Why Won't the Visa Gift Card Work?! (pay, rate, credit) - debt, loans, credit cards, banks, insurance... - City-Data Forum

BohoMama2009 · 02-21-2010, 08:09 AM

So I got my tax return and was very excited to go to National City -which is changing to PNC bank this weekend- and purchase a 160.00 gift card for online use. I had received a Visa Card for Christmas a couple months ago for 50 dollars, and I used it to buy 2 things off of Etsy.com, via PayPal. Everything was fine and went through, I received my purchases, but I lost the card, which was why I had to buy the new one. Anyway, so I was on PayPal changing the card info and the first 5 times it kept denying my card stating it was canceled, so I called Nat City, they stated it was active, called the Cust. SRVC # on the back, it was activated and I had the money on there, then I tried PayPal again, and it allowed me to put the card on there, but it says my spending limit is 0.00, and keeps wanting me to link the card with my bank account...I don't want to, I just want to spend the $ on the gift card! I tried purchasing items on dropwise.com, total was 39.47, and I had more than enough on the card, it wouldn't allow me to do it through PayPal, then asked if I wanted to complete my purchase "offline"..since it wasn't going through with PP, I clicked 'yes' and I got a confirmation e-mail with the order ID# but it's stating the visa card is 'pending'...what do I do? Why did it work last time but won't work this time? Help?!

golfgal · 02-21-2010, 12:50 PM

Not all retailers take Visa/Mastercard Gift cards. Visa/MC charges a higher percentage rate to retailers over a regular credit/debit card so some of them won't take them. Also, as you may know, if you have $50 on the card and try to charge something for $50.47 they will deny the card like there is nothing on there. This is why I never use these gift cards-they are just way too much work. If I were you I would open a separate checking account for your online purchases and get a debit card with that then use that for online stuff. You can just keep a small balance in that account AND you have the protection from the bank if your card is lost of stolen.

billiken · 02-21-2010, 10:28 PM

Can't really comment on the gift card situation, other than I hate them--they seem to work for me sometimes, and not others, even though the balance is adequate.

For online shopping, Discover's credit cards are really great. You can generate a different credit card number, basically, for online shopping, through their online banking system. You just click a link, and it generates a card number/expiration date and whatever you need to make your transaction online, and it's not the same as your actual card number but still ends up charging your account, of course. Kind of weird to explain, but pretty cool.

texdav · 02-21-2010, 10:55 PM

Everytime I had problems with Visa gift cards i founf that the merchant di not do it correctly. tok it to one that did it all teh time and no problem.Pending sounds like Visa has not actaully given you vrdit on the lost card to teh new one.

steel7 · 04-21-2010, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

Not all retailers take Visa/Mastercard Gift cards. Visa/MC charges a higher percentage rate to retailers over a regular credit/debit card so some of them won't take them. Also, as you may know, if you have $50 on the card and try to charge something for $50.47 they will deny the card like there is nothing on there. This is why I never use these gift cards-they are just way too much work. If I were you I would open a separate checking account for your online purchases and get a debit card with that then use that for online stuff. You can just keep a small balance in that account AND you have the protection from the bank if your card is lost of stolen.

If a visa gift card is lost or stolen do i get any protection at all ? If i was to lose it or someone steals it all i gotta do is report it to whoever issued the card & ill get a replacement...right ?

golfgal · 04-21-2010, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eagle7

If a visa gift card is lost or stolen do i get any protection at all ? If i was to lose it or someone steals it all i gotta do is report it to whoever issued the card & ill get a replacement...right ?

No, no protection, it is just like cash, sorry.

janetvj · 04-21-2010, 05:44 AM

I received a rebate of $150 from Verizon for switching over to their FIOS service and the rebate is in the form of a VISA gift card. I tried to use the card at Macy's and it was declined. Later I was able to use it for a $104 purchase at Pier 1. I noticed yesterday that it expires in July, so I tried again yesterday to use the balance remaining at the mall and again it was declined. I checked the balance online when I got home and verified that I have $45 and some change available, so I may try to buy something online just to use it up.

I've decided these types of cards are more trouble than they're worth. In looking back, the times the card was declined was when the total purchase exceeded the amount on the card. I assumed I could use the gift card for a portion of the charge and then pay the balance another way, but evidently the vendor's system wasn't allowing me to do that.

I know it's inconvenient nowadays to not have a credit or debit card - especially if you shop online. Golfgal's suggestion to open a checking account with a debit card just for online purchases sounds like a good idea.

michgc · 04-21-2010, 10:41 AM

I'm pretty sure the amount charged at the register has to be less than the amount on the gift card. When you swipe it, choose "credit" and it should go through.

mcatp · 04-22-2010, 06:07 AM

If I am going to use up the remaining balance on the card then pay the rest in cash, I always tell the cashier so they know to punch in that certain balance on the card so it doesn't try to remove the entire amount.

janetvj · 04-22-2010, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michgc

I'm pretty sure the amount charged at the register has to be less than the amount on the gift card. When you swipe it, choose "credit" and it should go through.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcatp

If I am going to use up the remaining balance on the card then pay the rest in cash, I always tell the cashier so they know to punch in that certain balance on the card so it doesn't try to remove the entire amount.

Thanks for the info - I wondered if there was some trick to doing it. But I had mentioned to each cashier that I wanted to use up the balance on the card for a portion of the charge and pay the rest another way. Neither of them mentioned anything about doing anything differently. They just told me to swipe the card. I know the keypad at Target actually asks if you want to pay more than one way, but that's the only place that seems to have that option.