Why was my Gift Card Declined/Not Accepted

There are several common reasons why a Visa or Mastercard gift card may decline or not be accepted.

NOTE: If you have a gift card from a merchant or specific brand, such as Target or Sephora, contact that merchant directly for support.

• Declined at a restaurant or tipping establishment 
  • Merchants that normally accept tips (for example, restaurants, food delivery services, nail salons, hair salons, etc.) preauthorize cards for the amount due plus an additional 20% to ensure there are enough funds on the card to include the tip.
  • If the amount due + 20% exceeds the current gift card balance, the gift card will decline for insufficient funds.
    • For example, if your restaurant bill is $100, the pre-authorization amount will be $120. If the gift card balance is less than that amount, the card will decline. 
    • You can ask the restaurant to charge a specific amount. 
  • 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 more information, see our FAQ on pre-authorizations. 

• Insufficient funds
  • Purchases that exceed the card balance or that exceed the card balance with pre-authorization charges.
  • To check your balance, visit our Check Balance page at https://www.perfectgift.com/check-balance. 

• Cash out and money transfer restrictions
  • Cannot be used to 
    • Withdraw cash at ATMs
    • Get cash back at the register
    • Used on money transfer sites, such as PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp

• Expiration
  • Check the expiration date.
  • If your card is expired, visit our FAQ on expired cards.

• Activation (for physical cards only)
  • Must be activated.
  • To activate your card, visit our Activate page at https://www.perfectgift.com/activate. 

• Merchant restrictions
  • Some merchants do not accept prepaid cards.
    • For example: Bill pay, subscription services, recurring payment merchants.
  • Gas stations
    • Do not pay at the pump due to pre-authorization. 
    • Pay the attendant in advance and request an exact amount that is less than the card balance.
  • Hotels
    • Do not typically allow gift cards for reservations or check-in. Pre-authorized funds are held for up to 31 days. This will prevent you from using those funds for other purchases with the gift card until the hold is released.
    • Can pay at checkout with a gift card. 
  • Rental car companies
    • Do not typically allow gift cards to secure reservations or at check-in. 
    • Can pay with gift card when the car is returned. 

• CVV issues
  • Enter the 3-digit code correctly.
  • Some merchants may not verify the CVV, which can cause declines.

• Billing information
  • For online purchases, enter a U.S.-based billing address. PIN is not required.

• PIN (for physical/plastic cards only)
  • Try credit if PIN is rejected.
  • PINs only apply for physical cards.

• Geographic restrictions / U.S. only
  • Prepaid cards (consumer) can only be used in the U.S.
  • Reward cards (corporate) can be used in the U.S. and most international countries. 
    • A 3% currency conversion fee will be deducted from the balance for transactions outside of the U.S.
    • Click here for the list of accepted countries.