What is a Visa Gift Card?  The Visa Gift card is a “non-reloadable prepaid” card with its initial value set by its purchaser which cannot be exchanged for cash.  A Visa gift card carries the Visa logo and are accepted anywhere the Visa Card is accepted.  They can be used in person at brick-and-mortar retail businesses or for online payments and purchases.   Many Visa Gift Cards are activated automatically upon purchase and can be used immediately upon purchase.  It may be necessary to activate the card if you plan on using your card online.

The Visa Gift Card does not offer a line of credit.  Each time a purchase is made, the amount is automatically deducted from the balance on the card.  Most do not come with a pin number so it is important to use them as a credit card rather than a debit card and sign the receipt.  If the purchase is for less than the value of the card, the credit remains on the card until it is exhausted.  You must personally keep up with the balance on the card as the merchant may not have access to this information.

Once your gift card has been depleted, it is always a good idea to keep the card until you know for sure you will not be returning any of the items purchased with the card.  If you do need to return items, the store policy may require that you present the card you used to make the purchase.

If your gift card states “Valid only in the United States” on the front, your issuer has issued a Domestic Use Only card.  Although your gift card will not be accepted at locations outside of the United States, it’s welcome at millions of locations within the U.S. where Visa Cards are accepted.

Visa Gift Cards cannot be used to withdraw cash from bank branches, ATM machines or for gambling purposes.

Many have opted for gift cards to help simplify their gift giving.  Most gift  cards have no expiration date and are typically not reloadable.  The card is generally for a fixed amount and cannot be exchanged for cash.

A gift card may resemble a credit card, but does not offer a line of credit.  The card is identified by a specific number or code and is not usually embossed with an individual name, making it flexible and a great gift idea.  For security reasons, many of them have no value until they are activated by the cashier.  To thwart counterfeiting, the data is encrypted and the magnetic strip is often placed differently than on credit cards.

They can be custom tailored to meet specific needs and a custom message or photo can also be added to personalize the card.  Additional fees may apply.

Gift cards are vastly different from gift certificates.  Certificates are usually sold as a paper document with an authorized signature by a restaurant, store, or other individual establishment as a voucher for future products or services.  They typically require no electronic authorization and may or may not have an expiration date or administrative fees.

An addendum to the Credit CARD Act of 2009 directs the federal government to create consumer-friendly standards pertaining to gift cards.  The new regulations prohibit retailers from setting expiration dates unless they are at least 5 years after the card’s date of issue or the date on which funds were last added to the card.  Retailers are also no longer able to access dormancy, inactivity, or service fees unless the card has been inactive for at least 12 months, and if fees are added after that period, the details of such fees must be clearly disclosed on the card.  Retailers are not allowed to levy more than one fee per month.