Tuesday Tips: How to Use eGift Cards

MyPoints has started the process of phasing out physical gift cards in favor of electronic rewards. As of April 1, physical gift cards will no longer be available for redemption.

If you’ve never redeemed for an eCard, here are some tips to help with the transition:

• eCards can be used online and in-store (if the merchant has a brick and mortar location). For online purchases, just copy/paste the gift card number and (if applicable) the PIN at the retailer’s checkout under the payment section.

• For in-store purchases, you can print out the gift card and give it to the cashier at checkout. Don’t have a printer? Most retailers will be able to scan or manually enter the gift card info off your mobile device.

• Do you give your rewards as gifts? Print out the eCard and enclose it in a card. Again, if you don’t have a printer, many gift cards offer the option of emailing your gift card to yourself or another person.

• If you still REALLY want a physical card, you have options:
  • Redeem for a free Amazon gift card and use the balance to purchase any of a variety of physical gift cards.
  • Redeem for an eBay gift card and search for physical gift cards (NOTE: You may be able to find discounted cards, but make sure the authenticity is verified and seller is reputable!)
  • Redeem for a Visa gift card. Digital Solutions offers the option of converting your eCard to a physical one for a fee, or you can use the funds to purchase the physical gift card of your choice.
  • Redeem for PayPal. Once the funds are transferred to your PayPal account, you can use them to purchase the physical gift card of your choice.

There are a number of benefits that eCards have over physical gift cards:

1. They don’t contribute as much to landfill. Plastic waste is an environmental issue and what happens to a physical gift card once funds are depleted? Even a printed out eCard is less environmental issue than a plastic gift card.
2. They won’t get lost in the mail. Since they are sent to your email inbox, there’s no worry that they will be lost or stolen on route to your address. If you can’t find your eCard after it’s been sent, you can resend it.
3. They are less likely to be misplaced or stolen. If you’ve ever lost a gift card, you know how frustrating it can be. Even if you delete your eCard accidentally, it can still be re-sent or retrieved via Customer Service.