Feb 9, 2017, 8:17 pm
Last edit by: lowkeyflyer
This is the master thread for all VGC and MCGC sold at Staples.
The previous discussion can be found here.
The VGCs sold at Staples are issued by Metabank and serviced by Blackhawk Network.
The activation code for online purchase comes with the card. Cards purchased at store are activated at check-out.
To activate cards over the phone (without activation codes), call (877) 426-2551 to talk to a rep.
To activate cards over the web, www.giftcardkey.com.
The default PIN number is the last four digits of the card number but can be changed online.
As of 5/12/2014, all known portals are dead.
Earn 5x points with Chase Ink, or Simply Cash for 5% cash back
Buy Visa gift cards (Metabank) at Staples ($200 for $7.95) or the website ($300 for $8.95).
2k Limit per transaction / 10k per day for online. In-store is usually 2k but YMMV
Often times, there are promotions with no or reduced activation fees
The previous discussion can be found here.
The VGCs sold at Staples are issued by Metabank and serviced by Blackhawk Network.
The activation code for online purchase comes with the card. Cards purchased at store are activated at check-out.
To activate cards over the phone (without activation codes), call (877) 426-2551 to talk to a rep.
To activate cards over the web, www.giftcardkey.com.
The default PIN number is the last four digits of the card number but can be changed online.
As of 5/12/2014, all known portals are dead.
Earn 5x points with Chase Ink, or Simply Cash for 5% cash back
Buy Visa gift cards (Metabank) at Staples ($200 for $7.95) or the website ($300 for $8.95).
2k Limit per transaction / 10k per day for online. In-store is usually 2k but YMMV
Often times, there are promotions with no or reduced activation fees
Visa/MasterCard Gift Cards at Staples(2017 onwards)
May 8, 2019, 1:43 pm
#1081
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 106
Obviously they don't mind selling 2k of gift cards rest of the year. This is about managers enforcing the 1 GC/person limit during the promotion weeks and cashiers not wanting to break the store policy.
May 8, 2019, 5:22 pm
#1082
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,408
I have a choice of 4 different stores. Three of them don't enforce the rule (at least at the time I went and the cashier I dealt with.)
The fourth store has been consistent in it's enforcement of the rule, no matter what cashier or when the purchase is made. It is obvious that they all have been educated on the rules of the promotion.
So I wonder how this will work out. There are going to stores and managers of the same who sell a ton of these cards and others who will sell only a small percentage of the top sellers. Will senior management punish the former and laud the latter, or come down on the laggard stores for not selling enough cards :
May 9, 2019, 7:26 am
#1083
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Stores that enforce the limit and those that do not will likely sell the same general number of cards during promo week, so corporate would probably not be aware UNLESS a customer who runs into OOS situation at policy-disregarding store COMPLAINS to corporate. That will likely correct the situation ...
May 9, 2019, 8:49 am
#1084
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Stores that enforce the limit and those that do not will likely sell the same general number of cards during promo week, so corporate would probably not be aware UNLESS a customer who runs into OOS situation at policy-disregarding store COMPLAINS to corporate. That will likely correct the situation ...
May 9, 2019, 10:18 am
#1085
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 463
I think he means just the opposite. The stores that let people buy 10 at a time per transaction are the ones that will run OOS.
May 9, 2019, 10:48 am
#1087
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Its like calling and complaining that that they used to sell a ream of paper for $.01 or at times $1, now youre lucky if its under $6
May 9, 2019, 12:50 pm
#1088
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,827
May 9, 2019, 1:04 pm
#1089
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 89
How are you guys liquidating so many $200 cards? I've been visiting two staples, one allows 1k of GCS, the other allows 2k. I've been liquidating 2k at my local fred meyer (owned by kroger) (auto-drain, up to 2k without manager override), and the other 1k via bb and serve at WM. However, my local fred meyer just dried up. Cashiers noticed I've been doing 2k a day with $200 on each card, so today I got told that the manager no longer allows that. I even called to talk with the manager, and he said it's just not best practices for the store to do this.
My local WMMC cashiers say they are no longer allowed to do split payments for BB and serve load or money orders because they noticed me doing it too much.
How exactly do you do volume without having all these locations dry up? Heck, I've visited other fred meyers (kroger) that are a bit further away, and one of them noticed right away that I was using a GC and said not allowed, and the other one I was able to do it a couple times, and then the cashier said they are no longer allowed to use VGCS. And, I don't ever even tell them that I use VGCs, I just say they're debit cards, but the cashiers catch on, I think, because of all the $200 swipes.
Any tips on how to do this volume? I tried vising other stores in the area but they all say cash for MOs.
My local WMMC cashiers say they are no longer allowed to do split payments for BB and serve load or money orders because they noticed me doing it too much.
How exactly do you do volume without having all these locations dry up? Heck, I've visited other fred meyers (kroger) that are a bit further away, and one of them noticed right away that I was using a GC and said not allowed, and the other one I was able to do it a couple times, and then the cashier said they are no longer allowed to use VGCS. And, I don't ever even tell them that I use VGCs, I just say they're debit cards, but the cashiers catch on, I think, because of all the $200 swipes.
Any tips on how to do this volume? I tried vising other stores in the area but they all say cash for MOs.
May 9, 2019, 1:49 pm
#1090
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,303
How are you guys liquidating so many $200 cards? I've been visiting two staples, one allows 1k of GCS, the other allows 2k. I've been liquidating 2k at my local fred meyer (owned by kroger) (auto-drain, up to 2k without manager override), and the other 1k via bb and serve at WM. However, my local fred meyer just dried up. Cashiers noticed I've been doing 2k a day with $200 on each card, so today I got told that the manager no longer allows that. I even called to talk with the manager, and he said it's just not best practices for the store to do this.
My local WMMC cashiers say they are no longer allowed to do split payments for BB and serve load or money orders because they noticed me doing it too much.
How exactly do you do volume without having all these locations dry up? Heck, I've visited other fred meyers (kroger) that are a bit further away, and one of them noticed right away that I was using a GC and said not allowed, and the other one I was able to do it a couple times, and then the cashier said they are no longer allowed to use VGCS. And, I don't ever even tell them that I use VGCs, I just say they're debit cards, but the cashiers catch on, I think, because of all the $200 swipes.
Any tips on how to do this volume? I tried vising other stores in the area but they all say cash for MOs.
My local WMMC cashiers say they are no longer allowed to do split payments for BB and serve load or money orders because they noticed me doing it too much.
How exactly do you do volume without having all these locations dry up? Heck, I've visited other fred meyers (kroger) that are a bit further away, and one of them noticed right away that I was using a GC and said not allowed, and the other one I was able to do it a couple times, and then the cashier said they are no longer allowed to use VGCS. And, I don't ever even tell them that I use VGCs, I just say they're debit cards, but the cashiers catch on, I think, because of all the $200 swipes.
Any tips on how to do this volume? I tried vising other stores in the area but they all say cash for MOs.
May 9, 2019, 1:55 pm
#1092
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 89
You are probably in a semi metropolitan area. Doing $2k with $200 gift cards with one CSR is asking for trouble unless you've vetted it and know them personally. Quite honestly, what did you think was going to happen? The fact that you were able to liquidate $2k multiple times is nice but not if you burn the location. $400 works nicely as it blends in much better because plenty of people have to "split payment." Wearing work clothes and not looking like a Game of Thrones Extra also helps IMO. You also need to be comfortable with floating instead of neurotically wanting to liquidate within 7 minutes of Staples purchase to spread out your liquidation locations over several days/weeks since you have hinted that you don't have that many to begin with. You basically shined a spotlight directly on yourself with 10 swipes. Who in the world has ten legit bank owned debit cards.....no one.
Hmm, yeah, I guess I was kind of new at this. I've seen posts of people doing 10k a day MS, so hence I didn't realize I'd have problems with 3k a day.
May 9, 2019, 2:05 pm
#1094
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,303
You've got a lot of reading to do in the MS dedicated thread. You made an enormous leap in assuming that the only method of liquidation to MS was MO.
