Best options for buying Visa and MasterCard gift cards

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Visa and Mastercard gift cards can be extremely useful tools to maximize rewards on credit card spend.  These cards are sold both in fixed denominations and in variable-load forms where you can put anywhere between $20-$500 on the card.  They are accepted almost everywhere that you can use credit or debit. Outside of periodic sales, there is almost always an activation fee on these cards, usually from $3.95-$7.95.

Much of the points and miles world regards these gift cards as only being useful for “manufactured spend,” or MS, where the gift cards are somehow liquidated into cash or money orders that can then be deposited.  However, there are many additional ways to use gift cards and they can be a great tool for anyone trying to maximize rewards on spending.  Note – Banks have different levels of tolerance for spending on gift cards.  It’s best to start off small and ramp up your spending over time.  Amex, in particular, is very sensitive about GC purchases. Be very careful with how much and how often you buy, or you risk claw back, pop-up prison and potentially, shutdown.

Regardless of how you use them, the first step is to find Visa or Mastercard gift cards that can be bought with a credit card, with low activation fees, and without risk of incurring cash-advance fees. This post solely focuses on options available within the United States.  And even within the US, options will vary immensely by region, by county and by store.

a close-up of a gift card

Visa and Mastercard gift cards can be useful tools to maximize points and miles earning

Ways to Use Gift Cards

  • Time-Shift Spend – Probably the best way to earn a lot of points in a short amount of time is by signing up for new credit cards with welcome offers and completing the timed spending requirements (ie, spend $3,000 in the first 90 days to get 60,000 points). Banks will sometimes target customers for spending offers on existing cards as well. However, many of us have gotten ourselves into periods where we might have competing spending offers and/or sign-up bonuses, pushing us to the limit of what we can spend in the next X amount of days.  Gift cards can be a great tool in this case, allowing you to “time-shift spend.”  For instance, if you’re $1000 short of a spending bonus and you have 4 days to go, you can buy $1000 in gift cards to complete the spending requirement and then use those gift cards for normal spending at your leasure. Warning – Do not attempt this with Amex cards, they are known to claw back welcome offers achieved using giftcard purchases.
  • Earning category bonuses everywhere – This is one of my favorite ways to use gift cards (See: Chase Ink Cash: 5x reasons why it’s my favorite no annual fee card).  Using credit cards that have good category bonuses (5x Office Supply, 3x-4x Grocery, 3x Gas, etc) you can buy gift cards at a retailer that qualifies for that category and then use the gift cards that you purchased for unbonused (or less-bonused) spend elsewhere. While it does require keeping track of multiple cards, some with partial amounts, it can be a fantastic way to get above-average return on almost all spending.
  • Player 2 Spending – Most of us know the pain of having a player 2 who doesn’t care to care about category bonuses.  My wife has a firm 3 card limit, meaning she doesn’t want to have to track more than 3 cards at a time in her wallet. So, we’ll go through times that she’ll have a gas card, a dining card (because both of those categories require preauthorizations that can be cumbersome on some gift cards) and use Visa gift cards that I purchase from office supply stores everywhere else. She doesn’t have to keep track of bonus categories and I’m comfy knowing we’re earning 5x on what she spends.
  • Spending that requires debit cards – There are always a few spending categories that only accept debit cards, have a drastically reduced fee for using debit cards (ie taxes/utilities) or who only accept one flavor of credit card, but multiple types of debit (Costco, for example).  There are a lot more options these days for earning 2%+ on debit spend, but most folks’ primary debit card will be lucky to get 1% back.  By using gift cards, you can get 3x-5x transferrable currencies (or cash back) on spending that would otherwise be lightly-bonused, if at all.
  • “Manufactured Spend” – This is the big kahuna for some, a completely frustrating wild goose chase for others.  The most common version involves using gift cards to buy money orders at supermarkets or department stores and then depositing those money orders directly into a bank account.  This is EXTREMELY region, store and even sometimes cashier-dependent.  We had talked about trying to go through the different issuers’ gift cards and developing a reference source for them, but the problem is that there is just too much variability to map it all out…and it’s changing constantly.  Check out our Guide to Manufactured Spending as well as Nick’s excellent article about how to attack it conceptually.  Suffice it to say that experimentation, local MS buddies, time and patience are essential tools.
Note that the vast majority of cards discussed below are PIN-enabled.  It’s important to know the PIN, even if not intending to use it, as you sometimes will be prompted to enter the PIN in order to complete the purchase. In some cases the PIN is the last 4 digits of the card and in other cases you have to manually set it 

Current Visa and Mastercard Promotions

There are often promotions to save on purchase or activation fees, or instant rebates on gift card purchases.  Current promos (if any) are listed here:

Online Options for Gift Card Purchases

Amazon.com

Notes Details
At Amazon.com (our affiliate link), the highest denomination is $200 and those come with a $6.95 activation fee.  That’s high as an overall percentage. It might make sense though if you have a credit card which earns 5% on Amazon purchases. Max value: $200
Max order size: None listed.
Per card fee: $6.95
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: MetaBank
Credit card category bonus: Amazon

 

BJ’s Wholesale Club (www.bjs.com)

Notes Details
The image of the $200 Vanilla Visa on the BJ’s website shows an activation fee of $6.95, but they actually only charge $5.45. That’s still a high fee, but might be worth it if you’re looking to max out wholesale club spending when it’s a 5% category on cards like the Chase Freedom and Discover It. Max value: $200
Max order size: Seemingly no limits, but unlikely that BJ’s will fulfill a $10,272.50 order for 50 of these cards.
Per card fee: $5.45
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? Possibly. Gift card purchases from BJ’s sometimes track online even though they’re excluded.
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Varies
Credit card category bonus: Wholesale clubs

 

GiantEagle.com

Notes Details
Online gift card purchases from GiantEagle.com don’t code as groceries as their online gift cards are processed by Blackhawk Network

You don’t have to live in an area with Giant Eagle stores to have them mail gift cards to you.
Max value: $200
Max order size: $2,747.50 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $6.95
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

GiftCardGranny.com

Notes Details
It’s not clear who processes payment for these cards (presumably Gift Card Granny, but that might not be the case), although the cards themselves are listed as being issued by MetaBank. Max value: $500
Max order size: $Unsure
Per card fee: $6.95 with $1.99 shipping per card.
Can include your name on gift card? Yes
Portal rebate available? Possibly. Gift Card Granny might be available on one or more shopping portals, but we don’t know if Visa gift card purchases will track.
PIN enabled? Yes.
Cash advance fee? Unsure
Issued by: MetaBank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

GiftCards.com

Notes Details
Order online through a cash back portal in order to recover some or all of the fees.

When first buying cards from GiftCards.com, it is recommended that you start slowly.  If you buy too many in a short period of time, they may shut down your ability to buy more cards.
Max value: $250
Max order size: $2500 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $4.95 + shipping. Shipping is either $1.99 per card for first class mail or $7.45 for an entire order with tracking.
Can include your name on gift card? Yes
Portal rebate available? Yes. Portal rates are sometimes better for Mastercard gift cards than for Visa gift cards. Find current portal rates here (but note that you’ll have to click into each portal to find Visa/MC specific rates). Cash back may be earned on up to $2K per month through portals (this changed in July 2020).
PIN enabled? Yes. After activating online you’ll be given a 4 digit PIN and you can then change the PIN if you prefer.
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: MetaBank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

GiftCardMall.com

Notes Details
Order online through a cash back portal in order to recover some or all of the fees.  GiftCardMall is known to have an itchy trigger finger when it comes to cancelling orders.  If you intend to place larger orders, you should increase order size slowly.

Max value: $250
Max order size: $10,000 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $5.95 + shipping. Shipping fees vary depending on the number of cards you purchase and they sometimes run promotions for free shipping.
Can include your name on gift card? Yes
Portal rebate available? Yes. Find current portal rates here (but note that you’ll have to click into each portal to find Visa specific rates). The cap is $2K in orders per month for portal rewards (see this post).
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

HarrisTeeter.com

Notes Details
The activation fee of $5.95 is very high given the card’s low maximum denomination, earning 4x fuel points when Harris Teeter runs that promotion can potentially save you more than the fee when buying gas.  Online gift card purchases from Harris Teeter don’t code as groceries as their online gift cards are processed by Blackhawk Network Max value: $100
Max order size: $1,064.50 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $5.95
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: Groceries

 

IncommIncentives.com

Notes Details
Incomm Incentives appears to be set up to sell gift cards in bulk to businesses, so they might have some kind approval process to be accepted.  They offer $500 cards for a $3.25 fee, so it might be worth considering if you have an eligible business.  Note that these are Vanilla Visa gift cards, so these can’t be used for debit transactions over $50 at Walmart. Max value: $500
Max order size: Seemingly none. This option is set up to buy in bulk (VanillaGift.com directs you to Incomm Incentives if trying to buy $10,000+ in Visa gift cards).
Per card fee: $3.25
Can include your name on gift card? Yes
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Varies (Vanilla).
Credit card category bonus: Unsure.

Kroger.com

Notes Details
While the activation fee of $5.95 is very high given the card’s low denomination, earning 4x fuel points when Kroger runs that promotion can potentially save you more than that fee when buying gas.  Online gift card purchases from Kroger don’t code as groceries. That’s because, similar to Office Depot, their online gift card offering is run by GiftCardMall. Max value: $100
Max order size: $1,064.50 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $5.95
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: U.S. Bank
Credit card category bonus: None

Meijer.com

Notes Details
Online gift card purchases are powered by Blackhawk Network which most likely means that they won’t code as a grocery purchase. Max value: $500
Max order size: $5,095.50 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $5.95
Shipping fee: free trackable shipping
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? Unsure
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: Groceries

 

OfficeDepot.com

Notes Details
Although in-store gift card purchases of Visa gift cards at Office Depot can earn you 5x on Ink Plus and Ink Cash cards, that’s sadly not the case online. That’s because Office Depot’s online gift card offering is powered by GiftCardMall and payments are therefore processed by them rather than Office Depot. Max value: $500
Max order size: $5,095.50 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $5.95
Shipping fee: free trackable shipping
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

Quill.com

Notes Details
Quill is an online-only office supply store owned by Staples and it sells essentially the same assortment of gift cards.  It is necessary to register your account as a business in order to buy gift cards.  They are frequent card linked offers that can make gift card purchases profitable, even with the activation fee. Max value: $300
Max order size: $2,000 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $8.95
Shipping fee: free trackable shipping
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? Sometimes
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: Office Supply

 

SamsClub.com

Notes Details
The $6.48 activation fee and the fact that it’s a Vanilla card means buying Visa gift cards from Sam’s Club online isn’t too enticing. However, there are often Amex Offers for Sam’s Club which can make buying them more worthwhile (and profitable) if you wouldn’t use the Amex Offer for organic Sam’s Club purchases. Max value: $200
Max order size: Seemingly no limits, but unlikely that Sam’s Club will fulfill a $10,324 order for 50 of these cards.
Per card fee: $6.48
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Varies
Credit card category bonus: None

 

Simon Gift Cards Bulk program

Notes Details
If you wish to purchase Simon Visa Gift Cards that can be loaded with up to $1,000 per card, you need to first register and be approved for the Simon bulk ordering program (which requires manual verification from Simon’s end and making your first purchase in person at a Simon Mall location).  You will then re-enter the verification process each time you add a new payment method to your account. Note that you should avoid using an Amex because Amex doesn’t award points for Simon Mall purchases. Max value: $1,000
Max order size: $10,000 per day whether in a single or multiple orders (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $5.49
Order processing fee: $10 per order
Shipping fee: Varies. From around $10.
Can include your name on gift card? Yes.
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

Simon / GiftCardMall.com

Notes Details
This option is different to Simon’s own direct sales of Visa gift cards. This portal is run by GiftCardMall and payments are processed by them which means that you can earn rewards on American Express cards which you can’t do when buying from Simon Mall directly. Max value: $500
Max order size: $5,000 (before fees)
Per card fee: $3.95 with $0.50 shipping per card ($0.50 is for non-trackable shipping, trackable shipping is $6.99 regardless of how many cards you order.
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? Unlikely. Although it’s processed by GiftCardMall, it’s on a subdomain. Clicking through to GiftCardMall from a portal and then manually adding ‘simon.’ before ‘giftcardmall.com’ probably won’t work, but could be worth a try.
PIN enabled? Likely seeing as it’s issued by MetaBank.
Cash advance fee? Unsure
Issued by: MetaBank
Credit card category bonus: None that I’m aware of

 

Staples.com

Notes Details
If you pay with a Chase Ink Cash (or the Ink Plus, which is no longer available to new applicants), the $8.95 fee is more than made up for by the 5X Ultimate Rewards points earned (5 X 308.95 = 1545 points per $300 card).  In fact, if you wanted to, you could cash in 895 of those points to reduce your net fees to zero and still earn 650 points per $300 card (i.e. ~2.2X). Max value: $300
Max order size: 5 cards
Per card fee: $8.95
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank.
Credit card category bonus: Office Supply

 

Target.com

Notes Details
A $6 fee means you’re paying 3% when buying a $200 prepaid card. Max value: $200
Max order size: $2,060 (inclusive of fees).
Per card fee: $6.00
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: TBBK Card Services, Inc. or MetaBank
Credit card category bonus: Unsure.

 

USPS.com

Notes Details
A great thing about ordering from USPS is that they offer free trackable shipping, so the activation fee is the only cost added on.  Stephen had problems trying to check out when logged in, so you might need to use the ‘Checkout As Guest’ option. Max value: $500
Max order size: $5,000 (before fees)
Per card fee: $5.95 with free trackable shipping.
Can include your name on gift card? No
Portal rebate available? No. Although it’s on a sub-domain of GiftCards.com, it doesn’t seem to track after clicking through from a shopping portal.
PIN enabled? Yes. After activating online you can choose a PIN.
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: MetaBank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

VanillaGift.com

Notes Details
VanillaGift.com is one of the few remaining options for buying $500 Visa gift cards online.  Note that Walmart doesn’t accept Vanilla Visa gift cards as debit transactions for more than $50. Max value: $500
Max order size: $10,000 (inclusive of fees)
Per card fee: $5.95
Can include your name on gift card? Yes
Portal rebate available? No
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: TBBK Card Services, Inc., MetaBank, N.A. or Sutton Bank
Credit card category bonus: None

 

In-store Options for Gift Card Purchases

None of the following in-person options provide a way to recover fees through portals, nor do they offer gift cards with your name on them.  That said, it is sometimes possible to earn rewards with card-linked offers.  See: Card-Linked Programs & The Networks They Run On (AKA Which Programs Stack) and Stephen’s Top 6 Card-Linked Programs.

AAA

Notes Details
Check your local AAA office to see if they sell Visa gift cards. Often they’ll run no-fee promotions, especially late in the year. Max value: $500
Max order size: ?
Per card fee: Varies. Often $3 to $3.95 for members. Sometimes fee-free during promos.
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? Possible
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: Some AAA branches code as insurance. If you have a card offering a bonus for insurance payments, you might qualify for a bonus this way.
Additional Notes: Some people have reported that buying gift cards from AAA is a cumbersome and time consuming process.  Others have had no such problems. We’ve received at least one report of a customer being charged a cash advance fee when buying AAA gift cards.  Make sure to lower your credit card’s cash advance limit below the amount you plan to spend.

 

Credit Unions

Notes Details
Credit unions often sell Visa gift cards to their members sometimes with no fee at all.  When they do charge fees, they’re often lower than elsewhere. One example of a credit union that offers Visa gift cards can be found here. Max value: $500
Max order size: ?
Per card fee: Varies. $3.95 is typical.
PIN enabled? Yes
Cash advance fee? Possible
Issued by: ?
Credit card category bonus: None.
Additional Notes: Ask your credit union whether they accept 3rd party credit cards for these purchases.  Many credit unions only allow credit cards to be used if you pay with a credit card from that credit union.  Important: There is always a risk of being charged a cash advance fee. Make sure to lower your credit card’s cash advance limit below the amount you plan to spend.

 

Discount Stores

Notes Details
Stores like Walmart, Target, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club sell a variety of Visa and/or MasterCard gift cards.  Sam’s Club and BJ’s wholesale sell Vanilla brand cards. Max value: $500
Max order size: Varies by store
Per card fee: Varies
PIN enabled? Yes.
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Varies (Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale sell Vanilla gift cards)
Credit card category bonus: In some cases Walmart or Target may code as a grocery store for earning credit card category bonuses.  For Sam’s Club, look for cards offering wholesale club bonuses.

 

Drug Stores

Notes Details
Many drugstores sell Vanilla brand Visa and MasterCard gift cards loadable up to $500. Max value: $500
Max order size: Often limited to one $500 card.
Per card fee: $5.95
PIN enabled? Yes (Use any 4 digits upon first use to set the PIN)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Bancorp
Credit card category bonus:
Earn 3x with Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, AARP Essential Rewards Mastercard, Bank of America’s Customized Cash Rewards, Miami Marin’s Credit Card
Earn 5x with Citi Custom Cash.  Also cards like Discover It card, Chase Freedom, Chase Freedom Flex, Affinity Cash Rewards sometimes offer drugstores as a 5X quarterly category.

 

Gas Stations / Convenience Stores

Notes Details
Some gas stations and convenience stores (which sometimes conveniently code as gas stations for credit card purposes) sell Visa and MasterCard gift cards loadable up to $500. The ability to pay with a credit card varies from region to region and store to store and is often limited to Vanilla brand gift cards. Max value: $500
Max order size: Often limited to one $500 card.
Per card fee: Usually $5.95
PIN enabled? Yes (Usually you can use any 4 digits upon first use to set the PIN)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Bancorp
Credit card category bonus: A number of cards offer up to 5% cash back at gas stations (found here). Note that some category bonuses are restricted to payments at the pump — those will not work for buying gift cards.  Also watch for gas station quarterly category bonuses with cards such as Chase Freedom Flex, and Discover.

 

Grocery Stores

Notes Details
Many grocery stores sell Visa and MasterCard gift cards loadable up to $500.  While Visa cards operate normally, U.S. Bank Mastercards do not automatically work as debit cards at Walmart registers. A workaround is to hit the red cancel button almost immediately after swiping so you can change the payment type to “debit”. Max value: $500
Max order size: Varies by store
Per card fee: $5.95-$6.95
PIN enabled? Yes. PIN usually comes in the package. If it doesn’t, call 1-866-952-5653 to set the pin.
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: U.S. Bank (usually) or Metabank in some cases.
Credit card category bonus: A number of cards offer up to 5% or even 6% cash back at grocery stores (found here).  Also watch for grocery stores as quarterly category bonus with cards such as Chase Freedom Flex, and Discover.

Lowe’s

The home improvement giant sells Visa and Mastercard gift cards with values up to $200. They will run frequent promotions that give Lowe’s eCredit back with the purchase of each card (these can then be used or resold). See this post. Max value: $200
Max order size: Varies by store/cashier
Per card fee: $6.95-7.95
PIN enabled? Yes (Last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No.
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: Hardware/Home Improvement

Office Supply Stores

Notes Details
Stores like Staples and Office Depot sell Visa and Mastercard gift cards with values up to $200. Max value: $200
Max order size: $2,000 (inclusive of fees), though during promotions you may be limited to 1 card.
Per card fee: Usually $6.95-7.95 for $200 cards
PIN enabled? Yes (last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No
Issued by: Metabank.
Credit card category bonus: 5X Chase Ink Cash (or Ink Plus, which is no longer available to new applicants), Amex Simply Cash, Discover Business. Other category bonuses can be found here.
Additional Notes: If you pay with a Chase Ink Cash card, the $6.95 fee is more than made up for by the 5X Ultimate Rewards points earned (5 X 308.95 = 1034.75 points per $200 card).  In fact, if you wanted to, you could cash in 695 of those points to reduce your net fees to zero and still earn 339.75 points per $200 card (i.e. ~1.7X). Keep in mind that office supply stores may also sell “Everywhere” Visas, which have lower fees, but aren’t as widely accepted.

 

Simon Malls

Notes Details
Many Simon Malls sell gift cards. Visa gift cards aren’t always on display so you may have to ask for them. Max value: $500
Max order size: There’s a $10,000 daily limit (inclusive of fees) per day. See this post for details.
Per card fee: $3.95 (usually)
PIN enabled? Yes (Last 4 digits)
Cash advance fee? No.
Other issues?  Amex cards do not earn rewards nor spend credit towards welcome bonuses when buying gifts at Simon Mall.
Issued by: Metabank
Credit card category bonus: None

Expired Visa and Mastercard Promotions

Simon Mall60% off purchase fees on Simon Visa Gift Cards online w/ promo code SCARE22SAVE6010/28/2222/11/02
Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot: Buy $100+ Visa gift cards online and get $10 off10/28/2222/11/03
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards (Now live)10/30/2222/11/05
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Visa Gift Cards11/6/2222/11/12
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples 11/6/2222/11/12
Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Save $1511/6/2222/11/12
QuillQuill Chase Offers: Up to 20% back on up to $250 + possible 5x Ultimate Rewards10/1/2222/11/30
MeijerMeijer mPerks: Save $10 On $150+ Mastercard Gift Card (Must Load Coupon)
Load this digital coupon to your mPerks account and then buy the largest denomination Mastercard to maximize rewards and come out a few bucks ahead of the activation fee.
12/2/182018/12/08
Walgreen'sWalgreens Chase Offer: Get 10% Back (Limit $5 Cashback – Targeted)
This offer explicitly excludes gift card purchases, but it's possible that they may still work. YMMV. If it works, it will mostly wipe out the activation fee on one Visa Gift Card.
12/2/182018/12/14
Safeway / Vons / Randall's / AlbertsonsMastercard Gift Card deals at Safeway (& affiliates) and Publix
This Just4U coupon is only good on the $50 and $100 Mastercards, but it effectively eliminates the activation fee on a couple of them.
12/2/182018/12/15
PublixMastercard Gift Card deals at Safeway (& affiliates) and Publix
This coupon is good for $10 off $100 or more, so buy the largest denomination Mastercard possible to maximize rewards and come out a few bucks ahead of the fee.
12/2/182018/12/15
Office DepotOffice Depot: $10 Off $300+ In Mastercard Gift Cards Net activation fees for two $200 cards are $3.90, but you'll earn 2,070 UR or $20.70 by paying with an Ink Plus or Ink Cash card respectively.12/09/182018/12/15
Lowe'sChase Offers: 10% back at Lowe’s, Office Depot, Starbucks, Advance Auto, more
A max of $12 back turns a $200 Visa Gift Card into a $5 money-maker.
11/20/182018/12/19
Office Max / Office DepotOffice Depot: $15 Instant Discount On $300+ In Visa Gift Cards12/16/182018/12/22
StaplesStaples: $5 off a $200 VGC [12/16 to 12/22]12/16/182018/12/22
Simon MallsSimon Malls to offer $1 off Visa Gift Card activation 12/10-12/24
The activation fee on $500 Visa Gift Cards is $2.95 under this promotion, which runs 12/10-12/24/18.
12/10/182018/12/24
StaplesNew Chase Offers for Staples, Olive Garden, Cinemark (10% back, low caps)
The $6 back from this offer will nearly wipe out the activation fee on one Visa Gift Card. Extended until 12/31/18.
11/23/182018/12/31
BJ's WholesaleVisa Gift card special for BJ's Wholesale members [YMMV]
The sign on the rack showing $0 indicates that this is not a mistake, but it probably won't last. No certain end date.
12/07/182018/12/31
Giftcards.comGet Fee-Free Visa Gift Cards On Giftcards.com With Code FEEFREE201812/28/182018/12/31
Bed Bath & BeyondBed Bath & Beyond: Buy $50+ In Third Party Gift Cards & Get $10 BB&B Gift Card (Rebate Submission Required – Limit 10)
This offer includes Visa Gift Cards and can be repeated up to 10 times, making it a pretty easy win if you value the BBB gift cards and/or can sell them.
12/15/182019/01/01
StaplesFee-free Visa Gift Cards & easy 5x at Staples next week01/13/192019/01/19
StaplesNice stack at Staples: 30% back + 10% back
It's unclear whether or not this will stack with the 10% back offer than ends on 12/31, but even if it doesn't this makes Visa or Mastercard gift cards profitable.
12/25/182019/01/24
StaplesStaples: Get Fee-Free $100 Mastercard Gift Cards (Limit 10) Stack with the Staples Amex Offer and Chase Offer to save even more.1/22/192019/01/26
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On All Gift Cards Including Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards This offer is only valid from February 1 to February 3.2/01/192019/02/03
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards From Feb 8-10 This offer is only valid from February 8 to February 10.2/8/192019/02/10
SafewayRoundup Of Gift Card Deals: VGCs, Uber, iTunes, Spotify & More Albertsons/Safeway has a couple of digital coupons offering up to $25 off Visa gift cards.2/14/192019/02/26
Office Max / Office DepotEasy 5x: $10 off $300 in Visa Gift Cards at Office Max / Office Depot [3/10-3/16/1]03/10/192019/03/16
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On All 3rd Party, Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards (Expires 3/26/19) This offer valid for two weeks, giving you plenty of time to take advantage of the deal.3/13/192019/03/26
StaplesStaples fee-free Mastercards 3/24-3/30/19
While this had no stated limit, corporate has since sent out a memo limiting it to one per customer.
03/24/192019/03/30
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ In Visa Gift Cards This should be a profitable deal if your store has $200 Visa gift cards.3/24/192019/03/30
Harris TeeterMastercard gift card promo at Harris Teeter 3/29-3/31
This one is only valid for a couple of days, but it's a good way to rack up some supermarket spend.
03/29/192019/03/31
Office Max / Office DepotEasy 5x returns: $10 off $300 in Mastercard Gift Cards at Office Max / Office Depot [3/31-4/6/19]03/31/192019/04/06
Safeway / Vons / Randall's / AlbertsonsSave on Mastercard GCs at Safeway/Albertsons through 4/9/19
This Just4U coupon is only good on the $50 and $100 Mastercards, but it effectively eliminates the activation fee on a couple of them.
03/27/192019/04/09
StaplesStaples: Get $5 Off $200 Visa Gift Cards In-Store This reduces the activation fee to $1.95; pay with Chase Ink Cash or Plus card or stack with the Staples Amex Offer.4/7/192019/04/13
MeijerMeijer mPerks: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Mastercard Gift Cards If your local Meijer has $200 Mastercard gift cards, this will be a profitable deal.4/14/192019/04/20
Office DepotOffice Depot: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $15 Off This is a profitable deal even before taking into account earning 5x if you have an Ink Plus or Ink Cash card.4/14/192019/04/20
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On All 3rd Party & Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards You can save $8+ for each $100 Visa gift card if you can fill up with 35 gallons.4/8/192019/04/24
StaplesStaples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards next week
Starts 4/21, this makes for an easy 5x. Just be sure to liquidate these sooner rather than later.
04/21/192019/04/27
Giant / Martin’s / Stop & ShopGiant/Martin’s/Stop & Shop: Save $15 On Groceries When Buying $250+ Visa Gift Cards
This Just4U coupon is only good on the $50 and $100 Mastercards, but it effectively eliminates the activation fee on a couple of them.
04/21/192019/05/02
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples next week05/05/192019/05/11
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On Third Party Gift Cards & Fixed-Value VGCs & MGCs Save up to 14% on third party gift cards and make a profit on VGCs/MGCs if you can fill up more than 13 gallons.05/05/192019/05/12
Office DepotOffice Depot: Save $12 When Buying $300+ Of Everywhere Visa Gift Cards These types of Visa gift cards have restrictions on where they can be used, but it's a profitable deal and so is worth considering.05/26/192019/06/01
Albertsons, Safeway et alSave $10 On $100 Visa Gift Card At Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, etc. Make a few bucks in profit while taking advantage of some bonused spend at grocery stores.05/26/192019/06/08
Albertsons, Safeway et alAlbertsons/Safeway/Vons, etc.: Save $15 On 2x $100 Mastercard Gift Cards, $10 On 2x $50 Cards Make a few bucks in profit while taking advantage of some bonused spend at grocery stores.06/05/192019/06/18
Albertsons, Safeway et al$10 off $100 or more in Visa Gift Cards at Safeway / just for U stores
One-time use, but stack this with a card that earns a nice category bonus at US Supermarkets for a quick hit.
06/16/192019/06/29
Simon MallsSimon Mall Visa gift cards $1 off June 10-30, 2019
The activation fee on $400-$500 Visa Gift Cards is $2.95 under this promotion, which runs 6/10-6/30/19.
06/10/192019/06/30
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples next week06/30/192019/07/06
Giant/Stop & Shop/MartinsGiant/Stop & Shop/Martin's: Save $15 On Groceries When Buying $250 Visa Gift Cards This is a profitable deal and helps you get some bonused spend at grocery stores.6/23/192019/07/06
MeijerMeijer: Buy $150+ Visa Gift Cards & Save $10 Instantly With Digital Coupon This is a profitable deal and helps you get some bonused spend at grocery stores.7/7/192019/07/13
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 On $150+ Mastercard Gift Cards & $5 On $50+ Happy Gift Cards This is a profitable deal and helps you get some bonused spend at grocery stores.7/14/192019/07/20
StaplesEasy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards next week Pay with Chase Ink Cash or Plus card or stack with the Staples Amex Offer.7/21/192019/07/27
Albertsons, Safeway et alSafeway/Albertsons/Vons, etc: Save Up To $25 On Visa Gift Cards With 2 Digital Coupons Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.7/21/192019/08/03
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples next week08/04/192019/08/10
Office DepotOffice Depot: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Get $15 Instant Discount The $15 instant discount more than offsets the activation fees, making this slightly profitable.8/18/192019/08/24
HannafordHannaford: Save $10 Off Next Grocery Purchase When Buying $150+ Visa Gift Cards If Hannaford sells variable load Visa gift cards, this will be a profitable deal.8/18/192019/08/24
Stop & ShopStop & Shop: Buy $150+ Visa/Mastercard Gift Card & Get $15 Off Next Order, Plus Earn 2x Gas Rewards Points On Mastercard Gift Cards Each $500 Mastercard gift card can save you almost $30.8/23/192019/08/29
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway: Save Up To $25 On Visa Gift Cards, 10x On Happy, 8x On Google Play & AutoZone The Visa gift card digital coupons can be a $3.20 money maker overall, while the some of the Happy gift cards could be used to buy Visa & Mastercard gift cards at Home Depot and Bed Bath & Beyond.8/18/192019/08/31
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On 3rd Party Gift Cards, VGC & MGCs (March 1-3) This offer is only valid from March 1-3.3/1/192019/3/3
GiantGiant: Earn 2x Gas Rewards Points On Mastercard GCs, 10x On Lord & Taylor, Cracker Barrel & Domino's GCs This will be profitable if you need to fill up with 6 gallons or more.4/5/192019/4/11
Office DepotOffice Depot: Save $15 When Buying $300+ Visa Gift Cards Make $1.10 profit for every couple of $200 VGCs you buy, plus rack up some 5x spend.8/25/192019/8/31
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On 3rd Party Gift Cards & Fixed Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards (8/30-9/2 Only) Save up to 14% on third party gift cards and make a profit on VGCs/MGCs if you can fill up more than 13 gallons.8/30/192019/9/2
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway: Buy Mastercard Gift Cards & Save Up To $25 Make a total of $3.20 profit and get some grocery store bonused spend in.8/25/192019/9/7
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Visa Gift Cards This will be profitable provided your local store has variable load or $200 Visa gift cards.9/8/192019/9/14
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On Gift Cards & Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards Save up to 14% on third party gift cards and make a profit on VGCs/MGCs if you can fill up more than 13 gallons.9/10/192019/9/28
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway: Buy $100 Visa Gift Card & Get $10 Off Or 8x Reward Points The $10 instant discount is good, but the 8x Reward Points version of the offer can save you up to $20.9/15/192019/9/28
Office DepotOffice Depot/Office Max: Save $10 When Buying $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards This isn't break even, although it could still be worthwhile if you have a 5x/5% Ink card.9/22/192019/9/28
PublixPublix: Spend $50+ On Groceries & Save $10 On $50 Mastercard Gift Card And/Or $50 Gas Gift Card You'll make a $5.05 profit on the Mastercard gift card after accounting for its activation fee.9/21/192019/10/4
Office DepotOffice Depot/Office Max: Save $15 When Buying $300+ Visa Gift Cards This is a profitable deal even before taking into account earning 5x if you have an Ink Plus or Ink Cash card.9/29/192019/10/5
StaplesStaples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards next week
Starts 10/20, this makes for an easy 5x. Just be sure to liquidate these sooner rather than later.
10/20/192019/10/26
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On All 3rd Party Gift Cards & Fixed Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards (Nov 1-3 Only) Save up to 14% on third party gift cards and make a profit on VGCs/MGCs if you can fill up with 14+ gallons.11/1/192019/11/3
Stater BrosStater Bros: Buy $100+ Visa/Mastercard Gift Card + $10+ Groceries & Save $10 This is a profitable deal that can be done more than once.10/30/192019/11/5
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save $10 When Buying $100+ Visa Gift Cards This is a profitable deal.10/27/192019/11/9
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples next week11/03/192019/11/16
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Visa Gift Cards This is a profitable deal.11/10/192019/11/16
Rite AidRite Aid: Earn BonusCash On Visa Gift Cards & Gift Cards For Delta, Hotels.com & More The $6 BonusCash doesn't fully offset the activation fees, but it certainly helps.11/10/192019/11/16
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Buy $100+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Get $10 Off This is a profitable deal.11/10/192019/11/23
Hy-VeeHy-Vee: Buy $150+ Visa Gift Card & Get $10 Instant Discount (No Limits?) You'll make a profit on each VGC you buy. It should work on variable load VGCs and there seems to be no limit on how many you can buy.11/20/192019/11/28
StaplesStaples: Buy $200 Mastercard Gift Cards With No Activation Fee Stack with the Staples Amex Offer or pay with a 5x card.12/1/192019/12/7
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Mastercard Gift Cards This is a profitable deal.12/1/192019/12/7
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save $10 On $100+ Visa Gift Cards This is a profitable deal.12/1/192019/12/7
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On Third Party Gift Cards & Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards Save up to 14% on third party gift cards and make a profit on VGCs/MGCs if you can fill up with 14+ gallons.11/17/192019/12/10
Office Max / Office DepotEasy 5x: $15 off $300 in Mastercard Gift Cards at Office Max / Office Depot [12/8-12/14/19]12/08/192019/12/14
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples next week12/15/192019/12/21
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Save $15 Instantly This is a profitable deal even before taking into account earning 5x if you have an Ink Plus or Ink Cash card.12/15/192019/12/21
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples next week01/12/202020/01/18
Kroger$10 off $150 in Visa or Mastercard gift cards at Kroger Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.01/08/202020/01/21
Kroger$5 off $50 Visa or Mastercard Gift Card at Kroger Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.01/24/202020/01/25
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesSafeway/Albertsons/Just For U: Save $15 On 2x $100 Visa Gift Cards, $10 On 2x $50 Cards Both of these digital coupons are profitable deals.02/09/202020/02/22
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On 3rd Party & Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards (Feb 28-Mar 1) Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.02/28/202020/03/01
StaplesStaples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards next week
Starts 3/22/20. Poor timing given the fact that most of us are trying to stay home as much as possible and many retail stores and malls are closing.
03/22/202020/03/28
StaplesStaples Amex Offer: Save 10% On Up To $500 (Biz Cards Only) This can be used to save on Visa and Mastercard gift cards, as well as third party gift cards.1/21/202020/06/30
Lowe'sLowe’s Amex Offer: 10% back up to $100 [Targeted] This can be used to save on Visa and Mastercard gift cards, as well as third party gift cards.1/2/202020/06/30
Staples(Back) Easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards07/19/202020/07/25
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples (8/2 - 8/2)8/2/202020/08/08
Staples$5 off Visa Gift Cards at Staples 8/16-8/228/15/202020/08/22
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $15 Off Instantly This is a profitable deal even before taking into account earning 5x if you have an Ink Plus or Ink Cash card.3/8/202020/3/14
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 On $150+ Visa Gift Cards & 10% On $50-$500 Happy Gift Card You'll make a $4.05 profit when buying a variable load Visa gift card.3/29/202020/4/4
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Save $13 When Buying $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards3/29/202020/4/4
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 On Fixed-Value Mastercard Gift Cards You'll make a $3.10 profit on the $100 cards and $0.10. on the $50 cards.3/29/202020/4/11
BJ's Wholesale ClubBJ’s: Save $3 on Visa gift cards from home, stack with 5% Discover cashback4/5/202020/4/11
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save $10 When Buying $100+ Mastercard Gift Cards You should be able to buy a variable load Mastercard gift card to increase your bonused spend.5/3/202020/5/16
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On 3rd Party Gift Cards & Fixed-Value VGCs & MGCs (May 22-25 Only) Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.5/22/202020/5/25
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $100+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $10 Instant Discount You'll make a $3.05 profit on each card and can also earn 5%/5x on Ink Cash & Ink Plus cards.5/24/202020/5/30
Giant/Martin's/Stop & ShopGiant, Martin’s & Stop & Shop: Earn 2x Points On Mastercard Gift Cards (May 29-June 4) Every $500 variable load Mastercard gift card you buy can save you up to $20 on gas.5/29/202020/6/4
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save $10 When Buying $100+ Visa Gift Cards This is a profitable deal. You should also be able to buy a variable load Visa gift card to increase your bonused spend.5/24/202020/6/6
KrogerKroger: Save $3 On Variable Load Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards With Digital Coupon This makes a $500 card only have a $2.95 activation fee. Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.5/20/202020/6/9
Giant/Martin's/Stop & ShopGiant/Martin’s/Stop & Shop: Earn 3x Points When Buying Visa Gift Cards (Including Variable Load) Every $500 variable load Visa gift card you buy can save you up to $30 on gas.6/5/202020/6/11
StaplesStaples: Activation Fees Waived On $200 Visa Gift Cards6/7/202020/6/13
Office Depot/OfficeMaxSave 10% At Office Depot/OfficeMax With Targeted Chase Offer (Max $8 Back) You should be able to use this in-store to buy gift cards.5/2/202020/6/14
H-E-BH-E-B: Get H-E-B Gift Cards Free When Buying Select Gift Cards (Visa, Home Depot, Uber, Netflix & More) Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.6/10/202020/6/16
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Buy $100+ Visa Gift Card & Get $10 Off Instantly This should work on variable load Visa gift cards.6/14/202020/6/20
StaplesStaples: Buy Fee-Free $200 Mastercard Gift Cards6/14/202020/6/20
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $100+ Visa Or Mastercard Gift Cards & Get $10 Off6/14/202020/6/20
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On 3rd Party Gift Cards & Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.6/10/202020/6/23
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Buy $100+ Mastercard Gift Card & Get $10 Off Instantly This should work on variable load Mastercard gift cards.6/28/202020/7/11
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples (7/5 – 7/11)7/5/202020/7/11
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $100+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $10 Off7/5/202020/7/11
KrogerKroger: Buy 2 Variable Load Visa Gift Cards & Save $5.95 With Digital Coupon7/22/202020/7/28
PublixPublix: Buy $50 Visa/Mastercard Gift Card & $50 Groceries & Get $10 Off7/22/202020/8/12
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $100+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Get $10 Off8/16/202020/8/22
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 When Buying Visa Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.8/16/202020/8/29
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $100+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $10 Off Instantly8/23/202020/8/29
KrogerKroger: Save $3 On Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards In-Store With Digital Coupon This should work with variable load Visa & Mastercard gift cards.8/26/202020/9/1
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 When Buying $50 & $100 Mastercard Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.8/30/202020/9/12
MeijerMeijer mPerks: Buy $150+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $10 Instant Discount Make a few dollars and get ~$500 of grocery store bonused spend.9/6/202020/9/12
PublixPublix: Buy $50 Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards + $50 Groceries & Get $10 Off Instantly8/23/202020/9/19
StaplesStaples: Buy $100 Visa Gift Cards & Get $3 Off Instantly (Sep 13-19) This is a poor deal from Staples this week.9/13/202020/9/19
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Get $15 Back (Ends 9/26/20) You'll make a profit of $1.10 when buying two $200 Mastercard gift cards.9/20/202020/9/26
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300 Visa Gift Card ONLINE For $285 (Ends 10/1/20) Easy online $15 profit.9/20/202020/10/1
MeijerMeijer: Buy $150+ Mastercard Gift Card & Save $1010/4/202020/10/10
Office Depot onlineOffice Depot Online: Buy $300 Visa Gift Card & Get $15 Off + Free Trackable Shipping 10/16/202020/10/22
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 On Mastercard Gift Cards (Ends 10/31/20) Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.10/18/202020/10/24
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $15 Off (Ends 10/24/20)10/18/202020/10/24
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples10/11/202020/11/14
MeijerMeijer: Buy $150+ Visa Gift Card & Get $10 Off Instantly (Ends 11/4/20) 11/8/202020/11/14
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $15 Off (Ends 11/21/20)11/15/202020/11/21
Hy-VeeHy-Vee: Buy $150+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $10 Instant Discount11/18/202020/11/24
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 On Mastercard Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.11/15/202020/11/28
KrogerKroger: Save On 25 Different Gift Card Brands (Visa, Sephora, GameStop & More)11/21/202020/11/30
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 When Buying Visa Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.11/29/202020/12/5
MeijerMeijer: Buy $150+ Mastercard Gift Card & Save $10 Instantly (Ends 12/5/20)11/29/202020/12/5
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On 3rd Party Gift Cards & Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.11/4/202020/12/8
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples12/06/202020/12/12
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save $10 When Buying $100+ Visa Gift Card12/6/202020/12/12
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Get $15 Off12/6/102020/12/12
Simon Malls[EXTENDED indefinitely!] $1K Visa Gift Cards w/ $3.95 fee at Simon next week
Anyone can purchase these $1K VGCs with a $3.95 activation fee by simply asking for them at guest services. Easy low-cost MS.
07/17/192020/12/31
Simon MallSimon Visa Gift Cards: 20% off purchase fee + free ground shipping & more 5/15/202020/12/31
Simon MallSimon Visa Gift Cards: 20% off purchase fee + free ground shipping & more 5/15/202020/12/31
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples6/13/212021/06/19
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples7/11/212021/07/17
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples8/8/212021/08/14
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples9/5/212021/09/11
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save $10 When Buying $100+ Visa Gift Card (Ends 1/2/21)12/27/202021/1/2
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples1/17/212021/1/23
KrogerKroger: Earn 4x Fuel Points On 3rd Party Gift Cards & Fixed-Value Visa & Mastercard Gift Cards Combine this with a card that earns a good category bonus at US supermarkets.1/28/212021/1/31
PublixPublix: Buy $50 Groceries & $50 Visa And/Or Mastercard Gift Cards & Get $10 Off (Ends 2/20/21)1/31/212021/2/20
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 When Buying Visa Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.2/10/212021/2/23
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples2/28/212021/3/6
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Visa Gift Card (Ends 3/27/21)3/21/212021/3/27
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards3/28/212021/4/3
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 On Mastercard Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.3/28/212021/4/10
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $15 Off (Ends 11/21/20)4/11/212021/4/17
Staples$5 off Visa Gift Card activation fees at Staples4/11/212021/4/17
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Mastercard Gift Cards4/11/212021/4/17
Lowe'sFree $15 Lowe’s gift card with $200 Visa Gift Card, stacks with a lot4/22/212021/4/28
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards4/25/212021/5/1
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples5/9/212021/5/15
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 On Mastercard Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.5/2/212021/5/15
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Save $155/16/212021/5/22
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $15 Off (Ends 11/21/20)5/23/212021/5/29
Albertsons, Safeway & other Just For U storesAlbertsons/Safeway/Just For U: Save Up To $25 When Buying Visa Gift Cards Make a few dollars and get ~$300 of grocery store bonused spend.5/23/212021/6/5
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards6/27/212021/7/3
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Visa Gift Cards7/4/212021/7/10
MeijerMeijer: Buy $150+ Mastercard Gift Card & Get $10 Instant Discount7/11/212021/7/17
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards7/18/212021/7/24
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Save $158/15/212021/8/21
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards8/22/212021/8/28
MeijerMeijer: Save $10 When Buying $150+ Visa Gift Cards (Ends 9/11/21)9/5/212021/9/11
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples9/26/212021/10/02
Office Depot/OfficeMaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Get $15 Off (Ends 11/21/20)10/10/212021/10/16
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards10/10/212021/10/16
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples10/17/212021/10/23
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Quill.com(Update) Quill Chase Offers: Up to 20% back on up to $250 + possible 5x Ultimate Rewards6/5/222022/07/13
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QuillQuill Chase Offer: 10% back on up to $300 + 5x Ultimate Rewards3/18/222022/4/25
Hy-VeeHy-Vee: Make $24.05 Profit With Every $500 Mastercard Gift Card You Buy11/9/222022/11/15
Giftcards.comGiftcards.com: Save 5% on Mastercard gift cards11/11/222022/11/17
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards (Now Live)11/13/222022/11/19
Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Save $1511/13/222022/11/19
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Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Save $1511/27/222022/12/3
Simon Mall25% off all fees on Simon Visa Gift Cards online w/ promo code DEC22SAVE2511/30/222022/12/3
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Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot: Buy $100+ Visa gift cards online and get $10 off3/27/232023/03/30
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Giftcards.comSave 5% on $100 virtual Visa gift cards from Giftcards.com5/29/232023/06/17
KrogerKroger.com: $10 off $150+ in Visa or Mastercard Gift Cards6/22/232023/06/28
Giftcards.comGiftcards.com: 10% off $100 Visa Gift Cards (stacks with Rakuten for additional 2%)6/26/232023/06/29
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples (Now Live)6/25/232023/07/01
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Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Save $151/22/232023/1/28
Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot: Buy $100+ Visa gift cards online and get $10 off1/22/232023/1/28
Kroger.comKroger.com: $10 off $150+ in Visa or Mastercard Gift Cards1/27/232023/2/1
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StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples (now live)4/30/232023/5/6
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StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards12/03/232023/12/09
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Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Save $1505/12/242024/05/18
StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards05/19/242024/05/25
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TheGiftCardShopSave 100% off custom Visa gift card purchase fees from TheGiftCardShop with promo code GRAD202405/13/242024/06/01
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Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Save $1506/02/242024/06/08
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MastercardGiftCard.comKroger: Save $8 when buying 2x $100 Visa or Mastercard gift cards06/10/242024/06/16
VanillaGiftKroger: Save $8 when buying 2x $100 Visa or Mastercard gift cards06/10/242024/06/16
Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Visa Gift Cards & Save $1507/06/242024/07/13
StaplesEasy 5x: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples (now live)07/21/242024/07/27
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StaplesMore easy 5x: Staples fee-free $200 Mastercard gift cards08/11/242024/08/11
VanillaGiftVanillaGift: Save 100% on Vanilla Visa gift card purchase fees with promo code VGBTS2408/12/242024/08/18
StaplesMore Easy Rewards: Fee-free Visa Gift Cards at Staples8/18/242024/08/24
Office Depot/Office MaxOffice Depot/OfficeMax: Buy $300+ Mastercard Gift Cards & Save $1508/25/242024/08/31
Kroger.comKroger.com: $10 off $150+ in Visa or Mastercard Gift Cards1/25/242024/1/31
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[…] following these tips, you can effectively manage and maximize the use of your Visa gift cards. Whether you’re using them for personal use or gifting them to […]

Mser

Seems this list could use some updating. Incomm/Sutton/Pathward has replaced some of these cards and they are a lot less problematic than Blackhawk Networks/Meta

Sailor Joe

Hey there! Sale is back at Vanillagift.com. No fee gift cards. Use code VGCYBER23.

Found via Google search. https://www.vanillagift.com/catalog should show the banner

[…] Visa and MasterCard Gift Cards […]

Chandler

Hi there! Quick question for you – I noticed that you informed another commenter that there is no card you know of with a grocery bonus that doesn’t award category bonuses on GC purchases. And I’m curious if this also extends to cards specific to the retailer. As an example, the Walmart credit card gives 5% back in store. The terms and conditions say that prepaid gift card purchases don’t qualify for the 5% back. Is there a way that you know of for Walmart to actually verify I have purchased prepaid gift cards, or will it still ring up as a grocery store/discount store to the issuer regardless. Thanks!

D.W.

Walmart credit card by Capital One earns 5% on Walmart.com, including pickup and delivery. But it only earns 2% on in-store Walmart purchases. Keep that in mind.

Joh Law

NICE info, Thank you for your “share!”
Bit of a problem.. I tried to go to…GiantEagle.comThe request is blocked. by Microsoft showing in the search bar after landing on no page, BLOCKED!
Well there are others, so I’ll go with them!
Again THANK you!

“a risk of being charged a cash advance fee. Make sure to lower your credit card’s cash advance limit below the amount you plan to spend”

I understand why we wouldnt want to get charged a cash advance fee or rate for using a credit card — but being a NEWB at this sort of thing, can someone tell me, or direct me to an explanation of how to get the CC bank to lower the cash advance limit, and how does this assure that the load on the new GC will be recorded as a purchase? Isnt this up to my credit card banks discretion? Or is this a hack that I just dont know about??

THANKS!

Denise

This is fantastic information! Thank you!

Last edited 1 year ago by Denise

[…] Gift cards are a common redemption option that allows you to redeem your gift cards for hotels, entertainment, restaurants, or shopping across multiple brands.  […]

Elizabeth

I see you note whether or not there is a cash advance fee. How does one get a cash advance on these cards?

Marshall

The limit on gift card purchases is 2K. Staples will only let you do 9 $200 gift cards at once when because the purchase fee is included in the 2K limit, thus 10 cards will code as being MORE than 2k (2,079.5, for example) However, a way around this is to buy the the 10th card separate from the first 9. The total gift card purchased are exactly equal to 2k. Did this with the Staples MC sale and had no problem using this technique to get 10 2oo k cards.

Orville

Forgive me for my ignorance but I thought that Visa/MC gift cards arent eligible to earn points and are coded as cash advances. Since US merchants provide L3 data. Is this the case or am I wrong? Would definitely wanna take advantage if its not enforced.

Orville

But this mainly applies only to VISA/MC cards right? As Ive heard Amex can do clawbacks on points for GC.

Orville

So Simons Malls purchases would just code as regular purchases for VISA/ MC just dont use amex for simons malls correct?

L K

I don’t think officedepot.com has had $500 Visa gift cards for YEARS

cts

Hello. I have had no issues in the past loading my Serve prepaid card using Visa Gift cards. Today I noticed Dollar General updated their terminals, so that the cashier has no keyboard anymore, and the swiping of my serve card takes place at the terminal in front of me at the counter. When trying to load my Serve card, we couldnt get it load using any debit card. I tried a visa gift card, as well as my wells fargo bank debit card, and neither one was not allowed. unfortunately I dont have the exact error message. I will get that next time.

Is anyone aware of any issue loading Serve cards with a debit card using the new terminals? Or did my casher not understand how to use the terminal? I wouldnt think that functionality would be removed all together. I didnt try to load it with cash, I just went to a store with older terminals and it loaded without issues.
anybody else have that issue?

Andrew

Talking about serve card, do u know which gift card brand or issue bank is the right one to reload my serve card?