It is embarrassing to purchase something with an empty gift card. It is even more embarrassing if you do not have the cash required to make the purchase. That is why it is best to check your balance before you go out shopping. To check their balance, users typically visit the official website of the card issuer. There are other websites where you can also check your balance, purchase history, etc.
PrepaidGiftBalance
To check the balance of your Visa and MasterCard, you can use portals such as the PrepaidGiftBalance website. With this type of portal, holders of prepaid cards can also register their card before they start shopping.
To register, you will need to key in the 16-digit number that is embossed on your card. You will also have to add some personal information. After all the information has been checked and approved, you can check your profile, the balance of the card, view your transaction history, and customer care details.
Remember, you can use MasterCard and Visa card for shopping in stores, car rentals, restaurants, and numerous other places. You cannot, however, use this type of gift card to withdraw cash from an ATM; you need to buy things with it.
Use Official Website of Card
Most issuers include details about their website on the back of their cards. Only use reputable and well known websites to check your personal or financial details. There are many phishing websites out there. We refer to the act of trying to obtain sensitive information such as card details, passwords, and usernames fraudulently as phishing.
You will need to log into your account online with a password and username, after which you can check your recent balance, minimum payment due, available credit, and a list of transactions. If its a gift card, you won’t see any deatils about minimum payment due.
Call Your Gift Card Company
You can also call a toll free number if you want to check the balance on your gift card. Contact details are embossed on the back of the card. Many cards come with these numbers to check your balance. Some cards may have two numbers: one to check your balance and the other for customer services.
Call on the toll-free number and follow a series of prompts. If you don’t want to talk to a computer, just wait until a human being becomes available. If you have a smartphone, you can key in your card information after which you will hear or read your balance.
Visit a Physical Location
If you have a store-specific gift card you can walk into the store and tell them you want to check your balance. In most cases, they will give you the information free of charge.
Visa Gift Card
These are prepaid cards with a specific amount of money. This card is useful to make purchases just like you would with regular debit or credit cards. However, they are just one-off items, i.e., they are impossible to reload and become useless once they empty.
All cards we use for payments have an expiry date. After that date you cannot use them. You can find the date embossed on the front side of the card.
So, remember, gift cards become useless when: 1. You have spend all the money. 2. The expiry date has passed.
In order to avoid delay or complications, it is advisable to register your card as soon as you receive it.
MasterCard Gift Card
Similar to the Visa gift card, this one also has a specific amount of money. Swipe this card to make purchases like you would with debit and credit cards. MasterCard is widely used in hundreds of thousands of stores and other businesses across the world. Most of the card’s other features are similar to what we described regarding MasterCards.
If you do not spend all the money by the expiry date, call the issuer for a refund.
Cards have been around for a long time
We have been using cards to pay for things for nearly 100 years. In the 1920s, when they first appeared, they were made of cardboard.
It was not until 1949 before cards that people could use in many different places emerged. The first company to issue cards (charge cards) was Diners Club.
By 1958, other companies such as the Hilton Hotel’s Carte Blanche and American Express came onto the scene.
In 1966, Bank of America set up a national franchise called BankAmericard which changed its name to Visa in 1976. MasterCard came later.