How To Activate Walmart Gift Card: A Step-by-Step Guide

Does your Walmart gift card need to be activated but you don’t know how to? Then keep reading this article. 

Walmart gift cards are issued by Walmart, a multinational retail company in America. When you shop at a Walmart store, you can use your Walmart gift card to pay instead of using cash or a credit/debit card. These gift cards come in various denominations. 

Usually, not all types of gift cards need to be activated before use but for Walmart, the policy is quite different. Walmart has both physical gift cards and eGift cards. Some physical gift cards are automatically activated while others need activation before use. 

In this article, you will find out how to activate a Walmart gift card step-by-step. I’ll also explain which Walmart gift cards need activation and answer commonly asked questions. Let’s get started. 

3 Ways To Activate Walmart Gift Card

When you buy a Walmart gift card, the store will send you a confirmation email. This email, which you should get within 48 hours, will contain a code and the instructions for activating the gift card. Note that you wouldn’t be able to use your gift card before activation. 

However, if you don’t receive your confirmation email within 48 hours, check your spam folder. If the email is not in your spam, confirm that the email address on your Walmart account is correct. If it is correct and you have still not received a confirmation email, choose the option to resend. 

Once you’ve gotten the details you need, you can activate your Walmart gift card through any of these three ways:

1. Online
2. Over the phone. 
3. In-store

Activating Your Gift Card Online

Follow these simple steps to activate your Walmart gift card online:

1. Open the confirmation email from Walmart that has your gift card details.
2. Click on the link in the email. You can also find the URL on the gift card if you have the plastic one.
3. Enter the card’s ID number and activation code in the provided fields.
4. Once you submit the code, your Walmart gift card will activate automatically. 

Now, you’re good to go! You can redeem your Walmart gift card for online and in-store purchases at Walmart.  Additionally, you can use it at all Sam’s Club locations, including gas stations, and on Vudu. 

Calling Customer Service To Activate Your Gift Card

You can also activate your gift card by placing a call to Walmart’s customer service. Reach out to the store’s customer support team at 1-800-411-7942, available Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Central Time). The number to call should be included in the confirmation email. 

You can choose to either speak to an actual person or follow automated prompts. Regardless of which option you choose, you will need the details in the confirmation email. This includes the gift card’s ID number and the activation code.

Activating Your Gift Card at a Walmart Store

If you would like to activate your gift card in person, you can go to a Walmart store near you. 

At the store, the attendant will confirm if you can redeem your gift card and check the balance on your Walmart gift card if needed. Also, you can ask for a receipt as a physical proof of activation once your gift card has been activated. 

Is Activating Walmart Gift Cards Needed?

The need to activate your Walmart gift card depends on the type and value. eGift cards don’t need activation regardless of their value. However, the case is different for physical gift cards.

Some physical gift cards need activation and the determining factor is the value of the gift card. Physical gift cards worth above $250 need to be activated. Additionally, bulk orders of more than 25 gift cards should be activated.

The reason these gift cards need to be activated before use is to make them more secure.

Frequently Asked Questions About Activating Walmart Gift Card

1. Where can you get a Walmart gift card aside from Walmart?

You can also get Walmart gift cards at any Sam’s Club location or the store’s official website. Sam’s Club is a subsidiary of Walmart. Another authorized seller of Walmart gift cards is PayPal

2. What details do I need to activate my Walmart gift card?

To activate your Walmart gift card you need your gift card number and an activation code. 

3. How can I check my Walmart gift card balance?

After activating your gift card, you can easily verify the balance using the four-digit PIN code. Just like with activation, you can check the balance online, over the phone or in-store. 

If your gift card doesn’t have a PIN, you can go to a Walmart store or Sam’s Club to exchange it for one that does. 

4. Where is the card number on a Walmart gift card?

The 16-digit card number is usually written on the front of the gift card. On the other hand, the PIN is written under a scratch-off sticker at the bottom right corner of the card. 

5. Why do I need to activate my Walmart gift card?

If your gift card is worth above $250, you need to activate it for security reasons. 

Conclusion 

You can use Walmart gift cards to purchase groceries and other items from Walmart stores and Sam’s Club. Some Walmart gift cards need activation before you can use them. Luckily, you can easily activate your gift card through any of the three different ways discussed.

If you have a Walmart gift card that you don’t plan on using, you can sell it for cash on Nosh. Nosh is a reliable gift card trading platform and you can guarantee that your money will be sent to you instantly!