Another way to use up 3V Virtual Visa cards

Since a block was placed on 3V Virtual Visa cards being used to pay off tax bills or to pay into bank accounts, their uses have shrunk.  Some people are also sitting on a pile of unused cards.

Reader Jon dropped me a line with an interesting tip.  I have not tested this myself, but it appears to work OK.

As I posted in December (in relation to an offer which is now over), TopCashback has started selling gift cards for various retailers.  These include:

• Starbucks
• Debenhams
• Chef & Brewer
• Currys PC World
• Fayre & Square
• Ernest Jones
• Flaming Grill
• H Samuel
• John Barras
• Leslie Davis
• Marks & Spencer
• Taylor Walker
• Toys R Us
• Wacky Warehouse

The official list is here.

Here is the little trick.  These are all RELOADABLE gift cards.  (Note that only the TopCashback versions are reloadable, you cannot reload a standard M&S gift card for example.)  This page confirms that TCB gift cards can be topped up online.  3V cards DO work for topping up giftcards, according to Jon.

Let’s imagine you have £200 of 3V cards which you are struggling to use.  You can buy a £20 Marks & Spencer gift card via TopGiftCards.  You can then top it up with your 3V cards.  You can them use instore at M&S without any problems, even though these are theoretically only for online transactions.

In theory, if you spend a lot of money at one of these stores on a regular basis – M&S is probably the most likely – then this may even prove to be a long-term way of using 3V cards.  At least for as long as Tesco is giving 150 Clubcard points for every £50 you buy ….

You need to be a TopCashback member to use TopGiftCards – if you are not already a member, my ‘refer a friend’ link is here.  You will receive 500 Clubcard points when you earn £10 cashback, as long as you join before February 10th.