GiftCards.com has eliminated the monthly maintenance fee on its NMF Visa gift cards until the gift card expires. "We eliminated the monthly maintenance fee on our NMF Visa gift cards for the entire time that the gift card is live before expiration," said Jason Wolfe, the company's CEO. He attributed the shift to the economy. "In these times, every dollar counts. If we can keep a few extra dollars in the hands of our customers every month, we feel we are helping them to get the most out of their gift cards," he pointed out.

The organizations and financial institutions that provide the gift cards issue gift card fees. Monthly maintenance fees can range from $1 to $5, and are standard in the Open Loop Gift Card industry. The fees that are issued with the Visa gift cards are used to support the costs associated with the production and maintenance of the card. The new Visa gift card is called NMF and can be purchased by visiting GiftCards.com. "This gift card is great for plan ahead shoppers that buy gift cards ahead of time. They won't have to worry about the gift card losing value prior to the card expiring," said Wolfe.

The card also offers customers the ability to personalize the card by adding the recipient's name and a personal message. There are dozens of styles to choose from, and cards can be issued in any denomination. Visa gift cards can be used anywhere Visa is accepted, and can even be used to pay bills.