We built this because checking a gift card balance shouldn't require downloading an app, creating an account, or sitting on hold. You have a card, you want to know what's on it — that's it.

Enter your card number, expiration, and CVV. We check it against the card network and show you the balance. The whole thing takes a few seconds.

Your card details are encrypted in transit and we don't keep them after the lookup is done.

Step 1 — Find your card details. Flip your Vanilla gift card over. The 16-digit card number is printed across the front, and the 3-digit CVV sits on the back near the signature strip. Some cards cover the CVV with a scratch-off panel — gently remove it with a coin.

Step 2 — Enter your information. On our homepage, type in the card number, the two-digit expiration month and year, and the CVV. Double-check each field before hitting Continue — a single wrong digit will prevent the lookup from going through.

Step 3 — Wait a few seconds. We send your details through an encrypted channel to the Visa or Mastercard network. The issuing bank confirms the remaining funds on your card and sends the balance back to us in real time.

Step 4 — See your balance. Your available balance appears on screen right away. If you'd like to check a different card, tap "Check Another Card" and repeat the process. There's no limit on how many times you can look up a balance.

The entire process takes under ten seconds from start to finish. We don't store your card information once the lookup is complete, and you never need to create an account or download anything.

Vanilla Visa Gift Cards — The classic red-and-white Vanilla Visa card is sold at grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores nationwide. Available in denominations from $25 to $500, these cards function as standard Visa debit and can be used at any merchant that accepts Visa in the US. Our tool reads balances directly from the Visa network.

Vanilla Mastercard Gift Cards — Featuring the familiar navy-blue design, these prepaid Mastercard cards are accepted at millions of locations worldwide. They come in fixed-value and variable-load versions depending on the retailer. Balance lookups go through the Mastercard network and return results within seconds.

Vanilla eGift Cards — Digital gift cards purchased online work the same way as physical cards. You'll find the 16-digit number, expiration date, and CVV in the email or text message you received when the card was purchased or gifted to you.

MyVanilla Prepaid Cards — Reloadable MyVanilla cards are also supported. These cards can be topped up at participating retail locations and used for everyday purchases. Balance checks reflect the most recent loaded amount minus any completed transactions.

Cards we don't support yet: Store-specific gift cards (like those for Amazon, Target, or Starbucks) use proprietary systems that we cannot query. We also cannot look up cards issued outside the United States at this time.

Having trouble checking your balance? Most lookup issues come from mistyped card details. Before reaching out, double-check that your card number has exactly 16 digits, the expiration date matches what's printed on the card, and the CVV is the 3-digit code on the back — not the 4-digit number on the front (that's an Amex format we don't support).

Card shows zero balance unexpectedly? This usually means the card hasn't been activated at the register or all funds have already been spent. Contact the retailer where the card was purchased — they can verify activation status using your receipt.

General inquiries. For questions about how our service works, which card types we support, or partnership opportunities, you can reach our team through the contact channels listed on your card's original packaging. We typically respond within one business day.

Important note: We provide a balance lookup tool only. We are not the card issuer and cannot process refunds, replace lost cards, or transfer funds between cards. For those requests, contact InComm Payments (the issuer behind Vanilla gift cards) directly at the number on the back of your card.

What we collect. When you submit a balance check, we receive the card number, expiration date, and CVV you enter. We also collect basic technical data — your IP address, browser type, timezone, and the page URL — to protect against automated abuse and ensure the service runs reliably.

How we use it. Your card details are forwarded to the payment network (Visa or Mastercard) solely to retrieve your balance. The technical data helps us monitor for suspicious patterns and improve site performance. We do not use any of this information for marketing, advertising, or profiling.

What we store. Card details are held in memory only for the duration of the request and are never written to a database or log file. Technical metadata may be retained for up to 30 days for security monitoring, after which it is automatically purged.

Third parties. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties. The only external transmission is to the card network to fulfill your balance request. Our servers use 256-bit TLS encryption for all data in transit.

Cookies. This site does not use tracking cookies, advertising pixels, or analytics scripts that follow you across the web. We may use a session cookie to prevent automated requests, but it contains no personally identifiable information and expires when you close your browser.

Your rights. Because we don't maintain user accounts or persistent records of card data, there is nothing to delete or export. If you have questions about data handling, refer to our contact page.

Acceptance. By using this website, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service. We may update these terms from time to time — continued use after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

Service description. We provide a free tool that queries Visa and Mastercard networks to retrieve the remaining balance on prepaid and gift cards. The balance shown reflects what the card issuer reports at the moment of the query. We do not guarantee accuracy if the issuer's system is delayed or temporarily unavailable.

Permitted use. You may use this service to check the balance of cards you own or are authorized to use. You may not use automated scripts, bots, or other tools to submit bulk queries. Attempting to retrieve information for cards you do not own is prohibited and may be reported to the card issuer.

No financial relationship. We are not a bank, payment processor, or card issuer. We cannot load funds, issue refunds, freeze accounts, dispute transactions, or replace lost or stolen cards. For those services, contact InComm Payments or the financial institution printed on your card.

Limitation of liability. This service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for incorrect balances, service interruptions, or any losses arising from your use of this tool. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction is to stop using the service.

Governing law. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.