Consumer complaint received 2024-08-23
Product: Prepaid card — General-purpose prepaid card
Issue: Trouble using the card — Trouble using the card to spend money in a store or online
Company: AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY (NJ)

I received an American Express prepaid gift card as a gift from a friend. I activated the card and confirmed online that the full amount ( {$500.00} ) was showing up. 

On Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I attempted to use the card for the first time. Before going to the store, I once again confirmed that the card was active by going to their website : AmexGiftCard.com/Balance. 

I went to XXXX XXXX XXXX ( physical location ) and attempted to use the card, but it was quickly declined. The sales associate tried two more times, both manually typing in the number instead of swiping, and then using a different computer/register. The second and third times both declined as well. 

At this point, I contacted the Customer Service number on the back of the gift card ( XXXX ). The first individual I spoke to confirmed that the card was activated and ready for use, and told me that he saw the transactions I attempted. However, the card declined for my own security. I asked him to please release the transaction, as you would do with a credit card, but he said that he did not have this capability. All he could do was see it, and he recommended that I " go use it somewhere else. '' He advised that I may have better luck with an online retailer where I could manually type in the card number, expiration date, and XXXX XXXX. I made him wait on the phone with me as I attempted to use it at XXXX. This transaction was also declined. 

I continued speaking with this gentleman for about XXXX minutes trying to make any sense of the situation. He continued to explain that they put security parameters on the card to make sure that the transactions are legitimate. This was to protect the card holder, so that they could not " confirm '' it was me. I asked whether I could register the card on their website thus proving that I was in fact myself. However, American Express gift cards do not have a registration option. Therefore, this concept is completely useless. 

Unable to get anywhere with this individual, I asked to be transferred to his supervisor. He informed me that the supervisor would tell me the same thing three times before he finally agreed to connect me. The supervisor came on the phone and regurgitated the same three pieces of information to me as her predecessor : 1. The card was indeed active and had {$500.00} on it, and that American Express allows me to use it almost anywhere ; 2. The card was declining for security reasons for my safety, and XXXX. They had no ability to release the transaction. She then advised me to try it somewhere else. I ended the call and left the store without making a purchase. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I went online and attempted to make a purchase on XXXX, which declined. Then I tried to purchase a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX online so that I could maybe actually use this money. That also declined. 

After a quick Google search, I was led to a number of sites and blogs where hundreds of people were complaining about the same issue with American Express Gift cards. That they are unable to use them anywhere, and that the best course of action is to file a complaint. So that is where I am today.