Focus Groups Paying Via Visa GC Becoming An Issue?

[Njsurveyman]

I forgot to post this but over the summer I participated in a Focus Group that paid via virtual Visa Giftcard and it was a pain to even use it. I recall Paypal flat out refusing to allow me to add it to my account (I think they have a fairly recent policy against giftcards). If memory serves, I was only able to use the GC via my google pay. Now, I am not even sure if they allow them anymore. Just curious if anyone else had rough experiences with a virtual Visa GC in the past few months? 

[Mommabear]

For me, it was a virtual Amazon gift card from a focus group..it was different from ones I get from YouGov.. . I remember calling Amazon customer service and they walked me through on how to enter it. I remember first having to to go on some website to enter the card number 1st.

[Sandy21]

When I must accept a virtual debit card, which I have always hated to use, I use it on Amazon. I put it in as a debit card and try to use every penny, or as close as I can, when I make an Amazon purchase. When I use it up I remove it from my Amazon payment options.

[NFriday]

The last market research project I did in October, I could have gotten a virtual visa, but I just opted to get a $175 Amazon GC instead.  Maybe you can use it at Target or Walmart, but I assume you would have to use the whole visa gift card in one transaction.  Years ago, the market research places used to pay in cash when you finished the study, but they don't want to keep all of that cash around.  They then went to an actual visa card, but now that most of the surveys are via zoom, they mostly send it virtually.  There have been a few studies where they mailed me a check, but that has not happened since the pandemic started.

[thomasina1987]

I HATE the virtual visa gift card option, I even dislike the physical visa option. You can't hardly use them anywhere, even though they claim you can use where ever you use visa. Not true. These are a pain to use, and they should all allow paypal transfer for rewards, in my opinion. I cuss if I find out that that is the reward option. HATE these!! Can't even get them to work on Amazon. Not as debit, or credit.

[NFriday]

I have never had a problem with the physical Visa card.  Last spring when I was in New Orleans at Jazz Fest, they decided to do away with cash at the food stands.  You had to pay with a debit or credit card.  For people that did not have either, they sold physical Visa cards.  Because I did not want to have 12 transactions on my card, I ended up buying one of the $100 physical Visa cards, and it was super.  I did have a few dollars left in the card, but I just used it at the grocery store without any problem.

[Sandy21]

11 hours ago, NFriday said:

I have never had a problem with the physical Visa card.  Last spring when I was in New Orleans at Jazz Fest, they decided to do away with cash at the food stands.  You had to pay with a debit or credit card.  For people that did not have either, they sold physical Visa cards.  Because I did not want to have 12 transactions on my card, I ended up buying one of the $100 physical Visa cards, and it was super.  I did have a few dollars left in the card, but I just used it at the grocery store without any problem.

I MUCH prefer the physical Visa cards, obviously much easier to use up as you can use them anywhere.

[somelady]

I used to use them to add money to my Amazon gift card account. I haven't had a virtual visa in a couple of years and don't know if they still allow it.

[Sandy21]

39 minutes ago, somelady said:

I used to use them to add money to my Amazon gift card account. I haven't had a virtual visa in a couple of years and don't know if they still allow it.

I used a virtual visa on Amazon a few weeks ago. Worked fine.