Gift Cards at Supermarkets

[asterix]

If I buy the egift cards in smaller (but multiple) amounts from the entertainment book, will that speed up processing? More likely to make them think that I was up to something dodgy?

When I'm buying Flight Centre gift cards I buy $500 WISH egift cards, less fuss putting in the card numbers.

 

[RAM]

So, is using the egift cards (from entertainment book) a dodgy thing to do (that is, I should you be extremely discrete) or can you confidently do this transaction at a checkout?

Not dodgy at all. Wow and other issuers get the money instantly and most people do not use them for extended periods. A significant proportion forget, lose or let apathy get involved - and never redeem them.

The issuer is guaranteed to either get free money or sales (not 100% profit margin vs free money).

That is why they are happy to sell them at more than 5% discount. The difference is what the online platforms etc make their money from and you get the 5%.

Numerous store managers now know me and wave me through. Real hassle sometimes educating a new manager but after 5-10 minutes education (quoting T&Cs) there's no problem.

The latest FC adventure (ongoing) required 2 new mgr education sessions.

Take or print off the page (4 from back of current WoW catalogue) which clearly states "Max of 10 cards per TRANSACTION" - not per customer or per day.

Have fun saving.

Remember this is where it gets confusing.

TC cards have a 5% surcharge on the face value. So WoW offering 10% off lowers TOTAL cost from $150 + 5% surcharge to $141.75.

Using 5% off purchased WoW gcs gets you down to a total discount of 10.225% off the $150 (see my post a page or two back with the maths shown).

 

[burmans]

So, is using the egift cards (from entertainment book) a dodgy thing to do (that is, I should you be extremely discrete) or can you confidently do this transaction at a checkout?

Not sure why you would think this is dodgy. If Woolworths make the egift card available via Entertainment Book or otherwise, why would they be surprised if people firstly buy then use them?

 

[kcoulson]

Using a giftcard to buy a giftcard.....

 

[andye]

I think the using giftcards to buy giftcards, is officially against T&Cs as it is a way of extending validity (expiry being built into the business model) and consolidation (lost cards being another).
However buying a different gift card isnt against the spirit of this.
Incidentally WISH and CG&M can in practice be used to extend/consolidate

 

[RAM]

Using a giftcard to buy a giftcard.....

A bit like using a credit card earning points etc to buy a gift card at 10% off (WoW FC offer) to buy flights from a local travel agent.

Instead you are just adding an additional purchase in the string - NOT against T&Cs - I rang WoW head office before i purchased >$10k worth. Dealt with by 'trade' side of WoW gc issuance - gave me an idea for in future...

 

[RAM]

STOP PRESS


​

Due to popularity of offer (and discussing it with local store managers) new supplies of $150 FC gcs have arrived at 2 of my local WoWs.

I realised that the October Hawaii trip may be more costly than hoped and went out to get some more this morning.

Mentally ready for having to use $75 TC gcs was pleasantly surprised to find 50+ $150 gcs (only needed 20). Saw manager and he asked me if I had helped his weekly sales some more (as I had suggested to him in getting more cards in).

Let him know that his turnover should be up a per cent or two.

Later was passing a 2nd Wow and stopped just to see - and sure enough they had a wad of $150s in.

May be worth checking if your store was out earlier.

TODAY is the LAST DAY.
​

 

[asterix]

Same at Macquarie Centre, plenty of $75 and $150 cards on the shelves today.

 

[rainbowgirl]

There has been discussion here about whether you can convert a Big W egiftcard into a plastic WISH card at a Big W store.

The short answer is that the system will allow it.

The long answer starts with your results may differ depending on which staff member you get.

I was able to convert a $100 Big W egiftcard today into a plastic $100 Wish card. I'm not sure whether I'd be able to do it on other occasions.

If you attempt this, wait until the last possible moment to tell the checkout operator you are paying with a Big W egiftcard.

 

[Mr_Orange]

There has been discussion here about whether you can convert a Big W egiftcard into a plastic WISH card at a Big W store.

The short answer is that the system will allow it.

The long answer starts with your results may differ depending on which staff member you get.

I was able to convert a $100 Big W egiftcard today into a plastic $100 Wish card. I'm not sure whether I'd be able to do it on other occasions.

If you attempt this, wait until the last possible moment to tell the checkout operator you are paying with a Big W egiftcard.

I assume this was your "dry run".... Are you buying more e-Gift cards from Ent Book to convert to WISH?

 

[rainbowgirl]

I assume this was your "dry run".... Are you buying more e-Gift cards from Ent Book to convert to WISH?

This was my dry run. I am still contemplating whether to go ahead and order more of the cards via the Entertainment Book link.

I do shop at Big W, but only a few times a year and only when I have some sort of coupon or am planning to take up some sort of major promotion.

 

[magnacartic]

How many FC gift cards can you use in one transaction? I had to make a few transactions for my Ticketmaster purchases; they only allow 5 gift cards in a single purchase and the maximum TM gift card value is $50. Almost messed up my seats.

 

[RAM]

How many FC gift cards can you use in one transaction? I had to make a few transactions for my Ticketmaster purchases; they only allow 5 gift cards in a single purchase and the maximum TM gift card value is $50. Almost messed up my seats.

Posted long details above but gist is:

TC agent will unashamedly redeem as many as you wish to give them as THEY MAKE MONEY from selling you flights/accom etc.

Checked with FC TA I have used 2x this year (price beat what I arranged) and her comment, "Just don't come in an hour before closing."

Much better when you could get $500 FC gcs, much much better.

 

[RAM]

Remember not to rely on CC travel insurance when doing this

Now that you mention it.

Being the dots and crosses type - the first time I did this I rang the card issuer and asked the exact question.

"Will we be covered by travel insurance if I purchase WoW gift cards using Visa card. I then use those WoW SOLELY to purchase FC gcs to pay for flights."

Took several calls (back to travel insurers to check something Visa issuer said) before I got 100% OK. i requested it be sent out in writing by mail (& email if they wished) for me to file away so I would never need to claim.

Got it 3 days later.

What I explained I intended to do was to file away the email tax invoice showing the WoW Egift card purchase using Visa, file away the docket from WoW showing each redemption of egift card together with the individual activation dockets per TC gc.

Sounds a lot but reality - plastic envelope a few mm thick.

Worth spending the time once to get written confirmation of it being OK IMHO if you want to get the free travel insurance.

Which of course you do!

One small complication:The card holder must be travelling with any others to be covered. So in one case this year we quickly got another sub account set-up so eldest could travel alone and be covered.

The things we do to arbitrage the system....


So for completeness I suppose I should do this for AMEX now. I cannot see them saying no given what they've got in the last few days from me.

 

[RAM]

Final buying session about to commence for Travel Centre Gift Cards at 10% off.

Placed last minute CashRewards orders (under $1,000 each in total for Wow cards) around 2pm this afternoon and got the emailed egift card details (all you need to take along is the 10 digit number and 4 digit pin - not 2 or 4 or 17 printed out egift cards) a few minutes back.

On the road again...

So if there is a long hold up in front of you at Wow in Sydney around 5pm - it wasn't me!

 

[Reggie78]

So I have not seen anything about giftcards.com.au being a Coles website, and therefore online purchases earning 3pt/$ on the Plat Edge card.

Can anyone with experience in this please respond as to whether this site qualifies?

Thanks in advance.

Reg.

 

[andye]

So I have not seen anything about giftcards.com.au being a Coles website, and therefore online purchases earning 3pt/$ on the Plat Edge card.

Can anyone with experience in this please respond as to whether this site qualifies?

Thanks in advance.

Reg.

When I did a dummy run a few weeks ago ago, they would only take Visa/MC

 

[Reggie78]

And I should have checked that before I posted... no wonder I can't find anything....

Another eason Coles doesn't get my $$$

 

[quokka77]

Bought 3 flight centre cards in the recent offer. When I went to redeem them at the local FC the travel agent told me a customer had put a $20000 family holiday through them the previous week (>200 cards, mix of 150 and 75 denominations). She said it took her 6 hours to redeem and invoice them (!).

 

[RAM]

Bought 3 flight centre cards in the recent offer. When I went to redeem them at the local FC the travel agent told me a customer had put a $20000 family holiday through them the previous week (>200 cards, mix of 150 and 75 denominations). She said it took her 6 hours to redeem and invoice them (!).

Wasn't me!

I think your TA has a slight exaggeration issue.

If all $75 cards then $20,000 = 266 cards = worse case

If all $150 then 134 cards.

So if mix of both then above 200 cards is possible but sounds unlikely.

Perhaps the TA is not used to entering them?

When entering the WoW egiftcard details to purchase the FC gcs - it took about 15 seconds a card to enter (including pin). What took the time was the individual scanning of the FC gcs to activate as they have multiple bar codes on them. I sped up the process 3-4 fold by holding the gcs with thumb over redundant bar codes.

FWIW - my FC TA estimated 60-90 minutes to process similar value ticketing using all $150 cards.