Combining Gift Cards

[Genie-In-Training]

Hi everyone! I have been gifted several $25 gift cards for my trip in April. I read somewhere that you can combine them onto one gift card. Has anyone done this? Is it easy to do? Were there any problems? Thanks so much for the help.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It's not the most user-friendly site in the world, but it's okay. You have to add each card but you can only have 5 cards on your account at a time. So if you're combining more than 5, you have to do five, consolidate them down to 1, delete the ones that you emptied, then add the next 4, and so on.

DisneyGiftCard.com

 

[DizMe]

You probably won't need this step-by-step, but I'll tell you what I do so it's easy to keep track of and fairly secure.

I have one gift card I keep as my main. Let's say I've named it Diz. Whenever I get new Disney gift cards, I first add Diz to my (empty) account and then add the new cards as CaptainAmerica said above. You have to give them a name so I just use a number or letter or something because I'll be deleting them when I'm done. After adding each new one, I transfer its balance to Diz and then delete it. When I'm done transferring all of the balances of my new gift cards to Diz, I then delete Diz so there are no cards left on my account.

The reason for that is that for a while, there were many instances of people getting into others people's gift card accounts and transferring the balances onto their own cards. To be safe, I never leave a card on my account that has any money on it. Deleting the card from your account doesn't affect the balance that's on the card, it just takes the card off the web so it can't be hacked.

So let's say you have 4 gift cards you want to combine. We'll call your cards Main and your other cards 2, 3, and 4 (I write the name of my main card on it in sharpie so I know it's my main card). Add Main to the disneygiftcard account you've created. Then, add the others one by one, transferring their balances onto Main. Be sure to delete the empty cards 2, 3, and 4. You'll then have all of the combined balances on Main and $0 on 2, 3, and 4. At that point, I write the total dollar amount in sharpie on Main, delete it from my online account, and throw away the other cards. JUST BE SURE YOU DON'T THROW AWAY MAIN! As I use it, I update the balance on the card itself with a sharpie, crossing out the old one. I even bring a sharpie with me on my trips. Every so often I switch out for a new Main card.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You probably won't need this step-by-step, but I'll tell you what I do so it's easy to keep track of and fairly secure.

I have one gift card I keep as my main. Let's say I've named it Diz. Whenever I get new Disney gift cards, I first add Diz to my (empty) account and then add the new cards as CaptainAmerica said above. You have to give them a name so I just use a number or letter or something because I'll be deleting them when I'm done. After adding each new one, I transfer its balance to Diz and then delete it. When I'm done transferring all of the balances of my new gift cards to Diz, I then delete Diz so there are no cards left on my account.

The reason for that is that for a while, there were many instances of people getting into others people's gift card accounts and transferring the balances onto their own cards. To be safe, I never leave a card on my account that has any money on it. Deleting the card from your account doesn't affect the balance that's on the card, it just takes the card off the web so it can't be hacked.

So let's say you have 4 gift cards you want to combine. We'll call your cards Main and your other cards 2, 3, and 4 (I write the name of my main card on it in sharpie so I know it's my main card). Add Main to the disneygiftcard account you've created. Then, add the others one by one, transferring their balances onto Main. Be sure to delete the empty cards 2, 3, and 4. You'll then have all of the combined balances on Main and $0 on 2, 3, and 4. At that point, I write the total dollar amount in sharpie on Main, delete it from my online account, and throw away the other cards. JUST BE SURE YOU DON'T THROW AWAY MAIN! As I use it, I update the balance on the card itself with a sharpie, crossing out the old one. I even bring a sharpie with me on my trips. Every so often I switch out for a new Main card.

No don't do this! If the physical card Diz/Main is lost or stolen and not linked to your account, you're completely screwed. This seems like a much more likely scenario to me than someone hacking your DisneyGiftCard.com account (assuming you use a secure password). Leaving the cards with a balance linked PROTECTS you from theft, not the other way around.

 

[DizMe]

No don't do this! If the physical card Diz/Main is lost or stolen and not linked to your account, you're completely screwed. This seems like a much more likely scenario to me than someone hacking your DisneyGiftCard.com account (assuming you use a secure password). Leaving the cards with a balance linked PROTECTS you from theft, not the other way around.

I get what you're saying, but I had 2 friends get their cards wiped on the site. I guess there's risk either way, although they have changed the site since my friends' accounts were hacked so maybe it's more secure now? I still prefer to keep my card off the web since there's no protection if you're hacked. I'd rather keep track of it myself.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

You probably won't need this step-by-step, but I'll tell you what I do so it's easy to keep track of and fairly secure.

I have one gift card I keep as my main. Let's say I've named it Diz. Whenever I get new Disney gift cards, I first add Diz to my (empty) account and then add the new cards as CaptainAmerica said above. You have to give them a name so I just use a number or letter or something because I'll be deleting them when I'm done. After adding each new one, I transfer its balance to Diz and then delete it. When I'm done transferring all of the balances of my new gift cards to Diz, I then delete Diz so there are no cards left on my account.

The reason for that is that for a while, there were many instances of people getting into others people's gift card accounts and transferring the balances onto their own cards. To be safe, I never leave a card on my account that has any money on it. Deleting the card from your account doesn't affect the balance that's on the card, it just takes the card off the web so it can't be hacked.

So let's say you have 4 gift cards you want to combine. We'll call your cards Main and your other cards 2, 3, and 4 (I write the name of my main card on it in sharpie so I know it's my main card). Add Main to the disneygiftcard account you've created. Then, add the others one by one, transferring their balances onto Main. Be sure to delete the empty cards 2, 3, and 4. You'll then have all of the combined balances on Main and $0 on 2, 3, and 4. At that point, I write the total dollar amount in sharpie on Main, delete it from my online account, and throw away the other cards. JUST BE SURE YOU DON'T THROW AWAY MAIN! As I use it, I update the balance on the card itself with a sharpie, crossing out the old one. I even bring a sharpie with me on my trips. Every so often I switch out for a new Main card.

Better safe than sorry, right? This recent thread supports your caution: Stolen funds!!

No don't do this! If the physical card Diz/Main is lost or stolen and not linked to your account, you're completely screwed. This seems like a much more likely scenario to me than someone hacking your DisneyGiftCard.com account (assuming you use a secure password). Leaving the cards with a balance linked PROTECTS you from theft, not the other way around.

Your DisneyGiftCard.com account can get hacked. See the recent thread linked above.

I get what you're saying, but I had 2 friends get their cards wiped on the site. I guess there's risk either way, although they have changed the site since my friends' accounts were hacked so maybe it's more secure now? I still prefer to keep my card off the web since there's no protection if you're hacked. I'd rather keep track of it myself.

The OP in the thread linked above lost all her DGC funds when someone hacked his/her account. The site does not sound more secure, based on that thread.

 

[thenicefamily]

Okay, so, I've been using the clunky DGC.com app. It's sort of pointless, as I was really hoping to be able to minimize the plastic and just add funds via digital gift cards but, you can't do that with Canadian funds. Anyway...I'm sticking with it because we will be buying cards regularly before our upcoming November trip, as a way to save.

Now that the security issue seed has been planted, though, I'm worried. Surely, in the unlikely event your account is hacked, there is some protection? I'd certainly go back to my credit card company (where I purchased the gift cards) and let them know Disney had been hacked. Then, I believe they would go after Disney. After all, it's a Disney app and they would have the records of fund transfers from cards. Maybe I'm being naive but, I just don't think you'd be on the hook for the loss.

 

[Kit Jackson]

Just adding that the password for the Disney Gift Card website is the same password you use for your other Disney accounts.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Surely, in the unlikely event your account is hacked, there is some protection? I'd certainly go back to my credit card company (where I purchased the gift cards) and let them know Disney had been hacked. Then, I believe they would go after Disney. After all, it's a Disney app and they would have the records of fund transfers from cards. Maybe I'm being naive but, I just don't think you'd be on the hook for the loss.

Not sure what protection your credit card company provides -- best to check with them about this.

From Disneygiftcard.com: (for both US and Canada)
Lost, Damaged or Stolen Cards. A lost, damaged or stolen Card may be replaced only if the Cardholder provides the original proof of purchase receipt and the complete Card number. To request a replacement Card, please call 1-800-650-4327. The Issuer is not responsible for unauthorized use of any Card.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Better safe than sorry, right? This recent thread supports your caution: Stolen funds!!


Your DisneyGiftCard.com account can get hacked. See the recent thread linked above.


The OP in the thread linked above lost all her DGC funds when someone hacked his/her account. The site does not sound more secure, based on that thread.

There is absolutely no reason to believe that's what happened to OP in that thread.

When you log in to DisneyGiftCard.com from a new device, you immediately get an email alerting you to the login. You get ANOTHER email every single time you transfer funds between cards

There's no way this could have happened without OP knowing about it. It's MUCH more likely that the funds were stolen because the physical security of the card itself was compromised.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

There is absolutely no reason to believe that's what happened to OP in that thread.

When you log in to DisneyGiftCard.com from a new device, you immediately get an email alerting you to the login. You get ANOTHER email every single time you transfer funds between cards

There's no way this could have happened without OP knowing about it. It's MUCH more likely that the funds were stolen because the physical security of the card itself was compromised.

If you read the OP's posts in the thread, it sounds like she never received any email alerts about the funds being used. Other posters asked her about alerts and said they receive them. Perhaps the thief changed the email address associated with the account? That OP has posted that Disney told her they are looking into her issue, but she has not heard from them since then.

 

[DizMe]

If you read the OP's posts in the thread, it sounds like she never received any email alerts about the funds being used. Other posters asked her about alerts and said they receive them. Perhaps the thief changed the email address associated with the account? That OP has posted that Disney told her they are looking into her issue, but she has not heard from them since then.

Thank you for linking that, theluckyrabbit!

I don't know how they do it, but hackers definitely have been able to get into gift card accounts and wipe out the balances. Those I know who were hacked didn't know about it until they went to check their balances/add funds/use the cards and found them to be empty. Even if you received notification of a new device signing into your account, it would be too late. Maybe you could trace back to the device that was used, but would that prove anything? Also, I often get notifications of a new device signing into my account and it's just me, so I don't pay much attention to it.

If it's a worry to carry a gift card with a large balance, you could maybe do something like pay toward your hotel before you go if staying on site or use the card to purchase something in advance, like tickets. I generally have less than $500 on my card.

 

[MonocularVision]

If their account was “hacked” the most likely explanation is that this person uses the same email account and password on multiple sites.

I cannot stress how important it is to use a different password for each site you use. I highly recommend looking into a password manager like 1Password to be able to do this.