Not allowed to buy SDM gift cards with a credit card?

During last weekend's spend $75 get 18,500 BP event, I did as I always do and went to buy a $75 GC first. I tried to pay with my Mastercard, and the cashier stated they only accept cash or debit as payment for GC's. I was surprised but the girl insisted (a little rudely) that it has ALWAYS been that way. I SWEAR I have paid using credit card in the past! Please could someone tell me -is my memory really that bad? Am I going senile? Or is this a new policy??

TIA - and sorry if this isn't the right place to post this question, I did read the FAQ's and didn't see it there
:)

It is ok to pay with a credit card, however some stores/cashiers refuse to accept cc as a form of payment for SDM GC. If it happens, just go to a different store or try another cashier. I have been using my credit card to pay for gift cards for many years.

Maybe try another cashier? If you still get denied, try another store.
In the past, I've approached 3 stores and only 1 particular store let me pay using credit card for buying SDM gc.
Unfortunately, it's been almost year since I did that, ever since my preferred store also came up with this 'no credit card when buying gc' rule.

I always buy GC's with my SDM MC. I only use the SDM MC as Shoppers. I hope the store I shop does not start that policy. Sorry that happened OP.

I use my Visa all the time for buying SDM gift cards. Honestly what difference does it make if I pay by debit or credit, SDM still gets charged a percentage for each interac transaction and the percentage between the two is very slim.

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Originally Posted by PurpleBunny89

I use my Visa all the time for buying SDM gift cards. Honestly what difference does it make if I pay by debit or credit, SDM still gets charged a percentage for each interac transaction and the percentage between the two is very slim.

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Its because people steal credit cards and use them to buy gift cards.
Its not only sdm.

OP - as suggested try another store. Hopefully the next store hasn't been burned and will still take credit cards.

But this is so much more secure. You can trace credit cards. You can't trace cash. If you know someone used a stolen credit card to buy a gift card, you can just deactivate the gift card, no?

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Originally Posted by sarajk

Its because people steal credit cards and use them to buy gift cards.
Its not only sdm.

OP - as suggested try another store. Hopefully the next store hasn't been burned and will still take credit cards.

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I have had no problem buying GC anywhere with CC. I do not carry cash (except for my personal frivolous weekly spending change). It is customary today to pay with plastic with everything being electronic. I would politely ask for a manager and if that were still the case politely take my business to another store. I, like many, use my CC to earn points and pay it off immediately. There is also no limit to the number of transactions, unlike debit. Of course this depends on your banking plan too. Cheers.

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Originally Posted by kw01ai

I have had no problem buying GC anywhere with CC. I do not carry cash (except for my personal frivolous weekly spending change). It is customary today to pay with plastic with everything being electronic. I would politely ask for a manager and if that were still the case politely take my business to another store. I, like many, use my CC to earn points and pay it off immediately. There is also no limit to the number of transactions, unlike debit. Of course this depends on your banking plan too. Cheers.

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All of this--- if my store denied me using my CC I would just head to another store. I never have cash and my bank allows me a "generous" 12 debits a month without charge, and that is taken up by bill payments.

During the event that buying 150$ in GC and get 8,000 bonus points, I did 33 transactions and I paid for them with my TD Visa. THe Cash Supervisor didn't let me buy though, so I did ask the manager and he said he would have to ask his District Manager, and later he told me to go ahead to purchase.

I also went to Sherway Garden SDM and it was a big NO when I wanted to pay for GC with my Visa, so ok, I just came back to my local SDM, and Sherway Garden would not have my business, I spent almost 5,000 last year on that promotion.

The funny thing was, SDM did let me pay with my visa, but TD Visa Centre stopped it right when I did the 5th transaction, they was worried it got stolen because all the transaction was the same amount and same store!

SO OP, if you have problem with that store, just ask the manager nicely that if he wants your business or you would just go somewhere else happily! I did actually show my ID just to prove that I am the owner of this credit card, they just had a quick look, no photocopy taken, and I was comfortable with that so it was no big deal. Worse case, just go to another SDM!

I really wish Shopper's Corporate office would chime in here and make an official statement. I swear, everytime I go to Shopper's to buy a Shoppers gift card with my cc, it's like playing roulette.

Sometimes the cashiers let me, sometimes they don't. Sometimes the manager will allow it, sometimes they won't.

Once, I went to the prescription counter and added a GC purchase with my meds. At first, the clerk refused to accept my cc as payment. But the pharmacist overheard and told the clerk to go ahead because if there were any problems (fraud), they have all my information in the system with my prescription.

He followed up by saying normally, they do not allow cc purchase of Shoppers GC over 50$... (some new rule?)

Someone at Shoppers Corporate needs to establish a policy and publish it. It's way too wishy-washy.

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Originally Posted by torontogal12

But this is so much more secure. You can trace credit cards. You can't trace cash. If you know someone used a stolen credit card to buy a gift card, you can just deactivate the gift card, no?

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It is much easier to steal credit card info and create a fake card then it is to steal the same amount of cash. Fraudsters can skim hundreds of cards in a day and then use those $1000s of limits to buy whatever they can before the card is held. Gift cards are a preferred choice of fraudsters because they are essentially equal to cash. The investigation process frequently takes longer than it would to catch the fraudster and try to reclaim the balances. Trust me, these people seem to know the system and its limitations.

After being victimized by a credit card skim, it was amazing to me how much damage they could do with just my card.

Regarding SDM, it's clear it is location to location (maybe cashier to cashier, though who knows why they would vary at this level). Agree it would be nice to get an official policy on this one.

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Originally Posted by thien_nga

I also went to Sherway Garden SDM and it was a big NO when I wanted to pay for GC with my Visa, so ok, I just came back to my local SDM, and Sherway Garden would not have my business, I spent almost 5,000 last year on that promotion.

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5,000 as in dollars? (*faint*)

I bought three $50 GCs on my MasterCard once, with no issues.

I think is safer for the stores not to take the CC when buying GC .. to protect themselves ... but .. I had to get a new CC because some issues with my last one and this time I didn't signed in the back so I make sure they ask me for ID when I purchase anything so they can corroborate that is mine and not stolen .. it has worked in some stores :) and SDM had no issues !

I do find it kind of weird that some stores would not accept their own Shopper's Credit Card (from MBNA) to pay for the giftcards. They are promoting the CC right in the store!

I have purchased a few SDM cards recenlty on my mastercard and had no problems. I did encounter an issue about a year ago when I went to purchase several gift cards from SDM (mainly Visa and restaurant cards) that was well over $500 (maybe close to $1000) for prizes at work (my work reimbursed me). The Manager asked to take a copy of my ID due to the amount and the recent fraud that they had incurred (I think they said it was their policy for amounts over $100 or $150). It sounds like the policy varies by location.

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Originally Posted by sweet sparrow

5,000 as in dollars? (*faint*)

I bought three $50 GCs on my MasterCard once, with no issues.

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It's because my CC limit is 5,000$ otherwise I might be wilder lol! Just kidding! But there are reasons behind this

I need about 150$ a month for gas, so for a year it costs about 1600$ I could use SDM GC to buy Esso GC (Some store might not let you do this but at my store it's ok)

Lottery tickets, Tim Horton GC, Best Buy GC and many other retailers GC I could pay with SDM GC.

When I redeem my points I could use SDM GC to pay for the tax

So to me spend 5,000$ is ok! I just have to be very careful where to keep the SDM GCs!

Got over 200,000 Optimum points on those purchase and got travel reward points for using my VISA too, so it was really a good deal for me!

I didn't know you could pay for a lottery ticket with a GC, or buy other GCs for that matter!

Maxing out your CC on GCs is a new idea to me! :-)

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Originally Posted by thien_nga

It's because my CC limit is 5,000$ otherwise I might be wilder lol! Just kidding! But there are reasons behind this

I need about 150$ a month for gas, so for a year it costs about 1600$ I could use SDM GC to buy Esso GC (Some store might not let you do this but at my store it's ok)

Lottery tickets, Tim Horton GC, Best Buy GC and many other retailers GC I could pay with SDM GC.

When I redeem my points I could use SDM GC to pay for the tax

So to me spend 5,000$ is ok! I just have to be very careful where to keep the SDM GCs!

Got over 200,000 Optimum points on those purchase and got travel reward points for using my VISA too, so it was really a good deal for me!

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SDM in my area have never accepted credit card payments for gift card purchases.

And the Shoppers Credit Cards has little to do with SDM themselves. They are merely a client to Mbna which is now BofA. BofA offer the cards to consumers with rewards paid in Optimum points, which they purchase from SDM.