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)
#1036
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#1037
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#1038
formerly willbbiddy
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 208
I went to my local Kroger today and was told that ALL (this has to be wrong) VGC purchases are cash only, no cc, no debit. I'm almost certain that store style cards arent cash only, and the fixed value ones probably aren't either (but I'm not paying >1%) activation fees. This would appear to be a store specific policy right?
Also my WM only carries GDVGC's that say recipient on the front and have the WM (small) logo and "a gift for you" on the top. Will these run at Kroger for a MO, what about WM?
Also my WM only carries GDVGC's that say recipient on the front and have the WM (small) logo and "a gift for you" on the top. Will these run at Kroger for a MO, what about WM?
#1039
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 463
I went to my local Kroger today and was told that ALL (this has to be wrong) VGC purchases are cash only, no cc, no debit. I'm almost certain that store style cards arent cash only, and the fixed value ones probably aren't either (but I'm not paying >1%) activation fees. This would appear to be a store specific policy right?
#1041
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If you are looking for places that bank BOTS are not looking for... this could, maybe, be a safe place to MS. The point of thread are locations to buy VDGCs. This is one of them - seasonally.
Last edited by Renes Points; Jul 2, 2018 at 5:34 am Reason: (I can't spell)!
#1042
Join Date: Sep 2015
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Posts: 186
And if you can scale at 2.625% or 2.5% with some of the fixed-return cashback CCs, quite profitable. Spending $500 (or more) repeatedly at an auto-parts store isn't unreasonable. Too bad they stock Vanillas and not Metas though.
#1043
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 92
Some cc's affiliated with car companies say they give extra points when used at their dealers for service or parts. In reality they may go by merchant category code, in which case AZ triggered the bonus. I'm not aware of any other current automotive sources of vgc's, but there is always hope. One problem I ran into is that niche cc's may have real people monitoring accounts. They had no problem invoking the "we can do anything we want" clause of their T&C's, even if it contradicts their advertised offerings.
#1044
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 350
Some cc's affiliated with car companies say they give extra points when used at their dealers for service or parts. In reality they may go by merchant category code, in which case AZ triggered the bonus. I'm not aware of any other current automotive sources of vgc's, but there is always hope. One problem I ran into is that niche cc's may have real people monitoring accounts. They had no problem invoking the "we can do anything we want" clause of their T&C's, even if it contradicts their advertised offerings.
#1047
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#1048
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Also seeing Western Union MO machines "Out of Order" in several stores. In at least one, when the machine was back in order the MO price had doubled. Look for black rice on the floor of W-D and holes in their cheese as W-D looks like they have some kind of regional or localized rat activity going on.
#1049
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 245
A Winn Dixie in S. Florida was BAU for me today. Bought one to test and then 4 more. WMNM is a $1 cheaper so I usually buy those but lately they aren't always activated and ready to drain immediately so nice to have Winn Dixie still available.
A publix did have a money order machine down, but probably store specific. I'll try some different Publix's later.
A publix did have a money order machine down, but probably store specific. I'll try some different Publix's later.
#1050
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 559
Is 7-11 still vgc for credit cards or is it hard coded for only cash/debit ?
I havent tried it in a very long time , since most cashiers wont even allow it.
I have circle k , cumberland farms ,marathon, mobil nearby . Any experience on these stores ?
I havent tried it in a very long time , since most cashiers wont even allow it.
I have circle k , cumberland farms ,marathon, mobil nearby . Any experience on these stores ?