Zzilla! It didn't work!

DG1

We're writing to let you know that we are having difficulty processing your 
payment for the above order.

To protect your security and privacy, your issuing bank cannot provide us 
with information regarding why your credit card was declined.  Since we 
cannot process payment at this stage, we have canceled your order. We 
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

zsazsa-stl

I always have problems with the stupid billing address when using Visa gift cards.  You have to go to the issuer's website and 'register' your card with your own address before you can use that as the billing address anywhere else online.

DG1

I did call and get the balances. $22.50 on each card. Then i bought an amazon gift card for that exact amount and used the visa GC to pay for it.

No dice.

I will try the registering thing, though.

DG1

So I tried to activate it, and it says it's already activated.

So I tried DH's and my usual PINs, and neither worked.

So I tried an online PIN recovery and entered DH's work email (since they are from his work) and it says I can't reset the password because I don't have a security question on file.

WTF. I bet the stupid HR person actrivated them and now nobody can use theirs. 

At least I know how much $ is on it. If I buy something worth $45 or more, I will just use them all in their entirety.

But it has to be something I won't return. I made that mistake once at Target. They, pretty understandably, saw it as a credit card transaction and wanted to refun the $ to my card. Which was in the trash becasue I had used the full balance.

I talked them into a store credit, but it was a PITA.

DG1

I have an email out to H to see if he activated them or knows some magic.

But yeah, a grocery store should work.  I might try a restaurant, too.  The boys are going to grandma's tonight, so I was considering some kind of date night with H.

But we are mid-fight, so that would probably be a waste of money.