Xfinity sent me gift cards. Is this fine?

January 5, 2022 6:31 PM

Back in September I moved into a new apartment and got Xfinity internet. It seems to be working fine. About a month later I switched from Verizon to Xfinity phone service. It seems to be working fine. Xfinity has mailed me two VISA gift cards, seemingly one from each service. I did not sign up with the promise of receiving gift cards, so I am not sure why I got them. Out of the goodness of their little hearts? I doubt it?

I don't know how much is on them, because they require registration. Do I want to do that? I feel like maybe I don't want to.

Reddit says maybe fine, but look, a creepy (?) Reddit official Xfinity rep answered their question. Is that a real thing?

This site says "The Xfinity Mobile Prepaid Card comes with unlimited data plans at no additional cost." Wait, what? Is it a gift card or just a gift of unlimited data plans (which I don't need).

At the Xfinity forums people are reporting that the cards don't work.

I would prefer to cut them up rather than go through the hoops of registering for them and worrying I have signed up for something. I mean, if it were just a gift card, I shouldn't have to register it. Some of you must have received these things. Can you explain as if to a 5-yr old?

posted by Glinn to Technology (8 answers total)

Response by poster: In reviewing my question, it seems like maybe I have confused two different things - an Xfinity gift card, and a VISA gift card from Xfinity? Or maybe it's the same thing. These want me to register at mycardintel.com/xfinity. The attached card says by using the card I agree to the terms and conditions, but I can't read the terms and conditions until I register. : /
posted by Glinn at 6:41 PM on January 5, 2022

They were probably offering a promotion involving these gift cards when you signed up, and you were just unaware of it. What do you think the downside to spending them might be?
posted by kindall at 6:59 PM on January 5, 2022 [7 favorites]

I got an Xfinity gift card when I signed up for internet service in the middle of last year. I had no idea that was something that was going to happen, it just showed up in the mail a few weeks after I got everything installed.

I never used it, but it was legitimately from Xfinity - they sent me several pieces of snail mail and e-mail patting themselves on the back for sending it to me.
posted by ralan at 7:11 PM on January 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

Same here, I got one after migrating to Xfinity Mobile. (Which was an incredibly easy process, and works as well or better than my previous ATT service)
posted by armoir from antproof case at 7:14 PM on January 5, 2022 [2 favorites]

I just did something similar, Verizon to Xfinity. I received a gift card recently, too. I think it's part of a promotional deal for switching carriers.

If what you received is a gift card, it should say $X in the upper right corner. Mine was for $100. I registered it through the site you linked, figuring that Xfinity already has the information that they're asking me for. I agree, it's a little weird that they're asking me for that info again.

For what it's worth, I haven't been receiving any additional spam email/text/phone calls, or more junk snail mail since I registered the card. I'll also be watching this question to see what other MeFites think about it, in case there's something sketchy within the terms and conditions that I overlooked.

I haven't tried to use my card, not sure if it works. If this question still open by the time I use it, I'll let you know.
posted by Guess What at 7:47 PM on January 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

This is a pretty common marketing trick to get new customers to sign up. The value is real, but it's sometimes a pain to spend. When we switched to Verizon last year, they made us file for "rebates" (actually downloadable gift cards) for each device we brought with us, but the cards were real and they paid for two new iPhones a few months later. When we bought the new phones using those gift cards, Verizon then also gave us trade-in value (in the form of statement credits over X months) that was way over market value for our old phones, you know, the ones they'd already given us gift cards for bringing to their network. In the end between the gift cards from the bring your own phone rebate thing and the statement credits we're getting $2000 in total value from Verizon, some of which is paid out over time, but all of which is real.
posted by fedward at 8:22 PM on January 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Ah, I see. The amounts ($100 and $50) are on the cards but I didn’t see that because the sticker to register them was covering that. Thanks everyone for the anecdata.
posted by Glinn at 8:41 PM on January 5, 2022

As promised, an update on the cards' functionality: the gift cards work! You do need to register the cards if you want to use them, though.
posted by Guess What at 5:53 AM on January 13, 2022