Simon Mall sells Visa gift cards in the Mall and online. There have been some changes over time in their online gift card sales.
They also offer bulk gift card sales for businesses who want to reward their employees. It’s technically possible to buy a bunch of $1000 Visa gift cards online for around $1001 each. Or, more practically, for $1003.95 each.
This bulk gift card option could be especially useful for someone who has a very high spend threshold on a credit card, or possibly to liquidate high-dollar Amex gift cards.
Contents
- 1 Simon Gift Cards In-Store
- 2 Simon Gift Cards Online
- 3 Simon Gift Cards In-Bulk
- 4 Bulk Fees
- 5 Practical Applications
- 6 Liquidate Amex Gift Cards
- 7 Our Verdict
Simon Gift Cards In-Store
We’ve discussed previously that physical Simon Mall locations sell $500 Visa gift cards for a small fee of $2 or $2.95. [UPDATE 12/30/2014: They now charge $3.95.] This option is still a good option for those who have well-stocked Simon Malls nearby. And you may have a Simon Mall nearby even if you don’t realize it! I found out that there are three Mall locations nearby which I hadn’t realized were part of Simon.
The Simon fee is less than the typical $5-$7 we pay in grocery stores and drugstores for gift cards. But try calling first to see if they have Visa gift cards in stock.
Of course the best is to buy gift cards at places where you have a category bonus, but sometimes we want to rack up regular spend in order to meet a minimum spend requirement or to rack up certain valuable points.
Some mentionthat it’s possible to get business gift cards in denominations of $1000 at Simon Mall; presumably these have the same activation fee of $2-$2.95. It’s unclear how many locations carry these business gift cards and whether they’ll let anyone claim to be a business and purchase the gift cards.
Simon gift cards are issued either by Metabank or US Bank, and they’re known to work as debit cards with a PIN and can be unloaded at Walmart via Bluebird/Serve/money-order.
Simon Gift Cards Online
Another possibility is to order Simon Mall gift cards online. When placing a regular (non-bulk) order online they limit you to one $500 gift card per order, which ends up costing $506.94 after including all fees.
It’s actually not processed by Simon themselves; the Simon website redirects you and it gets processed through Giftcardmall.com. (The Amex gift cards are processed by Simon themselves, but the Visa gift cards that we’re interested in are farmed out to GiftCardMall.)
Interestingly, the cost of $506.94 is one dollar less than the cost of a single gift card purchased directly fromgiftcardmall.com; they charge $507.94 after all fees. That being said, most people would prefer ordering on giftcardmall.com directly since they don’t limit you to $500 per order.
Additionally, when ordering more than one gift card from giftcardmall.com directly, the cost per gift card decreases slightly. For example, if you order four $500 gift cards, the cost will be $28.86, or $7.22 per gift card.
One other thing to consider is the portal points. GiftCardMall offers portal points for most gift cards. Going through the Simon website will likely make it impossible to earn these points. Note: This may no longer make a difference since GiftCardMall stopped paying out on Visa gift cards and a few other gift cards. But if you find a portal which still pays out for Visa gift cards, then this could be a factor.
Simon Gift Cards In-Bulk
Another option available is to order Simon Gift Cards online in-bulk. You need to register in order to be able to buy in bulk, and technically you’re supposed to be a business in order to register to buy in bulk.
They make the registration really official and even ask you for your TIN. I tried entering my SSN as my TIN (I don’t have aEIN) and it didn’t work for some reason. Others mention getting deniedeven when using a real EIN, but you may have better luck calling up and registering with a human. I haven’t tried too hard since I’m not planning on making a bulk order right now.
Anyway, once you get through the registration, you can then purchase gift cards in denominations of up to $1000. This is in contrast to gift cards bought in the physical mall which typically are a max of $500 (see above). Is this the rebirth of the $1,000 gift card?
And you can pay with a credit card – Visa, MC, or Amex – as mentioned in the FAQ.
Bulk Fees
The purchase fee for bulk orders online is $1-$2.95 per gift card. Here’s the fee chart (comes up during registration):
As you can see, if you order 1000 gift cards it would be just $1 each. Of course if you order 1000 gift cards of $1000 each that means you’re ordering a million dollars worth of gift cards. Still, it’s interesting to think about the possibilities – and maybe we have some readers who are high-rollers!
There’s also a processing fee of $10-$30 for the order. Here’s a snippet from the FAQ:
If we’ll go back to our million dollar customer, we see that he can order 1000 gift cards of $1000 each for a cost of $1001.03 each. And he can put that million dollar charge on his credit card! (Amex has a car purchase program in which you can buy a car with your Amex card, but a million dollars still seems like a lot! What’s the highest charge you’ve ever put on your credit card?)
There is a mention in the FAQ about an additional shipping charge, but as far as I can see that’s only for expedited shipping; meaning that standard shipping is free. Since I was unable to complete registration, I haven’t been able to verify this positively.
Practical Applications
Most of us won’t be making $1,000,000 orders, but let’s try calculating some more likely scenarios. It’s clear in the FAQand in the above charts that there’s no minimum order size – you can purchase even one single gift card.
— Say someone needed to meet a $10,000 spend threshold, and he ordered ten $1,000 gift cards. His total cost would be $3.95 per gift card ($2.95 purchase fee, plus $10 processing fee divided between the ten cards).
He has the advantage of:
- paying less than the standard cost of buying gift cards
- convenience of being able to order online (have fun trying to convince a cashier to sell you $10,000 in one shot!)
- gift card denominations of $1000 – less work to unload
- having his name embossed on the card for no additional fee (?)
— Now let’s take a smaller figure and say someone wants to rack up $5,000 in spend. If he orders five $1,000 gift cards, his cost would be $4.95 per gift card ($2.95 purchase fee, plus $10 processing fee divided between five cards). He still comes out ahead in terms of cost and convenience.
Liquidate Amex Gift Cards
But let’s go even smaller. Say someone has a monthly need of liquidating a $3,000 Amex gift card. If he orders three $1,000 Simon Visa gift cards, his cost would be $18.85, or $6.28 per gift card. He’s still ahead of the game.
And to liquidate a $2,000 Amex gift card, the cost would be $15.90, or $7.95 per gift card. This is still less than the benchmark $5 per $500 gift card, and it’s almost half the $28.86 that GCM would charge you for $2,000 in gift cards. And it’s ordered online without having to deal with pesky cashiers (they sometimes won’t allow an Amex gift card to pay for a Visa gift card).
This is especially worth thinking about in light of the fact that GiftCardMall stopped accepting Amex gift cardsas payment; many people used to use that as a way of liquidating Amex gift cards. This could be a possible alternative to consider. Presumably, if the Amex gift card is registered properly, it would work at Simon online. (You’d have to make the order for slightly less than $3000/$2000, so that the Amex gift card would cover the cost of the $15.90/$18.85 fees.)
Our Verdict
Bottom line: is this really worthwhile?
First off, I haven’t tried this yet, so there’s bound to be some roadblocks/points that I haven’t mentioned. But from what I can see the main difficulty here is registering for a Simon bulk buyer account. As mentioned, this is really meant for businesses, and they may not fall so easily for fake businesses. If someone has a real business that he can register, then he may be able to register fairly easily.
I don’t see this as useful for someone who wants to make a single few thousand dollar order. Though it may be cheaper than ordering through GCM, there’s bound to be some hassle with the registration process.
I see this more for someone who has high-dollar gift card purchases to make, and particularly for someone who has high-dollar Amex gift cards to liquidate on a constant basis. For him, it could be worth the effort to register with Simon and have a better alternative to GCM.
FAQs
What is a Simon Mall gift card? ›
VISA® SIMON GIFTCARDS®
A traditional favorite, Visa Simon Giftcards can be redeemed anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted in the U.S. and are available in denominations of $20–$500 for retail customers and $10–$1,000 for account sales.
How do I use the Simon Giftcard? The Simon Giftcard is accepted by merchants just like a debit card. The amount of every purchase you make will automatically be deducted from the value on the Giftcard.
How to use Simon Visa gift card online? ›Our Simon Giftcards® are 'non re-loadable prepaid' Visa® and American Express® Giftcards. Like a credit card, when you are ready to checkout use the Visa® or American Express® Giftcard like you would use any credit or debit card. Please remember to keep your Giftcard until after you receive your order.
Does Visa have a $1000 gift card? ›Buy a Visa Gift Card for $10, $100, $500, $1000, or any amount in between.
Does Walmart accept Simon gift cards? ›You can use the Simon Mall debit gift cards to buy money orders from stores such as Wal-Mart or grocery stores, but you can't use it to buy money orders at post offices.
Can a Simon gift card be used anywhere? ›Your Simon Giftcard can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted in the U.S., unlike a store gift card or certificate which limits you to purchases only at that store.
Can I use my mall gift card online? ›You can also redeem your points for a Mall Gift Card at the Customer Service desks across the mall or online from the website to use them on all your spending at any of the outlets within the mall.
How do I redeem a gift card to real money? ›Go to a Gift Card Exchange kiosk to trade your card for cash. A Gift Card Exchange kiosk is usually bright yellow and located in a grocery store. Insert the card information into the kiosk and then choose to accept or reject the offer the kiosk gives you.
How do I redeem a gift card online for cash? ›You can easily turn gift cards into cash (or more desirable gift cards) through reputable sites like Raise and CardCash. The site you choose will depend on the ease of sale and the type of gift card you have. You won't get full value for it, but that's still better than letting a gift card go unused.
Why is my Visa gift card being declined when I have money? ›You don't have enough money left on your card. You haven't activated or registered your card. The address you gave to make an online or phone purchase is different from the address you have on file with your prepaid card provider.
Can I use my online Visa gift card in store? ›
Yes. Because a Visa gift card functions like a credit card, it can be used anywhere that Visa cards are accepted, including online purchases—though it will likely need to be registered online or by phone prior to use.
What is the highest Visa gift card you can get? ›Cards may be loaded with $10 (minimum) - $1,000 (maximum). Card does not have cash access, but may be used at any merchants that accept Visa debit and credit cards.
What is the activation fee for a $1000 Visa gift card? ›Prepaid Visa Activation Fees
It occurs when you first purchase the card. At grocery stores, it is typically a $4.95 fee on top of the amount on the gift cards. An example would be $25 + $4.95 activation fee. It's a one-time fee and once it is paid you never need to do it again.
VISA gift cards can be purchased in amounts ranging from $10 to a maximum of $1,000 and the cards can be used anywhere VISA is accepted, with the following exceptions: No PIN-based transactions are allowed. Cards cannot be used to withdraw money from an ATM.
What gift cards can be used at ATM? ›- Brinks Prepaid Mastercard. ...
- PayPal Prepaid Mastercard® ...
- NetSpend® Visa® Prepaid Card. ...
- NetSpend® Visa® Prepaid Card. ...
- Bluebird® American Express® Prepaid Debit Account.
Where can I use my Gift Card? Use your Walmart Visa Gift Card everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted in the fifty (50) states of the United States and the District of Columbia, excluding Puerto Rico and the other United States territories.
What gift card is accepted everywhere? ›A Mastercard gift card is like a regular debit or credit card. You can use it to make purchases anywhere in the US where Mastercard debit cards are accepted. Unlike a standard card, you can give a Mastercard gift card to anyone.
Can you buy Simon gift cards online? ›Simon Gift Cards can be purchased online in denominations of $10-$1,000 with an activation fee of $3.95 per card. When ordering online, there is an additional $10 processing fee per order regardless of order size.
Where is the activation code for a Simon gift card? ›If you have a Visa® Simon Giftcard®, you will find the three digit security code on the back of your giftcard. If you have a American Express® Simon Giftcard®, you'll find the four digit card identification code on the front of your card, above and to the right of the gift card number.
Who accepts virtual Visa gift card? ›Visa Virtual Account can be used online everywhere Visa is accepted. Mastercard Virtual Account can be used online everywhere Mastercard is accepted.
What happens if you buy a gift card online? ›
E-gift cards work in a similar way to traditional physical gift cards but without an actual card. The giver buys the card online and loads it with money. The recipient then receives the e-gift card via email. The recipient claims and activates the card.
Can mall gift cards expire? ›Yes. It expires 12 months from the purchase date, as indicated on the back of the Mall Gift Card package.
Can I buy a Walmart Gift Card online and use it in store? ›Walmart eGift Cards can be used only at Walmart.com and in Walmart stores, and by Sam's Club members in-store or at Samsclub.com. If you are not a Sam's Club member, a 10% service fee will apply (except where not applicable) to all Walmart Gift Card purchases at Sam's Club. Walmart Gift Card Balance is an Estimate.
Can I transfer money from a gift card to my bank account? ›Most of the time, the answer is yes. Prepaid Visa cards usually let you transfer your balance to a bank account or third-party services like PayPal or Venmo. All you need is your card information and/or your bank details to get started.
Is there an app to turn gift cards into cash? ›Prepaid2Cash: Instantly turn your prepaid & gift cards into cash! Enjoy spending the money on your gift cards wherever you want. Deposit prepaid cards or gift cards in your bank account, debit card, or Bitcoin Wallet. Prepaid2Cash supports Visa, American Express, Mastercard, Target, Nike, and hundreds of other brands.
Which app has the highest rate for redeeming gift card? ›Giftcardstonaira is the most trusted and secure gift card trading app with the highest rate in Nigeria.
Can you turn gift cards into cash at Coinstar? ›Coinstar Exchange makes it easy to trade in old and unwanted gift cards and turn them into money – fast.
Does CardCash pay you instantly? ›How long will it take for my payment to arrive? Payments are typically sent within 1 - 2 days of order approval.
How do I transfer a Visa gift card to my bank account? ›- Add the card to your PayPal or Venmo account and transfer the balance to your own account.
- Get money for a voucher issued by a Gift Card Exchange Kiosk and then deposit it into your account.
Many Visa Gift cards are activated automatically upon purchase and may be used immediately. However, some Visa Gift cards must be activated by the recipient before they can be used. Be sure to sign in the designated area on the back before making your first purchase.
Why is my Visa gift card not working on Amazon? ›
Amazon.com doesn't support entering the three-digit CVV code normally found on the back of some cards. If the code is required by the issuing bank, payments may not process successfully.
Can you take the money out of a Visa gift card? ›A reloadable Visa Prepaid card is the quick, easy and secure way to pay online or in person. The all-purpose Visa Prepaid card is a prepaid card that you can use to withdraw cash, pay bills or make purchases anywhere Visa Debit cards are accepted, in-person or online.
Can I withdraw money from a Visa gift? ›Can I use my VISA Gift Card at an ATM? A. Yes. You can get cash at ATM's that display any of the following symbols: PULSE, NYCE, STAR and Plus.
What happens if you spend too much on a Visa gift card? ›If this amount exceeds your available balance on the card, the authorization for purchase may be declined. Let the merchant know to only deduct a specific amount from the card and make payment for the balance by another method of payment.
Can I use a virtual Visa card at a gas station? ›Virtual accounts
Visa Virtual Account can be used online everywhere Visa is accepted. Mastercard Virtual Account can be used online everywhere Mastercard is accepted.
Insufficient Balance
You may not have enough money on the card to cover the purchase. Your Visa Gift card will be declined if the bill payment exceeds your current gift card balance. You can check the balance of your card by visiting the website or calling the customer service number.
Mobile app: To activate your card through the mobile app, sign in with the same information as your online account. Tap your profile, then “Account Settings,” then “Activate Credit Card.” Enter the 3-digit security code when prompted to activate the card.
Which Visa gift cards do not charge a fee? ›- Brinks Prepaid Mastercard. ...
- PayPal Prepaid Mastercard® ...
- NetSpend® Visa® Prepaid Card. ...
- NetSpend® Visa® Prepaid Card. ...
- Bluebird® American Express® Prepaid Debit Account. ...
- The Mango Prepaid Mastercard®
There is no limit on how frequently you may use your gift card to make purchases or the number of merchants. However, you may not make transactions that exceed the amount of funds available on your gift card. Can I use my Visa Gift Card to make a purchase for more than the balance I have remaining on the card?
Do all Visa gift cards charge a fee? ›All Visa gift cards have a fee, and this fee is dependent on the value of the gift card. Visa gift card of $10.00 to $74.99 have a $2.95 fee. Visa gift card of $75.00 to $149.99 have a $3.95 fee. Visa gift card of $150 to $249.99 have a $4.95 fee.
What is the best way to send a Visa gift card? ›
Every prepaid Visa Gift Card design can be sent as an eGift Card by email or a plastic Gift Card by mail. Visa Gift cards can be used nationwide in-store and online, where Visa debit cards are accepted. Visa Gift Cards can be used for contactless payment via digital wallets: Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay.
Is there a prepaid card with no fees? ›The Bluebird® American Express® Prepaid Debit Account is known for its lack of fees — including no monthly fee, foreign transaction fee, card transaction fee, overdraft fee, or inactivity fee.
Do Visa gift cards lose money over time? ›Unused Gift Cards Can Lose Value
Even though it's illegal for cards to expire for five years (at least), they can start to lose some of their value before then. That's because in certain circumstances, and depending on the state, businesses may be allowed to impose a fee for inactivity after a certain period of time.
Buy a Visa Gift Card for $10, $100, $500, $1000, or any amount in between.
Is there a $1000 Mastercard gift card? ›Great for personal and business gift-giving. Choose any amount from $10 to $1,000. View your Mastercard Gift Card's balance and purchase history online.
Does Visa make $500 gift cards? ›Gift Card Regions Gift Card
The Regions Visa® Gift Card can be purchased in amounts ranging from $10 to $500 (increments of $5), and can be used at millions of merchants nationwide who accept Visa 1 debit cards, including online and over the phone.
You can also redeem your points for a Mall Gift Card at the Customer Service desks across the mall or online from the website to use them on all your spending at any of the outlets within the mall.
Is my gift card mall legit? ›GiftCardMall has a rating of 1.18 stars from 289 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about GiftCardMall most frequently mention customer service, business days, and activation code problems. GiftCardMall ranks 97th among Gift Cards sites.
How does my gift card work? ›How Gift Cards Work. A gift card is a form of payment that can be used to make purchases at retail stores, gas stations, restaurants, and other locations. You load money onto the card, which you or the gift card's recipient can then spend at accepted locations.
How do I redeem a Visa gift card? ›Using your Visa Gift card in stores and online
In a store, you'll just slide or insert your Visa card to pay. For an online checkout, you'll enter your Visa gift card's 16-digit number, expiration date and CVV in the appropriate form field.
How do I find out how much my gift card is worth? ›
Every gift card should have their terms and conditions printed on the back of the card. This usually includes a telephone number, which you can call to find out your balance. Visit the store and ask. If the brand has a store nearby, you can always visit and ask the cashier to check your balance for you.
Does the government track gift card purchases? ›Under the Bank Secrecy Act, a company that sells more than $10,000 in gift cards in a day to a single person paying in cash must file a currency transaction report with the federal government's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
Can you be tracked through a gift card? ›In general, it is very difficult for gift cards to be traced. A main component of gift cards is that they are not attached to an individual or an account, so there is no personal information linked to them. Even if you use a credit card to purchase the gift card, this does not mean that the stolen funds can be traced.
Are online Visa gift cards safe? ›It's secure—Depending on where you buy the Visa gift card, it may be eligible for the same protections that come with debit and credit cards. Before you buy, ask the retailer about replacement fees and fraud protection.
How can I get free gift cards? ›- Cash-Back Apps That Give Free Gift Cards. One of the easiest ways to get free gift cards is to install apps that pay you for shopping. ...
- Credit Card Rewards. ...
- Survey Websites. ...
- Play & Test Websites or Apps. ...
- Trade In Your Stuff.
Filing Form 709
On this form, you'll notify the IRS of your gift. The IRS uses this form to track gift money you give in excess of the annual exclusion throughout your lifetime. Therefore, you'll be asked for the amount of the gift and the amount over the annual exclusion amount.