Vanilla Gift Cards
reviews and complaints

I bought a vanilla gift card for $100 + plus tax the day before fathers day June 17 so I was able to get the number for customer service to report it lost and they told me they would be a hold on it and gave me a case number and gave me an email to send case # a copyof my receipt and I'd so I did that told me to wait 30 days to investigate the case so I waited the 30 days and they told me to wait for an email 24 hrs I would recieve info ...didn't receive anything called again they told me the same thing to wait 24 hrs then I waited like 5 days didn't recieve nothing then today I called and the told me they were going to check and they hung up on me 2 times.i want to know whats going on

At 5:04 PM on July 28th, I purchased a $50 Vanilla branded VISA gift card at Walgreen's for my wife's birthday. I looked up the available balance several times between 6 PM and 10 PM. It showed a message stating that funds were pending originally, but then started showing a pending purchase message - no details, but I was not worried by it, thinking it was still indicating that the amount was still not placed on the card. Stopped checking about 10 PM, figuring that it would be available in the morning.

Next morning - there was a purchase of exactly $50 made on the card at 11:10 PM to the South East Broach Company. One - I have never heard of said company. Two - I was not going to make a purchase on the card myself (it was supposed to a gift). Three - we have no use for anything from South East Broach - they make parts for jet engine turbines.

The transaction looked like this:

7/28/23, 11:10 PM

IN *SE BROACH COMPANY - S -

O1001D076DC1

We could not believe that fraud would be so easily done with a card that was by all appearances sealed in the packaging. The pull strip was intact, and glue was stuck everywhere, making the card very difficult to remove from the packaging.

Turns out there are hundreds and hundreds of complaints on multiple boards, many of them from the past 3-4 months, about no funds on the card, multiple purchases made online by someone over a short period of time, some left with an available balance of just pennies. I saw one complaint on this board about a card purchased in this June already had a purchase of the full card amount made in December 2022. Seems that people are buying cards that have already been compromised. The moment you buy the card, apparently the funds become visible to whoever compromised the card, and the money is spent. Majority of the complaints stated that if they were even able to contact customer service, they got stuck on hold, hung up on, sent to voice mail boxes that were full. Some stated that they have been unable to get any resolution after being told they would, weeks or months later.

My resolution desire is: first - I want my $50 dollars refunded as a cashiers check (so it is guaranteed), not on the card, as I want nothing to do with this operation ever again. Second, I would like to know that this is being investigated by proper authorities, as it appears that this is a company that has been hacked, or perhaps not legitimate.

The issuing bank - Sutton Bank - has no direct contact for this problem, and offers a customer service number to Vanilla that is different than that on the card and paperwork issued with the card.

I received a refund from eBay on August 2nd of 2023. The amount of refund was 26.80. I talk to eBay and they said it was refunded so I talk again to customer service of vanilla gift card and they said since it never showed up on their end, their is nothing they can do. It never showed up on vanilla card end . It is like it never happened. So in reality they never put my refund back in my card.

I got my Vanilla gift card on the 27th of july 2023 and i think theres 2 different sites of the vanilla gift site because one of them im stealing my money from that site. I think this also because this morning i checked my balance again and it took more money from it. the first amount they stole was $69.40 and the second was $1.04. I keep calling customer service and they keep saying different stuff and not telling me about the stolen money transactions but tell me about the purchase i made and keep telling me that theyre gonna send me money on different dates which arent true

My wife bought me a card in June 2023 for 75$. when i tried to use it kept getting declined. I called customer service and they said that the card was used at an apple store in toronto on December 29, 2022. I was in Florida so it could not have been me. Not to mention that my card was purchased in June. Clearly they made a mistake. They rejected my dispute and now i cam trying to call and have been on hold waiting for a supervisor for 45 minutes. This company is the biggest scam out there. Do not buy anyone these cards. They are theives.

Received a Vanilla gift card as a gift, so I do not have proof of purchase. Took card from cardboard sleeve and last four numbers of the card were scratched off, not to mention the back bar code was damaged so it is not scannable as well. Called the customer service line back on May 17, 2023 and was given an email address to send in photos of my card which I did. Called June 19, 2023 and was told a card had been reissued to me and was on the way. Today is July 26, 2023 and I have yet to receive a replacement card, called customer service and was told I would receive an update email from the Fraud department and I would be able to call back in 48 hours. Absolutely ridiculous! How can this establishment still be in business? They must be ripping many consumers off!

7/26/2023 10:00am

Vanilla Gift cards offer extremely poor customer service. I find there is no real way of contacting them to ask questions.

My cards, when using, show the message "Invalid Zip Code" and transactions cannot be completed.

Additionally, I see no way to zero out the card since there always appears to a hold on 20% above the amount of the purchase.

How do I fix the zip code issue and how am I able to zero out the gift card?

Went to use the gift card on 7/25 checked balance and saw a charge was pending that was not from me but showed I still had a $100 balance. I tried to use it to make a purchase on Amazon and my order was declined due to insufficient funds. I then logged back onto the vanilla website to check my balance and saw another charge on 7/20for SB Jozby Store for $99.99 leaving me with .01 left in my card.

I purchased vanilla gift card on May 28, 2023. cvs store. redwood city, ca for Forty Dollars 40.00 Its was declined by the giftholder. I called customer service to resolve. A purchase of 40.00 was displayed on June 5 for target. No one is able to explain who made the purchase that was displayed at Target. Not one manager in Target understood this charge either. I went in person to target store, so its not clear to me or anyone if this was from the target store. Speaking on phone with vanilla gift rep is very difficult. He asked me for my address, my birthdate, my driver license etc. None of this was necessary to resolve the issue. Some type of fraud is taking place with vanilla gift. Hope to have this investigated and return my Forty dollars. I am happy that I didnt purchase for greater amount. Pamela Mitchell [protected]

I went thru my card and found that mi missing 83.99 dollars and I don't let anyone use my card besides me so on july 11th, 2023, I purchased. A vanilla card with 150 dollars in it and then on july 13th I made a purchase on microsoft that took 10.80 dollars from my card. And on july 14 I bought 17.83 dollars of mcdonalds and on july 15 I got subway which was 17.15 dollars and on july 21st I spent 20 dollars on gas and that was the time I used my card so I don't know where I spent 83.99 dollars on sp jozby store?

My church bought me a $100 Vanilla gift card for my bday. I tried to activate it and couldn’t. Customer service said they need the receipt. Thankfully my pastor keeps all receipts. I emailed photos of the receipt and card as requested. It’s been 3 months and still no resolution. Everytime I call I get the same rep, (Jona) and she gives me different time frames to call back. Call back in 5 days. Today was “it takes 30 days and they haven’t updated anything.” Each call is something different. It’s not her fault. I will NEVER purchase a Vanilla gift card.

Card does not work for anything, it says it’s active on the website and has a 25$ balance on it. Honestly I think this is just a complete scam. Even when I try and use it at a store not online it says declined. This card is so worthless and a pile of garbage. I can’t believe these are sellable at stores. Never buying one of these again unless something is fixed.

I filed a complaint about a card gifted to me and still no one from customer service has reached out to me

My son got me a $100 vanilla [censored] card. The card came with the security code scratched out when I called customer service I was told there was $100 still on the card. I requested a new card be sent to me. After two weeks of waiting for my replacement card I called back to be told the card now had a zero dollar balance and I was out the $100 this is absolutely [censored] unacceptable and will never buy this [censored] card again

Complaint # [protected]

Visa giftcards are not always worth the hassle I bought 2 500 dollar gift card that were compromised now I'm trying to get my money and it's a slow painfully process, something that should be easy to do is taking time to get fixed. if I could afford to take the time it would be easier, but a thousand dollars for me is a lot of money. and getting them to work with me is met with people who can't speak right, and negative results. So my view is anyone getting these card, know your money might be gone and dealing with customer service isn't going to be easy. this company isn't customer friendly.

My employer had gifted me the Vanilla gift card with my missing paycheck balance on it since payday had passed. I used the companies website to verify my gift card today which is July 15, 2023. I called the number provided, and upon talking to the customer service stated my card had been compromised. It was their site. So I am out of my wages earned because they aren't a secure and trustworthy company.

As I noticed a fraudulent activity on my purchased vanilla gift card, I immediately made a complaint to the customer service. I was told that they will put my card on hold, however , they were not able to tell me the balance on my card and when I check it keeps saying that "there is issue with the card" . They assured that they will investigate and will contact me with the resolved issue. From May till now, I have not receive any calls from them and when I call them , they put me on hold till the call get disconnected. Customer service provided a case number but there have not been any follow up . It is very disappointing.

Purchased a Vanilla Gift Card for a client for the value of $200. Gave to the client in July 2022. In May of 2023 the client opened and attempted to use for the first time and was told there was only $100 on the account. She called the company several time was on hold numerous times, after long frustration of hold time was told they would investigate and then emailed one week later saying someone used the card in September in California. The card was never used prior to May of 2023 and the attempt was in Florida. Basically Vanilla gift card said well it’s been to long we are sorry nothing can be done. My client was out $100 and I lost $100. Terrible Policy!

Vanilla card service who own master card and visa prepaid credit cards, has decided to do the most foolish thing. All of sudden, they decided to block my prepaid credit card from countries like China, and parts of Europe and Asia.

I have used the prepaid Titanium + Master Card for a very long time. They have given me a very poor BS excuse to block me. I have called Money Market, peoples trust, Master Card, etc. they won't do anything about it.

Every single person I have talked to about it, has been rude, disrespectful, dishonest. The last person I have talked too, named Brian is an Operating manager at Vanilla Card Services, refused to allow me to talk to someone else, and refused to allow me to talk to a high manager or director. What is going on with these people. They don't care about others, customer service is the worst I have ever seen, they make villains from films look nice.

All I want is to be able to use my prepaid credit card, So I can communicate with my girlfriend, who is stuck oversea in Ukraine, during the war in Ukraine. the only way we can communicate luckily is by a communication website. Websites and electricity is not always available because of the war in Ukraine.

I purchased a $100 gift card for my husband on June 16th as a Fathers day gift from out daughter. When we opened it to put it in our wallet we did not realize that the last 4 numbers were not there. We tried to use it via the magnetic strip at several restaurants, gas stations etc. and it does not work. I contact customer service and after being hold for 45 minutes, they answered and stated that they can not do anything without the receipt which of course I do not have. I went to CVS on July 8 and asked for an electronic receipt and they said they can only go back two weeks. I do however have a copy of my bank statement that shows that on June 16th I sent $118 at CVS. Please help to fix this situation without having to sit on hold again for 45 minutes.

Thank you

A vanilla visa gift card was given to me by my man, he bought the card for me I tried making use of the card for the first time, it said not activated, I still tried and used it couple of time but this time it says error in card and the card should be rectified before use, that's the issue I'm having right now hoping it would be resolved immediately thank you.