Are there any stores, banks, etc. in my local area of Berkeley,
California that sell a "Visa gift card" or "Mastercard gift card".  I
plan to give a visa or mastercard gift card as a Christmas gift but it
is too late to have one shipped from a typical distributor of the
card.

A gift card is basically a pre-paid credit card.  A certain amount of
money is on the card and when you have used up all the money on the
card then the card is worthless and cannot be reused.

I have contacted the following people but they cannot deliver it in
time for Christmas:
http://www.WellsFargo.com/GiftCard
http://www.MBNAGiftCard.com
http://www.deluxe-card.com

According to Wells Fargo, some shopping malls may have this service. 
Simon Malls was mentioned as a possibility but there are no Simon
Malls in my local area (Berkeley, California).

I want to purchase a Gift Card so the recipient can choose where to
spend it.  Other gift cards direct from a store (e.g. Best Buy gift
certificate) can only be used at that one store.

---

Clarification of Question by cdf0112358-ga on 22 Dec 2004 02:56 PST

The expiration date on this question is 1 month but I need the answer
within 24 hours (time is running short for Christmas gifts).  Thanks!

You could try giving an online gift card - many stores, even Visa I
believe, sells these and they are to be used to purchases online. The
card is "virtual" and therefore it would "arrive" in time for gift
giving.

FYI,

This question had previously been answered, and I steered the customer
to a Safeway in Berkeley, but as it turned out, my information was
wrong, and the Safeway didn't have the card in question, so the answer
was withdrawn.  Hopefully, another researcher can find (quick!) a
workable option.

paf