Mastercard Gift Cards Drained at Checkout

Mastercard gift cards have had some issues recently. That’s one of the reasons why people prefer Visa gift cards, besides being an easier options for liquidation. One common suggestion for Mastercard Gift Cards, is to use them as soon as possible.

Now there’s a different issue. Multiple people have reported that when swiping Mastercard Gift Cards at checkout, they get a “not authorized” message on payment screen. But funds are still taken out of the card that was used. Basically wiping out the balance on the gift card. The issues were reported on reddit.

The data points show that this has affected Mastercard gift cards purchased from multiple sources. The the thread Staples, Safeway, Dollar Geenral and Korger are mentioned. This is not affecting all Mastercard Gift Cards obviously, but with multiple instances of these cards being drained at checkout, there’s reason for concern.

Guru’s Wrap-up

Personally I have purchases Mastercard Gift Cards from Staples and Stop & Shop and haven’t had any of these problems. But it’s good to be aware of these possible issues and if possible, you should probably go for Visa gift cards instead.

Having $500 taken away if a big hit. It’s also a hassle to try and get your money back, and you’re lucky if you do.

Have you had any similar issues recently? Let me know in the comments.

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