Jan 5, 2018, 12:28 pm
Last edit by: Klemhuzzah
This is the thread for 2018.
The previous discussion from 2016 on this topic can be found here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...thread-77.html
The thread for 2017 is here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1825524-giftcardmall-master-thread-2017-a-97.html
Giftcardmall (and giftcards.com) now limit Visa loads to $250. No more $500 cards, Change happened sometime in 2020.
What portal is currently offering the highest payout for GCM?
Check cashbackmonitor and cashbackholic for current payouts. Be sure to review the T&C for GCM at each portal as some offer lower payouts for Visa GCs.
Amex gift cards cannot be used to buy Visa gift cards
VGC issued by metabank. Cards come activated.
-------------------------
Monthly Limit is 30K per GCM account for a revolving 30 days. Once you hit 15K, GCM will display a message on the screen letting you know you hit the limit.
Start out slow 1k and then another 1k - they will call to verify the card, and shipping address. Next order they will not call. Orders under 2k have free shipping.
If you get this error:
This transaction was not completed. The transaction was not submitted correctly, or has been declined by your card issuer. You can try again with a different card or review your payment information for any necessary corrections.
- A Few people report it is blocked for the day, try again the next day. MOST ppl report being permanently blocked. Or you entered a wrong 3-digit security number.
GCM recommends using the Chrome or Firefox browsers. Be sure you are not using an ad blocker and not disabling any cookie settings (3rd party, tracking, etc.) from the default or you may get this error.
Direct support Numbers is 877.426.2551
Warning: Orders can be lost or stolen. Call to have the cards reissued or canceled. Orders usually arrive in 5-10 days.
Check your cc for pending or posted payments and call about your order if you are concerned it is taking a long time for delivery. Sometimes GCM was taking up to 2 weeks for delivery.
The previous discussion from 2016 on this topic can be found here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...thread-77.html
The thread for 2017 is here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1825524-giftcardmall-master-thread-2017-a-97.html
Giftcardmall (and giftcards.com) now limit Visa loads to $250. No more $500 cards, Change happened sometime in 2020.
What portal is currently offering the highest payout for GCM?
Check cashbackmonitor and cashbackholic for current payouts. Be sure to review the T&C for GCM at each portal as some offer lower payouts for Visa GCs.
Amex gift cards cannot be used to buy Visa gift cards
VGC issued by metabank. Cards come activated.
-------------------------
Monthly Limit is 30K per GCM account for a revolving 30 days. Once you hit 15K, GCM will display a message on the screen letting you know you hit the limit.
Start out slow 1k and then another 1k - they will call to verify the card, and shipping address. Next order they will not call. Orders under 2k have free shipping.
If you get this error:
This transaction was not completed. The transaction was not submitted correctly, or has been declined by your card issuer. You can try again with a different card or review your payment information for any necessary corrections.
- A Few people report it is blocked for the day, try again the next day. MOST ppl report being permanently blocked. Or you entered a wrong 3-digit security number.
GCM recommends using the Chrome or Firefox browsers. Be sure you are not using an ad blocker and not disabling any cookie settings (3rd party, tracking, etc.) from the default or you may get this error.
Direct support Numbers is 877.426.2551
Warning: Orders can be lost or stolen. Call to have the cards reissued or canceled. Orders usually arrive in 5-10 days.
Check your cc for pending or posted payments and call about your order if you are concerned it is taking a long time for delivery. Sometimes GCM was taking up to 2 weeks for delivery.
GiftCardMall Master Thread (2018 onwards)
Feb 27, 2020, 9:32 am
#1397
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 106
Now, have to go back to multiple orders per day to get free shipping...
Feb 27, 2020, 10:39 am
#1398
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 14
this website is trash. every time I go to login it loads 100 login prompts on chrome, firefox, and safari and freezes up. When I proceed to checkout with one $500 gift card it magically adds another one and won't let me have just one even though it says quantity 1. Then, if I try and continue to checkout with the "two" gift cards, it just stays on the same page
Mar 4, 2020, 10:16 am
#1399
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: at 35,000 feet
Programs: WN A-List; Hyatt Glob: CC/HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 1,473
Mar 4, 2020, 11:02 am
#1400
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: none
Posts: 106
Mar 7, 2020, 6:18 pm
#1401
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 71
Mar 7, 2020, 7:53 pm
#1403
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
After 2 BAU orders (one week turnaround), an order placed on Mar 1st last Sunday again seems to be stuck in no man's land between approval (on day of placing order) and fulfillment (does not even get to fulfillment on this go round). The rep opened a case on Friday Mar 6th. If by Monday afternoon there still nothing happens, I would request to refund the order. Much easier to get it resolved quickly then let it be in limbo and eventually still being refunded..
Mar 9, 2020, 7:03 am
#1404
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 354
Just got an error message immediately after click the Complete purchase button - in the sense - We are sorry. We are unable to process the order. Either try again later or use another payment card.
Card is an AMEX in profile.
No authorization is made.
Seems like either AMEX or GCM system is having issues - more like GCM's issue because just used another AMEX card at grocery shopping / restaurant less than 30 min ago.
Card is an AMEX in profile.
No authorization is made.
Seems like either AMEX or GCM system is having issues - more like GCM's issue because just used another AMEX card at grocery shopping / restaurant less than 30 min ago.
Happened to me once last month for the first time, so i called GCM customer service, and they told me it was some kind of fraud protection response. At this point, i don't believe that anymore. Seeing as how SM is now having supply problems with their $1k VGCs, my theory is GCM is having similar issues, and is instituting velocity limiting measures disguised as these "refunded" messages.
Mar 9, 2020, 10:08 am
#1405
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
The last few days I've had 3 of my orders "refunded/unable to process", all with different payment cards. Needless to say, none of the payment cards have any issues.
Happened to me once last month for the first time, so i called GCM customer service, and they told me it was some kind of fraud protection response. At this point, i don't believe that anymore. Seeing as how SM is now having supply problems with their $1k VGCs, my theory is GCM is having similar issues, and is instituting velocity limiting measures disguised as these "refunded" messages.
Happened to me once last month for the first time, so i called GCM customer service, and they told me it was some kind of fraud protection response. At this point, i don't believe that anymore. Seeing as how SM is now having supply problems with their $1k VGCs, my theory is GCM is having similar issues, and is instituting velocity limiting measures disguised as these "refunded" messages.
My gut feeling is, the "escalation" is completely a waste of time - it may eventually get shipped, but as a poster said, eventually it was 36 days from order to shipment, with numerous follow ups in between.
When an order does not receive a shipment email after 72 hours, the chance of it never get shipped is almost certain. Instead of keep waiting / following up, the best approach, at least to me, is to simply refund the order.
It also seems now while the front line reps still claim about the 48 to 72 hours for the "escalation team" to response, they can quickly process a refund should you request - because they know all these "escalations" do not get any "resolution" other than adding to both sides frustrations.
This time the front line rep did not need to send me to a supervisor, said he could request the cancellation of the order, as well as to send a cancellation request email which would come within 4 hours. It actually came within 10 minutes, with the rep's name and last initial at the bottom, under the same "escalation" case number.
UPDATE -
ONE Refund notification of 1/2 of the order. (there are 2x 2 cards of 2 different amounts, 2 cards each amount.)
UPDATE 2 -
2nd Refund notification of the other 1/2 of the order came, 15 minutes later.
Hope the above info would help others who may get caught in the current "glitches" which seems there are some breakdown in the system between order approval and order fulfillment. It is very random without discernible pattern, i.e. order amount, day of the week to place an order, card design.... nothing seems matter.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 9, 2020 at 4:48 pm Reason: added information
Mar 10, 2020, 8:20 am
#1406
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 377
GCM's order fulfillment has become unreliable enough that, unless it improves, I may only order from GC.com instead. I'd be sacrificing volume and an extra day in the CC purchasing cycle (GC.com purchases seem to post in three business days instead of GCM's two), but I'd be gaining consistency and reducing headaches and risk; multiple large refunds from GCM could draw unwanted eyes on a CC account.
Last edited by I can see for miles; Mar 10, 2020 at 8:32 am
Mar 10, 2020, 12:23 pm
#1407
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 354
Or the order is processed at the time being placed, but then get stuck at the fulfillment stage. This has happened again to me, exactly one month apart.
My gut feeling is, the "escalation" is completely a waste of time - it may eventually get shipped, but as a poster said, eventually it was 36 days from order to shipment, with numerous follow ups in between.
When an order does not receive a shipment email after 72 hours, the chance of it never get shipped is almost certain. Instead of keep waiting / following up, the best approach, at least to me, is to simply refund the order.
It also seems now while the front line reps still claim about the 48 to 72 hours for the "escalation team" to response, they can quickly process a refund should you request - because they know all these "escalations" do not get any "resolution" other than adding to both sides frustrations.
This time the front line rep did not need to send me to a supervisor, said he could request the cancellation of the order, as well as to send a cancellation request email which would come within 4 hours. It actually came within 10 minutes, with the rep's name and last initial at the bottom, under the same "escalation" case number.
UPDATE -
ONE Refund notification of 1/2 of the order. (there are 2x 2 cards of 2 different amounts, 2 cards each amount.)
UPDATE 2 -
2nd Refund notification of the other 1/2 of the order came, 15 minutes later.
Hope the above info would help others who may get caught in the current "glitches" which seems there are some breakdown in the system between order approval and order fulfillment. It is very random without discernible pattern, i.e. order amount, day of the week to place an order, card design.... nothing seems matter.
My gut feeling is, the "escalation" is completely a waste of time - it may eventually get shipped, but as a poster said, eventually it was 36 days from order to shipment, with numerous follow ups in between.
When an order does not receive a shipment email after 72 hours, the chance of it never get shipped is almost certain. Instead of keep waiting / following up, the best approach, at least to me, is to simply refund the order.
It also seems now while the front line reps still claim about the 48 to 72 hours for the "escalation team" to response, they can quickly process a refund should you request - because they know all these "escalations" do not get any "resolution" other than adding to both sides frustrations.
This time the front line rep did not need to send me to a supervisor, said he could request the cancellation of the order, as well as to send a cancellation request email which would come within 4 hours. It actually came within 10 minutes, with the rep's name and last initial at the bottom, under the same "escalation" case number.
UPDATE -
ONE Refund notification of 1/2 of the order. (there are 2x 2 cards of 2 different amounts, 2 cards each amount.)
UPDATE 2 -
2nd Refund notification of the other 1/2 of the order came, 15 minutes later.
Hope the above info would help others who may get caught in the current "glitches" which seems there are some breakdown in the system between order approval and order fulfillment. It is very random without discernible pattern, i.e. order amount, day of the week to place an order, card design.... nothing seems matter.
GCM's order fulfillment has become unreliable enough that, unless it improves, I may only order from GC.com instead. I'd be sacrificing volume and an extra day in the CC purchasing cycle (GC.com purchases seem to post in three business days instead of GCM's two), but I'd be gaining consistency and reducing headaches and risk; multiple large refunds from GCM could draw unwanted eyes on a CC account.
Mar 10, 2020, 4:21 pm
#1408
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
GCM's order fulfillment has become unreliable enough that, unless it improves, I may only order from GC.com instead. I'd be sacrificing volume and an extra day in the CC purchasing cycle (GC.com purchases seem to post in three business days instead of GCM's two), but I'd be gaining consistency and reducing headaches and risk; multiple large refunds from GCM could draw unwanted eyes on a CC account.
When the transactions are of smaller amount in general and suddenly there is a large refund coming in, that would be problematic - case in point is when people in the past pay in advance their utilities and then requested a refund when the overage reached a large sum - the refund coming back did not have any similar amount transactions to compare - that is when it might trip wire.
Besides, GCM charges full order amount in a lump sum even though there are 2 line items, i.e. 2 cards each for 2 different amounts. On refund, the credits come in as 2 line items, which then is roughly 1/2 of the original purchase.
Essentially the transactions put on the account are always twice as the refund items. That probably would not trigger anything.
Or simply take a break from this. We are at a very slow pace anyway, like one order of 4 cards 7 to 10 days depending on the arrival of shipment. It is primarily to replace what we used up. For now just not doing anything is perfectly fine for us, especially what we used up would now be redeposited since we will cancel some awards as trips are falling apart in current situation.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 10, 2020 at 4:33 pm
Mar 11, 2020, 4:56 am
#1409
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 377
Just when I was questioning the wisdom of continuing to use GCM, my March 5 order, which I was about to cancel, shipped yesterday (March 10). The order glitched when it had been placed and didn't track with Rakuten. But that's a relatively easy fix.