Aug 21, 2019, 12:38 pm
Last edit by: Klemhuzzah
Signing up to buy $1000 visa/mc gift cards
You can buy the $1000 cards on Simon's volume site. Their regular site only sells $500 cards.
If you're new, or haven't bought anything in a year, you need to register at https://www.simon.com/volume/register-consumer
As part of the registration process, you will have to go to a brick and mortar mall and buy at least $3000 in cards in person, as well as filling out some paperwork while there. After that, you can do everything online.
As of Nov 2020, Simon Mall Gift cards will only work for $99/swipe for money services at Walmart and many grocery chains.
$1000 gift cards are available indefinitely.
2020 Promotions
Ongoing: FREEGROUND - Free Ground Shipping on any order size. Limited to 5 orders per customer. Expires December 31, 2020 (subject to change).
5/15-6/17: MDHOL20 - 20% off Visa Giftcard Purchase Fees + Free Ground Shipping on orders of 9 more cards
5/15/5/31: MAYGROUND - Free UPS Ground shipping on orders of 7 or more cards
5/15-6/31: MAY20VG10 - 10% off purchase fees on Visa Giftcards
6/29-7/20: JUL4HOL20 - 20% off Visa Giftcard Purchase Fees + Free Ground Shipping on orders of 5 or more cards. If you select a shipping other than Ground - the code will still take 20% off the purchase fees. Limited to 10 orders per customer.
8/11-8/31: AUG20PR - 15% off ALL fees (excl. shipping fees) on orders of 5 or more cards. Limited to 10 orders per customer (Originally expired on 8/23; on 8/24 promo was extended through 8/31)
10/12-10/14: FSOCT20 - 30% off all purchase fees on Visas and Mastercards.
10/26-10/31 - FS20SCARY - 35% off all purchase fees
11/1-11/30 - HOL20MC25 - 25% off all purchase fees on MasterCard / HOL20VG25 - 25% off all purchase fees on Visa / HOL20AG50 50% off all purchase fees on American Express
11/6-11/8 - FS20THANKS - 35% off all purchase fees
11/16-11/18 - FS20SAVINGS - 35% off all purchase fees
You can buy the $1000 cards on Simon's volume site. Their regular site only sells $500 cards.
If you're new, or haven't bought anything in a year, you need to register at https://www.simon.com/volume/register-consumer
As part of the registration process, you will have to go to a brick and mortar mall and buy at least $3000 in cards in person, as well as filling out some paperwork while there. After that, you can do everything online.
As of Nov 2020, Simon Mall Gift cards will only work for $99/swipe for money services at Walmart and many grocery chains.
$1000 gift cards are available indefinitely.
2020 Promotions
Ongoing: FREEGROUND - Free Ground Shipping on any order size. Limited to 5 orders per customer. Expires December 31, 2020 (subject to change).
5/15-6/17: MDHOL20 - 20% off Visa Giftcard Purchase Fees + Free Ground Shipping on orders of 9 more cards
5/15/5/31: MAYGROUND - Free UPS Ground shipping on orders of 7 or more cards
5/15-6/31: MAY20VG10 - 10% off purchase fees on Visa Giftcards
6/29-7/20: JUL4HOL20 - 20% off Visa Giftcard Purchase Fees + Free Ground Shipping on orders of 5 or more cards. If you select a shipping other than Ground - the code will still take 20% off the purchase fees. Limited to 10 orders per customer.
8/11-8/31: AUG20PR - 15% off ALL fees (excl. shipping fees) on orders of 5 or more cards. Limited to 10 orders per customer (Originally expired on 8/23; on 8/24 promo was extended through 8/31)
10/12-10/14: FSOCT20 - 30% off all purchase fees on Visas and Mastercards.
10/26-10/31 - FS20SCARY - 35% off all purchase fees
11/1-11/30 - HOL20MC25 - 25% off all purchase fees on MasterCard / HOL20VG25 - 25% off all purchase fees on Visa / HOL20AG50 50% off all purchase fees on American Express
11/6-11/8 - FS20THANKS - 35% off all purchase fees
11/16-11/18 - FS20SAVINGS - 35% off all purchase fees
Simon Mall Gift Cards (2019-2023)
Jan 2, 2020, 5:30 am
#736
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,433
Here's the relevant text:
Use of general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards grew by more than 50 percent between 2012 and 2014, with some 23 million adults regularly using them.84 Many of these cards effectively serve as a replacement for a checking account, but without checks. When prepaid users need to make a paper-based payment, many turn to money orders. The Postal Service could negotiate discount agreements on money orders with prepaid card companies that encourage their customers to use postal money orders — similar to the postage discounts regularly negotiated with high-volume shippers.85 These agreements may require approval by the Postal Service Board of Governors and the Postal Regulatory Commission. The prepaid provider would benefit by being able to offer their customers a new service and by ensuring that their customers use their prepaid card to purchase money orders; prepaid users would benefit by paying less for their money orders; and the Postal Service would benefit by becoming the paper-based payment provider of choice for many users of prepaid cards.
What a game changer that would be if they followed through with that.....
Use of general-purpose reloadable prepaid cards grew by more than 50 percent between 2012 and 2014, with some 23 million adults regularly using them.84 Many of these cards effectively serve as a replacement for a checking account, but without checks. When prepaid users need to make a paper-based payment, many turn to money orders. The Postal Service could negotiate discount agreements on money orders with prepaid card companies that encourage their customers to use postal money orders — similar to the postage discounts regularly negotiated with high-volume shippers.85 These agreements may require approval by the Postal Service Board of Governors and the Postal Regulatory Commission. The prepaid provider would benefit by being able to offer their customers a new service and by ensuring that their customers use their prepaid card to purchase money orders; prepaid users would benefit by paying less for their money orders; and the Postal Service would benefit by becoming the paper-based payment provider of choice for many users of prepaid cards.
What a game changer that would be if they followed through with that.....
So there must have been something else that dissuaded them from implementing the above approach.
Jan 2, 2020, 7:44 am
#737
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,689
I have never had any problems using any of my Citi MC's at Simon. Just got the DC, so plan on trying that in the near future also
Other posters have mentioned fraud alert issues with citi cards at Simon, but that must be account specific as it has never happened to me.
Other posters have mentioned fraud alert issues with citi cards at Simon, but that must be account specific as it has never happened to me.
Jan 2, 2020, 9:59 am
#738
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors
Posts: 255
Yeah, I'm not sure what could have prevented them from moving forward - perhaps the federal gov't didn't approve it due to potential for fraud? Either way, if money orders are so profitable for them and they are currently operating at a huge loss annually, approaching prepaid debit card vendors and negotiating a deal would have greatly helped their bottom line.
Jan 2, 2020, 11:41 am
#739
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
I never used USPS, but there is a difference between the reloadable debit cards and the non-reloadable ones (VGCs). Do we know for a fact that the reloadable ones (GoBank, Serve, NetSpend, etc) are actually banned @ USPS?
Jan 2, 2020, 12:08 pm
#740
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 239
This was going to be my question. Load a few Simon Mall gift cards to GoBank or Bluebird, then go get a MO from USPS.
Jan 2, 2020, 12:25 pm
#741
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 198
why would you travel to the PO to spend $1.70 for a MO, then go to your bank to deposit it instead of just withdrawing directly to your checking account? Are you in to self torture? Just like to make things difficult for no reason?
Jan 2, 2020, 12:37 pm
#742
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 239
To help avoid the chances of a Bluebird shutdown. We don't know exactly what triggers the BB/Serve shutdowns, but if all you're doing is loading to the card and then withdrawing to a bank once a month, that to me seems like a reason for a possible shutdown. Especially considering one of the reasons for BB/Serve existence is for those who don't want/can't have a bank account.
Jan 2, 2020, 1:19 pm
#743
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
To help avoid the chances of a Bluebird shutdown. We don't know exactly what triggers the BB/Serve shutdowns, but if all you're doing is loading to the card and then withdrawing to a bank once a month, that to me seems like a reason for a possible shutdown. Especially considering one of the reasons for BB/Serve existence is for those who don't want/can't have a bank account.
Jan 2, 2020, 2:20 pm
#744
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott/SPG Platinum
Posts: 496
I assume they only banned VGC and MGC (MS community), didn't ban reloadable prepaid card with a person's name on it. MS folks with VGC/MGC hold up the line buying MO which interferes with regular USPS business. their 35% MO profit margin should come from folks not depositing MOs. banning VGC/MGC doesn't impact their profit at all, they never made money from MS community.
Jan 2, 2020, 6:45 pm
#746
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: AAdvantage Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 132
Rogue employee
I have a specific employee at Simon mall kiosk that almost never have any 1000 denomination cards but when I have visited at other times when kiosk is manned by another employee they usually do. When I call in before arriving at mall and that employee picks up, will say all out of cards. Doesn't happen with other employees.
Which inference is more likely?
1) small sample size (less than 30), likely random coincidence
2) cards have become hot commodity and too many people chasing not enough cards stocked in kiosk from back office
3) said employee has a side business of buying the cards or giving only to "preferred customers".
Which inference is more likely?
1) small sample size (less than 30), likely random coincidence
2) cards have become hot commodity and too many people chasing not enough cards stocked in kiosk from back office
3) said employee has a side business of buying the cards or giving only to "preferred customers".
Jan 3, 2020, 4:32 am
#748
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 782
5) That employee is LAZY and just doesn't want to do it.
Jan 3, 2020, 6:55 am
#750
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 198
To help avoid the chances of a Bluebird shutdown. We don't know exactly what triggers the BB/Serve shutdowns, but if all you're doing is loading to the card and then withdrawing to a bank once a month, that to me seems like a reason for a possible shutdown. Especially considering one of the reasons for BB/Serve existence is for those who don't want/can't have a bank account.