Old Apr 8, 2014, 1:24 am
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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.
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Stores that sell $500 GCs(up to 2019)

Old Sep 3, 2016, 10:31 am
  #811  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by DeaconY
Any reports of 7/11 being good to go with CC now that they enabled chip cards?
Didn't work for me at a couple I tried a few days ago. In SLC.

Edit: both cashiers said it was cash only after I dipped my chip CC.
Modulus16 is offline  
Old Sep 15, 2016, 8:17 pm
  #812  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 827
Today in Albertson's they only had variable $100s and $200s. They even had a 'fake' $500 in the form of a flower style variable $200 that, other than the fee and amount, looked exactly like the flower $500s..
CWAL is offline  
Old Sep 17, 2016, 6:18 am
  #813  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
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Publix is back allowing the purchase of $500 (loaded) SWA and Carnival Cruise Lines GC again after their POS terminal upgrade. Seems the new chip enabled terminals resolved their fraud liability concerns.
AlohaDaveKennedy is offline  
Old Sep 17, 2016, 10:11 am
  #814  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 319
Originally Posted by AlohaDaveKennedy
Publix is back allowing the purchase of $500 (loaded) SWA and Carnival Cruise Lines GC again after their POS terminal upgrade. Seems the new chip enabled terminals resolved their fraud liability concerns.
Interesting! Maybe they'll allow $500 VGCs, but alas no fuel perks. :P We're traveling so it will be a month before I can check Publix out. Thanks for sharing.
Clueless12 is offline  
Old Sep 17, 2016, 5:20 pm
  #815  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 827
Publix has never had $500 VGC, I doubt they ever will. It's not really in their business model to need to attract customers..
CWAL is offline  
Old Sep 23, 2016, 10:49 am
  #816  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 818
I keep eagerly looking out for GCs in local grocery stores here in NoVA. Giant has them but have a cash/debit only policy still, despite now being EMV compliant. The latest Blackhawk earnings call gives me hope this will change soon. Has anyone experienced grocery stories re-adding $500 VGCs since becoming EMV compliant lately?

http://seekingalpha.com/article/3989...nscript?page=2

"Now moving to slide 6. We provided an update on the EMV-related impact to our U.S. gift card business. We continue to dialog regularly with our non-EMV-compliant distribution partners to understand when they will become EMV-compliant. On the balance, our partners are achieving their forecasted compliance dates, which factor in hardware and software upgrades, internal testing, and third-party certification. Of our top 25 accounts, 14 are now compliant versus eight a quarter ago, three are partially compliant, and eight are tracking toward their compliance date versus four prior. Since our last call, two moved up their dates and two have moved back their date.

Our updated forecast assumes no further delays from the currently communicated schedules. Based on the information currently being provided by our partners, we are estimating that stores representing a vast majority of open loop gift TDV will become EMV-compliant by the end of September. Some store compliance will fall into October. Importantly, our estimates do allow for a sales ramp period following compliance and we are currently forecasting the full-year 2016 EMV impact will be $47 million on AOR versus $51 million prior, and $40 million on adjusted EBITDA versus $44 million prior.

While EMV-related headwinds are significant, we continue to believe this issue is limited to 2016. Both our internal consumer research and third-party research conducted by the National Retail Federation indicate the popularity of gift cards remains high for retail consumers.

Moving to slide 7. For the balance of the year and moving into 2017, our number one goal in U.S. Retail is to energize the rebound in TDV at our top distribution partners post EMV. We are coordinating merchandising to restore open loop inventory levels to pre-EMV levels. We are working with our partners to implement marketing programs designed to raise consumer awareness and drive sales growth post EMV. In U.S. Retail, we're also rolling out new category cards and Visa 5% cash back products in each of our top 10 distribution partners. Finally, plans for expansion of Cardpool, our card exchange business, have been pushed to the back half of 2016, benefiting 2017."
bodiddely is offline  
Old Oct 1, 2016, 3:01 pm
  #817  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 818
Giant (DC/MD/VA) now accepts CC for GC - a change from their previous cash or debit only policy. I've updated the wiki to reflect. Made my month!! Now time to reallocate some credit limit back to my AmEx BCP lol. And possibly get a PRG...
bodiddely is offline  
Old Oct 1, 2016, 8:59 pm
  #818  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 714
Whole Foods now has stacks of MB variable $500 cards at the registers.Bought a few today.
They also started taking chip cards.
diseased is offline  
Old Oct 2, 2016, 8:24 am
  #819  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,837
Originally Posted by diseased
Whole Foods now has stacks of MB variable $500 cards at the registers.Bought a few today.
They also started taking chip cards.
Mine didnt last long. One location implemented debit/cash only, though I don't think its hard coded in register.

Thr other needed manager approval and wont allow split payments.

Both were comparing DL with CCs.
lumangoy is offline  
Old Oct 4, 2016, 9:37 am
  #820  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 818
Anyone know of any gas station chains that carry $500 VGCs? Looking specifically in DC/MD/VA area, but any intel would be appreciated. Sunoco used to sell OVs but, at least as of a few months ago, were hardcoded against it (maybe that will change if/when they become EMV compliant).
bodiddely is offline  
Old Oct 5, 2016, 7:35 am
  #821  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Central Maryland
Posts: 205
Originally Posted by bodiddely
Anyone know of any gas station chains that carry $500 VGCs? Looking specifically in DC/MD/VA area, but any intel would be appreciated. Sunoco used to sell OVs but, at least as of a few months ago, were hardcoded against it (maybe that will change if/when they become EMV compliant).
I last did the gas station thing in 2015, but in my experience, Exxons in central MD were about 50/50 willing to sell me $500 Vanillas using a CC.
ENOTTY is offline  
Old Oct 5, 2016, 8:48 am
  #822  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: DCA
Posts: 818
Originally Posted by ENOTTY
I last did the gas station thing in 2015, but in my experience, Exxons in central MD were about 50/50 willing to sell me $500 Vanillas using a CC.
Thanks. I'm in NoVA and the few Exxons I've tried don't carry any VGCs but I'll check them out a bit more extensively.
bodiddely is offline  
Old Oct 5, 2016, 9:05 pm
  #823  
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 714
Originally Posted by lumangoy
Mine didnt last long. One location implemented debit/cash only, though I don't think its hard coded in register.

Thr other needed manager approval and wont allow split payments.

Both were comparing DL with CCs.
Well then this ine definitely won't last long. It's the biggest WF in my area. I bought a couple again today and for some reason there was no fee.
diseased is offline  
Old Oct 8, 2016, 5:32 pm
  #824  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Central Maryland
Posts: 205
Originally Posted by bodiddely
Thanks. I'm in NoVA and the few Exxons I've tried don't carry any VGCs but I'll check them out a bit more extensively.
Looking back over my spreadsheet, my data points are from Exxons that have some kind of convenience store attached to it, like a Circle K or a 7-Eleven.

If you find this is still true in 2016 and consistent, I'd love to hear about it.
ENOTTY is offline  
Old Oct 9, 2016, 1:19 pm
  #825  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
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Couldn't find BJs which carries GCs.
Rite Aid did not accept Card for variable ones.
rocky_nnc is offline  

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