Why is my VISA Gift Card being declined?
Why is my VISA Gift Card being declined?
Why is my VISA Gift Card being declined?: Embarrassing situations. Take a moment to imagine you are at that nice restaurant with your pretty girlfriend and the waitress brings the bill or just when that matte lipstick you have been eyeing finally gets in your hands and with all glamour, you pull out your VISA Gift Card ready to pay, then it keeps getting declined. How humiliating. If you have been in a situation like this and you are curious as to why that happened, and how to avoid it, you have definitely come to the right place.
Before we start though, let us say a few things about VISA Gift Cards.
The VISA Gift Card is a non-reloadable prepaid card issued by MetaBank. It is a known fact that gift cards are in style and if at any time, you are confused on what to get for any event or to congratulate a loved for weddings, birthdays, or to commemorate a joyful moment, a VISA Gift Card is the best present any gender or age and the smiles on their faces will definitely be worth it.
It is worthy of note too that VISA Gift Cards come with a single fee only on acquisition. For instance, a $10 to $74.99 VISA Gift Card will have a $2.95 fee, however, with a VISA Gift Card, you can be assured it stops there, no recurring fees or dues.
Let us move now into the main point of discourse.
Here are reasons your VISA Gift Card may be declined – VISA Gift Card being declined?:
–Places they are used and Insufficient Funds:
Basically, A VISA Gift Card can be used where they are accepted; retail stores, supermarkets, local shops, that allow them as a form of payment. However, there are minor exceptions you should take note of.
- Restaurant: At a place like this, We all know about gratuities and little addition to our bills. There might be an automatic deduction unknown to you as your VISA Gift Card is swiped by the service merchant. The increment in bills may be up to 10% more of your initial bill, which may be more than the amount on your card. This will automatically lead to your VISA Gift Card being declined. In this case, you can ask the merchant to subtract the increment while running the slot system and you pay the balance in another way. This works too at similar places like grooming salons.
- Hotels: Similarly, a charge can be added to your bills for the telephone usage during your stay or room service. The final amount can be more than the balance on your VISA Gift Card, this can cause your VISA Gift Card to be declined. You can likewise tell the cashier or merchant to deduct the bills and let you pay in a different way.
- Filling stations: This can happen at filling stations (petrol/gas stations) which can sometimes pump an additional fee(pre-authorization fee) which in total with your normal fee can be greater than the card’s value.
Apart from the three places mentioned above, transactions with your VISA Gift Card for adult sites, recurring bills such as electricity bills, money transfer services, and online gambling sites will definitely be declined.
–VISA Gift Card Activation: This is a very important reason as to why your VISA Gift Card is being declined. Whether your VISA Gift Card was purchased online as an e-gift card or at a retail store as a plastic Gift Card, it must be activated prior to usage. Unactivated gift cards will have transactions done with them disapproved.
To activate your gift card, your Card Verification Number (CVN) and your 16-digit gift card number will be needed, you can either activate online on the VISA Gift Card Website or through an automated phone system.
–Waiting Period: It is possible also your VISA Gift Card has a particular time restriction on it. For example, if your VISA Gift Card was purchased at a local retail store, a time period of a day or two may have been placed on your card. This is done in case the gift card gets into the hands of a fraudster or a scammer, this buys enough time to get the card blocked. To know if your VISA Gift Card has a time period, check the Terms and Conditions on the gift card or the receipt obtained from the purchase of the Gift Card. Once the time period has elapsed, your gift card can then be activated.
–Incorrect Details:
One cannot overemphasize the need to be careful when inputting personal details of the gift card while trying to make payment, let us specifically talk about online transactions.
On the checkout page of a website you are trying to make final payment, it is important to ensure your Card Verification Number (CVN) and your PIN numbers are carefully typed in the fields specified for them. Infact, recheck them to ensure they are correct before trying to complete the purchase.
In addition to all that was said, it is imperative to always check the balance of your VISA Gift Card before and after every purchase. This will help you to stay within budget and ensure your VISA Gift Card’s value is sufficient for the payment you are about to make.
We hope this helps you to understand why your VISA Gift Card keeps getting declined.
Enjoy!.
Read more about Visa Gift Card – VISA Gift Card being declined?
What you should know about Visa gift cards
About Visa Gift Cards
Gift cards are a technology used by retailers. They allow customers to buy things or even give money to friends and families both online and conventionally. Amongst many issuers of the gift card are Visa. They offer gift cards of two variants – physical plastic gift cards and eGift cards (digital).
Each type comes with a wide range of designs, benefits, and features. Visa gift cards can be a useful substitute for physical cash for gift giving and making a purchase in accepted stores. Visa Gift cards and issued and accepted at all merchant stores that accept Visa debit cards.
How Visa gift cards work – About Visa gift cards
Visa gift cards are loaded with a value following the purchaser’s preference. The amount loaded at the point of purchase is the maximum amount that can be spent by the purchaser while making use of the card. There are no overdrafts or card loans.
To purchase items online and at physical stores, ensure the amount you are having on your card is enough to service your bill. Should in case your balance is not enough to make payment for your purchase, inform the merchant. You might probably have to complete the payment with cash or get another card if you choose to.
Visa gift cards can be used anonymously. So, even when the purchaser’s name or identity is not spelled on the card, it can still be used to complete transactions. As far as the user signs at the back of the card and it matches that on the receipt, merchants will accept and clear transactions made using the card.
Purchasers should write down their card numbers and keep them in a safe place in the event of theft or loss of card. Append your signature at the back on the signature panel. It prevents other people from making use of your card without your consent.
How to activate your Visa gift card – About visa gift cards
Similar to debit and credit cards, gift cards are activated before use. Most Visa gift cards are activated at purchase and immediately ready to use. For some that are not activated at purchase, purchasers should find a sticker with a toll-free number and instructions on how to go about it.
Features about Visa Gift card
1. Easy to use: you pretty much only have to present the card to the merchant and sign the purchase receipt to use it. Other cards require more processes before authentication is done and payments are verified. However, some people complain that card balance is usually hard to exhaust, especially when there is only about $10 to $5 remaining.
2. Wide range of acceptability: unlike Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and a few others gift cards, Visa gift cards are not restricted to a particular store or business brand. Visa gift cards are accepted at any stores, gas station, restaurant, and agency where Visa prepaid and debit cards are accepted.
Visa cards are accepted at millions of locations within and outside the US. They are redeemed both online and at physical retail stores.
3. Security: Visa gift cards are secure in the event of theft or card misplacement. Lost or stolen cards can be replaced upon request to get back the money value left on your card. Purchasers do not have to worry about losing their funds because they can no longer find their cards.
Beneficiaries of Visa gift cards should write down their card number and keep them safe. Should in case the card gets lost, they can be replaced when the card is registered and the card number can be presented.
4. Non-reloadable: Visa gift cards can not be reloaded after exhausting the amount you got at purchase. The card is practically useless as soon as the balance thereon is used up. However, you may keep your card in case you might need to return goods for credit.
5. International acceptability: your Visa gift cards are not limited to the country you reside in. They are accepted locally and internationally across various states and countries.
As long as the store or agency accepts visa cards, your transaction will have no problem. Transactions made in other currencies will be converted based on the prevailing exchange rate. International dealings may attract an international transaction fee of 1% or more.
6. No financial statements are issues: Statements are not generated monthly, quarterly, Biannually, or annually. If need be to check your card balance, take a look at the back of the card. You should find a toll-free number you can call to discover your balance. Asides from that, you can check online by visiting the issuer’s site with your 16-digit card number, and pin.
Places where Visa gift cards are issued
The following are places where electronic Visa gift cards and physical plastic gift cards are issued:
Online: GiftCards.com and Giftcardmail are some great places to buy online.
Stores: Best stores to buy Visa gift cards include Safeway, Staples, Ahold, Giant Eagle Gift Cards, Meijer, Kroger Gift Cards, etc.
Banks: Not all banks issue Visa gift cards. Visit your bank to know if you can get a Visa gift card and what benefits are available to you.