Got A Visa Gift Card For A Gift? Here’s What You Should Do With It!

Image courtesy of Visa. 

Did someone give you a Visa gift card as a gift? Or do you plan to give someone in your life a Visa gift card when it's time to buy them a gift? If one or both of these scenarios applies to you, you might want to know how to use a Visa gift card in the first place. Knowing the logistics will help you get the most out of your gift, or it will help you help someone else use their gift!

So what do you do with a Visa gift card? We’ll give you a play by play and some fun ideas in case you need help figuring out what to do with the money. You can go shopping, go on an adventure, watch movies, and more. Anywhere you can swipe your gift card is a place you can enjoy. So read on for some fun ideas you’ll be happy you came across!

What Is A Visa Gift Card?

A Visa gift card, unlike the average gift card, is one that can work anywhere. A Visa gift card will give a gift recipient access to just about anything they may want from any place they choose. So the options you get with this gift card are far more vast, giving you a lot more to choose from when deciding on what to do. A universal gift card can wind up being one of the best gifts you can give someone. Whether they want something practical or more fun, they can get exactly what they want. 

A Visa gift card can be used physically and digitally. And when a gift card is sent online, losing it becomes far less of an issue. There will be a digital record available of the gift card and of how much is left on it. A Visa gift card can be used for online and in person shopping. It is a really convenient gift card on top of offering many options. You can get a Visa gift card with a few different retailers, and some of the best include GiftYa and Gift Card Granny. 

GiftYa

For a Visa gift card that is easy to send and use, try GiftYa. With a gift card from GiftYa, you can generate a gift card online, and it comes with built in protections against some of the issues that you can have with the average gift card you get from a store. GiftYa makes sending a Visa gift card really easy. They give you the option to choose from gift cards for over 230,000 locations across the nation as well as the Visa gift card. If you want to give someone a gift card for a specific restaurant, department store, or theater, you can certainly do that, but you can also make the gift recipient’s options broader with a Visa gift card. All you have to do is select the gift card, personalize it, and then deliver it, which can all be done in seconds. It can be sent to a person’s phone or to their email, and then they can decide if  they want a physical copy. 

Gift Card Granny

Another option you have when you want to give someone a Visa gift card is Gift Card Granny.  With GCG, you can get someone a custom Visa gift card that will allow them to shop from wherever they want. Gift Card Granny lets you add whatever you want to a custom gift card to make it personal and creative. All you need to do is visit their website and follow their steps. In just a few minutes, you can have a gift card that says exactly what you want to say to someone with your own image, a personal message, and a video message. You will send it over digitally and they can decide to use a digital gift card or have a physical one sent over. 

Get a Custom Visa Gift Card

How to Use A Visa Gift Card

Any place you get a Visa gift card from operates somewhat differently, but many factors are usually the same. If you are going to use a Visa gift card, you first need to receive it, activate it, and then go spend it. You should also pay attention to your balance so that you are never in the dark about how much more you can spend. 

How to Send A Visa Gift Card

A Visa gift card is something you can send by text or through email. As soon as you have created the type of gift card you want, with all your personal messages and images, it will be time to send the gift card either through text or email. The site you are using will then generate a link that you can send through text or email. As soon as you hit send, the gift card will be out of your hands and ready to use. 

How to Activate A Visa Gift Card

To activate a Visa gift card, all you will need to do is click on the link you receive in your text messages or in your email, and when you are taken to the website, follow the prompts that appear. You should be taken through a simple process to claim your gift card that will also allow you to activate it. And once your gift card is activated, you will be ready to spend it!

How to Check the Balance On A Visa Gift Card

There are different ways that you can check the balance on your Visa gift card. If you have a physical copy, there is likely a toll free number on the back of the card that you can call to get your balance. You will reach a voice prompt that will ask you to type in the gift card number, and then it will give you the balance from there. You can also check your gift card balance online. There should be a website on the back of your card as well, and it should take you through online prompts to type in your gift card number to get your balance. 

Where to Use A Visa Gift Card

Since a Visa gift card can be used anywhere, all you need is a good idea. If you are indecisive or unsure, check out a few options below for some inspiration. We may have listed a place that you love, but simply hadn’t thought about, or maybe something we list might spark another idea. Either way, when you get a Visa gift card, you should have fun spending it, so we will help you spend it well!

Restaurants

A great place to spend a Visa gift card is at a restaurant. There are casual restaurants, fancy restaurants, and chain restaurants where you can spend your gift card. And if you can’t think of one, here are three popular ones you might enjoy!

Longhorn Steakhouse

If you’re craving a steak in a casual environment, Longhorn Steakhouse is a great place to go. They serve tender and juicy steaks at amazing prices, and in a setting you can enjoy with your friends and family. They have many different cuts of steaks served with the perfect sides. You can get a ribeye, a t-bone, a porterhouse, a New York strip, or a filet. And you can get these steaks alongside sides like loaded baked potato soup and French onion soup. And if you want something other than steak, Longhorn still has you covered. They have a parmesan crusted chicken, salmon, and pork chops. They also have sandwiches, burgers, and salads. 

Get a Longhorn Steakhouse gift card

Red Lobster

If you’re into seafood, a classic seafood chain like Red Lobster could be the best place to spend your gift card. Red Lobster is known for its delicious seafood and offerings of endless shellfish. They celebrate seafood and make sure that it always comes across in their food. From their famed cheddar bay biscuits to their entrees, you will enjoy your meal from start to finish. At Red Lobster, you will get to enjoy surf and turf with Maine lobster, blackened Atlantic salmon with shrimp, and red Argentine shrimp among many other seafood offerings on the menu. This is one of the best ways for a seafood lover to spend a gift card!

Get a Red Lobster gift card

The Cheesecake Factory

If you’re into dinner, but really into dessert, try spending your Visa gift card at The Cheesecake Factory. This restaurant is named for its long list of delicious cheesecakes, and it also offers a long menu full of great foods. Some of the cheesecake options include the dulce de leche cheesecake, the cherry chocolate cheesecake, and the key lime cheesecake. You also get to choose from cool drinks like the paradise colada or an espresso martini. Their menu includes Louisiana chicken pasta, Jamaican black pepper shrimp, and seared ahi tuna. The options are so varied you might even have a tough time deciding just what food to spend your gift card on. 

Get a Cheesecake Factory gift card

Retail Store

Sometimes you’re in the mood to buy something you like, and in that case, you should take your gift card shopping. Buy yourself something you really enjoy from one of these popular stores!

Barnes & Noble

If you love to read, you might have a good time spending your gift card money at Barnes & Noble. A new book can take up a lot of your downtime in the most fun way. Barnes & Noble has so many options, even just visiting the store can be a fun time while browsing. You will get to choose between fiction and nonfiction, and between comedy, horror, and mystery. You are sure to leave with something you like that you are excited to read each day. 

Get a Barnes & Noble gift card

Bath & Body Works

If you’re a fan of fragrances of different kinds, Bath & Body Works just might be a great place for you to use your Visa gift card. Bath & Body Works sells fragrances of many kinds that can make your skin and your home smell great. They sell dish soap, hand soap, candles, body lotion, and more. This store also lets you try samples of many fragrances. They also have wallflower plugs, room sprays, car fragrances, and hand sanitizers in different amazing scents. 

Get a Bath & Body Works gift card

Activities

Sometimes you may want to spend your gift money on a fun activity that you might not do all the time. In that case, we have suggestions for how you can enjoy a weekend night out with your Visa gift card. 

Watch A Movie At Cinemark 

If you’re in the mood to spend your gift card on a movie, spend it at a theater like Cinemark. Cinemark has hundreds of locations throughout the country, so no matter where you live, you will likely find one. This theater is also known for its low prices. It is cheap at all hours of the day and even offers a long list of food options. They offer the usual movie theater snacks like popcorn, you can also get foods like burgers and have them with handcrafted cocktails!

Play Arcade Games At Dave & Buster

When you want a fun night out playing games, try visiting Dave & Buster’s with your gift card. Dave & Buster’s is all about food and entertainment. They offer great meals alongside games that make visiting this place feel worthwhile. They have old classic games along with new ones. Some of these games are pac-man and skee-ball, billiards, and bowling. They also offer space for guests to watch sports if you would like to do that while playing games. Dave & Buster’s will surely give you a unique night out. 

Get a Dave & Buster’s gift card

When you have a gift card that allows you to shop anywhere, your options can feel broad and therefore hard to narrow down, but we have picked out some gems for you that should help you decide on something to buy!