Giving Gift Cards as Gifts

Think twice before giving a Visa or MasterCard gift card. Cash has no expiration date, no fees to use or to put off using. And it can be used anywhere. None of that can be said of gift cards. Visa and MasterCard not only charge for the purchase of the card, but checking the balance by phone after the first two times is billed to the card, and after six months of not using the card, a fee of up to $2.50 may be assessed. While giving a gift card is a better option in many cases, consider these facts before deciding not to give cash.