SAN FRANCISCO -- Visa Gift Cards may soon be dispensing from an ATM near you. The credit card company is partnering with Better ATM Services to test offering its gift cards at the automatic money machines.

An in-market pilot program is currently underway offering Visa Gift Cards at walk-up and drive-thru ATMs in select locations throughout Arizona. Credit Union West, MariSol Federal Credit Union and Pinal County Federal Credit Union are participating in the pilot program, according to a press release.

"Our participation in this pilot with Better ATM Services and three Arizona credit unions is part of our ongoing commitment to supporting prepaid innovation and expanding access to Visa prepaid products; delivering value to our financial institution clients, consumers and merchants," said Hyung Choi, head of US Prepaid, Visa Inc.

Mesa, Ariz.-based Better ATM Services conceived the patented technology that enables the secure and convenient sale of prepaid cards through ATMs, and its CEO CEO Todd L. Nuttall said this is just the first step.

"When ATMs were first introduced in the 1970s, consumers began a love affair with the very best in time and place convenient banking services and today we continue to expand those benefits through new innovations. We are working with ATM manufacturers, independent sales organizations and financial institutions to make ATM-dispensed gift cards a common offering at ATMs throughout the country," Nuttall said.

The menu screens of the ATMs participating in the pilot program include a "Purchase Visa Gift Card" option and prompt the user to designate the value to load on each card. Cards are available with no activation fee in $25 denominations during the pilot. The new ATM-dispensed Visa Gift Card is made of a durable yet thinner material, which allows the cards to easily pass through the cash mechanisms of ATMs.