Question by coffeedrinker0146: Anyone else have trouble redeeming visa or american express gift cards?
For the past two years I have been unemployed and before that I was working a low paying minimum wage job.
To help me out my mother gets me Visa gift cards,American Express gift cards, gas station gift cards and sometimes starbucks or restaurant gift cards.
She has been getting me these gift cards since 2006.
These types of gift cards can be purchased at major drug and grocery stores such as Kroger, Safeway, Vons, Ralphs, CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid.
For years I have never had a problem using a Visa gift card or American Express gift card anywhere.
I have used them at several websites, restuarants and fast food places.
Over the past year I have still never had a problem.
But unfortunatley over the past year there have been some rare instances where independant non-chain restuarants and fast food places will refuse to accept a visa gift card or american express card for payment.
This really upsets me! These Visa and American Express gift cards are like cash and should be accepted at any brick and morter establishment that accepts Visa and American Express. While 90-95% of the non-chain fast food and restaurants are willing to accpet these gift cards there are a few places that stubbornly will not accept these gift cards. I don’t understand why?
Back in May 2008 I went to a small italian cafe for dinner. When the check came I put an American Express gift card on the tray with the bill. When the waiter walked over and picked up the tray he said we don’t accept American Express gift cards. I asked to speek to the manager. The manager lied to me and said that if they try to swipe the American Express gift card in their credit card terminal that I won’t work. I told them to try it out. They swiped my American Express gift card and were unhappy about it. The manager told me that kids are making phoney Visa and American Express gift cards that get authoirized in their credit card machine and the restuarant doesn’t get paid.
I knew this was some sort of lie.
In July 2009 I went into a small take out style pizza shop that was independantly owned. I ordered two slices and pizza, small salad and a soda. The owner mans the front cash register. I hand a Visa gift card to the owner to pay for my lunch. The owner says to me I don’t think this Visa gift card works here. He asked me if it was a real Visa card or not. I told him to swipe the Visa gift card and it worked. He said he is worried that he won’t get paid by the credit card company.
A year later which happened to be tonight Wednessday July 7th,2010 I went to an independant non-chain restuarant which was a coffee shop type restuarant( like a Cocos, Freindlys, Dennys) type place. When the bill came and I put a Visa gift card that my mom just gave me last week on the tray the waitress said sorry we don’t accept Visa gift cards or American Express gift cards.
I asked to speak to the manager. He was very rude and told me that his restuarant has had problems with Visa gift cards and American Express gift cards in the past. He siad that is our policy sur! I explained to him that a Visa or American Express gift card is like cash and will work in the restuarants credit card terminal. He refused to listen to me and I was unable to get any further. I argued and told the manager that I have no cash or other credit/debit cards in my wallet. He said he will call the police on me even though I had a Visa Gift card with cash loaded on it.
Why is this happening with family owned merchants? A few family and independant merchants refuse Visa Gift cards as well as American Express gift cards. Will this trent grow? Is there anything we as the consumer can do to protect ourselves? How is refusing a Visa Gift Card or American Express gift card different than saying no Bank of America or Chase Visa cards accepted?
Best answer:
Answer by Y!A GLITCH
Anyone else have trouble redeeming visa or american express gift cards?
Not I..
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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