The Complete 2023 Guide on Where Walmart Gift Cards Can Be Used
As an incredibly convenient gift idea for anyone who loves Walmart and Sam‘s Club, Walmart gift cards enable spending at over 5,293 Walmart stores, 599 Sam‘s Club locations, and 1,730 Murphy USA and Murphy Express gas stations as of January 2023 (according to Walmart‘s latest store counts). That translates into a ton of options for your gift card recipient!
But before you purchase a gift card this year, it helps to understand everywhere these handy cards can and can‘t be used. I‘ve compiled this detailed guide leveraging my years as a Walmart shopper and employee to breakdown all there is to know about getting the most out of Walmart gift cards.
All the Places You Can Use Walmart Gift Cards
First, let‘s cover the many convenient places Walmart gift cards are accepted:
Walmart Stores
Every Walmart location across the 50 states accepts their branded gift cards without exceptions. So all 5,293 Supercenters and discount stores allow gift card use for purchasing:
- Groceries
- Household goods
- Furniture
- Toys
- Clothing & accessories
- Beauty products
- Electronics like TVs, laptops, and smartphones
- And any other products carried at your local store
The only caveat is restrictions on buying alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and other gift cards with Walmart gift cards, which we‘ll explain more below.
Walmart.com
Walmart‘s ecommerce site with over 100 million unique visitors a month also accepts gift cards. So anything available on Walmart.com and the Walmart app from home goods to toys to groceries can be purchased with gift card funds.
Sam‘s Club Warehouses
All 599 Sam‘s Club locations in the US as well as SamsClub.com accept Walmart gift cards. So your recipient can stock up on bulk groceries and household items using their gift funds.
Murphy USA and Murphy Express Gas Stations
Selected fuel stations from this Walmart-owned gas company allow paying for gas, snacks, and more with Walmart gift cards. According to Murphy USA‘s store locator, there are currently over 1,730 Murphy USA and Murphy Express stations, most co-located with Walmart Supercenters.
So between stores, online shopping, Sam‘s Club, and gas stations, your lucky gift card receiver has over 7,000 convenient places to spend their card in 2024!
Here is a quick summary of where the cards are accepted:
| Store | # of Locations | Purchases Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | 5,293 | All in-store/online purchases |
| Sam‘s Club | 599 | All in-club/online purchases |
| Murphy USA & Murphy Express | 1,730+ | Gas, convenience store items |
And the perk of Walmart gift cards is they can be used for partial payments. So shoppers can pay part of a total bill with their gift card and cover the remainder with another payment method like cash, check or credit card.
Places Where Walmart Gift Cards Can‘t Be Used
While Walmart gift cards can be cashed in at thousands of stores and online, there are some limitations on where they are not accepted:
Other Retailers
The biggest caveat is that Walmart gift cards can only be used at Walmart-owned businesses. Competitors like Target, Amazon, Kroger, Costco and other major chains do not allow spending gift card funds in-store or online.
Walmart aims to keep all gift card purchases within their branded stores and sites. So shopping with your card elsewhere won‘t work.
Purchasing Other Gift Cards
Additionally, Walmart‘s policy prohibits buying other gift cards with their own gift cards. So shoppers can‘t exchange their Walmart gift funds for an Amazon, Visa, Mastercard or other retailer gift card instead. This may be disappointing if you‘d rather have a prepaid card valid at more stores.
International Stores
While Walmart does have over 6,300 international locations like Asda in the UK and Walmart Canada, US-purchased gift cards only work at US stores. Even Walmart locations overseas will not accept American gift cards. So these funds have to stay stateside.
Seasonal & Purchase Restrictions
Beyond the retailer limitations, it‘s worth noting a couple other potential restrictions when using Walmart gift cards:
Alcohol, tobacco, firearms – In many states, Walmart has policies restricting gift card use for buying alcohol, tobacco, ammunition, and firearms. So additional payment methods may be needed for these age-restricted items.
Holiday gift cards – During the holiday season, Walmart sells special holiday gift cards that can only be used temporarily for toys and other seasonal items. These have shorter expiration dates into the new year.
So there are some potential exclusions shoppers may hit if trying to buy certain adult products or during special promotional periods. But otherwise, Walmart gift cards present few restrictions across their eligible stores.
Step-By-Step Guide to Using Walmart Gift Cards
Wondering how exactly to go about using Walmart gift cards once you have one in-hand? Here is my simple guide to checking balances and redeeming your funds:
1. Locate Your Card Number and PIN Code
On the back of any plastic Walmart gift card, you‘ll find a 16 digit card number. For eGifts delivered by email or print-at-home, this card number is provided digitally.
There will also be a 4 digit PIN code assigned to the card needed when making purchases.
2. Check Your Balance
Unsure exactly how much money remains on your gift card? Easily check balances anytime by:
- Going to the Walmart gift card portal
- Entering your 16 digit card number and 4 digit PIN
- Viewing your updated balance and transaction history
Checking online makes it easy to budget exactly how much you have left to spend.
3. Provide Card Details at Checkout
To redeem gift card funds in-store, simply provide the cashier your 16 digit card number and 4 digit PIN to be entered into the register.
When shopping online via Walmart.com, Sam‘s Club, or Murphy USA, type in the card number and PIN during checkout when selecting payment.
Gift cards can be combined with other payment types if your purchase exceeds your gift card balance. It‘s that easy!
So with a few quick steps to check balances and provide the card details at checkout, putting your Walmart gift money to use is super convenient.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully this thorough guide better equips you to understand all the places Walmart gift cards can help shoppers save money in 2024. With thousands of stores plus easy online checkout, the Walmart name also makes these great go-to gift ideas for the retail-lovers in your life.
Just steer clear of competitor retailers and remember to check card policies on age-restricted purchases. By following my tips on redeeming gift funds online or in-stores, your recipient will enjoy getting the most value out of Walmart and Sam‘s Club shopping with gift card in-hand!
