For example, maybe you type in “check visa gift card balance”. That would be a mistake. “You want to be careful about websites where you go to check the balance of your gift card.

Gift cards are one of the most popular holiday gifts this year. If you got a card for Christmas, here is how to safely check card balances.

Many companies use gift cards to thank their employees, but it's not much of a bonus if the gift cards they hand out are already empty.