topic Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question in Credit Cards

Sallie Mae's 5% Question

ScoreOrBeScored — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:06:32 GMT

if I use my Sallie Mae @ Walmart, does it count as the 5% rewards ?

if so does Walmart.com count too !

i used my Rewards MC @ Walmart and got 2X the points and wonder if SM gets it too

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

gdale6 — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:07:35 GMT

@ScoreOrBeScored wrote:
@if I use my Sallie Mae @ Walmart, does it count as the 5% rewards ?

if so does Walmart.com count too !

@i used my Rewards MC @ Walmart and got 2X the points and wonder if SM gets it too

WM counts with mine.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:08:43 GMT

It might depend on your area. SM gets 5% at both Target and Walmart for me. Only way to find out is to go there and make a purchase Dont think it would work the same way online but I havent tried it

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:12:57 GMT

Counts at WM here

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

ScoreOrBeScored — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:13:07 GMT

Okay, thnx yall

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

kdm31091 — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:55:58 GMT

Depends on the Walmart. You just have to test it out and see. Its not 100 percent across the board. It doesn't give 5 percent at mine. Haven't tried target yet since I have the red card debit anyway so no reason to waste some of my cap on Sallie.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 22:57:32 GMT

B&M WalMart stores usually count. It will almost certainly count if the store was built from the start as what used to be called a "Super" WalMart that includes a complete grocery section. Smaller WalMart's that lack a grocery, or stores that were converted from such, may often *not* count as grocery on the SM. Only way to tell for certain is to make a purchase and see.

WalMart.com does not count as grocery for the SM; you'll only get 5%. What I do is use my SM card to buy WalMart gift cards at a B&M WalMart that I am certain qualifiies as grocery. I then use those WalMart gift cards at walmart.com (and at Sam's Club) to effectively get 5% off there.

Chris.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

ScoreOrBeScored — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 01:05:44 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
B&M WalMart stores usually count. It will almost certainly count if the store was built from the start as what used to be called a "Super" WalMart that includes a complete grocery section. Smaller WalMart's that lack a grocery, or stores that were converted from such, may often *not* count as grocery on the SM. Only way to tell for certain is to make a purchase and see.

WalMart.com does not count as grocery for the SM; you'll only get 5%. What I do is use my SM card to buy WalMart gift cards at a B&M WalMart that I am certain qualifiies as grocery. I then use those WalMart gift cards at walmart.com (and at Sam's Club) to effectively get 5% off there.

Chris.

Thats was so helpful. Thank you a bunch.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

MoreRewards — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 01:17:20 GMT

My local walmart only gives 1%.
Supercenter in the next town gives 5%.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 04:23:39 GMT

OP, you can use the link below to check what category any merchant falls under including any Walmart. I know it's from Visa but people have said that it's consistent with MasterCard.

https://www.visa.com/supplierlocator/search/index.jsp

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

xerostatus — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 15:58:55 GMT

Lots of misinformation in this thread so far...

There is no such thing as "most walmarts". It simply and solely depends on the way the store codes the purchases.

I can't speak for other geographic areas, but in my area the only walmarts which code as grocery (and thereby giving 5% through salliemae) are "Walmart Neighborhood Markets" and "Walmart Supercenters". Regular walmarts do NOT code as grocery stores.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 09:00:02 GMT

@xerostatus wrote:
Lots of misinformation in this thread so far...
There is no such thing as "most walmarts". It simply and solely depends on the way the store codes the purchases.

I can't speak for other geographic areas, but in my area the only walmarts which code as grocery (and thereby giving 5% through salliemae) are "Walmart Neighborhood Markets" and "Walmart Supercenters". Regular walmarts do NOT code as grocery stores.

Side Question: I've seen people say this a lot about 'regular walmarts,' but are there still regular walmarts around? Everyone in my area has been converted to Supercenters. Maybe it's because I live in the south close to their home base. Texas and Louisiana here.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 11:34:46 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@xerostatus wrote:
Lots of misinformation in this thread so far...
There is no such thing as "most walmarts". It simply and solely depends on the way the store codes the purchases.

I can't speak for other geographic areas, but in my area the only walmarts which code as grocery (and thereby giving 5% through salliemae) are "Walmart Neighborhood Markets" and "Walmart Supercenters". Regular walmarts do NOT code as grocery stores.
Side Question: I've seen people say this a lot about 'regular walmarts,' but are there still regular walmarts around? Everyone in my area has been converted to Supercenters. Maybe it's because I live in the south close to their home base. Texas and Louisiana here.

Yeah, they exist. I was just at one a couple of weeks ago, even did a test transaction and verified that it only got 1%. It's really more of a sliding scale; I don't think they're so much making the distinction between "regular" and "super" WalMart's anymore, and most WalMarts have added some amount of grocery items. I don't think they're really building WalMarts without full grocery stores anymore, but there are still many older stores around which haven't gone through a full conversion and instead have only added an aisle or two of grocery items.

Chris.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

lg8302ch — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 11:54:29 GMT

In-store Walmart and Target purchases do count for 5% as for Walmart.com I do not know as I have always used Discover IT online.

I recently did about 10 transactions in at least 8 different Walmart in FL and using the main check out counters always gave me 5%. Not sure what would happen if you pay at their registers in the respective departments ?

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

ScoreOrBeScored — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 12:48:25 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@xerostatus wrote:
Lots of misinformation in this thread so far...
There is no such thing as "most walmarts". It simply and solely depends on the way the store codes the purchases.

I can't speak for other geographic areas, but in my area the only walmarts which code as grocery (and thereby giving 5% through salliemae) are "Walmart Neighborhood Markets" and "Walmart Supercenters". Regular walmarts do NOT code as grocery stores.
Side Question: I've seen people say this a lot about 'regular walmarts,' but are there still regular walmarts around? Everyone in my area has been converted to Supercenters. Maybe it's because I live in the south close to their home base. Texas and Louisiana here.

I live I Dallas,tx and all the walmarts we have are super walmarts. I even paid for my prescription at the pharmacy and still got my 5%.. Even self check out and regular

checkout lanes

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

shadowx360 — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:11:17 GMT

@MoreRewards wrote:
My local walmart only gives 1%.
Supercenter in the next town gives 5%.

I suppose you just have to load up on gift cards and use those. I do that sometimes because one WM near me is coded as grocery and another isn't so I just load up gift cards and use those. Best part is 5% cash back at Sam's club.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:18:48 GMT

Forum masters: Is there a sallie Mae master thread
on what exactly counts as the 5%?... store names and this and that?

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:22:19 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Forum masters: Is there a sallie Mae master thread
on what exactly counts as the 5%?... store names and this and that?

Again, there is no master list because every store is different. It all depends on the stores merchant coding. Some Walmarts/Targets are coded as discount stores, while others are coded as grocery. The merchant code is your master list.

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:41:41 GMT

So like the gas station that has a boardshead deli.. surely this would be 5% right.. if I buy my
gas there and breakfast sandwhich there?

Re: Sallie Mae's 5% Question

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 14:44:16 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
So like the gas station that has a boardshead deli.. surely this would be 5% right.. if I buy my
gas there and breakfast sandwhich there?

There is no intelligence in the system, it depends on how the merchant is coded. I've been at a gas station that turned out to be coded as "Auto Repairs" thus losing the gas discount (and in this case the Amex Sync offer for BP). So it's likely, but until you make a purchase there, no-one can tell.

One of the least helpful pieces of advice I got from Amex after inquiring about the BP thing: "It's a good idea to ask the clerk how the merchant is coded." Good luck with that in many cases!