There’s nothing more frustrating than being at the till of the supermarket with your groceries on the counter and the cashier telling you “your card is being declined”. Sadly it happens to the best of us. When I shop with my debit card, I always hold my breath, because those banks and cards can mess you up. The minute I see the receipt rolling out of the machine, I let out my breath. I know a lot of people find it embarrassing, but I find it annoying, because you go through the stress of shopping, only to end up buying nothing.
If you have a Visa gift card, and for some reason, your card is being denied, here are some reasons why:
Reasons Why Your Visa Gift Card May Be Declined
There are various reasons why your Visa gift card may be declined, some of which we will discuss:
1. Your Gift Card Hasn’t Been Activated: This is usually a common error. To be able to make use of your gift card, ensure that it has been activated. Because Visa gift cards are linked to bank accounts, once they are not activated, the gift card is just a piece of plastic without any value.
2. You Are Using It Before The Wait Period: To reduce gift card scams and frauds, your Visa gift card may have a waiting period of 1-2 days. Check your card to know the terms and conditions of the usage of that card. Once you’ve confirmed it, you have to wait for that period to elapse before you can make use of the card.
3. The Visa Gift Card Is Being Used Outside the Country: With Visa gift cards, it is important to note that they will not work outside of the country that they were issued. If you buy a Visa gift card in the USA, chances are that it will be declined when you use them in Nigeria. However, it doesn’t matter if you decide to sell it in Nigeria, as long as it hasn’t been used.
4. You Are Using It Before The Wait Period: To reduce gift card scams and frauds, your Visa gift card may have a waiting period of 1-2 days. Check your card to know the terms and conditions of the usage of that card. Once you’ve confirmed it, you have to wait for that period to elapse before you can make use of the card.
Finally,
5. Your Purchase Is More Than The Balance: If your purchase is more than the gift card balance, your card will be declined, just the way it will for a debit card. However, when I’m in a fix like this I always split my purchase between the gift card and cash. All you have to do is use up the credit on the card, and cover the rest with money.
5. A Faulty Machine: Sometimes, your Visa gift card being declined may have absolutely nothing to do with your card. It may be the store’s fault, their machines may be faulty. To confirm any doubt you may have, check out another store to try out your card.
Conclusion
If you try all these and your card doesn’t work, be sure to call the customer care number usually printed at the back of the card. If you aren’t interested in going through all that, you can always just convert that card to money and avoid all card issues once and for all. Just be sure to make that transaction on a platform that you trust and has high rates.
