# How do I zero out Visa/MC gift cards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771 "2023-09-27T11:03:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/61 "2023-09-28T21:52:32Z")
Okay, something has changed since the last time I looked at this. Gift cards even with Visa/MC logos must be processed as gift cards (through a gift card network) not the debit/credit/ach system. It should be obvious why no one should be able to determine the available balance on your debit card, bank account or credit card except you and the card issuer. But maybe the Visa gift cards aren’t considered debit cards any more. There has been a lot of evolution in payment systems and non-bank issuers, I must not be up to date on it. Apologies for spreading misinformation. I will ask around. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/62 "2023-09-28T22:08:03Z")
It might be the policy of the card, not the store. I recently got a e-Visa card from one of those class action settlements, and it’s $2.78 and partial use, on any level, is not allowed. I would have selected a check had I known this. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/63 "2023-09-28T22:25:58Z")
> [@CRhode](#): > > For this reason, one cannot: > > - Buy a game card or cellphone card with a gift card. > - Buy a gift card with a gift card. > - Buy a prepaid credit card with a gift card. > - Buy a prepaid credit card with a prepaid credit card. (I’m not sure about this one, but I think that’s the case.) > > … although you can certainly purchase any of the above with a standard credit or debit card. Great info. Thank you. But I got into an issue trying to buy a good-sized gift card for my niece who’s outfitting a new house. I walk into Kohls, go to the customer service desk. I want a $1,000 Kohl’s-branded gift card. Great; they’re happy to help. They get it set up. Now they want payment. I offer them my Kohl’s charge card. No can do. I offer my Visa card. No can do. They will only accept green cash money with presidents on it to purchase a gift card. So I give them a stack of readily counterfeitable 100’s which they do not even glance at, much less stripe with a test pen, and they’re happy. Shit gettin’ weird. This was about 2 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/64 "2023-09-29T16:08:09Z")
OK-- adding them to my Amazon account worked-- I “reloaded” my gift card account. I hadn’t thought that I could do that, because Amazon says you can’t use the Visa/MC prepaid cards to buy gift cards, but I guess that just means I can’t use a $200 Visa/MC card to buy a $50 Amazon card, 2 $25 Starbucks cards, some Subway cards, and a Best Buy card, and have them sent to me to give to other people. I’m not sure why that rule exists, but it’s in the fine print. Actually, kinda curious now-- if anyone knows the reason for that stipulation, and wants to post it, please do. After I reloaded my nearly a dozen (there were 11) cards with amounts from $1.32 to $12.something, it was nearly $50, and took about 20 minutes. Oh-- whoops-- thought I had read all the replies, but see that I missed one. I am even familiar with this scam, because someone tried to pull it on me once. He said he was going to put a lot of money into my account, and wanted me to purchase gift cards with it, but wanted my account number and PIN to do it. I told him he did not need my PIN to put money into my account. I wasn’t familiar with the gift card end of the scam, but no way was I giving out my PIN. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/65 "2023-09-29T16:35:58Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Amazon says you can’t use the Visa/MC prepaid cards to buy gift cards I think that only applies to gift cards other than Amazon gift cards - and I think it probably has to do with scams. I can imagine that if I get you to pay me in gift cards as part of a scam, the scammer might want to use those gift cards to buy different gift cards immediately to make it harder to trace the money or for you to cancel the original gift cards. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/66 "2023-09-29T16:37:04Z")
^ That right there. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/67 "2023-09-29T22:28:39Z")
Clarifying this: Let’s suppose I make a $20 purchase online. I can’t use the $2.78 for this, and then charge $17.22 to another card, or use Paypal or whatever. It’s $2.78 or nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/68 "2023-09-29T22:30:05Z")
That’s… designed to never be used. What a rip-off. Can you use the card then pay the balance in cash? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/69 "2023-09-29T22:30:51Z")
The $2.78 doesn’t make or break my budget; it’s just the principle of the thing. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/70 "2023-09-29T22:32:47Z")
So you can’t even just use the card to buy $2.78 worth of credit on like PayPal or Amazon? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/71 "2023-12-13T23:17:16Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Whoever first suggested that I find the exact balance on a card, which isn’t hard to do, and then charge that exact amount to the card, even if it’s not the totality of an order, and pay the balance of the order, is probably right. > > My only problem is that I shop mostly online, and doing that online doesn’t work. I just got a (legit) email that I’m getting a $200 gift card from work for completing the health/wellness program this year. I have the option of a physical card or a virtual one emailed to my work email address. With the exception of putting it on Amazon (no!) how would this work? If I want to buy something online for $250 do any/many stores allow for multiple payments - $200 to cash out the gift card & then $50 from either my CC or Paypal to complete payment for the purchase? I don’t believe I’ve ever done multiple payment options for an online purchase, I’ve only paid 100% on either a CC or PayPal. I’m thinking I want the physical card to buy what I want & then go to the grocery store with the balance & pay for the rest of my groceries myself. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/72 "2023-12-14T17:01:03Z")
Or just use your regular payment method for the on-line purchase, and then use the card for the groceries and/or other in person purchases? (I don’t know about where you live, but here a couple hundred bucks would be wiped out pretty damn fast in just a few weeks of regular shopping. Or maybe even in just one, if I took advantage of it to stock up on canned goods/paper goods/cleaning items/etc. stuff that essentially immortal.) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2023, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771/73 "2023-12-16T07:10:48Z")
Since you use PayPal you can add the card to PayPal (assuming it’s a Visa gift card?) and then if the store you want to shop at accepts PayPal you can then use it as your primary payment method and choose a secondary payment method for the remainder. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-zero-out-visa-mc-gift-cards/990771.md?page=3)