How can the balance of a Visa gift card be obtained?

Shoppers are able to find out the balance of their Visa gift card by going to the website of the card issuer or calling the merchant's customer service number, notes Visa. A select group of 14 retailers has the ability to check Visa card balances at the point of sale.

If a shopper wants to make a purchase that costs more than the value of her Visa gift card, she needs to know the exact remaining balance, explains Visa. However, another select group of 22 retailers is able to apply the remaining balance to a purchase without knowing the amount of available funds. More information about both groups of selected retailers is available on the Visa home page.