What You Need to Know About Mastercard Gift Card Fees
Whether you are thinking about buying a Mastercard gift card or you have received one as a gift from someone else, it is crucial you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. While you may be familiar with how gift cards work in general, bank gift cards have qualities that make them stand out from the gift cards you are used to.
Unlike retail gift cards, Mastercard gift cards can be used at all kinds of different retailers and are not bound to specific locations or brands – if a business accepts Mastercard transactions, then a Mastercard gift card can be used as payment. This makes Mastercard gift cards a fantastic present to give to just about anyone, even if you do not know their shopping preferences very well. When deciding on a typical retail gift card, you must be confident in the fact that your gift recipient will make use of their gift card, otherwise it becomes a waste of money. Since Mastercard gift cards can be used at a variety of businesses, there is almost no limit on what your gift recipient will be able to purchase with their Mastercard gift card, so they can shop for anything they want from any retailer.
With so much to love about Mastercard gift cards, you must be wondering if there are any drawbacks that you should be concerned about. The great news is: there really are not any downsides to be on the lookout for. Sure, there is a fee or two that you may want to make note of, but all of the terms and conditions of Mastercard gift cards are made pretty transparent so that you are not caught off-guard by any unexpected changes to your gift card account.
When it comes to Mastercard gift card costs, you are not going to find anything more than the cost of the gift card value and the activation fee required to use the card. There are no charges against you for utilizing your Mastercard gift card as intended, and there are no arbitrary fees that are going to jump out of nowhere and take you by surprise.
Even knowing that there is no risk of incurring fees by simply shopping with a Mastercard gift card, you should still be aware of the features of this gift card. Fees for using Mastercard gift cards may be sparse and extremely avoidable, but it is important to acknowledge them so that you are always ready for any situation.
What Are the Fees for a Mastercard Gift Card?
Fees are definitely not something you want to pay if they can be avoided, and that applies to more than just gift cards. Think of overdraft fees, late fees, transaction fees, and hundreds of other types of fees that you encounter while simply living your day-to-day life. Many of these fees come about due to something that could have been circumvented, though there are other fees that may occur no matter what, such as annual credit card fees that are required to continue using them.
When it comes to Mastercard gift cards, there are fees that must be paid in order to activate and use the card along with fees that only have to be paid in certain situations. Aside from those fees, however, there are no usage fees associated with Mastercard gift cards, meaning you will not have to worry about accruing fees simply for using the card. Once the gift card is printed and purchased, it will not incur any additional fees.
You can shop for Mastercard gift cards in a variety of places such as shopping malls, drug stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets.
Fees can be off putting, but they should never keep you from buying the gift card you want. Stay informed on all the fees associated with Mastercard gift cards so you know exactly what to expect.
Mastercard Gift Card Activation Fee
- Mastercard gift cards with a value of $10.00 to $74.99 have a $2.95 fee
- Mastercard gift cards with a value of $75.00 to $149.99 have a $3.95 fee
- Mastercard gift cards with a value of $150.00 to $249.99 have a $4.95 fee
- Mastercard gift cards with a value of $250.00 to $349.99 have a $5.95 fee
- Mastercard gift cards with a value of $350.00 to $500.00 have a $6.95 fee
The Mastercard gift card activation fee is a necessary fee that must be paid upon purchase of your Mastercard. Whether you buy the gift card online or in-person at a retailer near you, the activation fee still has to be paid. Depending on where you purchase the Mastercard, there may be some variance in the exact amount you will pay to cover the fee. Mastercard gift cards are connected to the Mastercard payment network, but Mastercard itself does not have control over the fees set by various distributors of Mastercard gift cards. This means that different retailers can charge different fee amounts, having you pay more at one place and less at another for the same gift card.
Gift Card Granny offers Mastercard gift cards with the lowest activation fees possible. You will not face an unnecessary upcharge when you shop with Gift Card Granny, allowing you to save an extra couple of bucks for future purchases. It can be worth it to take a minute or two out of your life to evaluate the costs associated with Mastercard gift cards when purchased from different retailers to see which options are the best for your wallet.
Dormancy Fees
Mastercard gift card charges may start to occur after an extended period of inactivity. Despite not using your Mastercard gift card to pay for transactions, you may notice that the value of your gift card has been reduced if you complete a balance check or go shopping with your gift card. If you did not know any better you might think some sort of error has occurred with your Mastercard gift card account, but the depleted balance is merely a result of non-use.
You will start to notice inactivity fees if you do not use your gift card for twelve consecutive months. This fee is $4.95, which will be deducted from your account on the beginning of the thirteenth month after each twelve-month period of inactivity. That gives you plenty of time to make use of your gift card before any fees start to occur, even if you do not end up using it every single month.
If you are the type to shove gift cards in a drawer somewhere in your house and lose track of them among all of the clutter on your desk, then it would be helpful to break that habit and keep your Mastercard gift card on hand so that you do not forget to use the funds. After all, it would be unfortunate to find a Mastercard gift card tucked away somewhere more than a year later with a good chunk of its initial value drained – what a total waste of money that would be.
Check Out Gift Card Granny for All of Your Mastercard Gift Card Needs
In case you were unaware, you can purchase Mastercard gift cards online right here at Gift Card Granny. We offer Mastercard gift cards in addition to an expansive catalog of retail gift cards for national brands and local businesses. Retail gift cards purchased via Gift Card Granny will earn you rewards in the form of cash back, helping you save on future gift card purchases. Some of the retail gift card categories you will find on Gift Card Granny include travel, entertainment, home and garden, sporting goods, office supplies, restaurants, and grocery stores.
While there are certainly a ton of retail gift cards to browse through on Gift Card Granny, there are a variety of options available for Mastercard gift cards as well. Gift Card Granny offers custom Mastercard gift cards, predesigned Mastercard gift cards, virtual Mastercard e-gift cards, and Mastercard business reward cards. All of these Mastercard gift cards have the same great functionalities, but each one has its own unique features for a variety of occasions.
Predesigned Mastercard gift cards are perfect for almost any scenario; you can choose from an array of professional designs that make the gift card feel thoughtful and casual at the same time. Custom Mastercard gift cards are typically reserved for those close friends and family members that are dear to you. Gift Card Granny gives you the option to upload a personal photo onto your Mastercard gift card, a feature that makes it entirely unique.
Activate or Check Mastercard Gift Card Balance
Gift Card Granny does a lot more than simply sell Mastercard gift cards – we make the gift card activation process and completing balance checks easy for our customers. While you may always use the official Mastercard website to register your gift card or to check its balance, customers of Gift Card Granny will be pleased to know that they can accomplish everything they need to without ever leaving the website.
If you received a Mastercard gift card that still needs to be activated, you can check out the activation page right here on Gift Card Granny. This will work for both Visa gift cards and Mastercard gift cards. Make sure you have your gift card information on hand because you will need to provide the 16-digit card number and the 3-digit security card in the corresponding boxes. Once you are sure you have entered the numbers correctly, go ahead and press ‘activate your gift card.’
The process of checking your remaining Mastercard gift card balance is extremely similar. Go to the check balance page and enter all of the card information you need in order to activate your gift card (gift card number and security code). After you select ‘continue’ you will see an image of your gift card alongside your available balance.
Gift Card Granny offers many convenient tools to make managing your Mastercard gift card a simple task. Even if you have never shopped with Gift Card Granny before, there is nothing stopping you from trying out the features available to you on our website. You may find that Gift Card Granny is just the right fit for you.
Mastercard gift card orders placed via Gift Card Granny before 4PM EST are printed and shipped out same-day. Any orders placed after the cut off time will be processed the next business day. With such prompt service, you can expect to receive your Mastercard gift card order in the mail within only a couple days – no longer than you would typically wait for a letter. For those last minute orders, our fast shipping time really helps out in a pinch.
Do not forget about all of the awesome retail gift card options available at Gift Card Granny. Our gift card catalog is packed with tons of great retailers that appeal to folks of all ages, so whether you are shopping for your dear old dad or a teenager in your life, you should be able to find plenty of suitable gift card choices.
We sincerely hope you have found the information about Mastercard gift card fees in this article helpful and can use what you have learned to have a better shopping experience. Gift Card Granny is here to ensure you can always give and receive great gift cards to make paying for what you love as convenient and rewarding as ever.