Any major grocery store, drug store, or gas station has a big rack filled with gift cards. In addition to cards for specific stores and restaurants, major credit card companies offer general-purpose gift cards.

These gift cards are available in various denominations and can be purchased directly from the rack. The activation fee for a $100 Visa gift card is typically around $6 and can be bought with cash.

Additionally, you can purchase Visa gift cards from some banks. Not all banks sell them, but those typically sell cards to existing customers at a competitive rate–around $4 for any load value.