Meet Elias. He’s the guy who always remembers birthdays but somehow forgets to check his credit card expiration dates. Last Tuesday, while trying to grab a last-minute gift card for his brother’s housewarming, he realized his only active card was sitting on his kitchen counter miles away.

Today, Elias’s brother is happily picking out a new drill, and Elias is a convert to the "bank-to-brand" lifestyle. eGifter: Online Gift Cards, Visa & Group Gifting

: At the payment screen, he bypassed the "Credit/Debit" option and selected eCheck/ACH .

: He entered his routing and account numbers. Sites like CardCash often use these methods for secure, high-value transactions.

Instead of panic-searching for a physical store, Elias discovered he could use an (or ACH transfer) to buy gift cards online. Here is how his digital detour turned into a smooth win: The Discovery