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)

Old Apr 29, 2016, 8:30 pm
  #736  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: HNL
Posts: 148
Citi dividend is drug stores Q2, that's what i was referencing. I'm not interested in buying gift cards outside of my 5% categories. Luckily just buying groceries for myself for 3 months might get me there on the freedom yaaaayyy....haha. I'm going to Kona in June so I can check there. Their KATE still had a money order option last time I was there, so I suppose nothing is impossible.
jeffersun is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2016, 8:30 am
  #737  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
Went to jewel-osco to get 500$ GCs and didnt find any. Did they stop carrying 500$ one or someone just cleaned it out? This is in Chicagoland suburbs?
troyhouse is offline  
Old Apr 30, 2016, 9:38 am
  #738  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Originally Posted by troyhouse
Went to jewel-osco to get 500$ GCs and didnt find any. Did they stop carrying 500$ one or someone just cleaned it out? This is in Chicagoland suburbs?
They took all the cards off the shelf in Chesterton Indiana. I talked to one of the managers and they said that they had too many fraud attempts. I think it varies by store according to her.
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Old Apr 30, 2016, 2:34 pm
  #739  
 
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Was at my local Vons (Safeway) today. I wanted to buy some Home Depot GCs using my Freedom card. I then use the those GCs when I shop at Home Depot.

Vons eliminated $500 VGCs some time ago.

Now there is a $200 limit on store gift card purchases when paying by credit card. The cashier told me that the problem is that fraudsters use stolen credit cards to buy store GCs, and then immediately cash those out the GCs. (My Vons has a machine in store that pays cash for GCs.)
GetawaysRus is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 8:54 am
  #740  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Northeastern United States
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Originally Posted by GetawaysRus
Was at my local Vons (Safeway) today. I wanted to buy some Home Depot GCs using my Freedom card. I then use the those GCs when I shop at Home Depot.

Vons eliminated $500 VGCs some time ago.

Now there is a $200 limit on store gift card purchases when paying by credit card. The cashier told me that the problem is that fraudsters use stolen credit cards to buy store GCs, and then immediately cash those out the GCs. (My Vons has a machine in store that pays cash for GCs.)
Pays full value of the card or offers a discounted price?
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Old May 1, 2016, 11:49 am
  #741  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Originally Posted by Prometheus77
Pays full value of the card or offers a discounted price?
The machines offer cash in exchange for store GC at a discounted price.
So they're not for me. I buy a store GC with the intention of using it at the store.
GetawaysRus is offline  
Old May 1, 2016, 9:26 pm
  #742  
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
 
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Originally Posted by GetawaysRus
The machines offer cash in exchange for store GC at a discounted price.
So they're not for me. I buy a store GC with the intention of using it at the store.
Very interesting... I've never seen this in a Safeway store anywhere. How do their discounted prices compare to the online gift card buyers?
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Old May 1, 2016, 9:47 pm
  #743  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ONT
Programs: AGR, UA, AA
Posts: 476
Stater Brothers used to have variables (25-500) but seems to have pulled all of them out. They were hit and miss on selling 500 VGCs before but now refuse to even sell 500 on eBay GC (although I was able to buy a $50 Macys GC to take advantage of a Mothers' Day promotion - buy $50 get a $10 Catalina on a future grocery purchase).
calwatch is offline  
Old May 4, 2016, 8:35 pm
  #744  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: NYC
Posts: 415
Originally Posted by calwatch
Stater Brothers used to have variables (25-500) but seems to have pulled all of them out. They were hit and miss on selling 500 VGCs before but now refuse to even sell 500 on eBay GC (although I was able to buy a $50 Macys GC to take advantage of a Mothers' Day promotion - buy $50 get a $10 Catalina on a future grocery purchase).
cuz the idiots got caught with their pants down and did not prepare for the switch to chip.
mittenfingerz is offline  
Old May 4, 2016, 10:00 pm
  #745  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
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Originally Posted by troyhouse
Went to jewel-osco to get 500$ GCs and didnt find any. Did they stop carrying 500$ one or someone just cleaned it out? This is in Chicagoland suburbs?
yes, I asked a manager and they said no more $500 VGC, any ideas on a grocery store in chicago area, where you can still get $500 VGC?
mord1 is offline  
Old May 4, 2016, 10:30 pm
  #746  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
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Update - Sams club is hard coded for cash and debit only. Used them couple of times for min spend.
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Old May 5, 2016, 2:17 am
  #747  
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Originally Posted by mord1
yes, I asked a manager and they said no more $500 VGC, any ideas on a grocery store in chicago area, where you can still get $500 VGC?
Walgreen's is the only place I know that still has them. Not a grocery store though.
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Old May 6, 2016, 12:47 am
  #748  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
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Originally Posted by TMM1982
Walgreen's is the only place I know that still has them. Not a grocery store though.
walgreens has metabank or bankcorp vgc or onevanilla?
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Old May 6, 2016, 12:49 am
  #749  
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Originally Posted by mord1
walgreens has metabank or bankcorp vgc or onevanilla?
I believe they are onevanilla. I don't use them for serve or any of that stuff, serve kicked me out.

I just buy them and then use them for everyday expenses. Gotta float the cash.
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Old May 6, 2016, 2:51 am
  #750  
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Originally Posted by mord1
walgreens has metabank or bankcorp vgc or onevanilla?
Bancorp. No MetaBank.
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