Use Up Prepaid Visa Cards at Safeway

Prepaid Visa cards seem awesome because they’re like gift cards but you can use them almost anywhere. However, they are notorious for being obnoxiously hard to use up. How do you use up the last few dollars or cents when there isn’t enough left to cover even a small purchase?

Many stores require that you know the balance remaining in order to use the card. Most people don’t keep track of that and it can be a hassle to contact the company who issued the card to determine how much is remaining.

I’ve discovered that Safeway is a great place to use up these cards. They do not require that you know how much is left. All you have to do is swipe your card and whatever is left is deducted from your total. If you still owe on your purchase you can finish your payment with another card, check, or cash like you’d normally pay at the store and you know that the prepaid Visa is out.

Another reason I like to use these cards up at the grocery store is that I don’t have to go out of my way to make a purchase I wouldn’t normally make just to use up the card.

Gift cards psych people in to thinking they need to spend more than the face value of the card which is why retailers love them and why they’re getting more and more popular versus checks for rebates. You’re no longer getting cash back but actually becoming obligated to spend more in the future.

Rather than thinking you need to save that card for an out of budget splurge, put it towards an easy regular expense. You’ll be left with more cash in the bank which can truly be spent anywhere and on anything you desire.

Be Sociable, Share!