Shop Online with a Mastercard Gift Card
We all love shopping, especially when we can do it from the comfort of our homes. Whether it is ordering groceries online from a local supermarket, buying gifts for friends and family for upcoming birthdays, or simply browsing the online catalogs of your favorite brands in preparation for your next purchase, it’s easy to see how online shopping has transformed the way we approach retail as a whole. With less time waiting in the checkout line and no traffic to keep you held up, there are a plethora of benefits associated with online shopping that are attractive to all kinds of shoppers.
If you are someone who enjoys shopping at your favorite retailers online, or even if you are slowly warming up to the concept of online shopping as someone who may not be used to it, you should be aware that gift cards are an excellent way to pay for online transactions in a secure and efficient manner. Gift cards to your favorite stores that you usually shop at in-person can also be used to make purchases at the same retailers’ online shops with no problem, and if you happen to have a Mastercard gift card on hand, you can use it to make payments online without regard to the business or brand you are buying from. It’s a pretty wonderful feature, wouldn’t you say?
Learn all there is to know regarding Mastercard gift card online shopping by reading all of the tips and tricks we have provided for you in this comprehensive article. By the time you’re finished, you will be able to shop online like an expert!
What Are Some Tips for Using a Mastercard Gift Card for Online Shopping?
If you have never used a Mastercard gift card to shop online before, perhaps because you were not sure how to or which online retailers would accept it as payment, we’re here to assure you that it isn’t a complicated process in the slightest. In fact, shopping online with your Mastercard gift card shouldn’t take you any longer than waiting in a checkout line, and may even end up being a faster way to shop altogether. While you could probably figure it out on your own, make using your Mastercard gift card easy on yourself by getting some helpful tips and tricks from Gift Card Granny!
What you need to know before you use your Mastercard gift card to shop at online retailers is that it will work similarly to any transaction you complete using a credit or debit card. When checking out at your favorite shops, you must input your accurate gift card information in the payment section, including the card number, CVV, and expiration date. If you are unable to provide this information, then you will not be able to complete an online transaction.
Some perks that come alongside using a Mastercard gift card include that it is:
- Not linked to any specific stores or outlets
- Available in physical or digital form
- Easy to track finances and budget with
- Transferable to anyone
Whether you wish to shop at your favorite retailers in-person or online, you will be ecstatic to know that you can use a Mastercard gift card to make purchases in any way that suits your shopping needs.
Get familiar with Mastercard gift card fees
You may have noticed that some businesses implement a credit card processing fee, which causes you to spend more money than you initially thought you would. While a fee of that nature usually isn’t much, it certainly isn’t a surprise to look forward to. Mastercard gift cards are transparent with any fees you will be charged, which happen to consist of an activation fee that is typically paid for at the time of purchase. There are no fees issued by Mastercard for general use, and dormancy fees do not even begin to occur until at least a year from your gift card’s activation date.
All Mastercard gift cards require an activation fee to be paid before they can be used to complete transactions. While the exact amount you have to pay differs depending on the overall gift card value and the retailer it is purchased from, this guide gives you a general expectation on what you can expect to pay:
- Mastercard gift card values from $10.00 to $74.99 typically have a $2.95 fee
- Mastercard gift card values from $75.00 to $149.99 typically have a $3.95 fee
- Mastercard gift card values from $150.00 to $249.99 typically have a $4.95 fee
- Mastercard gift card values from $250.00 to $349.99 typically have a $5.95 fee
- Mastercard gift card values from $350.00 to $500.00 typically have a $6.95 fee
How do I check my Mastercard gift card balance for online purchases?
Being able to keep track of your Mastercard gift card balance online is one of the many perks that come with using a Mastercard gift card. Entering your gift card information will give you access to the current value of your Mastercard gift card and to the history of your purchases, allowing you to view how much you have spent and where. For anyone who likes to keep a watchful eye on how much they spend, this feature is a crucial shopping tool that makes life infinitely more easy.
Now that you’ve been assured that you have the ability to check your Mastercard gift card balance and see your past online purchases, how do you actually go about doing that? Luckily, it is a super simple process that will only take you a couple minutes to complete. First off, head on over to the check balance page on the Mastercard website. You will see a few different empty boxes where you can enter all of your gift card information. Enter your 16-digit card number in the biggest box, followed by the expiration date month and year, and then the 3-digit security code found on the back of your card.
Once you have accurately entered the required card information, you can click on the orange ‘Continue’ button to see your current Mastercard gift card balance and review your transactions (including any online purchases you made with the card). If your Mastercard gift card has not yet been activated by you, this feature will serve to activate your gift card for immediate use.
You may also complete a balance check for Mastercard gift cards by using Gift Card Granny, which is an awesome, time-saving feature if you are already a customer of ours. On the Mastercard gift card page, scroll down until you see the ‘Check balance’ tab located on the left side of the screen. Once you are on the page titled ‘Check your gift card balance,’ all you need to do is enter your relevant gift card information in the corresponding boxes. You can enter the details of a Mastercard gift card or a Visa gift card, which can be from a physical card or virtual card. While the 16-digit card number and 3-digit security code are both required just like on the Mastercard website, there is no need to enter the expiration date when using Gift Card Granny.
Click on the purple ‘Check your gift card balance’ button located below the boxes. After your gift card information is submitted, you will be taken to a screen with a picture of your available Mastercard gift card balance. To view your transaction history, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page where your purchase history can be seen.
Can I use a Mastercard gift card to pay for shipping and handling fees?
Any online businesses that accept Mastercard gift cards as a suitable payment method and apply shipping fees to your order total will be able to deduct those charges from your gift card balance. For instance, say you have a Mastercard gift card with a balance of $50 and you want to make a purchase from an online shop that comes out to $40, with an extra $6 tacked on for shipping and handling fees. That comes to a total of approximately $46, which is under the $50 threshold and can be paid for using your Mastercard gift card.
If your purchase amount exceeds the value of your gift card once the shipping and handling fees are added to the total, then you will not be able to use your Mastercard gift card to cover the entire purchase. In some cases, you may need to provide an alternative payment method if the transaction cannot go through due to the balance not being high enough.
Purchase a Mastercard Gift Card Online with Gift Card Granny
Want to buy a Mastercard gift card for someone you know? You don’t even need to go to a physical store to do that either – all you need to do is check us out at Gift Card Granny and satisfy your gift card needs with the click of a button over your computer or other smart device.
Gift Card Granny offers plenty of Mastercard gift card options to best fit into the shopping needs of whoever you are buying for, including any purchases you make for yourself. Create a customized Mastercard gift card by uploading your own photo for a touching gesture you can share with close friends and family members, or opt for a pre-designed Mastercard gift card where you can choose from an array of professional designs fit for any holiday, season, or special occasion. You can choose to have any Mastercard gift cards you order delivered via mail carrier with same-day shipping as long as you order by 4PM, or skip shipping altogether by going with a virtual Mastercard gift card that can be sent to your gift card recipient’s email address.
And if you decide that a Mastercard gift card may not be the best option for your recipient, you can always go back to the basics by ordering one of the many retail gift cards offered by Gift Card Granny. While these gift cards are store-specific and cannot be used at pretty much any retailer like a Mastercard gift card, they can certainly come in handy when you know which stores your recipient likes to shop at. You can check out the entire gift card catalog at Gift Card Granny to browse tons of awesome gift card options for dozens of national and local brands. There are gift cards for restaurants, grocery stores, department stores, entertainment, arts and crafts, travel, pet supplies, sporting goods, jewelry, and so much more available at Gift Card Granny, so you can find gift cards that appeal to everyone in your life.
Keep in mind that all retail gift cards offered via Gift Card Granny come with guaranteed cash back, helping you save while you purchase gifts for the people who are most important to you. The amount of cash back you earn depends on the brand you choose and the value of the gift card; some brands offer a higher cash back incentive than others, so be sure to do your research and make a decision that is good for your wallet.
Whew, that sure was a lot of information to unpack, wouldn’t you say? But now that you know the ins and outs of shopping online with a Mastercard gift card, you can make your next online purchase with confidence by knowing your funds are as secure as ever. Shopping is way more fun when you know you’re in control, and we hope this article helps you manage your shopping habits in a manner that works for you!