Common reasons your gift card is not working

If your Visa or Mastercard gift card isn’t  working, don’t worry.  This list covers some common reasons and how to solve them. 

Common Issues and Quick Fixes 

Card Types – Physical or Virtual?

• Physical or plastic Visa and Mastercard cards work much like credit cards. They are valid for both in-store and online purchases.
• Virtual or digital Visa and Mastercard cards are for online or over-the-phone use only. 
  • A PIN is NOT required in order to make a purchase with a virtual/digital card.
  • If you add your virtual card to your Apple or Google wallet, you can use it in-store.

Card declined at a restaurant or tipping establishment 

• Merchants that normally accept tips (for example, restaurants, nail salons, hair salons, etc.) preauthorize cards for the amount due plus an additional 20% to ensure enough is on the card, including the tip amount.
• If the amount due + 20% exceeds the gift card balance, the gift card will decline for insufficient funds.
• If you do not tip with the card or the restaurant already added the tip in their total, the additional 20% will return to the balance in a few business days.

For virtual/digital/egift cards

• When checking out, select CREDIT CARD as the payment method. 
  • A PIN is NOT required in order to make a purchase with a virtual/digital card. 
  • The only card information needed to complete an online purchase is the card number, expiration date, and the three-digit CVV code.  
  • If there is a name field, simply enter your own name.
  • If shipping or billing information is needed, simply enter your own U.S.-based address.
• If any additional information is requested, the site probably does not accept digital/virtual/egift cards as a form of payment. 
  • We encourage you to check with the merchant or look at their FAQs before  making an online purchase to see if gift cards are accepted.

Card not activated 

• If you have a plastic or physical card, make sure it is activated.  
• If you aren’t sure if your Visa or Mastercard has been activated, visit the Activate Your Card Online page at https://www.perfectgift.com/activate.   
• If you have a virtual or digital card, it does not need to be activated. 

Expired card 

• Check the expiration date on your card to make sure it’s still valid. 
• If it is expired, visit the My Gift Card is Expired page at https://help.perfectgift.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404631754519-My-gift-card-is-expired-what-do-I-do.   
    

Insufficient funds 

• Verify your balance is enough to cover your purchase.  
• Multiple online transactions may temporarily reduce available funds.  
• If you have a payment amount that is higher than the gift card amount, ask the merchant if they allow for split payments. If so, ask that the gift card be charged with a specific dollar amount that is equal to or less than the balance. Then, pay the rest with a different form of payment.

Usage Restrictions 

• USA only   
  Gift cards are only valid for use within the United States. This means they typically can’t be used for international transactions, even online.
  • If you have a Visa or Mastercard Rewards card (the word "reward” is printed on the front), it can be used outside of the U.S., although some countries are excluded. 
      
• No ATM or cash access or money transfer sites 
  Gift cards cannot be used to withdraw cash or get cash back at the register or money transfer sites, such as PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp.   
• Can’t buy other gift cards  
  Most merchants prohibit using a gift card to buy another gift card, unless you load it to Amazon.   
• Merchant category restrictions 
  Bill pay and subscription services typically do not accept prepaid gift cards. Recurring payment merchants usually don’t accept gift cards since they are non-reloadable.

Card declined at the gas station pump

• Gas stations often pre-authorize up to $200 at the pump. If your balance is less than that, the card will decline. 
  • If you want to use your plastic/physical gift card, pay the cashier in advance, specify the exact amount (making sure it’s less than the card balance), and request they run it as a “credit” transaction. 

Card declined at a hotel

• Hotels typically pre-authorize a hold that is approximately 25% more than the reservation total to cover incidentals. 
  • Hotels do not typically accept prepaid gift cards to secure a reservation.
  • When checking out, you can ask to use your physical/plastic gift card as a credit card to pay for part or all of the balance. 

Card declined at rental car company

• Rental car companies pre-authorize a temporary hold of a few hundred dollars as a deposit. 
  • Rental car companies do not accept prepaid gift cards to secure a reservation. 
  • When you return the vehicle, you can ask to use your physical/plastic gift card as a credit card to pay for part or all of the balance.