.

Later, you can sync your phone contacts to Venmo to help find and add friends easily. Remember, Venmo is a social app that lets you communicate with others and send and receive money. If a contact makes you uncomfortable, you can always block someone on Venmo. ‘

You might be interested in reading: How To Unblock Someone on Venmo?

The Bottom Line

Although Venmo use is limited, as it is not available in Canada, the Venmo app has become quite popular in the US for quick money transfers through smartphones or computers.

  • You can add a bank, debit card, credit card, prepaid card, or gift card to Venmo as it supports transactions from all such means. 

Nonetheless, some apps do not allow you to send money to Venmo or receive money from it directly. Alternatively, you can link the same bank account to both apps to act as a bridge to solve this issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a prepaid card be used to send money to my Venmo account?

Venmo accepts prepaid cards, debit cards, credit cards, network-branded cards, etc.

Can you add money to your Venmo account without a bank?

If you don’t have a bank account, you can request other friends or family members to transfer Money into your Venmo account. Alternatively, you can also link a Venmo debit card for money transfers.

What is the method to add Money to Venmo? 

You must link and verify a bank to add funds to your Venmo account. Then select Manage Balance in your Venmo app, click Add Money, provide bank details and the amount of money you wish to add, and confirm the transfer. The transaction may take up to 5 business days to complete.

How to add a Vanilla gift card to Venmo?

Tap on You in the Venmo app and choose Manage Balance. Then tap on Add Money and choose Vanilla gift card as the source. Enter the amount you wish to transfer and select Add Now.