A system and method of configuring value cards which facilitates selection of personalized limits on value card use in transactions. The value card configuration system includes a display for displaying value card configuration options, an input device for recording customer selections of the value card configuration options, and a computer for controlling the display and the input device, for assigning a value card identification number to the value card, for dispensing the value card, for establishing a connection to a value card host computer, and for sending the selections to the value card host computer via the connection for later retrieval during a transaction in which the value card is used for payment.