Why not $480?

When these cards were hamstrung, $475 was the first level I had success with. Just never tried ratcheting up to $480.

Andyandy

My Staples is now selling $500 VGCs with a $5.95 fee. This is somewhat attractive to me compared to waiting for the Staples $200s to go on sale, since I would like to simply unload the $500 is one swipe. But since it's a BHN card, would a $499 swipe go through for a MO at supermarkets that otherwise "work" for BHN cards? Has anyone been successful with a full $500 BHN card ? If I have to limit that transaction to something like $479, buying the $500s is obviously a less attractive option.

BHN Staples have either the 479 or the 99 limit depending where you shop
Pretty marginal difference between loading 479 v 500. Even at 5x its like 100pts

Good point. Since those Staples cards are variable, it would be great to know your store's velocity limit and load exactly that amount (plus the MO fee). But I guess there's no way to know that without trial and error, which you don't really want to do (nobody wants to look shady buying money orders). I guess I'll try the full $500 and see if it works, and then go down to someting like $479 if it doesn't.

Don’t even bother with 500, it’s either 479 or 99

jusr curious of why is attractive at $5.95 fee? you try to hit the max 5x pts for the ink cards?

I'd guess it's the lowest fee for $500 that yields 5X w/o caps.

Thanks. I followed your suggestion and bought a MO with that Staples $500 VGC for $479.99 (including MO fee) at the supermarket. No problem. If I want to do this again, I suppose I can buy that variable card for $479.99 and not have to deal with the extra 20 bucks.

If anyone is successful unloading one of these cards at a supermarket for more than $480, please let us know.

Because the $200s are more difficult to do. You either have to run multiple cards for the same MO purchase, or make 2 purchases. Both options are sometimes met with "skepticism" by the clerk, who are sometimes instructed not to allow MOs to be purchased with gift cards (for fraud prevention or other reasons).

A few DP's for the $200 Staples MC.

1. At WM CS, only the first $99 worked. All the following $99 failed. Yes, I did the magic change payment.
2. Full amount did not work at the regular register. Tried twice. About half year ago, I was able to load $480 off a $500 BHN MC card.
3. SCO partial payment of $200 failed. Auto drain obviously failed. Both did not give a chance to change payment or ask for a PIN. So it was running as credit.
4. At Safeway chain, a $399 MO failed at the first swipe. So it was either not working or no auto drain.
5. At another grocery chain, only first swipe of $200 was successful.

mastercards are the worst. here's another DP: failed at a gas station trying to buy gas

You cannot use multiple BHN cards any more unless they are everywhere cards.

What chain pray tell 🙏?