The Offer
Direct link to offer (ad for week of 4/25-5/1, page 10)
- Staples stores will be selling $200 Mastercard gift cards with the $6.95 activation fee waived from 4/25/21 – 5/1/21.
The Fine Print
- Limit 5 per customer per day; check with your local store to see their rules
- Valid 4/25/21 – 5/1/21
- In-store only
Our Verdict
Nice to see the full fee waived, better than the $5-off deals. Use a card that earns a high rate on office supply store purchases.
Hat tip to kawnipi
Does it mean all metabank vgc also dead on WM loading or MO? last week, I can use grocery everywhere to buy MO at MC of WM.
Two different WM, MCGC won’t work at regular cashier or at the Money center. Tried change payment method, selected debit and entered PIN. Debit not available. Meta Visa $99 also change payment and entered the PIN still don’t work. Only amount left to try is $49.
Here is the latest. Loading Amex BB via MCGC is dead as MCGC runs as credit. Loading Amex BB via VGC is also a no go if you run VGC as credit. However, using VGC as gebit with Pin to load BB still works at cashier/regular terminal (with $99 cap at MC/CS).
What was the advantage of running vgc as credit at MC? Did it allow >$99 loads?
Yes it allowed to bypass $99 limit for MetaBank VGC at the MC.
Thanks
kenpet , appreciate the update (and please post any future ones here)
Posted my own DP here https://www.doctorofcredit.com/safeway-save-up-to-25-on-mastercard-giftcards-vons-randalls-albertsons-tom-thumb-acme-jewel-shaws-5/ confirming the problems at WM w MCGC. Hope it’s not permanent, but not hopeful.
Also got a question for ya: do you know if you can use Vanilla GC’s to buy MO at supermarkets? Or any other way to offload? Normally I would use them to load Serve at FD, but now gotta use my monthly limit there to get rid of my MCGC stack. TIA… 🙂
I have used Vanilla VGC a few times and was able to purchase MO at a supermarket. That was 18 months ago. Not sure if it still works. I usually get MetaBank VGC/MCGC from Staples.
People were running VGC as credit and not using PIN? If they were doing that and it worked, how come it seems like nobody else besides me realized that that meant you could something far, far better…. that it seems like now no longer works 🙁
Chuck/Charles this is big news. You should report it in the main section. Thanks
Folks are now confirming that both MetaBank MCGC and VGC are a no go for loading Amex BB. Tender Not Allowed is the error. Beware before you load up on these.
I tried loading my Amex BB at regular terminal using MCGC and it kept giving Tender Not Allowed error. I used my bank debit card and it worked right away. MCGC worked till Wednesday for loading Amex BB. So it seems MCGC is history for MS. Looking for additional data points. Thx
Loading amount was $199.99
I had the same experience as well. Tried amounts 200 and 99 today. It used to show change payment button for master cards after swiping but now it is not getting to that point.
Was this for BB load or MO purchase at money center? MCGC for BB load is not working now…tender not allowed is the reported error. I reported this info on red dit as well and many other folks have confirmed the same. VGC still seems to work for now for loading Amex BB.
I tried BB load at CS desk. Guess MO will have same issue (or not ?)
Thanks. I have been using MCGC for loading Amex BB and never saw change of payment button. People see that option while purchasing MO at MC/CS desk with MCGC. Glad you confirmed that even $99 is not working for loading Amex BB anymore.
Can we use these cards to buy visa cards at Staples/Walmart ?
Can confirm. Got the same “Tender not allowed”
Will these work for Amazon or Uber reloads?
I can confirm they work for Amazon reloads , but I haven’t tried Uber.
Any changes wrt MCGC working for BB load at a regular cashier terminal from 2-3 weeks ago? Now that stimmy spending is behind us, wally is closing all the regular terminals after 6pm and only self checkout lanes are opened. At least that was the case yesterday. Does MCGC also have a limit of 99 for BB loading at MC? Or you can load full $200 unlike VGC? Thanks
MCGC load to BB for full $200 at regular register and CS. My money center has been closed since COVID so not sure about there.
Thanks. What did you mean by CS? Customer service which is at the money center? Thx
This doesn’t appear to be working anymore as of 4/30/21
Got 3 today on my nice new Chase Ink Cash card. After reading all of the comments on all the BS some stores/managers pull with these sales, I was at least expecting to have to ask for them or show ID… notta zilch nothing. Plenty left on the usual GC rack up by the register, and the cashier didn’t flinch at all at a $600 purchase of 3 of them, wasn’t even asked for ID
Won’t be getting into MS but I am excited to have a source for 5% off essentially anything. Plan to buy some when they go on sale like this and burn them on my USAA insurance bill and eliminate a couple months payments. Side note: Refinanced earlier this year and was able to get them to waive escrow. So my homeowners insurance can now be paid with my other insurance(auto/VPP), that’s a large chunk I can spend for any sign up bonuses on or worse case at least use my 2% Fidelity card. Some 5% via fee-free VGC/MGC at Staples is even better!
Now all the rookies who waste their time with this have something to do on The Weeknd
I’ve been doing MS for a decade. To meet minimum spend these are pretty good. Where does one go to learn more masterful strategies besides those BS private discord groups?