Can You Pay For A VPN With A Gift Card? Only If You Do This

Would you like to stream geo-blocked content or play online games? How about using a VPN in locations where they’re blocked? Or maybe safety over a public WiFi internet connection is what you need? An anonymous email address? TorGuard can do all that and much more.

How to Buy a VPN With a Gift Card

Many of us get a VPN for one reason and one reason alone: privacy. But end-to-end internet privacy is only as good as its weakest link.

When you opt to pay for a VPN service with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal, you’re leaving behind a huge footprint. Your payment provider knows you just bought a VPN (and which one), and the VPN has your billing details.

So much for keeping things to yourself.

There is a better option, though – you can buy a VPN with a gift card. It is arguably the most anonymous way available of doing so.

Gift cards can be bought with cash, and there’s next to no information you need to give the VPN company when paying with one. For those of us who don’t have a credit card, a gift card can be a great solution too.

As a bonus, paying for a VPN subscription this way is also an excellent way of getting rid of those half-used gift cards you may have lying around in your nightstand drawer (something I’m certainly guilty of).

A big drawback of gift cards is that not many VPN services take them as a method of payment. That said, you still do have several excellent options available.

Why Pay for a VPN With a Gift Card

A big reason for using a gift card to pay for your VPN is that it anonymizes the transaction. When you use other payment methods – credit cards, PayPal, and even to a degree cryptocurrency – you’re revealing a lot about yourself.

At a minimum, the VPN provider will store your payment details – especially if your subscription auto-renews. They’ll keep your name, address, and anything else their payment processor needs to complete the transaction (for example, an IP address).

And even if you opt for a no-logging VPN – which I strongly encourage you do – payment information data is typically not covered by those policies. That means the VPN can and, in many jurisdictions, will turn that data over when asked to by law enforcement.

Proof that you bought a VPN service can then be used against you in criminal proceedings. This should be of particular concern to journalists, political activists, hackers, and anyone located in a country where VPNs are illegal.

Buying a VPN subscription with a gift card is an excellent way to get around the personal payment information issue.

Gift cards are easy to buy with cash. Supermarkets, coffee, shops, gas stations, and others typically carry cards from the likes of Amazon, Apple, Walmart, or even Starbucks, to name a few.

Once you have a gift card, you can use it with a VPN that takes them as a form of payment. The only thing you need is the card number and an email address (which can be a throwaway) – that’s it.

So, the gift card is bought with cash – making that purchase untraceable – and you don’t disclose any personal information at subscription time. As far as anonymous ways to buy a VPN go, it doesn’t get better than that.

Pros and Cons of Paying for a VPN With Gift Cards

Besides anonymizing the purchase, there are other advantages to paying for your VPN with a gift card.

• Flexibility: Buying a VPN with gift cards means those of us without access to credit or debit cards can still get a VPN subscription.
• Ease: Buying a gift card is easy. In most countries, they’re sold in dozens upon dozens of retail locations, so finding one should not be an issue.
• Like Cash: Paying for a VPN with a gift card is as close to paying with cash as it gets.
• Control: In most cases, VPN providers will, by default, auto-renew your subscription. When you use a gift card, they can’t do that. You won’t have to remember to cancel or worry about being charged more than you’re expecting.
• Simplicity: Using a gift card to pay for your VPN is simple. Give the provider the ID number printed on the card, and that’s it – you have a VPN subscription.

That said, nothing’s perfect. And there are indeed some disadvantages to paying for your VPN using a gift card. I wouldn’t consider any of these deal-breakers, but you should be aware of them.

• Provider Choices: Not all VPN companies accept gift card payments, so your choices are limited.
• Premium Cost: Accepting gift cards isn’t a standard method of payment, and VPN services often charge a premium for their use. Depending on the provider, you could be looking at paying between 20% and 30% more than with conventional methods.
• No Auto-Renewals: Even though I listed no auto-renewals as an upside, some of us may also see it as a downside – having to remember to re-subscribe may not be ideal. Any VPN deal you got on your initial subscription may also no longer be available, meaning a higher renewal price.

Buying a VPN With a Gift Card

VPNs accept gift cards as payment in two ways. Most commonly, they let you use cards from major retailers. But, some also sell their own branded gift cards. Here are what I consider to be the best provider choices for both options.

Using Other Retailer Gift Cards

There are three providers worth recommending that let you pay with gift cards issued by major retailers.

1. PureVPN

Launched in 2006, PureVPN is one of the oldest VPN services in the market. Still going strong after all those years is a testament to the many things this provider does right.

PureVPN’s server list is as inclusive as they come. It currently offers 6535 servers in 93 locations around the world. Performance is top-notch too, as evidenced by these excellent speed test results.

An independently verified zero-log provider, PureVPN takes privacy seriously. And military-grade encryption and features like a kill-switch and DNS leak protection keep your data safe and secure.

They’re also a great choice for P2P, and all your out of market streaming needs – Netflix, Hulu, BBC, plus many others work flawlessly.

How to pay anonymously for PureVPN with a gift card is not necessarily obvious because the option is not clearly marked – but it is possible.

Go to the PureVPN discount page and click through to get their best deal. Then, on the “Select Your Payment Method” step of the checkout process and select PaymentWall. Among others, you’ll be able to pay with gift cards.

2. PIA

Private Internet Access – or PIA as they’re also commonly known – has been for years and continues to be a very popular VPN choice. And there are good reasons why that is.

PIA is inexpensive, reliable, secure, and privacy-oriented. They’re a no-log VPN and are the only major provider to prove those claims in several court cases in which user data was subpoenaed.

Their network has recently grown to include 84 countries. And, despite the recent expansion, all their servers continue to perform well, too.

PIA accepts gift cards from 100+ retailers. Some of the big names that make the list include Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and Starbucks.

The current PIA gift card trade values will get you 89 days of access for a $25 card, 120 days for $32, and 197 days for $50. In all cases, you end up paying a bit of a premium over PIA’s current sales.

Overall, Private Internet Access is a great provider. Though, of course, before you invest in them – even with a gift card you have little use for otherwise – you may still want to take a look at my PIA review.

3. TorGuard

TorGuard is a very reasonably priced VPN and has been a no-logging provider since they launched – our privacy has been their priority since the beginning.

The service is geared towards users of BitTorrent and other P2P file-sharing services but can be a great choice no matter what your VPN needs are.

Would you like to stream geo-blocked content or play online games? How about using a VPN in locations where they’re blocked? Or maybe safety over a public WiFi internet connection is what you need? An anonymous email address? TorGuard can do all that and much more.

Their ever-growing network includes 3000+ servers in over 50 countries. The VPN app is as secure as they come and has plenty of options for those of us who like to dig deep.

TorGuard accepts over 60 retailer gift cards, and paying with them couldn’t be simpler. The option is clearly marked on the payment screen.

Using Branded VPN Gift Cards

Buying a gift card directly from a VPN provider in local retail outlets is a rare bird, indeed. So rare, in fact, that there is currently but a single VPN that offers the option.

1. NordVPN

Arguably the best-known VPN providers in the market, NordVPN is also one of the most secure and privacy-oriented.

Besides offering complete anonymity in payment with their own branded gift cards, NordVPN comes packed with plenty of other privacy features once you’re online. We’re talking things like a double VPN, TOR over VPN, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and obfuscated servers.

NordVPN is also one of the best providers for unblocking Netflix and other popular streaming services.

And, with a server list that includes nearly 5800 servers in 60 countries, NordVPN lets you connect just about anywhere. It’s a fast network, too – just look at these speed tests.

You can pick up NordVPN’s gift card (a.k.a. subscription box) in multiple brick and mortar stores in the US, UK, Canada, France, and Germany. You can also get it online at Amazon.

Please read over my in-depth NordVPN review to find out more about this excellent provider. And don’t forget to check their latest offers to make sure you’re getting the best deal there is.

Conclusion

Buying your VPN service using a gift card is as anonymous as it gets. It’s also a great way to go if you don’t have access to a credit card or have old store gift cards lying around you’re not sure what to do with.

True, your selection of VPNs is a little more limited. But, several top providers – all listed above – do make the list.

Pick the one that’s right for you, grab your gift card, and sign up – and you’ll be surfing the web without restrictions and anonymously in no time.

And don’t forget to have a look at my current VPN coupon codes page to get the best deal. Gift card payments or not, saving money is always a good thing in my book.

About Tim Tremblay

Tim is the founder of Fastest VPN Guide. He comes from a world of corporate IT security and network management and knows a thing or two about what makes VPNs tick. Cybersecurity expert by day, writer on all things VPN by night, that’s Tim. You can also follow him on Twitter and Quora.

Can You Pay For A VPN With A Gift Card? Only If You Do This

The privacy and online safety offered by a VPN is enough for most users.

However, purchasing a VPN can be dangerous for some people. Citizens of countries where VPNs are banned, political activists, or journalists working with politically sensitive data might all want to disguise the fact that they’ve bought a VPN — let alone the information they use that VPN to access.

This raises the issue of secure payments. How can someone purchase a VPN privately when payment details can usually be stored and traced?

One option is to pay for your VPN with a gift card. But be warned: it’s not that easy, it’s not that common, and it won’t always get you access to the best VPNs.

Why You Should Pay for Your VPN with a Gift Card

When you pay for a VPN service using a debit or credit card, it’s likely that your payment information will be stored. Indeed, storage of your payment data is almost guaranteed if you opt for an automatically renewing subscription.

Of course, this information will all be stored securely, and sometimes by third parties with no connection to the VPN. The problem comes if a VPN is ever required by law to provide information about you, for example by a subpoena or other legal request.

Most of the best VPNs have strict no logs policies. This means they don’t keep any record of your usage and therefore cannot disclose your data to anyone even when legally ordered. However, no logs policies only cover the logging of personal data such as your location or the sites you access when connected to the VPN.

No logs policies do not cover the payment information you used to buy your subscription.

While the average VPN user is unlikely to be subpoenaed, this could be a real problem for hackers, political activists, journalists, or anyone living in a country that has made VPN usage illegal. Proof that you’ve paid for a VPN could be used against you in these circumstances.

Using a gift card to pay for your VPN is one way to get around the payment privacy issue. Gift cards issued by the likes of Amazon or Best Buy can be purchased with cash from supermarkets, internet cafes, gas stations, and other stores.

Once purchased, the card can be used with any VPN that accepts gift card payments if you simply enter the ID number. No other personal information is required and the original cash payment is untraceable.

Short on Time? Here Are the VPNs That Accept Gift Cards?

The following VPNs all accept gift cards that can be bought with untraceable cash payments.

• Private Internet Access — PIA accepts gift cards and is great for anonymous torrenting. Be aware, though, that it is based in the US and is not reliable when it comes to unblocking.
• VPN Unlimited — Excellent for unblocking and streaming, VPN Unlimited is nevertheless also based in the US so can’t offer guaranteed privacy even if they do accept gift cards.
• BlackVPN — Based in Hong Kong, BlackVPN offers better privacy options and accepts gift cards. However, some users might find the price points disappointingly high.

Which VPNs Accept App Store and Play Store Gift Cards?

As you can see, paying for your VPN with a gift card bought with cash does limit your choices. Although your payment might be completely untraceable, you might find it’s a trade-off for a VPN that’s actually less secure in itself.

Not only does it bar you from using the best VPNs, but paying with a gift card also has some other significant drawbacks.

Firstly, if you don’t live in the US, UK, or other countries where gift cards are readily available in stores, you may find that you’re not able to buy a gift card with cash at all.

Secondly, a gift card will only cover your subscription for a limited amount of time. This means that you will need to go through the whole process of purchasing a gift card whenever your subscription period comes to an end.

If you want an ongoing subscription to a VPN service, there are other private ways to pay. For example, some of the best VPNs accept cryptocurrencies, which are secure and largely untraceable.

Another option is to pay for your VPN using an App Store or Play Store gift card. As long as your chosen VPN accepts payments through the App Store or Play Store, you’ll be able to purchase it using a gift card.

You can pay for all of the following VPNs using an App Store or Play Store gift card.