CVS now $5k/day
 

Just got 6 cards in FLORIDA


Hate auto correct features in phone

Just walked into CVS in FL to stock up. The cashier, whom I have never seen probably cuz I go weekdays, pulled out the memo. I told her it starts tomorrow and she verified.

Funny story though. Her thoughts were that it was due to this lady that has been coming in and buy gift cards with gift cards. She said lady has been told not to do it and even went to the pharmacy to try. Then she came in and started using her phone to start paying with the gift card and they had no way to verify. She found it funny how thos memo came out afterwards. I told her it's nationwode memo so couldn't be the woman. She mentioned that they even asked head regional managers about it and they said it was ok what the lady was doing. But she still thought the woman was up to something devious.

The funniest part is that I am about 99% sure that she was talking about me! Lmbo. I often use Amex GCs to buy VRs/reload Serve. And I recently started using Isis for the $1 Serve deal and the 20% WF deal. But I didn't say anything. I paid with normal cards that day and walked out $6k in the hole. (I reloaded Serve too which actually is odd since they let me go over $5k. Guess Serve reload doesn't count to that max.)

Data point:

Northern Virginia

First stop said the just received direction to accept cash only with limit of $1000 total purchase per transaction.

Second stop bought 2k vr with no problems on card will get more before the end of the day.

Looks like it just got real folks.

And they "cash" and put the money to prepaid.. No different than cashing a pay check.. So I don't see how this will increase fraud (responding to OP)..

Confirmed at my local CVS
 

I bought 10 cards at one of my local CVS stores near my house today, and asked the cashier about the rumor; he hadn't heard of it, but told me the manager was in aisle 18 if I wanted to ask.

She confirmed that they received an email from headquarters saying that as of tomorrow these will be cash only.

Kind of sad news, but *thank you* to the people on this board who gave us all a heads up about it yesterday and today! At least we had a chance of picking up a few more VR is before the policy goes into effect.

Yep so in a nutshell, that ad on VR website is just letting you know you can do at the customer service, what you already knew you could do (cash a paycheck or SS or Welfare check) and they'll load it on to a pre-paid of your choice (some new, some they always could do).

And remember, you can always check the balance on a VR by just putting in the PIN on the website, and not continuing past that point (putting in your card number).

If you're going to hold on to them without depositing them for any time at all, definitely make sure you keep all the receipts, cards, etc. It's your only line of defense if something does go wrong.

Is there a limit on how many refund requests you can submit / request?

I promise you, the guys who do heavy ms... This will not impact cvs. They just will not load vr.

There are other places to buy them, and other things to buy at drug stores.

Bought 4k at three different CVS no problem with using CC and no problems with supply. Wife and I will do some more later. Not worth much but the one CVS where I have chatted with the asst manager before I asked about the policy change he said he wasn't aware of any change but said he wouldn't be surprised if it happened.

I wish I had jumped on the VRs earlier, but when my CC got declined the first time (fraud alert) so I was discouraged to do it again. I finally got up the guts to do $5,000 today on my United Chase Visa - no questions asked at the DTX location in Boston. I notified Chase of the large purchase, and sure enough all worked out.

Good things always come to an end, but I guess that's all part of the game.

Picked up my 5k today. Will be loading all these on my card in a few days :) Cashier had no idea, didn't see a manager in the area to ask.

Same in Boston – cash only.
ZapperO -- we can share tips at tomorrow's Boston DO! :D
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...arch-31-a.html

MCs seem to give people problems, while Visa GCs don't. The 3 VGCs listed in the wiki (Vanilla, US Bank, and Meta Bank) all seem to go through without any issues. I've personally used Vanilla & Meta Bank with no problems at all. I even screwed the swipe on one, and the PIN on another, and it was just like using a regular debit card - you just go again, and it works.

So, in short, it looks like sticking to VGC is the way to go if you want to avoid hassles.

This is the second DFW data point of no change.