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)
Oct 19, 2020, 10:13 am
#1471
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: All of them
Posts: 1,664
I have one card that is just persistent with error. Last week, failed twice (as in, on separate two days and each with multiple swipe). This morning, another error with 4 swipes. Cannot seem to rid of the error. I will try again. If it matters, this one was bought in-office at the Mall. Other cards bought at the same time from the Mall all worked on 1st or 2nd swipe.
Oct 19, 2020, 11:38 am
#1472
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 276
Im still having issues with my cards this morning. Took 2-3 swipes to get it to go thru on 2 cards. It’s happening only at Walmart, but not at my local grocery store.
Oct 19, 2020, 12:01 pm
#1473
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
I have one card that is just persistent with error. Last week, failed twice (as in, on separate two days and each with multiple swipe). This morning, another error with 4 swipes. Cannot seem to rid of the error. I will try again. If it matters, this one was bought in-office at the Mall. Other cards bought at the same time from the Mall all worked on 1st or 2nd swipe.
You may want to find a different retailer, too (like a grocery store). It's a bit more expensive, but better than holding onto it.
Oct 19, 2020, 12:24 pm
#1474
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 317
This is how bad reasoning gets spread. The card doesn't work. You change the PIN. You try again, hours/days later. The card works. You assume changing the PIN "fixed" the problem. But it's just random. Sometimes the card works; sometimes it doesn't. The problem is on the other end--the processing end--and not with the card.
Oct 19, 2020, 2:23 pm
#1476
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
No, it's not a problem with the PIN and changing the PIN does nothing. If it were a PIN problem, it would persist with repeated swipes. But it doesn't.
This is how bad reasoning gets spread. The card doesn't work. You change the PIN. You try again, hours/days later. The card works. You assume changing the PIN "fixed" the problem. But it's just random. Sometimes the card works; sometimes it doesn't. The problem is on the other end--the processing end--and not with the card.
This is how bad reasoning gets spread. The card doesn't work. You change the PIN. You try again, hours/days later. The card works. You assume changing the PIN "fixed" the problem. But it's just random. Sometimes the card works; sometimes it doesn't. The problem is on the other end--the processing end--and not with the card.
Oct 19, 2020, 5:39 pm
#1477
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: AAdvantage Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 132
Swipe 1: Previously "bad/having issues" card. Declined. Bought a small frozen entree in regular checkout. worked fine.
Swipe 2: Previously Unused card. Declined
Swipe 3: Previously Unused card. Success.
This is getting very annoying. Now I have 3 SMGC cards (bought at a regular Simon Mall in Socal) that have failed once or multiple times.
Its not feasible to keep going to different walmart and try 3 swipes. This is going to get the cashier's attention and not everyone is as cool as some of them.
Oct 20, 2020, 2:35 pm
#1478
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 317
I could be wrong, but I think this is a random problem and has nothing t do with the specific Simon cards used. The same sort of thing would happen years ago as Wal-Mart was changed over to a new policy of declining Vanilla brand cards from Incomm. Sometimes a card would get approved, sometimes a card would fail. With repeated swipes, it would eventually get approved. I thought then that in processing the declined cards reached some server that was having a problem and declined all Vanilla cards, while on a subsequent swipe it reached a server with no such response. I suspect the same thing is happening with the Simon cards now.
So if your card doesn't work on first swipe, try it again. Sooner or later, it will work. (Assuming the overall authorization network isn't down for the bin number on the card.)
So if your card doesn't work on first swipe, try it again. Sooner or later, it will work. (Assuming the overall authorization network isn't down for the bin number on the card.)
Oct 20, 2020, 7:40 pm
#1479
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 111
Still no comment from Simon corporate regarding the Walmart errors.
I had more errors at Walmart today so, in frustration, I went to Publix.
To my shock, two Publix refused to run a card without a chip.
They've been checking the name on the card against ID but this time they said no chip --> no money order.
I thought the first instance was a rogue employee but another friendlier location stated the same: no chip, no money order.
I had more errors at Walmart today so, in frustration, I went to Publix.
To my shock, two Publix refused to run a card without a chip.
They've been checking the name on the card against ID but this time they said no chip --> no money order.
I thought the first instance was a rogue employee but another friendlier location stated the same: no chip, no money order.
Oct 20, 2020, 7:47 pm
#1480
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
Tried 3 Simon VGCs today at WM, one swipe each. The first two declined, the third worked. The ones that didn't go through are listed as "payment declined - reason 05" on the MO receipt.
Oct 21, 2020, 12:45 am
#1481
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: AAdvantage Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 132
Point is, if multiple people escalate it to corporate, some action will be taken. I have come to believe that SM actually is very responsive to customer issues and actually care about MSers experience.
Oct 21, 2020, 5:44 pm
#1482
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SoCal
Posts: 175
Can I ask which mall you contacted, ketelone? I’m also in SoCal, though not conveniently located near any Simon properties, but I have been to Del Amo, Camarillo and Desert Hills in the past. Del Amo is the easiest for me to reach, but the reps I’ve dealt with have never seemed particularly knowledgeable about the cards or MS’ing while two of the Camarillo folks I once dealt with were very friendly and self-designated “gamers” themselves, so I had been planning to go trek back there before this issue popped up.
Oct 21, 2020, 8:47 pm
#1483
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: BOS
Posts: 550
I'm curious, has anyone tried to buy something besides MO at WM with Simon VGC and seen this issue?
Oct 21, 2020, 11:04 pm
#1484
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
I wait a few seconds longer than usual to swipe, 3-5 seconds to tap "no" to cashback (always thought that was weird since you can't get CB), and at least 10 seconds for the PIN. Success rate is about 75%. I have no cards that haven't eventually worked. It's annoying but not fatal.
Oct 21, 2020, 11:42 pm
#1485
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 235
I could be wrong, but I think this is a random problem and has nothing t do with the specific Simon cards used. The same sort of thing would happen years ago as Wal-Mart was changed over to a new policy of declining Vanilla brand cards from Incomm. Sometimes a card would get approved, sometimes a card would fail. With repeated swipes, it would eventually get approved. I thought then that in processing the declined cards reached some server that was having a problem and declined all Vanilla cards, while on a subsequent swipe it reached a server with no such response. I suspect the same thing is happening with the Simon cards now.
So if your card doesn't work on first swipe, try it again. Sooner or later, it will work. (Assuming the overall authorization network isn't down for the bin number on the card.)
So if your card doesn't work on first swipe, try it again. Sooner or later, it will work. (Assuming the overall authorization network isn't down for the bin number on the card.)