Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card
Oct 18, 2012, 5:54 pm
#91
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
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The closest US OD is 72 miles from my house so not too bad.
(The closest one in Canada is already 8 miles, so I may as well cross.)
Oct 18, 2012, 6:15 pm
#92
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: On the Lake USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Diamond because they have nothing higher
Posts: 523
I have already used mine that I Bought to make a payment to my GF which comes in the mail and can take up to 4 business days.
I can load more on it with my debit card but the temp card has a limit of 500that can be on it. So I should be able to do a few deals before cards come in the mail to people. Temp cards can't use the ATM and have limited loading but it is still functional.
Oct 18, 2012, 6:17 pm
#93
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: On the Lake USA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Hilton Diamond because they have nothing higher
Posts: 523
Oct 18, 2012, 6:28 pm
#94
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 994
to a certain extent, i think that vanilla will last at OD. at the very least, people buying $500 vanilla gift cards will increase their annual revenue.
Oct 18, 2012, 6:33 pm
#95
Join Date: Nov 2002
Programs: MTD pass holder
Posts: 1,142
I have no problem finding the Vanilla reload packs but have not been able to find a My Vanilla Visa card. Anybody else have this problem?
Oct 18, 2012, 6:55 pm
#98
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 769
Went to the Walmart Neighborhood grocery to pick some potatoes up and they had a decent size displace near the entrance in the middle of the isle, very hard to miss.
Looks like there are fees on the card. $2 to load via atm and $1 for cash maybe? Not sure what the $1 was for. No other fees listed.
Tried buying with my AMEX and it didn't go through, as reported by others. Decided not to buy it since the real one should come in a week or so.
Will go back later and take a picture.
Looks like there are fees on the card. $2 to load via atm and $1 for cash maybe? Not sure what the $1 was for. No other fees listed.
Tried buying with my AMEX and it didn't go through, as reported by others. Decided not to buy it since the real one should come in a week or so.
Will go back later and take a picture.
Oct 18, 2012, 6:57 pm
#99
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 769
OD probably makes some, but not a lot off the cards. If you buy with an Amex, they're looking at 2.5%, or $12.50 per card. I would think their margin is maybe 5% on cards, but could be as high as 10%, but that seems highly unlikely, more like 2-3% plus the $3.95, so you're looking at around $12-15, or maybe a little more than break even after fees and all that.
Oct 18, 2012, 7:09 pm
#100
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: In The Cockpit, Left Seat
Programs: AA, UA, HH, SPG
Posts: 78
OD probably makes some, but not a lot off the cards. If you buy with an Amex, they're looking at 2.5%, or $12.50 per card. I would think their margin is maybe 5% on cards, but could be as high as 10%, but that seems highly unlikely, more like 2-3% plus the $3.95, so you're looking at around $12-15, or maybe a little more than break even after fees and all that.
Oct 18, 2012, 7:13 pm
#101
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
Individual OD's don't determine restocking or card distribution of gift card displays. This is per the mgr at my local
Oct 18, 2012, 7:25 pm
#102
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: In The Cockpit, Left Seat
Programs: AA, UA, HH, SPG
Posts: 78
Well, my 0D,s. all 3 of them have filled the racks that used to hold VN cards with something else. Don't know who makes the decision, but vanilla are not being restocked according to store managers
Oct 18, 2012, 7:27 pm
#103
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
When I asked him if he knew when it would be restocked, he said he didn't know, that they don't find out what is going to be on the rack until it shows up.
Oct 18, 2012, 7:29 pm
#104
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,429
I am actually interested in knowing the financial arrangements. I mean obviously OD probably pays ~$10 in transaction fees on the CC. They probably get to keep the purchase fee. However, it wouldn't surprise me that Vanilla cuts them another 1-2% service fee to sell the thing and OD really isn't losing money at all. OD also gets you in the door.
I mean, Vanilla probably passes the value on to AMEX for next to nothing (or a very small fee). Vanillas take is simply interest and the value in unredeemed reload cards. It doesn't take more than 2-4% of them to go unredeemed to make this profitable for Vanilla, although I suspect the percentage is very low.
Oct 18, 2012, 7:47 pm
#105
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 87
I have a huge supply of liquid vanilla that I bought in Mexico last year at $8/L (though I did have to pay cash and no receipt was provided for IVA refund)
The closest US OD is 72 miles from my house so not too bad.
(The closest one in Canada is already 8 miles, so I may as well cross.)
The closest US OD is 72 miles from my house so not too bad.
(The closest one in Canada is already 8 miles, so I may as well cross.)
