Visa Gift Purchasing Card

The Visa Advantage

All cards featuring the Visa logo – whether a prepaid card, a debit card, or a credit card – have the advantage of excellent loss and theft protection in addition to impressive buying power. Visa cards are accepted nearly everywhere that credit cards are accepted. Visa gift purchasing cards can be used for purchases anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, so this means that this card is usually valid for purchases:

• At most merchants
• Online
• Over the telephone

There are certain circumstances when this card may not be accepted. For example, using the card to pay recurring bills (such as utility bills) may not work even if their is enough available balance on the card. You may also run into trouble when attempting to use this card to pay for gas at a pump or even paying for the tab at a restaurant. It is important to read the terms and conditions of the card prior to use since there may be instances like these when the card will not work regardless of the available balance.

Fees and Costs

Most prepaid Visa cards have a one time fee for the initial purchase of the card, although the fee might be combined with a shipping or handling fee. Various other fees apply to this type of card and may cause an available balance to quickly dwindle if the cardholder does not realize where fees are or are not charged with the card. Typical fees associated with gift purchasing cards include:

• Personalization fee
• Monthly fee
• Lost or stolen card replacement fee
• Balance inquiry fee
• Customer service fee
• ATM usage fee

Many fees can be avoided by simply using the card for purchases and not making excessive inquiries over the phone or at an ATM to determine the available balance. The less customer service assistance you require, the less fees you will probably wind up paying.

Great Gifts

These cards can make excellent gifts for many reasons:

• The recipient chooses where to spend the money.
• A gift purchasing card can be delivered directly to the recipient.
• Sending a card through the mail is generally considered safer than sending cash.

Some gift-givers balk at the impersonal nature of sending a Visa gift card, but the flexibility afforded by the cards may outweigh the relatively impersonal nature of the cards. Many card issuers offer personalization of gift cards. The cards can feature the name of the recipient and also include a greeting imprinted on the card such as “Happy Birthday!” or “Congratulations!” Personalization options such as these allow gift givers to make the cards a little less impersonal.

Find Visa Gift Purchasing Cards

One of the best places to purchase prepaid Visa cards for gifts is through your bank or credit union. Not every financial institution offers this product, but those that do generally offer them with lower fees than companies that sell prepaid gift cards. Addition online resources to purchase prepaid gift purchasing cards featuring the Visa logo include:

• Vanilla Visa Gift Card is a prepaid, stored-value card that can be purchased at a variety of stores such as CVS, Rite Aid pharmacies and your local 7-Eleven.
• Exchange National Bank is located in Kansas, but offers prepaid Visa debit cards online.
• GiftCards.com offers Visa gift cards for up to $500 and can be purchased in bulk.
• iCard.com sells prepaid gift cards online but will only ship cards to the purchaser.
• Deluxe Card provides both personalized and non-personalized Visa gift cards.
• Simon Gift Card Visa can be purchased at any Simon mall store and be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted.
• Rush Visa Card has a one-time activation fee and card usage fees but there is no fee to continue to add funds to the card.

There is an extensive list of reliable prepaid debit gift card providers on the website. Online providers are listed as well as providers offering cards over the telephone or on-site.

Not every provider offers the same fees for prepaid gift cards. For this reason it is important to review the various Visa gift card offerings and choose a card that features the least amount of fees and provides the most ease of use.