Prepaid Visa Gift Card FAQs

Check out the answers to the most common questions asked about the prepaid Visa Gift Card.

1. Is there a fee to purchase prepaid Visa Gift Cards?
2. Are there any other fees associated with prepaid Visa Gift Cards?
3. Why would I want to give prepaid Visa Gift Cards when I could just give cash or store gift cards?
4. Are prepaid Visa Gift Cards credit cards?
5. Are prepaid Visa Gift Cards re-loadable?
6. Are prepaid Visa Gift Cards refundable?
7. Can recipients take cash advances with prepaid Visa Gift Cards or withdraw money at an ATM?
8. How can I check the balance on prepaid Visa Gift Cards?
9. Can prepaid Visa Gift Cards be replaced if they are lost or stolen?
10. Do prepaid Visa Gift Cards have an expiry date?
11. What happens to unused Card balances upon expiry?
12. What is Own the Podium?
13. Can prepaid Visa Gift Cards be used while travelling outside of Canada?
14. Who can be contacted to discuss a dispute or declined transaction?
15. Why should Cards be registered?
16. Can prepaid Visa Gift Cards be used for services such as hotel reservations, car rentals or restaurants?
17. Can cardholders make a "split payment" on their Card?
18. Who do cardholders contact if they have questions?

1. Is there a fee to purchase prepaid Visa Gift Cards?

There is a one time $3.95 purchase fee¹ for each Card at the time they are purchased. There are no fees charged to recipients when they use their prepaid Visa Gift Cards to make purchases.

To Top

2. Are there any other fees associated with prepaid Visa Gift Cards?

There are no fees when using prepaid Visa Gift Cards to make purchases. However, because prepaid Visa Gift Cards are not credit cards, there are some fees in place to cover the cost of providing certain services. If cardholders use the entire Card amount within the first six months after the card is purchased, they will not be charged any maintenance or expiry fees.

• $1.50 monthly maintenance fee, applied to the Card six months after the card is purchased.
• An expiry fee equal to the value of the balance remaining on the Card upon expiry.
• $15.00 Card replacement fee for lost or stolen cards. The replacement Card will be mailed to you.

Transactions that take place outside of Canada or in a foreign currency are converted to Canadian dollars and are subject to an exchange rate that is 2.5% above the bench mark rate set by the payment card company when the transaction is posted.

To Top

3. Why would I want to give prepaid Visa Gift Cards when I could just give cash or store gift cards?

Prepaid Visa Gift Cards offer flexibility and protection that you just can't get with cash or store gift cards. Whether it's to pay for basic needs or an extravagant treat, they can be used for purchases virtually anywhere in the world where Visa is accepted². Cardholders can shop around for their purchases, search for the best price, and get exactly what they want. They are not forced to use all the funds at one store or purchase items that they may not want or need just for the sake of using all the funds on the Card. And as an added benefit, Visa security features provide protection in the event the Card is lost or stolen. When you add it all up, prepaid Visa Gift Cards make the perfect gift every time.

To Top

4. Are prepaid Visa Gift Cards credit cards?

While they look like credit cards, prepaid Visa Gift Cards are actually prepaid/stored value cards. When purchases are made, amounts are deducted from the Cards until the balances reach $0.

To Top

5. Are prepaid Visa Gift Cards re-loadable?

Prepaid Visa Gift Cards purchased at RBC branches can only be loaded once, at the time of purchase. Cards cannot be re–loaded.

To Top

6. Are prepaid Visa Gift Cards refundable?

Visa Gift Cards are not refundable for cash or other banking products.

To Top

7. Can recipients take cash advances with prepaid Visa Gift Cards or withdraw money at an ATM?

No, prepaid Visa Gift Cards purchased in RBC branches cannot be used to withdraw cash at an ATM or to receive any other cash withdrawal at a financial institution. There is no PIN associated with the card.

To Top

8. How can I check the balance on prepaid Visa Gift Cards?

Visa Gift Card balances can be checked at www.myrbccardbalance.com or by phone at 1-866-466-8079.

To Top

9. Can prepaid Visa Gift Cards be replaced if they are lost or stolen?

Yes, Cards can be replaced if lost or stolen provided they have been registered at www.myrbccardbalance.com . Lost or stolen Cards should be reported immediately by contacting us toll-free at 1-866-466-8079 within Canada or the United States or collect from outside of Canada or the U.S at 1-954-377-4480. A replacement card will be issued and any available balance will be transferred to the new Card, less a $15.00 Replacement Card fee that will be deducted from the Card's available balance. As long as the lost or stolen card is reported immediately, the cardholder will not be responsible for any unauthorized charges.

To Top

10. Do prepaid Visa Gift Cards have an expiry date?

Yes, an expiry date is required in order to complete Visa transactions.

To Top

11. What happens to unused Card balances upon expiry?

Upon Card expiry, a fee equal to the value of the balance remaining on the Card will be charged and then an amount equal to all expiry fees collected will be donated to a charity supported by Royal Bank of Canada, such as the Canadian Olympic Foundation in support of Own the Podium.

To Top

12. What is Own the Podium?

Own The Podium is a technical sport program designed to help Canadian athletes achieve unprecedented podium success at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and beyond. Visit www.ownthepodium2010.com or www.olympicfoundation.ca for more information.

To Top

13. Can prepaid Visa Gift Cards be used while travelling outside of Canada

Yes, prepaid Visa Gift Cards can be used while travelling outside of Canada. Cards may be used to make a purchase anywhere in the world where Visa is accepted electronically and cannot be used to withdraw cash at an ATM or to receive any other cash withdrawal at a financial institution.

To Top

14. Who can be contacted to discuss a dispute or declined transaction?

To discuss a dispute or declined transaction, contact us toll-free at 1-866-466-8079 within Canada or the United States or collect outside of Canada or the U.S. at 1-954-377-4480.

To Top

15. Why should Cards be registered?

It is important to register prepaid Visa Gift Cards at www.myrbccardbalance.com . Cards must be registered in order for us to replace them should they be lost or stolen. This better protects cardholder security by preventing someone else from registering the Card and reducing the possibility that someone else may access balance and transaction information. In addition, some retailers will only allow online purchases to be made if the card is registered.

To Top

16. Can prepaid Visa Gift Cards be used for services such as hotel reservations, car rentals or restaurants?

Yes. However, some merchants require that a temporary hold be placed on funds. This is normal practice for merchants accepting credit or prepaid cards to ensure that the Card has sufficient funds to pay for the final anticipated amount of the purchase. Some merchants, such as hotels, car rental agencies or cruise lines, will hold funds until the end of the trip. We recommend that Cards not be used for reservations to ensure that the Card balance is not affected by the hold, which may be weeks or months in the future. Other merchants, such as restaurants or others that require a tip or extra charge, will hold up to 20% in addition to the price of the goods or services you are purchasing. These types of holds can take several days to clear. For these merchants, it is important for cardholders to know the Card balance to ensure there are sufficient funds to cover both the transaction and the hold, or whether a split payment is required. Cards cannot be used to pay for fuel at "pay at the pump" kiosks, but can be used to pay for fuel in-store.

To Top

17. Can cardholders make a "split payment" on their Card?

Most merchants are able to handle multiple forms of payment for the same purchase. To purchase merchandise that costs more than the balance on the Card, cardholders should let the merchant know in advance that they will be splitting the payment; i.e. part of the transaction will be paid with the Card and the remainder with another form of payment (such as credit card, debit card, cash or cheque). It is important to know the available balance on the Card because merchants are unable to check the balance and cardholders will need to tell the merchant the amount that they would like to have paid by the Card. Balance can be checked online at www.myrbccardbalance.com or by contacting us at 1-866-466-8079. Some merchants will not allow a split payment.

To Top

18. Who do cardholders contact if they have questions?

If cardholders need help or have questions about their Card, they should call us toll-free at 1-866-466-8079 within Canada or the United States (elsewhere, call us collect at 1-954-377-4480).

To Top

¹ Fees are subject to change.
² Visa Gift Cards issued by RBC may be used to make a purchase anywhere in the world where Visa is accepted. Cards cannot be used to withdraw cash at an ATM or to receive any other cash withdrawal at a financial institution.