How To Use a PlayStation Gift Card—A Comprehensive Guide

PlayStation (PS) is one of the two most popular gaming consoles. Gift cards for the platform are a popular and convenient method of purchasing games on the PlayStation Store or paying your monthly subscription bill. Getting one as a present is a sure-fire way of making several of your coming weekends more exciting and busy playing the newest games.

The trick is that before you can actually use the PlayStation gift card to get a new release installed, you need to redeem it and add its funds to your virtual wallet.

In this guide, we provide a detailed step-by-step guide on how to use a PlayStation gift card, how you can exchange your gift card for cash, and how to get gift cards for free.

We also introduce Mode Mobile—a company that enables you to earn free gift cards and other rewards by using your phone!

Where Can You Use Your PlayStation Gift Card?

If you got a PlayStation Store gift card, you can use it for purchasing games, add-ons, in-game credits, season passes, etc., available on the PlayStation Store. Up until June 2022, separate gift cards were available for purchasing subscriptions for PS Now and PS Plus. Details of both services are provided in the table below:

As of June 13, 2022, PlayStation Now is merged with PlayStation Plus. The members of the former will still have access to all benefits that PlayStation Now used to provide. Sony has also made a statement confirming that they will be pulling PlayStation Now gift cards and focusing on the currently available PlayStation Store gift cards—which can be redeemed for PlayStation Now.

Source: Matilda Wormwood

How To Use a PlayStation Gift Card 

You can redeem your gift card in one of the following ways:

1. Via your PS4/PS5 console
2. On your PC
3. Via your phone

How To Redeem Your PlayStation Gift Card Using Your Console

The process of redeeming your PlayStation gift card is slightly different for PS4 and PS5. Here's how you can cash in on your card and add the funds to your wallet using each.

If you have a PlayStation 4, follow these steps to redeem your gift card:

1. Log in to your PS4 account and head to the PlayStation Store
2. Scroll to the bottom of the menu to the left and click on Redeem Codes
3. Enter the gift card’s 12-digit alphanumeric code 
4. Click on Continue and follow the prompts

For a PlayStation 5, the process is a bit more complicated. Here’s how to use a gift card on the PlayStation store:

1. Select Settings in the top right corner of your home screen
2. Click on Users and Accounts
3. Choose Accounts from the left menu and then click on Payment and Subscriptions
4. Choose Redeem Codes
5. Enter your gift card number and follow the prompts

How To Redeem a PlayStation Gift Card on Your PC

Source: Nikita Kostrykin

You don’t need to have a PlayStation at hand to transfer funds from your gift card to your PlayStation wallet. Follow the steps below to redeem your gift card online via a computer:

1. Go to the PlayStation Store and sign in to your account
2. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner
3. Select Redeem Codes
4. Enter your 12-character gift card number and click on Continue

How To Redeem a PlayStation Gift Card via Your Phone

The PlayStation app on your phone also makes it possible to redeem your gift card. Download the app and follow the steps given below:

1. Click on the PlayStation icon on the menu at the bottom of the screen
2. Select the three-line icon on the top right corner
3. Tap Redeem Code
4. Enter your gift card number and follow the prompts

Earn Supplemental Income With the Mode Earn App

The Mode Earn App is the go-to platform for all budget-conscious consumers—it provides the necessary conditions for earning a consistent side income. Once you install the app, you can start using your phone as you would any other day, and you’ll get rewarded for it!

The app is free to download from the Google Play store and is available worldwide. You can earn by completing numerous simple and effortless tasks on your phone, some of which include:

• Listening to music
• Playing mobile games
• Checking the weather 
• Surfing the web

You’ll get rewarded with points for completing each eligible task. Once you accumulate a certain number of points, you can exchange them for one of the many valuable redemption items on offer. The selection of redemption items is vast—here are some examples of what you can exchange your reward points for:

• Prepaid cards
• Gift cards (Amazon, eBay, Target, Walmart, etc.)
• Game cards (PUBG, Fortnite, Free Fire, etc.)
• Cash through PayPal
• Crypto and stocks

You can earn up to $600 in cash and other rewards a year with the Mode Earn App. Download it now and start earning!

Source: Mode Mobile

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Get cash back from Kashkick when you read emails, complete surveys, take quizzes, refer your friend, and subscribe to special promotions!

Start Earning!

Can Your PlayStation Gift Card Expire?

PlayStation cards officially don’t expire—you can keep the gift card for as long as you want and use it at your convenience. 

It is worth noting, though, that some users have experienced trouble redeeming their PS gift card after setting it aside for several months. 

One such user recounts their experience of having to deal with the seller and Sony in attempts to get their gift card working again after four months of purchase. This is also a good example of why you should redeem your gift card as soon as you get it and add the funds to your wallet—once you do, the funds will be available for use indefinitely.

Source: Yan Krukov

How To Check Your PlayStation Gift Card Balance

If you are unsure how much you have on your gift card, you can check by following the same steps required for redeeming the card. You will get a confirmation message with details about the available funds, asking you whether you want to add those funds to the wallet.

If your balance is too low, you can still redeem the card and combine its funds with a different payment method to cover the purchase amount.

Can You Exchange Your Gift Card For Cash?

Has the most recent balance check shown that you have a small amount left on the gift card that you don’t know how to use? Know you can exchange the card for cash by listing it for sale on third-party platforms. Here are some of the trustworthy sites that have a large pool of buyers and sellers:

• Raise
• ClipKard
• Gameflip
• CardCash

Keep in mind that you will have to list the gift card at a discounted price to attract buyers. Since PlayStation gift cards are fairly popular, you won’t have to deduct a significant amount of the card’s original value—a 5%–10% discount will suffice.

While PlayStation gift cards are generally not refundable, some states mandate companies to provide cashback for gift cards if requested. The amount for which a cashback is allowed varies from state to state but never goes above $10.

If you live in any of the following states, you are legally permitted to get a refund up to the value listed:

How To Get PSN Gift Cards for Free

You don’t always have to wait for Christmas or your birthday to get a PS gift card for free—there are several ways to earn your favorite gift card by using your phone.

You are typically required to complete specific tasks to win a PlayStation gift card. Here are some examples of popular methods of getting PS and many other gift cards for free:

• Giveaways—Look out for active giveaways on various social media accounts of relevant influencers
• Survey websites—Answer questionnaires and collect redeemable points for each set of questions answered
• Reward-based apps—Watch ads, play specific games, and complete many other simple tasks on your phone to win points and exchange them for gift cards

Giveaways are an easy but unreliable way to win gift cards. While you are typically only required to like a post or follow a page, the chances of you winning the prize in a giveaway are low and only get lower as more people join the draw.

A common problem with survey websites is the low payout. You typically have to spend several hours on the platform before earning enough points to exchange for a gift card. As for most reward-based apps, there are usually only one or two activities available to earn points, and the payout thresholds are high, making your earnings inconsistent.

This is where Mode Mobile comes in! The Mode Earn App and the Mode Earn Phone—the company’s two complementary products—make earning gift cards and money on the side fun and easy.

Double Your Earnings With the Mode Earn Phone

If you are serious about maximizing your side income, you should get the Mode Earn Phone. The device is based on the same earn-as-you-go technology as the Mode Earn App but doubles your earnings, helping you make $1,200+ a year.

The Mode Earn Phone comes with a pre-installed Mode Earn App and an earn-as-you-go widget with 16 different earning modes you can take advantage of to earn points:

1. Music Mode
2. Games Mode
3. Surf Mode
4. News Mode
5. Charge Mode
6. Data Mode
7. Lock Screen Mode
8. Fitness Mode
9. Watch Mode
10. Save Mode
11. Share Mode
12. Weather Mode
13. Task Mode
14. Cash Mode
15. Crypto Mode
16. Finance Mode

You can ditch your old phone completely as the Mode Earn Phone also boasts incredible specs that can measure up to those of high-end Android phones:

Source: Mode Mobile

If you decide to get the Mode Earn Phone, you have two payment options:

1. One-time payment of $109
2. Monthly subscription of $9.99, billed quarterly (after a free trial)

If you use the Mode Earn Phone moderately for two to three months, you can earn enough to completely cover your investment in the device. Buy or subscribe to a Mode Earn Phone and give your income a much-needed boost!

Featured image source: Mélanie THESE