and where did you hear or read this?

It was a quick trip, sucked the first day it rained... I'm back in 2.5 weeks, Pinguy is up by you...

I'll be raiding the CVS's once again!!!!

I thought it was in this thread, but I must have misunderstood. A better question would be, are there any cards which are hardcoded "alternate tender required" and unable to be purchased using a cc at CVS?

Went back to the same store this morning, suggested to the manager "can you scan the barcode on my DL, I think my mag strip is degraded", he did, and the 2k transaction sailed through. Could be coincidence, but I think this will be part of my routine.

Can you give more detail on your experience?

Walgreens has worked in my neck of the woods for Gift cards since back in April when they came with PIN codes. I get the Vanilla One's there. Sometimes they limit 1 per day but sometimes you can do 2 transactions. GCs have never been hard coded at register..the VRs have, however.

I've never really pressed to do higher than that @ WG.

Okay thanks... I was thinking that GCs and reloads were both hardcoded. When I saw GCs were available with CC... I got.... excited.

I'll try that today. PA DLs also have the barcode. I really hadn't paid attention, but I know I've had a mix of swiping the mag stripe and scanning the barcode. I don't mind the DL scan. I do mind clerks denying a sale based on a verification issue on their end.

Don't have to worry much about me. I'm not a serious player in the bean business. Of course, that may be because my local CVS stores are always sold out or cash only. Maybe I'll have to drive up to Escondido/Fallbrook and look around there! (just kidding) :)

Some people including me, don't care, I either buy beans or Visa GC's, I don't care about anything else at CVS.

I actually just have them manually enter my DL # due to problems with the magnetic swipe. I didn't even realize scanning a barcode was an option.

All the DL issued here in WI are 3D barcode only. Yet some of the CVS cashiers insist on swiping and don't understand why it doesn't work.

Here in IL we dont' have a magstripe (at least on the older licenses). We have a large 3D barcode on the back middle and a smaller 2D barcode running along one side.

The cashier usually tries to scan each a couple of times before one goes through (honestly, I don't remember which one normally works).

What is strange however is that my license is expired. Here in IL, if you are good driver they used to just send you a sticker to put on the back of the card to extend the expiration for 4 years. However, when they scan my license it comes up as expired in their system and they have to manually override the date 4 years in the future (as per the sticker).

Yesterday, I stopped by a new CVS (for me) and bought $1K and the cashier couldn't get my license to scan so she manually entered in my number. However, from what I saw she only typed in my DL number...not the expiration or any other information. I thought that was very strange that was all the system prompted her for the transaction to go through.

DL scan (via swipe) is working again today in Buck County, PA. ^

Hah, now I know who is buying up all the VRs in SD. The most I've purchased in one trip was 3 VRs, and didn't have an issue with DL or paying with a CC or anything. I haven't tried to get all 10 VRs in one trip though. I would say the SD stock is pretty good compared to what I've seen traveling.