Experience with Gift of College 2018- onwards
Feb 11, 2018, 5:24 pm
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Experience with Gift of College 2018- onwards
It is college time. From reading, Gift of College is live and kicking. I just to like to hear some recent experience with buying the GoC card at Toy R Us. Do not want to run into any trouble and get accounts gutted.
Or is it safer not to mess with the bonus points? This is AmEx, Chase and Citi.
Or is it safer not to mess with the bonus points? This is AmEx, Chase and Citi.
Feb 11, 2018, 9:26 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 92
First find a store that isn't being shut down, then find the GoC cards hidden somewhere on the racks, then find a cashier that doesn't go nuts over how much you are spending. I finally found an AM whose understood the deal and said one doctor comes in to pay off his loans $10k at a pop. It takes 2-3 weeks for the money to get credited to my 529 account. By the way, there is a marvelous card that gives 3X at TRU if you are in sync with them.
Feb 12, 2018, 9:08 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,322
Last year, I bought one card as an experiment. It took an unacceptably long time for the money to be sent to my 529 plan (I got the MS points fine). Given mediocre experience, lackluster return and also fact that TOYS has filed for BK, I am not a repeat customer.
Feb 13, 2018, 7:14 pm
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Yes, there are several Toy/Baby R Us stores around here. It does take about 2 weeks to post. To me, it is safer than the Visa Gift Card. The support from GoC has been really good. Never any problem. It is just a quick tool to meet the bonus spending.
Feb 13, 2018, 8:20 pm
#6
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
It's always safer not to mess with the points, but where's the fun in that? So far, Chase hasn't complained to me about maxing out three freedoms there via AP, but who knows how long it might take them to act?
First find a store that isn't being shut down, then find the GoC cards hidden somewhere on the racks, then find a cashier that doesn't go nuts over how much you are spending. I finally found an AM whose understood the deal and said one doctor comes in to pay off his loans $10k at a pop. It takes 2-3 weeks for the money to get credited to my 529 account. By the way, there is a marvelous card that gives 3X at TRU if you are in sync with them.
First find a store that isn't being shut down, then find the GoC cards hidden somewhere on the racks, then find a cashier that doesn't go nuts over how much you are spending. I finally found an AM whose understood the deal and said one doctor comes in to pay off his loans $10k at a pop. It takes 2-3 weeks for the money to get credited to my 529 account. By the way, there is a marvelous card that gives 3X at TRU if you are in sync with them.
Feb 16, 2018, 7:31 am
#10
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
If I get the Toy R Us credit card, will I run into trouble if I charge like $4,000 on GofC card each month? The earning rate is very good, more than enough to cover the 1% fee on the GofC cards.
Feb 19, 2018, 1:29 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 17
I am very interested in further exploring GoC. I have paid over 30K in Student Loans w/ CC thus far and have another 18K to go. It has been a strange ride.
I started w/ GoC (spent about 7K) and then switched to depositing MOs in my Bank and then paying Student w/ those.
I found the MO route to be the quickest method w/ the biggest returns. However, right now MOs at WM are getting a little more annoying than I am comfortable with, and I am looking to get back into GoC.
I have the below DPs to share:
1. GoC operates on Mountain Standard Time. As per GoC Customer service, "Gifts received by 6pm (MST) Monday-Friday will be considered the same business day. Payments are processed in MST zone as well."
2. GoC will typically send your student loan provider a "CHECK" for your payment. They do not send ACH payment.
3. GoC gift cards can be purchased in $500 intervals. However, if you purchase multiple cards, and redeem all of the cards on the same day, GoC sends (1) lump sum check to your student loan provider. They will not send multiple $500 checks.
I have been paying "FED LOAN." For what its worth, below are my experiences (pros and cons) in no particular order. I would like to learn more, if someone could direct me towards a more lucrative CC to use, I am sure i am missing something that could improve returns.
1. CON: Takes approx 14 business days for payment to post. This is a long waiting period and may feel a little sketchy if you have thousands of dollars pending for 2-3 weeks.
2. PRO: Good Customer service, if you email GoC at: <[email protected]> they are pretty responsive and will get back to you if you have any questions
3. CON: You cannot submit targeted payments. If you are like me, and have a student loan account composed of multiple loans, GoC does not allow you apply targeted payments. GoC dumps the money as a lump sum into your account. Once the money enters your Student Loan account, you can call FED LOAN and have them adjust and allocate the money properly. However, this adds another couple of days to the process.
4. CON: If you go after work, shopping at Toys R Us is an absolute horror. Crying kids, hyped kids, screaming kids and sick kids. The checkout lines are often slow moving.
5. PRO: Can do high volume. If you are going to do high volume payments, GoC has no problem with it. I know i may have broken a cardinal rule, but I emailed customer service and asked if large lump sums were OKAY, and they said "surely" w/ a smile.
6. CON ?: Not as lucrative as other methods. Depending on what card you have, I believe Grocery Stores often have some of the best category rewards. I have not found anything as glamorous for toys R Us. Perhaps i am wrong ? Please advise. I have been using Discover "IT" card, earning 2% as this is my first year with the card.
I started w/ GoC (spent about 7K) and then switched to depositing MOs in my Bank and then paying Student w/ those.
I found the MO route to be the quickest method w/ the biggest returns. However, right now MOs at WM are getting a little more annoying than I am comfortable with, and I am looking to get back into GoC.
I have the below DPs to share:
1. GoC operates on Mountain Standard Time. As per GoC Customer service, "Gifts received by 6pm (MST) Monday-Friday will be considered the same business day. Payments are processed in MST zone as well."
2. GoC will typically send your student loan provider a "CHECK" for your payment. They do not send ACH payment.
3. GoC gift cards can be purchased in $500 intervals. However, if you purchase multiple cards, and redeem all of the cards on the same day, GoC sends (1) lump sum check to your student loan provider. They will not send multiple $500 checks.
I have been paying "FED LOAN." For what its worth, below are my experiences (pros and cons) in no particular order. I would like to learn more, if someone could direct me towards a more lucrative CC to use, I am sure i am missing something that could improve returns.
1. CON: Takes approx 14 business days for payment to post. This is a long waiting period and may feel a little sketchy if you have thousands of dollars pending for 2-3 weeks.
2. PRO: Good Customer service, if you email GoC at: <[email protected]> they are pretty responsive and will get back to you if you have any questions
3. CON: You cannot submit targeted payments. If you are like me, and have a student loan account composed of multiple loans, GoC does not allow you apply targeted payments. GoC dumps the money as a lump sum into your account. Once the money enters your Student Loan account, you can call FED LOAN and have them adjust and allocate the money properly. However, this adds another couple of days to the process.
4. CON: If you go after work, shopping at Toys R Us is an absolute horror. Crying kids, hyped kids, screaming kids and sick kids. The checkout lines are often slow moving.
5. PRO: Can do high volume. If you are going to do high volume payments, GoC has no problem with it. I know i may have broken a cardinal rule, but I emailed customer service and asked if large lump sums were OKAY, and they said "surely" w/ a smile.
6. CON ?: Not as lucrative as other methods. Depending on what card you have, I believe Grocery Stores often have some of the best category rewards. I have not found anything as glamorous for toys R Us. Perhaps i am wrong ? Please advise. I have been using Discover "IT" card, earning 2% as this is my first year with the card.
Last edited by kickmee6; Feb 19, 2018 at 2:20 pm
Apr 1, 2018, 10:06 am
#13
Join Date: May 2015
Location: LAX, BUR
Programs: AS,AA,JB, HH Gold, Starriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Explorist, Global Entry
Posts: 1,929
Apr 1, 2018, 10:12 am
#14
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Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
Posts: 4,412
Toy R Us and Baby R Us are the same company. They are gone!
Not sure what to happen to GofC. It takes some time for them to find a new partner. I guess GofC is still a small operation and it moves very slowly.
Not sure what to happen to GofC. It takes some time for them to find a new partner. I guess GofC is still a small operation and it moves very slowly.
Jun 3, 2018, 6:13 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 1
GoC @ HEB
So most of my family lives in Texas and I had read online that HEB carries the GoC gift cards. On a recent trip to Houston, I went over to HEB and sure enough, they had a ton of these cards. Now that Toys R Us/Babies R Us are out of business, this is the only place to purchase these cards, as far as I know.
Long story short, I grabbed a number of cards and went to purchase them. The cashier however said I could only buy $2,000 maximum, and I was required to use my debit card. I ended up talking with the store manager and I got the same spiel. Talked with him at length and he said no and wouldn't budge.
Just wondering if anyone else has tried buying these at HEB? Is that actually a store policy, or did I just get a bad location?
Long story short, I grabbed a number of cards and went to purchase them. The cashier however said I could only buy $2,000 maximum, and I was required to use my debit card. I ended up talking with the store manager and I got the same spiel. Talked with him at length and he said no and wouldn't budge.
Just wondering if anyone else has tried buying these at HEB? Is that actually a store policy, or did I just get a bad location?
