Swirl card: balance, activation, fees and expiry

To check a Swirl gift card balance, open the SWIRL app once your card is registered, or text Balance and the last four digits of your customer number to 51155. The card is a single-load Mastercard, so the balance only goes one way.

Two different products share the Swirl name, and confusing them is the main source of trouble. The SWIRL Gift Card is the one handed out by employers as a reward. The SWIRL Prepaid Mastercard is a separate reloadable card sold through Payzone with its own fees at swirlcard.com/costs. This page is about the gift card.

This is not Swirl. The official site is swirlcard.com.

Activating a Swirl gift card

Cards are not usable until you register them. It takes a couple of minutes.

1. Download the SWIRL Card app and create an account with your mobile number and personal details.
2. Choose to add a card.
3. Enter the 13-digit customer number printed at the bottom right of the card, and the 6-digit Card ID at the top left.

The card activates instantly once those are entered. Both numbers are on the card itself, so keep it until you have spent the balance — you will need the customer number again to check the balance by text.

Where you can spend it

The Swirl gift card is a Mastercard and works at over 45 million locations worldwide, in store and online.

In store: there is no chip and PIN on the gift card. The cashier swipes it and you sign the receipt. If a terminal insists on a PIN — Swirl notes this happens most often in Portugal and Spain — try 0000 or the last four digits of the card number.

Online: enter the card number, expiry date and CVV as you would with any card.

What will not work:

• ATM cash withdrawals
• Money transfer services
• Subscriptions and recurring bills
• Gambling
• Charity donations

The subscription block is the one that catches people out. A Swirl card will not hold up as the payment method for a streaming service or a gym membership, because those take recurring authorisations.

Fees and expiry

There are no fees for the first 12 months from the date the card was loaded. After that, a €3.50 monthly account fee is applied while a balance remains. The fee is not charged if the card has no funds on it.

The expiry date is printed on the front of the card. Once it passes, the card stops working.

Put together, those two facts set the deadline: spend a Swirl card inside 12 months of receiving it. €3.50 a month is more than most gift card inactivity charges in Ireland, and it clears a small balance quickly.

The card is single-load. You cannot top it up, transfer the balance to a bank account, or withdraw it as cash. Whatever is left is only ever spendable at a Mastercard merchant.

If your card is lost or stolen

Suspend the card immediately in the SWIRL app, then contact Swirl for a replacement at [email protected] or 01 6877 985.

Registering the card when you receive it, rather than when you want to spend it, is what makes this possible — an unregistered card cannot be suspended from the app.

Where Swirl gift cards come from

You cannot buy a SWIRL Gift Card as an individual. Businesses order them through swirlcard.com for staff rewards, incentives and customer promotions.

Most Swirl cards in Irish wallets arrive under the Small Benefit Exemption. From 1 January 2025, an employer can give an employee up to five non-cash benefits a year worth up to €1,500 in total, free of PAYE, PRSI and USC. A single benefit worth more than €1,500 is taxable in full, unused allowance does not carry over, and the employer has to report each benefit to Revenue under Enhanced Reporting Requirements on or before the day it is given. Revenue’s Small Benefit Exemption page has the detail.

The tax rule is also why the card blocks cash: a benefit that can be converted to cash does not qualify.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my Swirl card balance?

Open the SWIRL app after registering the card, or text Balance followed by the last four digits of your customer number to 51155.

How do I activate a Swirl card?

Download the SWIRL app, create an account, and add your card using the 13-digit customer number at the bottom right of the card and the 6-digit Card ID at the top left. It activates instantly.

Does a Swirl card have a PIN?

No. In store you swipe and sign. If a terminal demands a PIN, try 0000 or the last four digits of the card number.

What are the fees on a Swirl gift card?

None for the first 12 months from when the card was loaded. After that, €3.50 a month is deducted while a balance remains. No fee is charged once the balance is zero.

Can I use a Swirl card at an ATM?

No. ATM withdrawals are blocked, as are money transfers, gambling, charity donations, subscriptions and recurring bills.

Can I transfer my Swirl balance to my bank account?

No. The gift card is single-load and there is no cash-out route — the balance can only be spent at Mastercard merchants.

Can I top up a Swirl gift card?

No. The gift card is loaded once. The separate SWIRL Prepaid Mastercard, sold through Payzone, is the reloadable product.

Why was my Swirl card declined online?

Common causes are a basket worth more than the balance (the card cannot be split with another payment method online), a recurring or subscription payment, a blocked merchant category, or an expired card. Check the balance first.

Can I buy a Swirl gift card?

Not as an individual. Businesses order them from swirlcard.com for employee rewards and promotions.