Using pre-paid visa cards

[#1 Disney mom]

Has anyone ever used the pre-paid visa cards at the restaurants or stores? I have a few that I received as gifts, but they have various amounts left on them. Do you know if you can use up the balance on the card, then pay the difference in cash?

 

[kathie859]

I just used a VISA gift card yesterday that had $3.48 left on it to purchase a $5 item. I just paid the difference in cash. This was at Home Depot but it's the same everywhere.

You can check the balances on your cards by calling the number on the back so you know exactly how much is left on each one. I LOVE getting VISA gift cards

 

[#1 Disney mom]

thanks.....I have used them like that at home also. I just didn't know if Disney had certain restrictions as far as payment, but I guess money is money!

 

[mjh8955]

My last trip I paid for my Lunch with an Imagineer with a whole handful of cards;
Visa gift card, Disney gift card, and a credit card. They had no problem using them all

 

[Sleepingbooty]

I will mention one issue I've had with them: They can't just swipe them and 'use whatever is left' - they have to key in a specific amount to charge to it. So, you really have to keep track of your balance. I've got one in my wallet right now that's been in there forever. It's got 3 or 4 dollars left on it, but I'd have to call the number on the back to find out the balance and I've just never remembered to do it. The only time I think about it is when I'm checking out at a cash register somewhere and I come upon that card - and thats not exactly a convenient time to have to call for a balance!

 

[DisGirl23]

I will mention one issue I've had with them: They can't just swipe them and 'use whatever is left' - they have to key in a specific amount to charge to it. So, you really have to keep track of your balance.

I agree. They are still processed as a credit card so if you have, say, $3.50 left on a card and are purchasing a $5 item, it'll more than likely come up declined because you won't have the "available credit" on that card. So you'll have to know what's left and say what amount you'd like "charged" to that card.

 

[burberryplaid]

I didn't find the issue with odd amounts.

We had various Disney gift cards with us - some were gifts and we also got $100 for doing the DVC tour. We used one card that had $3 and some odd cents on it to pay for lunch at Yorkshire Fish Shop along with another card and it was no problem to use the odd amount even though we didn't quite know how much was left on it.

You won't have a problem using your gift cards.

 

[HappilyHis]

I didn't find the issue with odd amounts.

We had various Disney gift cards with us - some were gifts and we also got $100 for doing the DVC tour. We used one card that had $3 and some odd cents on it to pay for lunch at Yorkshire Fish Shop along with another card and it was no problem to use the odd amount even though we didn't quite know how much was left on it.

You won't have a problem using your gift cards.

Disney gift cards shouldn't pose a problem, but a VISA, Mastercard, or any other prepaid debit or credit card could pose a problem if you don't keep up with the remaining balance.

Prepaid or not, it's always embarassing to have a cashier tell you your card has been declined.

I always keep up with mine by keeping a fine tip sharpie in my purse and writing down the remaining balance on the front of the card.

I've got years of retail management experience under my belt and can tell you that it can be very difficult to get someone to understand that just because the establishment's gift card balance can be detected by the register, doesn't mean that the prepaid debit and credit cards can. So while Walmart might be able to tell you with a quickness that the balance on your card is $7.34, doesn't mean they will have any idea how much is left on your Green Dot card.

 

[ZoZo]

I will mention one issue I've had with them: They can't just swipe them and 'use whatever is left' - they have to key in a specific amount to charge to it. So, you really have to keep track of your balance. I've got one in my wallet right now that's been in there forever. It's got 3 or 4 dollars left on it, but I'd have to call the number on the back to find out the balance and I've just never remembered to do it. The only time I think about it is when I'm checking out at a cash register somewhere and I come upon that card - and thats not exactly a convenient time to have to call for a balance!

This is absolutely true - I write my balance down on a small sticky note on the back of the card, so I know what the balance is. It's a quirk of prepaid Visas - you have to know what the balance is. It's kind of a hassle, but it's better than not having money to spend! Call ahead of time and find out what your balances are.

 

[DisneyDorkORama]

I once tried to use one of these at Goodwill and the cashier refused it because it didnt have a name on the card. I told her what it was and she said they are not allowed to take credit cards, debit cards, etc without a picture I.D

anyways, I have used them before and always paid the difference in cash.

 

[lee-annl]

This is good to know! I have $100 in Prepaid Visa/Amex gift cards! I think that will pay for our 1 character breakfast!

 

[rainman1962]

Another thing to be aware of is that when using prepaid gift cards at restaurants, hotels/motels and gas stations, the card may be charged at a higher amount than the actual cost of the transaction. This is because the final cost may actually be higher than the initial transaction (ie., a tip, phone use at a hotel, unknown gallons when filling up). I have used a bunch of these cards and have found that each establishment is different when it comes to how much above the initial purchase price they run the card for. This can be embarrassing if you know you have enough for the meal but the card is rejected. I imagine it can work the other way around though too if, for example, you purchase $100 on a meal and you only have $110 on the card and the merchant does not run your card for enough and then you sign the receipt for an amount higher than what was on the card (let's say $120). By the time they realize this has happened, you are long gone. This can easily be an innocent mistake if you are not aware of the exact amount left on the card.

Furthermore, it usually takes about a week for the "extra" amount to be credited back to your card too. So don't expect those funds to be immediately available.