Issue With Mastercard Gift Cards (Not authorizes, Funds Then Drained)
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It looks like there is currently an issue with Mastercard gift cards when trying to use them to load bluebird/serve or purchase money orders. It seems that an error “not authorized” occurs, transaction is then declined but then funds are drained from the card. Not sure if there is a way to really resolve this issue, but something to keep in mind. If this has happened to you, please share your experiences below.
Here are some comments I got from another board:
Bought $200 Staples MCGC from last week’s special on Saturday. Used it to pay for MO that totaled exactly $200 at Winn Dixie (grocery store chain) and it said Not Authorized. I then paid with another card. $$ came off both cards though. Metabank says charge went through and I need to go back to the store. Opened case with their POS debit vendor and should hear back “within 48 business hours”. Metabank did say if I couldn’t get a resolution from the vendor I could go back to them with an affidavit that says I tried everything I could in good faith with the merchant with no luck. Hopefully it won’t get to that point.
I have had 3 $200 cards from Staples with funds taken off, only at Publix. I even had the cashier void a transaction which should have put the funds back on one of them, but it didn’t. I’ve prepayed my electric and insurance bills with the rest of them. That seemed to work.
Experienced it with a $200 MasterCard meta I purchased from Staples last week. Dollar General has been nice, but not helpful getting the funds back. Trying to dispute it via BHN but I’m not getting my hopes up.
2 Staples MCGC’s drained at grocery trying to buy a MO. Transaction declined. I am currently out $400!
I would stay away from buying Mastercard gift cards, and if you have them use them sooner than later. I plan to prepay some of my utilities with them now. I have never had a problem with Visa or Am Ex gift cards. It is just the Mastercard ones that are problematic.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/issue-with-mastercard-giftcards-not-authorized-funds-then-drained/
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Luckily, I was successful just now in prepaying my Internet bill with Spectrum for the next 8 months with the 4 $100 Mastercard gift cards I bought at a recent sale on them at Safeway, Each $100 card was a $4.05 MM plus I got credit card cash back.
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Update 12/16/19: Funds should now be back on the affected cards with the line detail of ‘Missing MasterCard Settlement Credit’. Not sure if you need to have filed a claim to have the funds restored or not