Since our favorite drug store has gone cash only for Vanilla Reloads, and now only allows purchase of Visa Debit gift cards (VDGCs) with credit cards our quest to find spots that do take credit cards is on full press. To me this has not been a major issue as the VDGCs only cost $1 more each and I have a Walmart near home where I can transfer them to my BlueBird.
Now it would be much simpler to just buy the Vanilla Reloads and be able to skip that step plus save $1.00 per $500 card. Well if you check out my fellow blogger PM&Ms post you will see there are some stores all over the south that take credit cards. Not so great for us up north. But, we have another option (click to see a HINT).
I will be a little bit cryptic as if you are in the market for these you should be able to discern the name by clicking on the photo linked and comparing it to the list of sites that does sell Vanilla Reloads!
I have not yet tested with AMEX gift cards but don’t expect any issues and will be testing that next as well as just how many I can buy per visit. Either way, with work and sharing with each other I think we can find nationwide enough stores to find some way for you to meet your spend you need!- René
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Great, so if you live in Indiana, Illinois or Michigan this might be useful for you. Everybody else can go back to what they were doing.
@Glenn – I disagree. The more spots we can find and share the better for all across the USA. Sounds like more on the way from PM&M tomorrow as well!
@Chris – No idea old policy. Called and clerk said CC was fine and worked fine in store as well.
@Charles – It may be up to each store but you can ask them to try please?
Rene, Did this store change their policy? I had tried last summer when I saw they had VR cards and they said cash only. I tried a number of branches in the Indianapolis area and got the same response.
It’s good to know that their registers aren’t locked to cash only, but I have had zero luck at that store when I’ve tried to purchase VRs. Every single cashier insists “cash only” and won’t even try to ring it up. Their manager must have really drilled it into them.
This chain isn’t in the Midwest.
@JC – uh, yes it is, I live in the Midwest 🙂 unless South Bend has moved from the Midwest!
What is the chain?
@Dennis – there are enough hints in the post. click on stuff and you will see. not saying the name!
Jeez, all the stores are in the Midwest. This isn’t in da South at all!!
@George – see PM&M post for stores in the South! 🙂
The store is not in Illinois
I tried this last month and it seemed to work with my credit card. Upon getting home the 2 VRs were deactivated. After calling VR, and that one location it is there policy to only accept cash. The cashier should not have allowed my credit card. Now waiting for disputes to settle.
I am in Indy if that matters.
@Delta Points: How is this three? I must be missing one, 1. this one 2. PM&M’s 3.???
@Devon – see the comments in PM&Ms post.
This one and PM&M’s post from yesterday and today. I get it now. Which it appears that today’s is now posted in the comments there. 🙂 But now PM&M’s post says 4 and counting haha…so we’re all missing one now?
Hopefully I will be able to meet the minimum spend on 4 more cards before this is killed. How long before that blogger mms does the video at each store mentioned?
@PF – sharing is caring but some discretion is good I agree. when one deal dies we find the next and so on and so on.
Hi. Maybe I missed this but are you using VISA/MC for these VR purchases or is AmEx an option?? Thanks.
@Diane – in the past I always used my AMEX Gift cards (custom with my name) to buy VRs. This test was just a Visa credit card that I needed to meet some spend on yes.
@Delta Points – I’m not referring to the store whose logo you posted and people report varying success. You didn’t exactly encrypt your local source very well. I was stating that the store from the PM&M post is not in the Midwest. I don’t MS myself but can respect the wisdom of making people figure it out for themselves.
Unfortunately, my mortgage company only allows a draft from checking account to pay my mortgage. That’ll teach me to get my mortgage from the bank I do my checking.
Rene, you are saying CVS will allow use of Delta Reserve card to buy Visa debit cards….which can then be loaded to Bluebird?
I am looking for a better way to get spend on my #2 Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card to get the full 60M points available….
@Ed – yep! even better, and test 1st, buy AMEX gift cards with your name, use those at CVS to buy VDGCs to load to BB at WM. That way you make 2-4% cash or points plus DL spend too!
Glad to hear your CVS accepts Amx gift cards. In my neck of the woods, Atlanta suburbs, I was told they didn’t take them. I probably should try again at a different CVS as policys and interpretation are very subjective.
Thanks for the post.
I’m 0/4 at Indianapolis locations. All of them have said are you paying cash before they even scan them. I’ve said I’ve been able to previously and at other locations, but no dice. They said it was corporate policy due to fraud.
In all of these locations I’ve visited, there is now a sign on the rack saying “as of June 16, all cards on this rack purchased with a credit card are limited to a max of $100”. This makes sense to the store, since at that level they still make a little profit from the $3.95 card fee vs. the CC processing costs.