Can You Use A Virtual Visa Card In Store

Midweek May 3, 2017

Where Tin Store and Visa eGift Cards be Used?

The straight reply on where egift cards tin can be used plus what you should know about Visa egift cards.

The Rising Popularity of eGift Cards

I have been reviewing top store egift cards for the by few years and results of this egift carte du jour study consistently prove out that the availability and the usability of digital souvenir cards is on the rise. For example, in 2014, only 64% of the merchants I reviewed offered an egift carte du jour. In 2016, that number is up to 72% and I expect it will increase as I review the gift cards again. In 2015, egift cards were usable in stores and online at 64% of the merchants reviewed and that number jumped slightly to 66% concluding year.

Some of the reasons that electronic gift cards are condign increasingly popular are that egifts can be sent at the last infinitesimal, shipping is gratuitous and they are like shooting fish in a barrel to rail and use with a smartphone, so consumers are more than probable to have their egift cards with them when needed. Merchants as well similar this virtual gift because they tin make their egift cards bachelor on a variety of websites and do not have to pay upward front for inventory of plastic cards that may never exist purchased (or that get outdated with branding changes).

Where can eGift Cards be Used?

Because the technology is still adequately new and there is no plastic menu to present to a cashier, consumers often take questions well-nigh egift cards and desire to know where they can be used. In well-nigh cases, store and restaurant egift cards can be used both online and in their physical stores, simply that is not ever the case. And Visa® are only usable online, over the phone and anywhere else that a "carte not present" transaction is allowed. I will elaborate more as you keep reading the tips below figuring out where egift cards tin can be used.

How to Check Store and Restaurant eGift Cards

Popular store and restaurant egift cards are oft usable both online and in physical locations. GameStop egift cards, for example, are usable at whatsoever GameStop shop or at GameStop.com. Although digital gift cards typically tin can be used in both places, it is not always the case. The best way to discover out for sure where gift cards can be used is to visit the issuing merchant's website, select "gift cards," and expect for instructions on where their physical and digital gift cards are redeemable.

Here is a quick video showing you how I wait at a store's website to notice out where egift cards may be redeemed.

In the video above, you volition see that I starting time go to the website'due south main page, so expect for gift card data. Although you might find a "buy gift cards" push at the tiptop folio, I generally await for "Souvenir Card FAQ" or "Gift Card Assist" links at the lesser of the folio. Then I look for information on where the egift cards tin can be redeemed.

How to apply an eGift Menu at a Shop

egift card on paper or phone

If you are able to employ your gift carte at a physical location, then the next footstep is to create a style to present that egift card at the register. You tin watch this video on how to utilise egift cards in stores or read the quick recap below:

Print the eGift Card at Home: When you receive the egift carte via email, text or social media, you should be able to print a paper copy of information technology and bring it with you to the store. Please recollect, that the email alone probably does not contain the egift card number (or PIN if one is available). Most oftentimes, you volition click a link inside of the egift card message in order to think or claim the lawmaking. The egift card number and PIN is what you demand to impress and bring to the store.

Claim the eGift Bill of fare at the Store: If you are certain that y'all tin can easily admission the email or text that delivered the egift carte, and then simply open up information technology up on your telephone when y'all become to the store. Although this works, brand sure yous can get adequate jail cell phone coverage at the shop and that your telephone is fully charged. If either outage prevents y'all from pulling up the egift carte, you volition non be able to use it.

Load the eGift Card into a Mobile Wallet: I typically load egift cards into a mobile wallet or a gift carte du jour app for two reasons. The first is that I like keeping my egift cards organized and in one place. The second is that many apps and wallets tin exist used to automatically check the balance of an egift carte and so I know how much is on the card earlier and after I use it.

Take a Screenshot of the eGift Bill of fare: A unproblematic fashion to easily access your egift cards is to have a screenshot of the egift code and PIN when it arrives. I oftentimes practise this as a backup method in addition to putting cards in my mobile wallet. If there are any issues with the internet connection at the shop, I can simply access my stored images to pay.

When you get to the cash register, tell the cashier that you lot are paying with a egift card and be gear up to present either the paper copy or the digital version on your phone. In some cases, the cashier will be able to scan the code and other times you will have to enter information technology past manus. Although paying for merchandise with a digital souvenir card may be a new experience for you, I have found that well-nigh cashiers are able to handle either the paper copy or digital epitome with ease.

How to use an eGift Menu at a Restaurant

egift card at a store

I have plant that using an egift carte at a eatery is a dissimilar from the typical egift menu transaction because the greenbacks register is seldom near the dining area. When y'all are at a restaurant, for example, the waiter or waitress mostly brings the bill to your tabular array when you are finished. If paying with plastic, yous tin slip your carte into the credit card folder and off it goes. But I am non comfortable doing that with my phone. Then read this post on 3 Means to Employ an eGift Carte at a Eatery for my solutions.

How to use Visa eGift Cards

order a visa egift card

Although I accept used a Visa egift bill of fare at a physical location in the past, the rules of the game accept inverse. Digital Visa egift cards are only usable online, over the telephone, by mail-order catalog and anywhere else that a "bill of fare not present" transaction is allowed.

So now the well-nigh of import thing you lot need to know is where to enter the eGift Menu number. The Visa egift carte number goes into the credit or debit carte field during online chack-out. If the dollar value of the Visa egift card does non embrace the total amount of the purchase, still, the transaction will pass up. Non to worry. I take a couple of work-arounds.

Partial Payment: Read this blog mail on how to apply a Visa egift carte online for partial payment. This is also called a dissever-tender transaction. Basically, I will bear witness you my play a trick on for beingness able to use both a Visa egift card and a regular banking concern card when necessary.

Transport to Shop or Pick-Up in Store: One fashion to use a Visa egift bill of fare online and still selection upwardly something y'all want or need at a concrete location is to brand your purchase online, but select "Ship to Store" or "Pick up At Store" equally your delivery method. That mode you can honor the gift card restrictions while still mostly getting what you want in a physical location.

One Last Tip: Cocky-serve Cheque-out

One last thing to keep in mind is the newness of self-service checkout registers. A few years ago, I had an egift menu on my phone when I stepped into the self-serve checkout lane at a hardware store. Since I could not hand my phone to the cashier and the kiosk did not support key-entering a card number, I had to pay with a debit card instead of my digital gift card. Though I think self-serve issues will resolve (I used one at a Target self-serve recently), I advise asking the cashier before you lot go in line to make certain egift cards volition work at your location.

Have you used egift cards at the store? If so, add a note in the comments below or leave a message for @GCGirlfriend on Twitter and let me know how information technology went.

Happy Gift Carding!

~Shelley Hunter, Souvenir Bill of fare Girlfriend