How to Use a Virtual Visa Gift Card: Online, In-Store, and Splitting a Payment
Post by: Daniel Heuer
A virtual Visa gift card works almost anywhere Visa is accepted. Online, you enter the card number, expiration date, and security code at checkout like any card. In a store, you add it to your phone's wallet and tap to pay. The one thing that trips people up isn't where it works, it's what to do when the balance is smaller than the total, so we'll cover that too.
Using it online
This is the easy one. At checkout, choose to pay by credit or debit card and enter:
- the 16-digit card number,
- the expiration date,
- and the 3-digit security code.
If there's a billing address or ZIP field, use the one tied to the card if you registered it, or your own address if the site just needs something to match. That's it. The purchase comes off the card's balance.
The only catch online: the card usually has to cover the entire order. More on that below, because it's the part people get stuck on.
Using it in a store
A virtual card has no plastic to swipe, so the way to use it in person is to add it to a mobile wallet and tap. Here's how to add a virtual Visa gift card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet:
- Open the Wallet app and choose to add a card.
- Enter the card number, expiration date, and security code, either by scanning or typing.
- Confirm, and the card shows up in your wallet.
- At the register, hold your phone to the contactless reader and pick that card.
Once it's in your wallet, it behaves like any tap-to-pay card. If a particular store doesn't take contactless payments, the card can be harder to use in person, since there's nothing physical to hand the cashier.
What to do when the balance is less than your total
This is the real source of confusion, so here's the honest explanation.
Online, most checkouts only let you use one card, and they expect it to cover the whole order. If your card has $40 and the cart is $55, the payment is usually declined outright rather than charging the $40 and asking for the rest. So the cleanest move online is to spend the card on an order at or below its balance.
In a store, you have more room. Tell the cashier before they ring you up that you want to put a specific amount on the gift card and the rest on another card or cash. This is called a split payment, and most registers handle it without trouble. So if you've got a small balance left, an in-person purchase is often the easiest way to use it up.
A couple of workarounds for an awkward leftover balance: spend it somewhere the total lands under the balance, or load it onto an account that holds a balance (for example, applying it to your Amazon balance) so it's there for your next purchase.
A few places it won't work
A virtual Visa gift card covers the vast majority of everyday spending, but a handful of uses are blocked, and they can look like a problem with the card when they're really just not allowed:
- Purchases outside the United States
- Money transfers through apps like Venmo, CashApp, or PayPal
- ATM withdrawals
- Buying other gift cards (with Amazon online as an exception)
- Most subscriptions and automatic bill pay
It's also worth knowing about pre-authorization holds. At a gas pump, paying at the pump can hold around $100 to $200 regardless of how much you buy, so pay the cashier inside and give an exact amount instead. Restaurants and salons often authorize about 20% over your total to leave room for a tip. These holds aren't charges, and they generally clear within a few days.
Can you use it on Amazon?
Yes. You can use a virtual Visa gift card on Amazon the same way you'd use any card, by adding it as a payment method at checkout or applying the balance to your account. It's one of the more flexible places to use up a balance, since Amazon lets you combine it with your other payment methods on an order.
The short version
Online, enter the card details at checkout and keep the order at or under the balance. In person, add the card to your phone and tap, and ask the cashier to split the payment if the balance won't cover the whole thing. Steer clear of the few blocked uses, and a virtual Visa gift card will handle just about everything else.
Not sure how much is left on your card? You can check your balance and recent transactions anytime at perfectgift.com/check-balance.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use a virtual Visa gift card online? At checkout, choose to pay by card and enter the 16-digit number, expiration date, and security code. Make sure the order total is at or below the card's balance, since online checkouts usually require one card to cover the whole purchase.
How do I use a virtual Visa gift card in a store? Add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet using the card number, expiration date, and security code, then tap your phone at the contactless reader. There's no physical card to swipe.
How do I add a virtual Visa gift card to Apple Wallet? Open the Wallet app, choose to add a card, and enter the card number, expiration date, and security code. Once it's added, you can tap to pay anywhere contactless payments are accepted.
Can I use a virtual Visa gift card if the balance is less than my total? In a store, yes, ask the cashier for a split payment and put part on the gift card and the rest on another method. Online, it's harder, because most checkouts need one card to cover the full order, so it's best to keep the order at or under the balance.
Can I use a virtual Visa gift card on Amazon? Yes. Add it as a payment method at checkout or apply the balance to your Amazon account, and you can combine it with your other payment methods on an order.
Why was my virtual Visa gift card declined? Common reasons include an order larger than the balance, a blocked use (international purchases, app money transfers, ATM withdrawals, buying gift cards, or bill pay), or a pre-authorization hold temporarily reducing the available balance. Checking your balance and transactions usually shows what happened.
Where can I use a virtual Visa gift card? Almost anywhere Visa is accepted, online and in stores, aside from the few blocked uses above. In person it works through a mobile wallet, since there's no plastic card to swipe.
