Death to VISA/MC gift cards!

[HYHYBT]

Which is such an easy thing. So why do so many people get it so very wrong?

Because they don't know that they need to, and/or it's been a while since they used it. Regular gift cards just take off whatever's left on the card automatically and leave you to pay the balance; without knowing how register systems work, it's logical from the customer side to think that these will do the same.

I have a used Wal-Mart card in my wallet right now, for instance. I don't know exactly how much is left, but because they just work, knowing that it's *about* $10 is good enough. In fact, having no idea is good enough, so long as I bring enough money to buy my stuff if it turns out to be empty. All gift cards *ought* to work that way, and while I know at least some of the good reasons that they don't, it doesn't make it right, nor does it make it something that people should know about without being told.

[KellyHabersham]

Usually name on the card is FOR YOU, A GIFT, or something like that, so unless your name is A GIFT FOR YOU....

umm.......I was NOT asking about generic Visa gift cards, the situation I was referring to came about because the rebate card was issued in my mom's name, and I simply wondered if there would be an issue with being asked to show I.D. when using it.

[Magpie]

Which is such an easy thing. So why do so many people get it so very wrong?

Maybe they're the people who tell me that doing 5- and 6- digit division in my head is an odd hobby? In fairness there are some people who just cannot do math, and I seem to have stolen all their enjoyment of it. It gives them anxiety, but it calms it in me.

[Dreamstalker]

Phone Company gave me one as a rebate. I tried to use it to pay my phone bill on-line. They refused it.

Was it from a cell phone? I thought the fine print says that those can be used to pay a bill. I do know that some online merchants/services have problems with the prepaid gift cards (even rebate cards that do bear the person's name) and the few times I've received them I had to call my order in. I know Newegg won't take them at all. I much prefer paper checks for rebates; same as cash and I don't have to keep track of amounts.

I'm one of those weird people who keep the receipts when I use a gift card until the card is used up. I once got a $50 gift card for a cellphone rebate, used $45 for shoes, then I was able to use the remaining $5 for a computer-stuff transaction; I just told the cashier how much to run it for and that I had a CC for the rest. She seemed surprised and relieved when I offered that info in advance.

[prb]

umm.......I was NOT asking about generic Visa gift cards, the situation I was referring to came about because the rebate card was issued in my mom's name, and I simply wondered if there would be an issue with being asked to show I.D. when using it.

Should be okay, the 12 Mastercard gift cards I have here are all from a rebate offered by a certain beverage company in the summer (some say FOR YOU, some say A GIFT, some say A GIFT FOR YOU)....

And the caps lock thing in my initial post, I have a habit of copying verbatim, including capitals...