Aug 2, 2013, 6:51 pm
Last edit by: CWAL
A new thread was created for the new year in 2017. This is the old thread. For the 2017 on this topic, go here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1819562-cvs-master-thread-2017-a.html
CVS is cash only for all Incomm-related reloads and reloadable cards, including Vanilla Reloads and Serve swipe reloads. See memo to stores for complete list. Other cards at CVS can still be bought using credit, but YMMV depending on location, Manager, etc.
New limits rolling out starting 10/20:
Transactions with $300 or more of card face value require ID.
Limit $2000 of card face value per 24 hour rolling period.
Limit of 10 cards per 24 hours.
Cashback posted in 48 hours.
Cash Register Freezing
Multiple reports that the CVS cash register will freeze and lock after scanning the ID when purchasing multiple prepaid cards. Then the register's computer needs to be restarted. Some report that "swiping" the ID instead of "scanning" will avoid the issue.
Limit of 7 tenders (swipes) per transaction. This is most commonly run into when using low-value AGCs. After seven, the transaction must be complete, no cash (or any other payment method) will be accepted to pay the balance.
CVS is cash only for all Incomm-related reloads and reloadable cards, including Vanilla Reloads and Serve swipe reloads. See memo to stores for complete list. Other cards at CVS can still be bought using credit, but YMMV depending on location, Manager, etc.
New limits rolling out starting 10/20:
Transactions with $300 or more of card face value require ID.
Limit $2000 of card face value per 24 hour rolling period.
Limit of 10 cards per 24 hours.
Cashback posted in 48 hours.
Cash Register Freezing
Multiple reports that the CVS cash register will freeze and lock after scanning the ID when purchasing multiple prepaid cards. Then the register's computer needs to be restarted. Some report that "swiping" the ID instead of "scanning" will avoid the issue.
Limit of 7 tenders (swipes) per transaction. This is most commonly run into when using low-value AGCs. After seven, the transaction must be complete, no cash (or any other payment method) will be accepted to pay the balance.
CVS master thread(2013-2016)
Oct 30, 2013, 4:03 pm
#2761
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
I don't understand why someone is buying $499.99 or $999.99 purchases. Just follow their rules and don't try to skirt around anything.
It reminds me of structuring. If you're making a bank deposit, you'll draw less attention by making 1 deposit than to try to break it up into several smaller ones.
It reminds me of structuring. If you're making a bank deposit, you'll draw less attention by making 1 deposit than to try to break it up into several smaller ones.
Obviously Flightnurse has been able to buy $500 a pop for like 6 pops at once. If your card is trained to take back to back transactions like this without going haywire, then this works, too!
Oct 30, 2013, 4:07 pm
#2762
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Manchester,UK and NYC
Programs: One Pass, BAEC, AA
Posts: 708
So you haven't learned anything from this, please go and "challenge" the store clerk and piss them off... Brilliant idea... OR go and be smart and just do each $500 transaction separately and not have to worry about a daily limit.. I can buy 3K at one store and do these as $500 transaction and be done in less than 5 minutes. It's your call....
I have no issues buying 10 x $500 cards - what I will have an issue with is if I am told I can only buy 2 x $500 cards. Does this not make sense?
I am in USA for 5 days - I will have very limited spare time to go to the specific CVS stores. I am not asking the store to sell me $7K or $19K a day.
All I will be requiring them to do is the stated corporate policy of $5K a day.
Hopefully all goes well - if not, I simply won't walk away and tell him "have a nice day".
Oct 30, 2013, 4:40 pm
#2763
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: DFW
Posts: 454
I still see and respect the point you're trying to get across - but in my case, I was firm and polite and it worked out. I could very much see a situation where it didn't work out though.. It's hard to roll out men's intuition (as women are much better) - but in retrospect, he seemed insecure and unsure. He could have easily told me to pound sand and leave the store - but he was willing to make two phone calls and to his credit had enough belief in what I was saying to explore.
What I hate is when they use leading questions as part of their questioning.
Instead of asking "What is the policy?" they say "You know those Vanilla Visas? They have $1000 dollar limits, right?" - they're definitely more likely to hear the answer they want to hear with the second question.. (and they're not even Visas!!)
What I hate is when they use leading questions as part of their questioning.
Instead of asking "What is the policy?" they say "You know those Vanilla Visas? They have $1000 dollar limits, right?" - they're definitely more likely to hear the answer they want to hear with the second question.. (and they're not even Visas!!)
Oct 30, 2013, 5:54 pm
#2764
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Under an ORD approach path
Programs: DL PM, MM. Coffee isn't a drug, it's a vitamin.
Posts: 12,935
imho, CVS is doing us a favor by selling these to us, since they are likely either a loss leader or an extremely low margin item. They're being nice to us, we should be nice to them- not arm wrestle an employee to the floor just because the local store that day may have a different interpretation of policy than you want.
Use the general philosophy posted here many times about telephone customer reps for airlines- if you call the call center and don't get the answer you want, just hang up and call back. If you don't like how one clerk does it, come back during the next shift, or go to another CVS. (easy for me to say, there are 6 CVS stores within 15 minutes of me).
Use the general philosophy posted here many times about telephone customer reps for airlines- if you call the call center and don't get the answer you want, just hang up and call back. If you don't like how one clerk does it, come back during the next shift, or go to another CVS. (easy for me to say, there are 6 CVS stores within 15 minutes of me).
Oct 30, 2013, 7:04 pm
#2765
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott LT Titanium, Avis Chairman
Posts: 1,286
I didn't receive the call -- the store manager received the call
Oct 30, 2013, 7:55 pm
#2766
Join Date: May 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: US Chairman, Marriott Platinum, PCR Platinum, and SPG Gold
Posts: 1,244
Just went into my local CVS, they would only allow load with cash.
Oct 30, 2013, 8:02 pm
#2767
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: Hilton-Gold
Posts: 706
CVS now $1k/day?
Bay area is again dry. Looks like people are getting ready for November :-)
Oct 30, 2013, 8:17 pm
#2768
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 939
Let's relax on this fellas. What works in one town wont fly in another. If it works/worked for you then great. If it didn't move on or try try again.
There is no cookie-cutter approach to getting stores to follow the rules or bend the rules in your favor.
Too many factors at play. But one thing is certain... there are a lot of CVS stores around. Find one that's right for you.
There is no cookie-cutter approach to getting stores to follow the rules or bend the rules in your favor.
Too many factors at play. But one thing is certain... there are a lot of CVS stores around. Find one that's right for you.
Oct 31, 2013, 12:13 am
#2769
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: FL
Programs: AAdvantage Elite Plat, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Hertz Gold, BA
Posts: 498
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
So you haven't learned anything from this, please go and "challenge" the store clerk and piss them off... Brilliant idea... OR go and be smart and just do each $500 transaction separately and not have to worry about a daily limit.. I can buy 3K at one store and do these as $500 transaction and be done in less than 5 minutes. It's your call....
I think you have mis-understood the topic - if a manager says he will only allow $1000 a day - when corporate policy is $5000 a day - YES HE WILL BE CHALLENGED.
I have no issues buying 10 x $500 cards - what I will have an issue with is if I am told I can only buy 2 x $500 cards. Does this not make sense?
I am in USA for 5 days - I will have very limited spare time to go to the specific CVS stores. I am not asking the store to sell me $7K or $19K a day.
All I will be requiring them to do is the stated corporate policy of $5K a day.
Hopefully all goes well - if not, I simply won't walk away and tell him "have a nice day".
Originally Posted by FlightNurse
So you haven't learned anything from this, please go and "challenge" the store clerk and piss them off... Brilliant idea... OR go and be smart and just do each $500 transaction separately and not have to worry about a daily limit.. I can buy 3K at one store and do these as $500 transaction and be done in less than 5 minutes. It's your call....
I think you have mis-understood the topic - if a manager says he will only allow $1000 a day - when corporate policy is $5000 a day - YES HE WILL BE CHALLENGED.
I have no issues buying 10 x $500 cards - what I will have an issue with is if I am told I can only buy 2 x $500 cards. Does this not make sense?
I am in USA for 5 days - I will have very limited spare time to go to the specific CVS stores. I am not asking the store to sell me $7K or $19K a day.
All I will be requiring them to do is the stated corporate policy of $5K a day.
Hopefully all goes well - if not, I simply won't walk away and tell him "have a nice day".
And you are Not Entitled to Anything at CVS just because you are visiting the US for a limited number of days.
And funny though you have chosen NYC and that famous hospitality they have to test your theory.
I sincerely hope you "challenge" them with courtesy and don't ruin it for everybody else in that town.
Last edited by lacuadra; Oct 31, 2013 at 12:30 am
Oct 31, 2013, 5:09 am
#2770
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,949
forex, enjoy your five days in NY. Go see a show or two. Why spend your time at CVS drugstores, given your limited time.
Oct 31, 2013, 5:15 am
#2771
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
one could also suggest that the more people who do this, the more "normal" it becomes in the eyes of the seller, and then it is less a problem. For example, people say, "wow spending $1000 is a lot of money!" but maybe if a lot of people did it, people wouldnt say that any more.
This whole debate is a tough one to figure out: Do you challenge or confront - or to put it more nicely, kindly educate or point out something to a store manager or do you just leave and go "under the radar?"
To me it's a case by case basis. I may have to drive around a lot more but I figure it's worth it to avoid issues in my provincial area. People here would think it's strange to spend $5k so no matter what I do it is going to stick out.
I may bring in a receipt from another CVS and show it to them and say, can you check? This store let me and it's the same company after all. Then again I may not. Depends on the clerk, the mood, and whether he or she is a St Louis Cardinals fan or a Boston Red Sox fan
I dont see how buying $5k VR bends the rules at all... we just buy $5k VR. Again, in the eyes of the CVS employee, we are just buying a lot of stuff they happen to sell. No one should concern themselves with WHY until a crime is committed which it is not.
Sadly, though, we live in a time where people/companies/clerks, etc think we are doing something wrong first--before we have done it, and they act as though they want to prevent us from doing something we havent even done yet (that we are not doing anyway but we cant quite explain that to them and wont anyway). It just should not be a concern until or unless something is illegal. And even then, the store would not be liable because they sold to a valid CC and to a person who showed valid ID... even more so than someone who went under $1k and did not even have to show ID!
So strange.
This whole debate is a tough one to figure out: Do you challenge or confront - or to put it more nicely, kindly educate or point out something to a store manager or do you just leave and go "under the radar?"
To me it's a case by case basis. I may have to drive around a lot more but I figure it's worth it to avoid issues in my provincial area. People here would think it's strange to spend $5k so no matter what I do it is going to stick out.
I may bring in a receipt from another CVS and show it to them and say, can you check? This store let me and it's the same company after all. Then again I may not. Depends on the clerk, the mood, and whether he or she is a St Louis Cardinals fan or a Boston Red Sox fan
I dont see how buying $5k VR bends the rules at all... we just buy $5k VR. Again, in the eyes of the CVS employee, we are just buying a lot of stuff they happen to sell. No one should concern themselves with WHY until a crime is committed which it is not.
Sadly, though, we live in a time where people/companies/clerks, etc think we are doing something wrong first--before we have done it, and they act as though they want to prevent us from doing something we havent even done yet (that we are not doing anyway but we cant quite explain that to them and wont anyway). It just should not be a concern until or unless something is illegal. And even then, the store would not be liable because they sold to a valid CC and to a person who showed valid ID... even more so than someone who went under $1k and did not even have to show ID!
So strange.
Oct 31, 2013, 5:33 am
#2772
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
one could also suggest that the more people who do this, the more "normal" it becomes in the eyes of the seller, and then it is less a problem. For example, people say, "wow spending $1000 is a lot of money!" but maybe if a lot of people did it, people wouldnt say that any more.
This whole debate is a tough one to figure out: Do you challenge or confront - or to put it more nicely, kindly educate or point out something to a store manager or do you just leave and go "under the radar?"
To me it's a case by case basis. I may have to drive around a lot more but I figure it's worth it to avoid issues in my provincial area. People here would think it's strange to spend $5k so no matter what I do it is going to stick out.
I may bring in a receipt from another CVS and show it to them and say, can you check? This store let me and it's the same company after all. Then again I may not. Depends on the clerk, the mood, and whether he or she is a St Louis Cardinals fan or a Boston Red Sox fan
I dont see how buying $5k VR bends the rules at all... we just buy $5k VR. Again, in the eyes of the CVS employee, we are just buying a lot of stuff they happen to sell. No one should concern themselves with WHY until a crime is committed which it is not.
Sadly, though, we live in a time where people/companies/clerks, etc think we are doing something wrong first--before we have done it, and they act as though they want to prevent us from doing something we havent even done yet (that we are not doing anyway but we cant quite explain that to them and wont anyway). It just should not be a concern until or unless something is illegal. And even then, the store would not be liable because they sold to a valid CC and to a person who showed valid ID... even more so than someone who went under $1k and did not even have to show ID!
So strange.
This whole debate is a tough one to figure out: Do you challenge or confront - or to put it more nicely, kindly educate or point out something to a store manager or do you just leave and go "under the radar?"
To me it's a case by case basis. I may have to drive around a lot more but I figure it's worth it to avoid issues in my provincial area. People here would think it's strange to spend $5k so no matter what I do it is going to stick out.
I may bring in a receipt from another CVS and show it to them and say, can you check? This store let me and it's the same company after all. Then again I may not. Depends on the clerk, the mood, and whether he or she is a St Louis Cardinals fan or a Boston Red Sox fan
I dont see how buying $5k VR bends the rules at all... we just buy $5k VR. Again, in the eyes of the CVS employee, we are just buying a lot of stuff they happen to sell. No one should concern themselves with WHY until a crime is committed which it is not.
Sadly, though, we live in a time where people/companies/clerks, etc think we are doing something wrong first--before we have done it, and they act as though they want to prevent us from doing something we havent even done yet (that we are not doing anyway but we cant quite explain that to them and wont anyway). It just should not be a concern until or unless something is illegal. And even then, the store would not be liable because they sold to a valid CC and to a person who showed valid ID... even more so than someone who went under $1k and did not even have to show ID!
So strange.
this is not science so much as it is art.
When we go out and buy beans or Whitneys or VRs or whatever you want to call them, one cannot RELY 100% on everything going exactly as it did the last time you were in that store buying them.
Things change daily. People change, rules change. We have to roll with it and constantly adjust. We have to always adjust our pitches every single time. A pitch thrown by Wacha to this batter may get the Flyin' Hawaiian out but the next time he's up, that exact same pitch a 3- run bomb toward the freakin Monstah dood! (In the baseball reference, walking David Ortiz is like when a CVS says cash only lol)
When we go into CVS we have to act like a college kid using his fake ID at a bar he frequents. Every single visit has to be thought of as his first and potentially his last. Anything could change. And even though in our case we are doing nothing fake, it still raises flags. So we have to be like famous astronomers of antiquity who might TELL the church, "Oh yeah sure guys the world is flat-nod nod" when all the while they write in code about how it is very round indeed.
We are not just applying logic or numbers here. No. We are/ have to think like alchemists--trying to do our craft without getting caught up in a witch hunt... a very fitting reference for today, by the by.
Oct 31, 2013, 6:06 am
#2773
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 801
Is Marathon Man so named due to the length of his posts? 
Oct 31, 2013, 7:35 am
#2774
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: AA, SPG, UA, CSP
Posts: 338
I think you have mis-understood the topic - if a manager says he will only allow $1000 a day - when corporate policy is $5000 a day - YES HE WILL BE CHALLENGED.
I have no issues buying 10 x $500 cards - what I will have an issue with is if I am told I can only buy 2 x $500 cards. Does this not make sense?
I am in USA for 5 days - I will have very limited spare time to go to the specific CVS stores. I am not asking the store to sell me $7K or $19K a day.
All I will be requiring them to do is the stated corporate policy of $5K a day.
Hopefully all goes well - if not, I simply won't walk away and tell him "have a nice day".
I have no issues buying 10 x $500 cards - what I will have an issue with is if I am told I can only buy 2 x $500 cards. Does this not make sense?
I am in USA for 5 days - I will have very limited spare time to go to the specific CVS stores. I am not asking the store to sell me $7K or $19K a day.
All I will be requiring them to do is the stated corporate policy of $5K a day.
Hopefully all goes well - if not, I simply won't walk away and tell him "have a nice day".
In the end - do what you think is right. There will always be people who agree/disagree with your stance...... the person who eventually needs to make the final call is you.
Oct 31, 2013, 7:41 am
#2775
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: AA, SPG, UA, CSP
Posts: 338
In regards to "spare time" not really, I did my leg work and found the CVS's in my city that have VR's and go their. I travel for work, I'm on the road anywhere between 2-14 days, of course when I have down time on the road I have my CVS's I visit too, MS has become a hobby, just remote control cars or airplanes is a hobby, you need to spend some time at it to fully understand the rules.
So you haven't learned anything from this, please go and "challenge" the store clerk and piss them off... Brilliant idea... OR go and be smart and just do each $500 transaction separately and not have to worry about a daily limit.. I can buy 3K at one store and do these as $500 transaction and be done in less than 5 minutes. It's your call....
So you haven't learned anything from this, please go and "challenge" the store clerk and piss them off... Brilliant idea... OR go and be smart and just do each $500 transaction separately and not have to worry about a daily limit.. I can buy 3K at one store and do these as $500 transaction and be done in less than 5 minutes. It's your call....