Gift cards and Lindens?

[Talligurl]

Tis the season, and I get gifts from people at work, sometimes these gifts are in the form of prepaid debit cards. Is there a way i can use this money to buy Lindens? I tried a couple things (putting the debit card in directly and trying to add it to a paypal account), and neither one worked.

[Rhonda Huntress]

If you have a verified paypal account, you could try adding the money from the card to paypal and then buy lindens with that.

With a verified paypal account, you can get a barcode that allows you to deposit cash to paypal at many places.  CVS, for example.  I have never done it this way but if all else fails you should be able to pay the transfer with the gift card. 

 

[JustOKGamers]

Go to the card's website and register it. Often, this just involves inputting the card number, expiration, and security code on the back, along with your zip code.

This is a requirement for online purchasing with a prepaid debit card. You should be good after you register your cards.

[Rhonda Huntress]

1 hour ago, JustOKGamers said:

Go to the card's website and register it. Often, this just involves inputting the card number, expiration, and security code on the back, along with your zip code.

This is a requirement for online purchasing with a prepaid debit card. You should be good after you register your cards.

All prepaid cards and most debit cards will not work, registered or not. 

Edited December 23, 2017 by Rhonda Huntress

[Tex Monday]

On that topic, I wonder why the Lab doesn't put out gift cards for SL. Most other games do it. It would be so easy for someone to go to the store, buy one and that person would use it to buy Lindens inworld. 

Just curious.....

[Tari Landar]

1 hour ago, Tex Monday said:

On that topic, I wonder why the Lab doesn't put out gift cards for SL. Most other games do it. It would be so easy for someone to go to the store, buy one and that person would use it to buy Lindens inworld. 

Just curious.....

You used to be able to buy something similar on Amazon. I don't believe it was very practical for them, and that's why they stopped(though I'm not certain on that).

It may have something to do with the whole "we need your rl info tied to whatever payment info you use, we need to be able to verify-to the best of our ability-that you are who you say you are"...or something to that effect. It makes perfect sense, really, when you take into consideration the numerous different changes made over the years related to payments. It's just as easy to gift someone lindens as it is to buy a gc though. 

[Rhonda Huntress]

1 hour ago, Tex Monday said:

On that topic, I wonder why the Lab doesn't put out gift cards for SL. Most other games do it.

It has something to do with the ability to cash out as well as put in and money laundering.  SL is not like other programs because of that.

[Talligurl]

I get the issues surrounding potential money laudering, but it seems that this is only going to be an issue with taking money out of SL. It seems to me it would be worth it to LL to make it easier to put money into SL, while leaving the rules for taking it out. I am sure I am not the only one who has been given a gift card and would prefer to use it for SL things rather than RL things.

[Alwin Alcott]

1 hour ago, Talligurl said:

 It seems to me it would be worth it to LL to make it easier to put money into SL,

but this is possible... by using payapal to load your giftcard balance on that.

[Janet Voxel]

I worked in retail through my early 20’s, it’s ridiculously easy to steal gift cards. There are a lot of scams where thieves will steal and activate them and then buy things with them, then resell said items for cash. 

With gift cards, it would be too easy to put the money in SL then cash it out.

That being said. I’d love to take a Vanilla card for $25-50 and use it to support my shopping habit!

I’d be ok with them having a system where you can put money in with a gift card, but you can’t cash it out.

Edited December 27, 2017 by janetosilio

[Magnek Fang]

There's another problem. Considering SL's... well, rep, Who's gonna want to carry it? Sure ain't gonna be Walmart.

[monalolo8000]

Hi, my friend got me a bunch of gift card but I havent recieved them I think, is there a way to check?

 

[Maitimo]

7 hours ago, monalolo8000 said:

Hi, my friend got me a bunch of gift card but I havent recieved them I think, is there a way to check?

 

Assuming you mean a store gift card for an in-world store? Type the name of the store in your Inventory Search. Or just type "gift card".

If they're not there, your friend needs to contact the store where they purchased the gift card They may or may not be able to get a replacement. If not, there's nothing that either of you can do about it. Maybe your friend sent it to someone else by mistake, or didn't send it at all.