Here is how to check on your gift card balance. The first faltering step is to read the data at the back of the gift card. Your card must have one of the following ways to check on your balance:
Call a Toll Free Number - That is the most used way to check on the total amount on a present card. Majority of gift cards have a toll free number at the back of the card for you really to call to check on your balance. You have to have your card number available, and in same cases, the pin or access number (you might have to scratch-off the protective covering to reveal the pin number).
Go Online - Some retailers enable you to check your balance online, via the merchant's website. The website address is typically provided on the back of the card. Just as with the phone verification, you'll need your gift card number, and in some cases, the pin or access number to check on the total amount on online.
Additionally, if you're unsure about how to check on your card balance, your best bet is to go to the website of the card issuer. They typically have instructions online about how to check on your balance.
Visit the Store - Some gift cards can only just be verified at the store. The Home Depot card can be an example. This can be a real inconvenience, especially when you may not have a store location close by. I still don't understand just why some stores only allow this option.
A note about online gift cards, also known as e-gift certificates. Merchants that issue these cards usually provide detail instructions on the best way to check your balance with the e-mail that comes with the card information. Make sure to save that email as you might need it later to check on your balance. In the event that you deleted the e-mail, contact the card issuer, via their website on the best way to get another copy of the e-mail to check on your balance (you will get that information from the gift card FAQs).
Kwame Kuadey is just a gift card expert and runs a favorite gift card blog. He has written many articles on topics like Gift Card Ideas, Bankruptcy and Gift Cards, and Gift Card Exchange. Kwame is CEO & Founder of GiftCardRescue.com, an online marketplace where visitors can get and sell gift cards.
They make great gifts because you need to use them to obtain what you really want. Using gift cards can be a little confusing some times though because you may not be certain how much money is on the card. You don't want to be rude and ask the person who gave you the gift card how much is onto it but there are ways to get out. Checking a present card balance can also be advisable if you discover a vintage one around the house that also has some value but you may not know exactly how much.
A lot of the major department store chains and restaurants that issue gift certificates or cards offer informative data on the back of the card about how to obtain the balance. Try to find an 800 number as you are able to call. Each card has a unique serial number onto it and once you give anyone on the phone that number they will be able to put it within their computer and come up with the balance. Many companies will even offer this same service at their web site. Often times, the web address is listed in the fine print on the back of the card itself. Plug the URL to the address bar on your own web browser and enter the site. Once on the internet site, you will be called for the serial number and possibly a special 4 number pin that is contained on the card as well. The total amount can come up along side informative data on purchases which have recently been made on the card.
If you fail to find a contact number to call or a website to check on the total amount on your own gift card, there's still hope. In the event that you head to the store which the card was issued by, they will be able to swipe it before you start your shopping to learn how much you've to spend. You may also ask your waiter to check on the card when you initially sit back at a restaurant so you can plan for paying the bill later.
Kwame Kuadey runs a Gift Card Balance website. Kwame is CEO & Founder of Gift Card Rescue, the #1 discount gift cards site
