Visa/MasterCard Gift Cards

[unlisted]

My niece and nephew want visa or MasterCard gift cards for Christmas. I'm not giving them $50 ones and that's all I can find at the store. Any ideas where to get some that I can put my own amount on?

[BunnyBee]

Some banks do fee-free cards, but I think that's getting more unusual. Chase no longer offers them (they were a perk of platinum accounts). AAA offices sometimes have the fee free cards. We were trying to find some for staff gifts, but I think we are just giving cash. I don't want them to lose the $4.95 fee.

[swissair81]

Vanilla Cards (MC or Visa) can be filled up to $500. I've seen them at CVS and Walgreens.

[mikala]

Our post office has a sign for no fee amex gift cards. It didn't specify whether you can choose the denomination.

[abh5e8]

i might just opt for a check? IME the MC/V cards are hard to use. fees, but on ours, i had to know the exact amount left on the card and tell the cashier. if i was off by even a penny, it would decline. was so annoying. i think it coul dbe easy to lose your last $5 or so.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i might just opt for a check? IME the MC/V cards are hard to use. fees, but on ours, i had to know the exact amount left on the card and tell the cashier. if i was off by even a penny, it would decline. was so annoying. i think it coul dbe easy to lose your last $5 or so.
YES!! I*hate* this. I got a couple of these cards as rebates after i got my phone. SO annoying that you have to know the exact amount before charging anything. The other ones are smart and don't do that (e.g. if your total is $60, and you have $5 left on it, it will take off the $5 and then leave you with $55 on it to pay another way). But these wouldn't, it will just reject it without saying anything if you tried to charge an amount larger than the balance, adn then i'd have to wait till i was sitting at a computer to check the balance, write it down ,and then remember to use it.

[azzeps]

I think they had $25, $50 and $100 denominations at Target.

[dogmom]

Honestly I would just write them a check or give cash.

[mom2binsd]

Honestly I would just write them a check or give cash.

CASH, checks are a pain. I used to get cash as gifts from relatives all the time. Those visa cards charge a 4.95 fee....so not worth it....you're giving them money, the format shouldn't matter other than to make it easy....

[dogmom]

CASH, checks are a pain. I used to get cash as gifts from relatives all the time. Those visa cards charge a 4.95 fee....so not worth it....you're giving them money, the format shouldn't matter other than to make it easy....

Yes, I can't help but feel this whole gift card industry is built off the idea that giving cash, or asking for cash, is somehow tacky. I suspect they make millions off of our weird social convention of not talking about money.

[fivi2]

I just found a Visa gift card in my wallet from a while ago, and I called to check the balance - it was gone, spent at two places I have never (ever) been. I was annoyed, and swore I would never buy another one of those stupid cards again.

But the problem with cash, is that if your nieces and nephews are young and want to buy something online, they may not have a real credit card to use, and one of those gift cards can be used like a credit card (I thought? could be wrong) I would maybe see if there is a particular store (Amazon? itunes?) where they could use a gift card.

[egoldber]

I would give an Amazon GC.