HCA 2005 Employee Engagement Survey Prize Winner Gift Card Frequently Asked Questions
General How does the Bank of America Visa Gift Card work? Recipients can use the card just like a regular Visa debit card for anything they want, up to the value of the card.
What makes the Bank of America Visa Gift Card different from other Gift Cards or gift certificates? Your Bank of America Visa Gift Card can be used anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Unlike a store Gift Card or certificate, which limits you to purchases only at that store, you can use the Bank of America Visa Gift Card for any gift you wish where ever the Visa logo is displayed. Usage How do I activate the Bank of America Visa Gift Card? You can activate your Gift Card by using your card number and CVV to log into the Bank of America Visa Gift Card Web site at www.bankofamerica.com/giftcard.
Can I make a purchase for more than the amount remaining on the Gift Card? Yes, however you must tell the cashier or merchant the amount you want to pay on your Visa Gift Card and then first pay the remainder through other means. If you don’t tell the cashier or merchant and try to make a purchase for more than the amount on your Gift Card, the transaction will be declined because you don’t have enough money on your Gift Card.* Note: It's important to keep track of your Gift Card balance so you don’t try to make purchases for more than the amount remaining on your Gift Card. Check your Gift Card balance now. *Anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Can I use my Bank of America Visa Gift Card at more than one merchant? Yes, as long as there are sufficient funds remaining on the Gift Card.* *Anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Can I use the Bank of America Visa Gift Card for online purchases? Absolutely. You can use the Gift Card for purchases anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted – even online.
Can I use the Bank of America Visa Gift Card at an ATM to withdraw money? You can use the Gift Card at any Bank of America ATM or ATM displaying the Visa symbol. Bank of America will deduct a service charge of $2.50 for each withdrawal and any additional non-Bank of America ATM charges directly from your Gift Card’s remaining balance. Your withdrawal limit is $100 per day.
Can I add more money to the Bank of America Visa Gift Card? No, you cannot add more money to the Bank of America Visa Gift Card.
What should I do if my Bank of America Visa Gift Card is lost or stolen? Call Customer Service toll free at 1.866.261.3596 to cancel the Gift Card as soon as you can, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After you cancel the Gift Card, we can send you a replacement Gift Card with the remaining balance, minus a $15.00 reissue fee.
How long can I use the Bank of America Visa Gift Card? Your Gift Card expires 18 months from the date of issue – we mark the expiration date right on it. We access a monthly maintenance fee of $2.50 which is waived for the first six months after the Gift Card's issue date. If you don't use the full amount on the Gift Card by the end of 18 months, you can call 1.866.261.3596 to have us reissue a new Gift Card for an additional 18 months and we'll deduct a reissue fee of $15.00 from your remaining balance. If you don't want to renew your Gift Card after it expires, you can request a check for your remaining balance and we'll deduct a $15.00 manual check-issuing fee from your balance.
What if I have a remaining balance after my Gift Card expires? You have two choices. For a $15.00 reissue fee, we can mail a new Gift Card to you. The new Gift Card will have a new expiration date, and will be good for one year from the date of reissue. Or, if you prefer, we can mail you the remaining value, minus a $15.00 check-processing issuance fee. For either option, call Bank of America Customer Service toll free at 1.866.261.3596.
What happens when I spend all the funds on my Gift Card? Your Gift Card will no longer be accepted as a form of payment. You can either keep it as a memento of the person who gave it to you or you can discard it.
Why do I sometimes have problems spending my Gift Card at restaurants when I have enough money left on my Gift Card to cover the food bill? The most frequent cause of the problem is how restaurants have programmed their card terminals to account for the food server’s tip in addition to the total amount of the food bill. The card terminals are typically programmed by restaurants to “up charge” the tip amount (usually between 15% 20%) based on a percentage of the total food bill. This “up charge” is to ensure that should you put the tip on your Gift Card you have the funds available to cover the total of your food bill plus tip. However, you will not be charged this “up charge” should you choose to pay a different tip amount or pay tip in cash – your Gift Card balance will reflect the total that you sign on the restaurant receipt. Every restaurant programs their own “up charge” amount. In addition to what may be programmed by the restaurant, many food servers unknowingly may “up charge” the food bill again. Therefore, the final attempted amount for authorization (food bill including tip) can sometimes easily exceed your Gift Card balance available, in those instances when your food bill is about 75% to 90% of your Gift Card balance. On occasions when your food bill is 50% or less of your Gift Card balance, you will mostly likely not have a problem getting your restaurant check and tip amount authorized. To use up the balance of your Gift Card and avoid the “up charge” authorization problems at restaurants, simply use your Gift Card for purchases at retail stores.* *Anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Why do I sometimes have problems spending my Gift Card at hotels and rental car agencies? The most frequent cause of the problem is how hotels and car rental agencies have programmed their card terminals to account for incidentals in addition to the total amount of the bill. The card terminals are typically programmed by hotels and rental car agencies to "up charge" the amount (usually between 15% - 20%) based on a percentage of the total bill. This "up charge" is to ensure that should you put any incidentals on your Gift Card you have the funds available to cover the total of your bill plus that amount. However, you will not be charged this "up charge" if you do not have any incidentals on your bill - your Gift Card balance will reflect the total that you sign on the restaurant receipt. To use up the balance of your Gift Card and avoid the "up charge" authorization problems at hotels and rental car agencies, simply use your Gift Card for purchases at retail stores.* *Anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Why do I some times have problems using my Gift Card at “pay at the pump” at gasoline stations? The card terminal in the “pay at the pump” stations automatically checks with Bank of America to see if your Gift Card has enough money left to pay for an “average purchase of gas”. If your Gift Card does not have enough money to pay for an average amount, your attempt to pay at the pump will be declined. The average gas purchase amount changes just as retail gas prices change. This check is in place to prevent people from spending more than the balance left on the Gift Card. To use up the remaining balance on your Gift Card when your “pay at the pump” attempt is declined, we recommend that you prepay at the cashier at the counter the dollar amount of gas you want to purchase.* *Anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Can I get cash from my Gift Card at a banking center? Yes, but you will be limited to $50.00 in a 7-day period and a $2.50 service charge will automatically be deducted from your Gift Card balance.
Can recipients change their address and telephone number after receiving a Gift Card? Yes, the recipient can edit the address and telephone number on his or her card profile when viewing the card balance. After the recipient logs in to view the card's balance, he or she can select Edit Profile to make these changes.
Balance Checking How will I know the original value of my Gift Card? We’ve embossed the dollar amount on the front of the Gift Card.
How can I check the balance on my Gift Card? You can check your balance and transaction history online at www.bankofamerica.com/giftcard.