M$ speed bumps

[get.randy]

USPS is dead for most people.

 

Where else can you unload Vanillas?

[leedspaddy]

Buying MOs using GCs at USPSs and Walmarts was dead for at least 9 months for me. :-(

Buying MOs at Walmart for now is still going strong for me, so curious why it is dead for you at your local walmarts.

[BMM9803]

I was paid for a focus group with a BOA visa debit card, will I have any issues using it to purchase a MO at Walmart? TiA

[TampaDude]

I have a feeling that it's getting more difficult to do the Visa Gift Card ==> MO ==> Deposit thing, not just because of M$, but also because it's a way to get around the cash advance APR and limits on a CC.

 

Let's say you have a CC with a $10K purchase limit but only a $2K cash advance limit, and the purchase APR is low (0% for 12 months promo or something), and the cash advance APR is 20+%.

 

Let's say you needed $5K in cash. The M$ method (VGC ==> MO ==> Deposit) would allow you to extract $5K in cash from your CC instead of only $2K, and at 0% for 12 months instead of 20+% plus cash advance fees.

 

Thoughts???

[Chris58]

but also because it's a way to get around the cash advance APR and limits on a CC.

 

Let's say you have a CC with a $10K purchase limit but only a $2K cash advance limit, and the purchase APR is low (0% for 12 months promo or something), and the cash advance APR is 20+%.

 

Let's say you needed $5K in cash.

 

Thoughts???

 

I don't think the reduction of liquidation routes for gift cards to M.O.'s has ANYTHING to do with CC issuers, (it's not like any CC issuer could compel M.O. sellers to not accept a form of payment that's not linked in any way to the CC's they issue).

 

If your theory was true, CC issuers could simply pay for level 3 reporting of purchases and treat ALL gift card purchases as cash advances.

 

In addition, CC's offer low rate promotional rates for 2 reasons.

 

1: They want you to incur a balance, and carry that balance long after the promotional period ends.

 

2: Once you incur and carry a balance your interest free grace period ends for all subsequent transactions until the promotional balance is paid off.

 

The proof of this is usually in every set of balance transfer checks received from a CC issuer.

 

You are usually given the opportunity to bypass the cash advance fee/limit and interest rate by simply writing the check to yourself and depositing it in your bank for a nominal up-front fee.

 

For a $5k "Wink & Nod" cash advance, I'd much rather pay 2% and write a check to myself than pay 10 gift card fees + M.O fees + time to save at best .5%.

 

These "balance transfer" checks you can make out to yourself are offered for the same 2 reasons above.

[banditone]

Vanilla Mastercard wouldn’t work at USPS today. Kept coming up as a credit card.

2 weeks ago worked fine so must have reprogrammed terminals.

[mec]

Vanilla Mastercard wouldn’t work at USPS today. Kept coming up as a credit card.

2 weeks ago worked fine so must have reprogrammed terminals.

I guess you missed the 10,000 DPs on the internet (since the morning of Nov 3rd I believe)

 

USPO is dead for Vanilla GC -> MO.

Edited November 8, 2017 by mec

[credit_help]

I tried to purchase $500 non reloadable gift cards yesterday at several department stores. All I could find were $200 gift cards.

Edited November 20, 2017 by credit_help

[get.randy]

I tried to purchase $500 non reloadable gift cards yesterday at several department stores. All I could find were $200 gift cards.

Welcome to my world. They're getting harder and harder to find.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[morpheus0327]

I tested waters in my neighborhood-CVS yesterday. They seem to have received a huge supply of $500's lately.

Just uttered the word 'gift card' and the associate almost got defensive, and muttered "only cash".

[morpheus0327]

Tried the local Winn Dixie today, got one $500 VGC. Perhaps the best day is the first of every month, because the supervisor is very occupied, and doing an override warrants them to leave their preoccupations.

[tweak]

I tried to load a GoBank card at Walmart (Atlanta) today with a $500 US Bank VGC. The VGC was debited, but the transaction to load the GoBank card did not complete. The cashiers at the WM Money Center said that they had been having trouble with reloading prepaid cards recently. The cashier went to get a yellow shirt, and then opened the drawer and gave me $500 cash instead (without me even asking for a resolution). While I was waiting, I called the VGC number and verified that the $500 had indeed been deducted.

 

Has anyone else had this situation?

 

The reason I ask is that I have not being M$ing lately. The last time I did this was six months ago at the same Walmart. They had the same problem. However that time they did not acknowledge the VGC had been charged (and I did not find out until I got home). In that situation, I had to spend several weeks dealing with Walmart corporate to get my money back.

[JeffeVerde]

I don't know if this is new, or just the first time I've run into it. Grabbed two Metabank $20-500 VGC at the grocery store, went to the register, and discovered that one of the cards was actually a $20-200. Identical packaging (this was the pink flowers package), except for the different max value, and they were hanging on the same hang pin on the display rack. I hope this doesn't mean the $20-500's are being replaced.

Edited December 17, 2017 by JeffeVerde

[Occam]

This was announced a couple weeks ago but worth a reminder since time is running out:

 

“We are writing to notify you of a change coming to the American Express Serve® ONE VIP™ Program in 2018. As of January 1, 2018, we will no longer be accepting new ONE VIP Card Prepaid applications, but as a current ONE VIP Cardholder, we want to let you know that there will be no impact to your Serve Account.”

 

Now is the time to stock up if you're still eligible.

[morpheus0327]

Again some success at local Winn-Dixie. Override manager mentioned he has no problems authorizing Visa Gift Card purchases through CC, as long as "You have the CC in possession". As long as you are not buying 10 x $500... and not using say a phone app to pay, Winn-Dixie is fine.

[bigpoppa09]

This was announced a couple weeks ago but worth a reminder since time is running out:

 

“We are writing to notify you of a change coming to the American Express Serve® ONE VIP™ Program in 2018. As of January 1, 2018, we will no longer be accepting new ONE VIP Card Prepaid applications, but as a current ONE VIP Cardholder, we want to let you know that there will be no impact to your Serve Account.”

 

Now is the time to stock up if you're still eligible.

Can u load it with VGCS?

[banditone]

I got banned from Simon after draining 5 k worth of cards. It was a corporate account. I used some normal spending on the cards and spread it out over 5 weeks.

[pwd847]

Wow! I thought Simon knew exactly what we were doing all these years!

[donuteric]

Wow! I thought Simon knew exactly what we were doing all these years!

 

 

I got banned from Simon after draining 5 k worth of cards. It was a corporate account. I used some normal spending on the cards and spread it out over 5 weeks.

[mec]

 

Wow! I thought Simon knew exactly what we were doing all these years!

 

 

I got banned from Simon after draining 5 k worth of cards. It was a corporate account. I used some normal spending on the cards and spread it out over 5 weeks.

 

Hey eric, did you ever get those Aeroplan miles?

[donuteric]

 

 

Wow! I thought Simon knew exactly what we were doing all these years!

 

 

I got banned from Simon after draining 5 k worth of cards. It was a corporate account. I used some normal spending on the cards and spread it out over 5 weeks.

 

Hey eric, did you ever get those Aeroplan miles?

 

 

I've been almost out of MS for a while now, which event did you refer to?

[mec]

 

 

 

Wow! I thought Simon knew exactly what we were doing all these years!

I got banned from Simon after draining 5 k worth of cards. It was a corporate account. I used some normal spending on the cards and spread it out over 5 weeks.

Hey eric, did you ever get those Aeroplan miles?

I've been almost out of MS for a while now, which event did you refer to?

A while back I thought I remembered a plan to use PRG to mass enough for some J seats.

[banditone]

Where are people draining VCG these days? The only ones I see near me are issued by Metabank. Will they work at Walmart?

[mec]

Where are people draining VCG these days? The only ones I see near me are issued by Metabank. Will they work at Walmart?

I don't use WM for MOs but that is the word. Metabank is supposed to work there still.

 

from FT:

 

"Visas issued by MetaBank work great. Pin is last 4 digits

-MC issued by US bank work good, but you need to change payment type to debit before they enter the amount in the register. Swipe and hit "Cancel" or "Change Payment" to select "Debit" on the screen and have them enter amount and then enter the pin. Pin in packaging.

-Any Vanilla product affiliated with InComm or ITC Financial Services will not work for swipes > $49.99."

[mec]

DOSH paid out $5 on a 2,019.76 purchase at Sam's last night.

 

New limit $5 / 24 hours.

 

:-(