Virtual Visa Prepaid Card

[Meow]

This might end in Lounge but I would still like to hear and appreciate your advises.

I did some survey a while ago and now received Virtual Visa Prepaid Card. It can be used only for on-line purchases and after activation expires in 6 month. It nor re-loadable and cannot be combined with any other method of payment.

I never used such cards nor I do much of on-line shopping.

If you have experience with such gift cards, could you be so kind to advise how to use it? Can I purchase on-line non-expiring gift card from some retailer and use it when I want?

I will do my research too but any advise will be much appreciated - IF you ever used similar cards!

[CountyDownIeUk]

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@dust2dust wrote:

@CountyDownIeUk- I did not have success with MyVanilla. I did with Vanilla. Which one (or both) worked for you?

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@dust2dust 

The one I have on my accounts is a match......VANILLA.....

[Meow]

Quick update if somebody get into similar situation - since this virtual visa debit is for on-line only purchase, solution was to find company selling non-expiring gift cards and purchase one. Worked well and all funds have been used.

As for using it with PM, I would not like to play around changing my CC just for a month plus as per card's disclaimer: 'In addition, the balance on the card cannot be transferred to another account such as Paypal/eBay, and cannot be used to pay bills.'

[LitlLdy]

I use KOHO which is reloadable. Which I call a prepaid master card. You load through e-transfer. I get 0.05 % cash back on purchases. You download the app to your device. They send you a physical card (you can choose the colour of it) & a virtual card. I only put on it what I want to use at the time & or lock the cards in the app when not using it to avoid unauthorized transactions. I also use it for PayPal. I like to keep some things separate from my bank.

[darlicious]

@CountyDownIeUki

If you want the card just for the autopay reward just leave it there past expiry. I discovered recently when asked extra verification questions for my unlucky $13 account that the card on file is my long ago stolen and expired mastercard as I have only paid for the account when I first activated it. It's been "free" ever since. You will get the monthly text that your card has expired though.....

@Meow 

Did you acquire the virtual visa thru a promotion? You can try and register it here and see if you can make a payment. If so then zeroing out a virtual or credit gift card can be done if you have an account balance that is just shy of, equal to or exceeds your plan amount. You can then add small amounts from your cards that is $1+. But you have to calculate the tax ahead of time....ie with an Alberta phone number you have to add $1.90 to get $2 off your card so a calculator is needed for odd amounts left on gift credit cards.

Otherwise you can add them to PayPal.....

[CountyDownIeUk]

@Meow 

If the virtual card has a legitimate CC number on it, then why not put on PM and see if it sticks if it would work for you. Too much money, short expiry, ... will it work on Amazon, Netflix, Costco online, or online grocery delivery or?.

[CountyDownIeUk]

oh oh. Dunno. "My" or "not my"😁 I had no idea there were 2 different  but close names. 

I will let you know soon. The obvious guess is plain Vanilla. 

My wife had in her purse for years and never had the get up and go to use it for some reason. So I bought it from her and put on all 3 of our accounts. That way if we leave....will just spend the $25 and not leave with a valid credit card on file. Will use it up before expiry though some were else. While I don't think paying $30 for a $25 card is good value....it suits the purpose here for sure. Will buy another when expired. I will keep it there and try a Canadian Tire PM voucher if I need to top up, but unlikely.  Hopefully the CSAs will show me some good customer service for the 5 x $5 RAF that I have to negotiate for every first Friday of month. 

[dust2dust]

@CountyDownIeUk- I did not have success with MyVanilla. I did with Vanilla. Which one (or both) worked for you?

[CountyDownIeUk]

@dust2dust My vanilla works here just fine. Have you checked the expiry date on it?

[dust2dust]

@Meow- Which virtual thing are you looking at? As for store-bought cards, the MyVanilla one doesn't seem to work here.

@softech- I don't have a problem with finishing up these cards in a store for that last few bucks. I have a little problem with the start-up fee of course. But I would be with you with this problem with a "virtual" card.

[softech]

@Meow   one thing I don't like those prepaid cards, especially the non-reloadable ones,  is the small amount left on the card and you cannot really use them.

For example, you have a $100 card, you used $98 and left with $2.  It is hard to use the $2.  If you made a purchase bigger than $2, it requires the retails to break it into 2 transactions manually, make a $2 one first and then another one after.  The system won't automatically let you use 2 cards to complete the transaction.  So, using it online is definitely a problem.

So, which virtual card you are interested with?  And curious, why Virtual and not a physical prepaid? you are sending to someone overseas?