I went $2k per transaction on my second trip. Haven't exceeded that much at once yet since I don't want to tempt the Amex gods.

I started out at $500, then $1K, and when the limit went up, to $1,500 and $2K. This is mainly on the 5x TYP which will end shortly, but I don't want to make $5K purchases yet in case....

Just when I found a new reliable local store, with lots of VR, and started buying the $1,500 and $2K, I was told very clearly "The daily limit on those is $1K" Pointlessly I said that I had bought more before and was this new, she said no and that she gets the exception reports when her staff do more, because they shouldn't.

So I get the $1000 there and go to another store to get more. But a pain.

I don't think I'll have an issue at my local store. I'll try $25 this afternoon and see how it goes. I'm not even half way to my CL and I haven't gone overboard yet so I should be alright.

My wife went to east bay last night and saw CVS. I told her to stop by because I cant find any VR here at peninsula.
She saw alot of them (suprisingly). However, she was declined to purchase them at the cashier using CC. She argued that she bought alot here at peninsula, so manager was called and she was told that every CVS operating differently..
So, she walked away...

what a sad day!

I typically do no more than $500 a shot and mix it with other purchases, so that the transaction isn't only MS. However, I use Bluebird to pay bills that charge service fees for credit card transactions (which is so 1995, I should add). So I needed to put a larger amount in before the thanksgiving holiday and I did a $1,000 transaction yesterday.

The clerk didn't give me any trouble about it and said the register would let her know if it had to be cash only. The transaction went through, then she got an alert, requiring her to confirm it with corporate. She called them and they told her to call my bank. The bank asked to speak with me and I confirmed that I was doing Christmas shopping for the amount specified. She ended up having to speak to another few people and then could complete the transaction.

So, in the end, I got my $1k spend, but it took me my full lunch break to do so. I used my business card, which I don't use nearly as much as the personal one...although I had used it for a work trip recently. I've had no issues whatsoever at my usual haunts with $500 charges.

I'll stick to $500 for now, just to keep under the radar a bit.

good point on adding a few things to make it not seem so MS. I did that the first few times, but since have just gone in and loaded up the VR alone.

I use my card for other things, but do $5,000 transactions at a time without any issue. Recently did my BOA AS Visa and mostly do my SPG AMEX.

Meh, I do $5k a week in one weekly visit. Sometimes I buy other stuff sometimes I don't, it's driven really by what specials CVS has any given week. But round here the staff don't blink when I ask them to load 10 VR's with $500 each. I live in VR heaven

Today i asked the staff on the counter to process 2 VRs in 2 separate transactions. He goes "Smart...that is Smart!". I was like what is? And he goes " you know,the way you are splitting the transactions... because if i processed this as one transaction, i would have to scan your ID". I just ignored that and said do you want my ID and he said no, you are all set.

I do the split transactions all the time, never heard a staff say this before.

Same here. Was at the store so I did 5k today. The cashier didn't even blink.

I'll do it a couple more times this weekend and be done for December. Pretty straightforward.

Did they charge you the sky high interest associated with a cash advance? Or just classify it that way so you don't get points?

Interesting story, I went with wife and 2 friends to buy VRs. Wife and other two people were able to purchase but manager refused to sell to me. I guess he thought something illegal was going on and he just refused, lol. Anyone else encounter this? Should I file a complaint?

Have had 95% success rate with 2x2's, but after 10 months it may be time to switch to 2x3's or 2x4's because they are much stronger, of course.

Ruh roh.

In a CVS yesterday in the PHX area, I saw official CVS signage (that was being enforced) on the gift card rack that prepaid debit cards are cash only. Gone were all the signs on the front door and on the registers that they accept credit for all gift card and prepaid card transactions.

Better not be...

This signage has been in place for awhile. VRs fortunately are coded as "gift cards" and not prepaid debit cards. The system will allow the purchase of VRs with a credit card even if some cashiers will not.