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Old Apr 8, 2014, 1:24 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: ericliujian
Grocery stores that sell variable GCs to $500. Please understand these are observations by those who contribute to this thread and are provided for the good of the community. Apologies if some chains are different in different areas. TY.

YES:
7-11 (Vanilla Visa $20-500) - Sometimes limited to 1x per buy. Sometimes buggy. Often codes as gas station.
Big Y (CT/MA): m̶a̶x̶i̶m̶u̶m̶ ̶$̶1̶0̶0̶0̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶g̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶d̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶;̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶m̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶i̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶c̶a̶s̶h̶̶ Cash or debit only
CVS: Vanilla, $2000 max 24 hours
Family Fare (hit and miss)
Food Lion (Post 287 reports no good CC experience. YMMV, Manager override needed cash only memo)
Giant - now accepts CCs as of 10/1/16 - recent change from past cash or debit only policy.
Glens
Haggen
HEB -- usually limited to $1000 total (with fees) but many times they'll sell 2-3 if you split into separate transactions.
H-T
Hy-Vee ($500 limit)
Hannafords (multiple reports that Visa / MC / AMEX GCs are no longer sold at stores)
Kroger (DL will be requested and DL no. entered, even if just buying 1). If you use CHIP PIN card, no DL will be requested
Lowe's Foods (Manager override needed)
Marianos
Meijer Mastercard ONLY (US Bank)
QFC
Ralph's - in So Cal they sell $500 variable load cards
Safeway/Albertsons - most (all?) stores sell $500 variable load. Their banners include Acme, Randalls/Tom Thumb, Vons/Pavilions, Shaw's/Star, and others.
Stop & Shop (when it's stocked - manager override required for $500 and up)
Stater Bros
Walgreen: Vanilla
Weiss: cash only
Winn-Dixie ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager for each card - but some cashiers have the override code, and almost all customer service reps have it) (Cash/debit only per #544: edit: varies by region)

PREVIOUSLY:
A&P - Out of business
Acme (DE/MD/NJ/PA). Many in NJ now say NO and stock as been pulled
Albertsons ($1K and up in single transaction requires override from manager and every single VGC over $1K requires override each time)
AutoZone (Vanilla Visa $20-500). Pulled off the shelf now (4/2018) - Update: Was told by store MGR these are seasonal thus expect OCT-JAN each year. If in stock (in back) they can sell them all year.
Jewel
Ralph's
Randalls ($500 VGC purchase requires manager override and they usually check CC vs photo ID)
Safeway ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager just 1 time)
ShopRite (not all). SR no longer stock variable load up to $500.00. The variable loads the have now only allow a max of $200.00 for the same 5.95 fee.
Vons ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager just 1 time)
Whole Foods $500 (Now only $200 max)

NO:
Publix ($50 and $25)
Festival Foods
Giant Eagle
Bi-Lo

Grocers that sell $200:
Most Albertsons' subsidiaries listed in 'PREVIOUSLY'
Bashas'
HEB
McCaffrey
Piggly Wiggly-up to 200 max. of 1k per transaction 4.95 fee no ID required
Shaws/Star Market $500 Amazon GCs are still around, but all other GCs are only up to $200 at this time.
Shop Rite
Tops
Wegmans
Whole Food

Improvements and additions welcome.

Note: this thread began as an attempt to find out if a Kroger store in the area where jan_believes was travelling might have the variable $500 Visa GC since the store where I was at the time, did not. It has morphed into a discussion about MOs (at Kroger, although other stores MAY be included but not mentioned), as well. Not the intent of the discussion. Use discretion, please. Local rules apply.
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Stores that sell $500 GCs(up to 2019)

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Old Feb 20, 2015, 8:13 am
  #511  
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Originally Posted by frank_10b
Did Winn Dixie change its Visa GC offering this week? The new one is one of those fee heavy reloadable GC that charge 9.95 a mo. just for owing.
The old ones are no longer found in the checkout system.
WOW! $9.95. I better max out my categories quick!
jan_believes is offline  
Old Feb 23, 2015, 11:00 am
  #512  
 
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Originally Posted by jan_believes
I spend enormous time on fraud alerts constantly. Whether by text (after I have already left the cashier) or phone, on and on.
So far every single time I buy a gc (lowest was $400) on a new card (even if it has been used several times) I get a fraud alert the first time. They don't call you until long after you leave the register. I can't imagine how anyone who steals cc could possibly do this, but I guess where there is a will there is a way?
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Old Feb 23, 2015, 11:04 am
  #513  
 
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Originally Posted by AlohaDaveKennedy
...When he shops for gift cards, the price of oil raises to cover the demand for plastic...When AMEX gives him a Financial Review, it takes 5 weeks and two accounting firms to complete....He carries three billfolds to hold his credit cards and another two for his debit cards...His annual manufactured spending exceeds the GDP of seven countries in Europe...The US Mint gave him more metals than a South American dictator....
Haha! That must be the guy who snaps his fingers and magically makes Kate turn green . I need to follow that guy...
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Old Feb 23, 2015, 2:34 pm
  #514  
 
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What cards at Jewel or Marianos can be used to load Serve at Walmart? Thanks in advance
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Old Feb 23, 2015, 3:51 pm
  #515  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
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Originally Posted by bulls71986
What cards at Jewel or Marianos can be used to load Serve at Walmart? Thanks in advance
Any card where the cashier is clueless or friendly. The Vanilla based Visa's only allow loads of $49.99 or less whereas the regular Visa GC allows I believe the full $500. Both would require that the cashier not ask/see what kind of card you have. I know some guys said they have the kiosk at there local walmart so you may luck out with loading your Serve card.
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Old Feb 24, 2015, 8:49 am
  #516  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Chicago, IL
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Originally Posted by WIguy
Any card where the cashier is clueless or friendly. The Vanilla based Visa's only allow loads of $49.99 or less whereas the regular Visa GC allows I believe the full $500. Both would require that the cashier not ask/see what kind of card you have. I know some guys said they have the kiosk at there local walmart so you may luck out with loading your Serve card.
Awesome thanks for the info. I'm lucky enough to have a kiosk at the Walmart Express a couple blocks from my work that tends to be in service. Gotta get that max 5% at store before march 31
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Old Mar 8, 2015, 7:23 pm
  #517  
 
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Hit several reliable W-D stores in my area this week and turned down at all of them. Spoke with a manager tonight and he said corporate has shut down the purchase of gift cards with other gift cards. Didn't ask if they were cash only now. Unless I can find another outlet, may be out of the Amex GC business.
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Old Mar 12, 2015, 2:57 pm
  #518  
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
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I just got turned down today at my local Albertsons. Claiming cash only for VGC. Is it the new policy or just that store being stricky
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Old Mar 12, 2015, 7:37 pm
  #519  
 
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My experience has been that blocking is done at the store POS level. If an area, region or chain decides to block, YMMV down at the store level.

Originally Posted by hoak
I just got turned down today at my local Albertsons. Claiming cash only for VGC. Is it the new policy or just that store being stricky
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Old Mar 17, 2015, 6:03 pm
  #520  
 
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Originally Posted by Linda368
Probably only your area. There are plenty of sunnies at WD in my neck of the woods.
So that means it is still possible to buy them. Well, I think I ll start pit stopping at the WD while en route to work. Usually, the one close to home has no VVGCs, but I have seen them in one close to where I work. Will give it a try with CC.
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Old Mar 28, 2015, 5:42 am
  #521  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
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So my local WM went cash/debit only for GC last week and is rejecting the transaction as soon as it hits the fact that it is credit at the terminal. I had to make a trip to a couple of nearby towns and I tried there thinking those stores were less likely to be in the same boat, but both of them behaved the same way. I have one more place to try, but looks like the clamp down has begun, which makes me sad as I'm in an area with few options...
slickjolly is offline  
Old Mar 29, 2015, 7:40 pm
  #522  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 97
I just bought 5 VGCs at WM yesterday without any issue.


Originally Posted by slickjolly
So my local WM went cash/debit only for GC last week and is rejecting the transaction as soon as it hits the fact that it is credit at the terminal. I had to make a trip to a couple of nearby towns and I tried there thinking those stores were less likely to be in the same boat, but both of them behaved the same way. I have one more place to try, but looks like the clamp down has begun, which makes me sad as I'm in an area with few options...
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Old Mar 29, 2015, 8:48 pm
  #523  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 742
Should WM neighborhood market be on the list? I was reading in another thread those (mostly?) code as grocery for amex/mc/visa.

Cheers!
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Old Mar 29, 2015, 8:51 pm
  #524  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 742
A also just read someone only got 1% on there chase freedom as a WM neighborhood market, as walmart was on an exclusion list. Not a big deal but should be noted.
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Old Mar 29, 2015, 8:57 pm
  #525  
 
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Originally Posted by moops380
Should WM neighborhood market be on the list? I was reading in another thread those (mostly?) code as grocery for amex/mc/visa. Cheers!
They do but I've yet to see any kind of GC there...
Julian Brennan is offline  


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