Apr 8, 2014, 1:24 am
Last edit by: ericliujian
Grocery stores that sell variable GCs to $500. Please understand these are observations by those who contribute to this thread and are provided for the good of the community. Apologies if some chains are different in different areas. TY.
YES:
7-11 (Vanilla Visa $20-500) - Sometimes limited to 1x per buy. Sometimes buggy. Often codes as gas station.
Big Y (CT/MA): m̶a̶x̶i̶m̶u̶m̶ ̶$̶1̶0̶0̶0̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶g̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶d̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶;̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶m̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶i̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶c̶a̶s̶h̶̶ Cash or debit only
CVS: Vanilla, $2000 max 24 hours
Family Fare (hit and miss)
Food Lion (Post 287 reports no good CC experience. YMMV, Manager override needed cash only memo)
Giant - now accepts CCs as of 10/1/16 - recent change from past cash or debit only policy.
Glens
Haggen
HEB -- usually limited to $1000 total (with fees) but many times they'll sell 2-3 if you split into separate transactions.
H-T
Hy-Vee ($500 limit)
Hannafords (multiple reports that Visa / MC / AMEX GCs are no longer sold at stores)
Kroger (DL will be requested and DL no. entered, even if just buying 1). If you use CHIP PIN card, no DL will be requested
Lowe's Foods (Manager override needed)
Marianos
Meijer Mastercard ONLY (US Bank)
QFC
Ralph's - in So Cal they sell $500 variable load cards
Safeway/Albertsons - most (all?) stores sell $500 variable load. Their banners include Acme, Randalls/Tom Thumb, Vons/Pavilions, Shaw's/Star, and others.
Stop & Shop (when it's stocked - manager override required for $500 and up)
Stater Bros
Walgreen: Vanilla
Weiss: cash only
Winn-Dixie ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager for each card - but some cashiers have the override code, and almost all customer service reps have it) (Cash/debit only per #544: edit: varies by region)
PREVIOUSLY:
A&P - Out of business
Acme (DE/MD/NJ/PA). Many in NJ now say NO and stock as been pulled
Albertsons ($1K and up in single transaction requires override from manager and every single VGC over $1K requires override each time)
AutoZone (Vanilla Visa $20-500). Pulled off the shelf now (4/2018) - Update: Was told by store MGR these are seasonal thus expect OCT-JAN each year. If in stock (in back) they can sell them all year.
Jewel
Ralph's
Randalls ($500 VGC purchase requires manager override and they usually check CC vs photo ID)
Safeway ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager just 1 time)
ShopRite (not all). SR no longer stock variable load up to $500.00. The variable loads the have now only allow a max of $200.00 for the same 5.95 fee.
Vons ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager just 1 time)
Whole Foods$500 (Now only $200 max)
NO:
Publix ($50 and $25)
Festival Foods
Giant Eagle
Bi-Lo
Grocers that sell $200:
Most Albertsons' subsidiaries listed in 'PREVIOUSLY'
Bashas'
HEB
McCaffrey
Piggly Wiggly-up to 200 max. of 1k per transaction 4.95 fee no ID required
Shaws/Star Market $500 Amazon GCs are still around, but all other GCs are only up to $200 at this time.
Shop Rite
Tops
Wegmans
Whole Food
Improvements and additions welcome.
Note: this thread began as an attempt to find out if a Kroger store in the area where jan_believes was travelling might have the variable $500 Visa GC since the store where I was at the time, did not. It has morphed into a discussion about MOs (at Kroger, although other stores MAY be included but not mentioned), as well. Not the intent of the discussion. Use discretion, please. Local rules apply.
YES:
7-11 (Vanilla Visa $20-500) - Sometimes limited to 1x per buy. Sometimes buggy. Often codes as gas station.
Big Y (CT/MA): m̶a̶x̶i̶m̶u̶m̶ ̶$̶1̶0̶0̶0̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶g̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶d̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶;̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶m̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶i̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶c̶a̶s̶h̶̶ Cash or debit only
CVS: Vanilla, $2000 max 24 hours
Family Fare (hit and miss)
Food Lion (Post 287 reports no good CC experience. YMMV, Manager override needed cash only memo)
Giant - now accepts CCs as of 10/1/16 - recent change from past cash or debit only policy.
Glens
Haggen
HEB -- usually limited to $1000 total (with fees) but many times they'll sell 2-3 if you split into separate transactions.
H-T
Hy-Vee ($500 limit)
Hannafords (multiple reports that Visa / MC / AMEX GCs are no longer sold at stores)
Kroger (DL will be requested and DL no. entered, even if just buying 1). If you use CHIP PIN card, no DL will be requested
Lowe's Foods (Manager override needed)
Marianos
Meijer Mastercard ONLY (US Bank)
QFC
Ralph's - in So Cal they sell $500 variable load cards
Safeway/Albertsons - most (all?) stores sell $500 variable load. Their banners include Acme, Randalls/Tom Thumb, Vons/Pavilions, Shaw's/Star, and others.
Stop & Shop (when it's stocked - manager override required for $500 and up)
Stater Bros
Walgreen: Vanilla
Weiss: cash only
Winn-Dixie ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager for each card - but some cashiers have the override code, and almost all customer service reps have it) (Cash/debit only per #544: edit: varies by region)
PREVIOUSLY:
A&P - Out of business
Acme (DE/MD/NJ/PA). Many in NJ now say NO and stock as been pulled
Albertsons ($1K and up in single transaction requires override from manager and every single VGC over $1K requires override each time)
AutoZone (Vanilla Visa $20-500). Pulled off the shelf now (4/2018) - Update: Was told by store MGR these are seasonal thus expect OCT-JAN each year. If in stock (in back) they can sell them all year.
Jewel
Ralph's
Randalls ($500 VGC purchase requires manager override and they usually check CC vs photo ID)
Safeway ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager just 1 time)
ShopRite (not all). SR no longer stock variable load up to $500.00. The variable loads the have now only allow a max of $200.00 for the same 5.95 fee.
Vons ($500 and up in single transaction requires override from manager just 1 time)
Whole Foods
NO:
Publix ($50 and $25)
Festival Foods
Giant Eagle
Bi-Lo
Grocers that sell $200:
Most Albertsons' subsidiaries listed in 'PREVIOUSLY'
Bashas'
HEB
McCaffrey
Piggly Wiggly-up to 200 max. of 1k per transaction 4.95 fee no ID required
Shaws/Star Market $500 Amazon GCs are still around, but all other GCs are only up to $200 at this time.
Shop Rite
Tops
Wegmans
Whole Food
Improvements and additions welcome.
Note: this thread began as an attempt to find out if a Kroger store in the area where jan_believes was travelling might have the variable $500 Visa GC since the store where I was at the time, did not. It has morphed into a discussion about MOs (at Kroger, although other stores MAY be included but not mentioned), as well. Not the intent of the discussion. Use discretion, please. Local rules apply.
Stores that sell $500 GCs(up to 2019)
Apr 7, 2014, 8:59 pm
#63
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
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Posts: 16,579
Apr 7, 2014, 9:29 pm
#64
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
he was showing a real debit card, but the key to MO's for MS is the ability to use VGC's. further, he's new to this so a lot of supervisors will just agree with the cashier. then what does he do???? he'd pretty much have to write off the store. you don't want to be known in a store unless it's in a good way, with cashier 'friends'.
my advise would be if that was teh night shift, go in the morning or vice versa. he also needs to be confident, not act suspicious or unsure of himself- this makes them think he's doing something wrong. if he still strikes out, then go to another store. better yet, go farther away from your house/work to
'practice' and get comfortable, so you don't blow up stores for yourself along your normal travel paths while learning!
when i try something new, i do it away from my normal area. i don't want stores i need to start getting suspicious of me. if i'm in another city, i'll use it as a test bed.
Apr 8, 2014, 2:51 am
#67
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: OC/LAX
Posts: 376
Apr 8, 2014, 6:59 am
#71
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Midwest U.S.A
Programs: Too many to list. Since the early 90's.
Posts: 1,407
So far, I have found no grocery stores in Northeast Ohio (Akron/Cleveland/Canton) which sell higher valued gift cards, debit reloads or anything over $100. Some stores like Giant Eagle don't even have vgc for $100 since they don't want to shell out a lot of iggle points for fuel.
Anyone in NE Ohio who has found grocery stores that allow $500 debit, vgc or equivilent please respond. I have plenty of supply at drugstores, but I would prefer to diversify my ms spending using grocery stores too.
So far in NE Ohio the biggest grocery stores:
Acme ($100 VGC - cash only)
Giant Eagle ($50 VGC is highest they have)
Walmarts don't count toward Amex Blue's grocery category therefore not interested.
Many grocery store chains left the northeast Ohio regions years ago as Giant Eagle came in and competition drove out Tops, Kroger and others. Now, Walmart superstores are giving Giant Eagle competition by beating prices. Acme stays high (older clientele). But of course, most 5% grocery categories with cc don't count Walmart. Guess I have to stick with buying my gift card, debits, reloads and such at drugstores and office supply. Even though most of my initial puchases are online through portals I still need some B&M places.
Anyone in NE Ohio who has found grocery stores that allow $500 debit, vgc or equivilent please respond. I have plenty of supply at drugstores, but I would prefer to diversify my ms spending using grocery stores too.
So far in NE Ohio the biggest grocery stores:
Acme ($100 VGC - cash only)
Giant Eagle ($50 VGC is highest they have)
Walmarts don't count toward Amex Blue's grocery category therefore not interested.
Many grocery store chains left the northeast Ohio regions years ago as Giant Eagle came in and competition drove out Tops, Kroger and others. Now, Walmart superstores are giving Giant Eagle competition by beating prices. Acme stays high (older clientele). But of course, most 5% grocery categories with cc don't count Walmart. Guess I have to stick with buying my gift card, debits, reloads and such at drugstores and office supply. Even though most of my initial puchases are online through portals I still need some B&M places.
Last edited by Churnman; Apr 8, 2014 at 12:28 pm
Apr 8, 2014, 8:18 am
#72
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 30
Yea its YMMV - Had a clerk at Kroger refuse to sell MO because of no name printed on the card. After I asked for 500/500 split he immediately asked to see the card and said he couldn't do it because people were "scamming them with reloadable cards".
Apr 9, 2014, 7:10 am
#73
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 40
If this qualifies for a wiki, I think it would be nice.
Grocery stores that sell variable GCs to $500.
YES:
Acme
Giant
Kroger
Food Lion
H-T
Pick 'n Save - up to 500 maximum of 2K per transaction 5.95 fee no ID required
(etc as the posts verify).
NO:
HEB
Festival Foods
(etc as posts verify).
Grocers that sell $200:
Wegmans
Tops
Piggly Wiggly - up to 200 maximum of 1k per transaction 4.95 fee no ID required
Thanks for considering.
Grocery stores that sell variable GCs to $500.
YES:
Acme
Giant
Kroger
Food Lion
H-T
Pick 'n Save - up to 500 maximum of 2K per transaction 5.95 fee no ID required
(etc as the posts verify).
NO:
HEB
Festival Foods
(etc as posts verify).
Grocers that sell $200:
Wegmans
Tops
Piggly Wiggly - up to 200 maximum of 1k per transaction 4.95 fee no ID required
Thanks for considering.
Apr 9, 2014, 9:30 am
#74
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Midwest U.S.A
Programs: Too many to list. Since the early 90's.
Posts: 1,407
What state are you in? I haven't found any Acme in Northeast Ohio that sells variable GC's using a cc to purchase. They want cash. I believe the Acmes in my area are owned by a local group and other Acmes in other states are owned by others, but I don't know for sure.
Apr 9, 2014, 10:01 am
#75
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Florida
Programs: Marriott Rewards-Lifetime Titanium, Priority Club-Platinum, Hilton-Diamond, United-Silver
Posts: 403
You can add Shoprite to the list of grocery stores than sell variable GC's up to $500. Stop & Shop, too.
Last edited by nickfromct; Apr 9, 2014 at 4:25 pm Reason: added stop & shop.
