Old Feb 3, 2017, 9:45 am
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Last edit by: RedSun
This is the thread for 2017 onward. The previous discussion can be found here.

UPDATED Oct-2018: A lot of CVS store take CCs for GC purchases. Some stores check CCs and scan driver's license (with hand scanner). The best GCs are OVVGC and VVGC. The only differences are card designs. The current fee is $5.95 for $25 - $500 variable loading. If prompted for PIN, enter the last 4 digits.

Look for mobile shipping portal with CVS bonus. Certain CCs have category bonus.

CVS is cash only for all Incomm-related reloads and reloadable cards, including Vanilla Reloads and Serve swipe reloads.
See memo to stores for complete list. Other cards at CVS can still be bought using credit, but YMMV depending on location, Manager, etc.

Transaction limits since October 20, 2014:
Transactions with $300 or more of card face value require ID.
Limit $ 2000 of card face value per 24 hour rolling period. (Some are reporting limit of $1000 per 24 hrs as of 2/2018)?
Limit of 10 cards per 24 hours.

Cash Register Freezing
Multiple reports that the CVS cash register will freeze and lock after scanning the ID when purchasing multiple prepaid cards. Then the register's computer needs to be restarted. Some report that "swiping" the ID instead of "scanning" will avoid the issue.

Limit of 7 tenders (swipes) per transaction. This is most commonly run into when using low-value AGCs. After seven, the transaction must be complete, no cash (or any other payment method) will be accepted to pay the balance.

System error after giving them license If you keep getting this error, there could be a problem with the magnetic strip on your license. Have them use the wand to scan it instead.
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CVS Master Thread(2017 onwards)

Old Oct 3, 2017, 9:29 am
  #301  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
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Originally Posted by littlewinglet
How is CVS losing money from fraud? They swipe ID and use PIN transactions. Any fraud would not be their responsibility and would be written off by the CC.

It's the people who pay with cash ,or stolen debit card who would in fact be more of a liability. Debit cards give almost zero protection to the owner, and who the heck carries around $2k in cash for GC purchases?

End result is CVS stores with such policy have shelves brimming with cards and almost zero sales. I confirmed as much by talking to cashiers. Since the GC merchant pays to rent rack space, I'm not sure they'd love this arrangement.
pin transactions? most use credit cards.

I'm not familiar with credit card fraud... who pays... but doesn't the store pay it and that's why some are NOT allowing CCs?
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 11:05 am
  #302  
 
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Sorry I meant CHIP transactions....not pin. And no, if the store follows CC protocol and uses CHIP cards and checks ID, they're not responsible, that was the whole point of switching to chip cards and why stores that were late to that game temporarily stopped selling gift cards
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 11:46 am
  #303  
 
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I spoke to one manager (not CVS) when they put up signs that ALL GCs were cash only to ask what made him come up with such policy and he said they were hit with a lot of chargebacks from stolen CCs. This was the time CHIP cards were just getting sent out. Whether it's true or not, IDK; after several months when they upgraded their registers for CHIP, the signs were removed.

DSs in my area accept CCs for GCs although I buy my GCs there only for the 5% RD and if they remove/replace all the variables with 4.95 fees and sell only those with 5.95 fees, I may just buy there for MSR purposes. Just in time when rats caused havoc, a fragile sock drawered CC came to the rescue and more than made up for the blue(s).

ETA: in relation to safety of CHIP cards, our Freedom cards have been sock drawered for a while until this Q4 offer. I completed the $1.5K spend on Sunday and now that I remember, signature screen didn't come up unlike using Disc and Citi for similar high amounts. Therefore, if these cards are stolen, thieves can go on a shopping spree with ease, they don't have to sign for top dollar transactions UNLESS the owner finds out and reports immediately to CC. Will test other chipped Freedom if it's the same thing.

Last edited by Mamibear; Oct 3, 2017 at 12:24 pm Reason: added vital info
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Old Oct 3, 2017, 7:58 pm
  #304  
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Originally Posted by littlewinglet
How is CVS losing money from fraud? They swipe ID and use PIN transactions. Any fraud would not be their responsibility and would be written off by the CC.

It's the people who pay with cash ,or stolen debit card who would in fact be more of a liability. Debit cards give almost zero protection to the owner, and who the heck carries around $2k in cash for GC purchases?

End result is CVS stores with such policy have shelves brimming with cards and almost zero sales. I confirmed as much by talking to cashiers. Since the GC merchant pays to rent rack space, I'm not sure they'd love this arrangement.
Originally Posted by lumangoy
pin transactions? most use credit cards.

I'm not familiar with credit card fraud... who pays... but doesn't the store pay it and that's why some are NOT allowing CCs?
Originally Posted by littlewinglet
Sorry I meant CHIP transactions....not pin. And no, if the store follows CC protocol and uses CHIP cards and checks ID, they're not responsible, that was the whole point of switching to chip cards and why stores that were late to that game temporarily stopped selling gift cards
The store loses money UNTIL the Fraud has been verified, which can take weeks,
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Old Oct 12, 2017, 3:27 pm
  #305  
 
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Data point: I just came into my shift at CVS as RPh and saw 2 ladies coming to take away all of the OneVanilla cards with the $4.95. I asked them why they were doing so and they said these were the old ones and the $5.95 were replacing them. Looks like some stores are either taking all of the 4.95 fee cards off the rack or slowly phasing them out.
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Old Oct 12, 2017, 6:56 pm
  #306  
 
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Originally Posted by Americanoo
Data point: I just came into my shift at CVS as RPh and saw 2 ladies coming to take away all of the OneVanilla cards with the $4.95. I asked them why they were doing so and they said these were the old ones and the $5.95 were replacing them. Looks like some stores are either taking all of the 4.95 fee cards off the rack or slowly phasing them out.
None are available in my area for 4.95 and I tried 6 CVS locations. Haven't been in two weeks, at least.
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Old Oct 13, 2017, 5:20 am
  #307  
 
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WGs yesterday had 4.95s not ring. Rejected by register as "unsellable"

The 5.95s rang fine.
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Old Oct 13, 2017, 11:50 am
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Citi card not working at CVS

Citi card not working at CVS

My local CVS has plenty of the OV VGCs for $4.95, but for some reason Citi doesn't want to let large transactions go through at CVS. I got a transaction denied and had to call to lift the block and Citi said GCs aren't allowable purchases. Anyone else having this issue? This was the first purchase on a new citi card.
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Old Oct 13, 2017, 12:01 pm
  #309  
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Originally Posted by zgringo14
Citi card not working at CVS

My local CVS has plenty of the OV VGCs for $4.95, but for some reason Citi doesn't want to let large transactions go through at CVS. I got a transaction denied and had to call to lift the block and Citi said GCs aren't allowable purchases. Anyone else having this issue? This was the first purchase on a new citi card.

1. How much were you trying to buy?
2. How do they know you were buying GC's?
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Old Oct 13, 2017, 12:42 pm
  #310  
 
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Originally Posted by zgringo14
Citi card not working at CVS

My local CVS has plenty of the OV VGCs for $4.95, but for some reason Citi doesn't want to let large transactions go through at CVS. I got a transaction denied and had to call to lift the block and Citi said GCs aren't allowable purchases. Anyone else having this issue? This was the first purchase on a new citi card.
Not sure how much you were buying. But any amount over $500 as first transaction on a new card (even for an existing Citi customer) has a high(er) likelihood of tripping Citi's Fraud system.

And once that happened, it's a tough ride in the immediate weeks cos your card is made even more susceptible to any "high" transactions - including charges over $100 or $200

Just take it slow and lay low for a while is what I would suggest.
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Old Oct 13, 2017, 2:07 pm
  #311  
 
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Originally Posted by gnomey
Not sure how much you were buying.
It was just one card on a first purchase.

When I called in, they asked me if it was a gift card, so I guess they didn't know, but they said gift cards aren't allowed.

I'll go with plan B for this card.
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Old Oct 13, 2017, 2:15 pm
  #312  
 
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Originally Posted by zgringo14
It was just one card on a first purchase.

When I called in, they asked me if it was a gift card, so I guess they didn't know, but they said gift cards aren't allowed.

I'll go with plan B for this card.
I had something similar happen on a new AA card in August. Refused to accept the transaction after 30min and repeated calling fraud department. Finally gave up and paid my income taxes to meet minimum spend. I can tell you that my Doublecash has no problems at the Simon Mall, so maybe it's selective blocking.
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Old Oct 14, 2017, 11:43 am
  #313  
 
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Non CVS DP :/

Originally Posted by an mec
WGs yesterday had 4.95s not ring. Rejected by register as "unsellable"

The 5.95s rang fine.
Different WG today. Didn't have 5.95s in stock, only the 4.95s. 4.95s getting decertified must be store by store at WG.

Sorry to much up this thread with non CVS DPs.
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Old Oct 15, 2017, 11:42 am
  #314  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
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Originally Posted by zgringo14
Citi card not working at CVS

My local CVS has plenty of the OV VGCs for $4.95, but for some reason Citi doesn't want to let large transactions go through at CVS. I got a transaction denied and had to call to lift the block and Citi said GCs aren't allowable purchases. Anyone else having this issue? This was the first purchase on a new citi card.
Like others said Citi is known to prevent big purchases over $500 on new accounts from going through. I had to call multiple times when I got my Citi TY Premier card while trying to get the minimum spend for the bonus. As long as you call and verify a few times it should go through afterwards without a hitch. I called about 5-6 times trying to buy 1k of Simon VGC. You could also call ahead of time to let them know about a large purchase at that store BUT DO NOT tell them it is gift cards as they will make up some lame excuse that it codes as something weird which prevents the transaction from going through.
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Old Oct 17, 2017, 3:32 pm
  #315  
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
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Originally Posted by an mec
WGs yesterday had 4.95s not ring. Rejected by register as "unsellable"

The 5.95s rang fine.
I was in the same boat, and was just talking about it over on /r/churning. I tried to get a OneVanilla ($4.95 fee) and the card wouldn't ring up. Cashier actually went and removed all OneVanilla's while I was watching. Went back the next week and bought a basic Vanilla ($5.95 fee) with no issues. Went back today to buy more, and now those wouldn't ring up either. Cashier this time said they had been having problems with those cards, and the manager came and told her to remove all of them. This CVS had a whole rack dedicated only to VGCs, and it's now empty.

Anyone know what's going on?
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