topic Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples in Credit Cards

Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

red259 — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 18:30:32 GMT

I wanted to buy some amazon gift cards for presents at the last minute. I know I can go online and just print them out, but I'd rather a physical card. I know you can't buy cash gift cards with credit cards but do stores like staples apply that rule to amazon gift cards as well? Since you can't cash them out i'd prefer to buy them at staples or something where I get 5x points and then use them as holiday gifts. Normally I just use the freedom online at amazon but I don't think it is a cateogory this year. Actually it didn't occur to me but does staples charge a markup on amazon giftcards? Since I normally just buy direct from amazon I never thought abut it and when I pay $50 I get a $50 card.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 18:59:47 GMT

@red259 wrote:
I wanted to buy some amazon gift cards for presents at the last minute. I know I can go online and just print them out, but I'd rather a physical card. I know you can't buy cash gift cards with credit cards but do stores like staples apply that rule to amazon gift cards as well? Since you can't cash them out i'd prefer to buy them at staples or something where I get 5x points and then use them as holiday gifts. Normally I just use the freedom online at amazon but I don't think it is a cateogory this year. Actually it didn't occur to me but does staples charge a markup on amazon giftcards? Since I normally just buy direct from amazon I never thought abut it and when I pay $50 I get a $50 card.

They will certainly allow you to buy Amazon gift cards with a credit card because in fact they do allow you to purchase Visa gift cards up to $300 with credit cards.

Howeveri I am not positive Staples carries AGCs because I do not se them online

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 20:01:43 GMT

Retail gift cards aren't marked up at staples (or other places that I am aware of). The V/MC/AMEX cards will have a purchase fee, but not other types.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

red259 — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 21:41:22 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Retail gift cards aren't marked up at staples (or other places that I am aware of). The V/MC/AMEX cards will have a purchase fee, but not other types.

Thanks. Good to know.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

Khalifa_Jayy — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 03:32:14 GMT

Good info ITT.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

red259 — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 03:34:37 GMT

Sadly staples was sold out of them, so I guess I will need to order online unless my groccery store has them and is willing to take credit card.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

UncleB — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 04:04:33 GMT

@red259 wrote:
Sadly staples was sold out of them, so I guess I will need to order online unless my groccery store has them and is willing to take credit card.

I regularly buy them at grocery stores and have no problem paying by credit card (I prefer the grocery store since I get fuel points, and I get 6% cash back using the BCP). You can also find them at Publix.

Also, I've bought Amazon gift cards at Lowe's more than once on credit as well... it's how I keep my Lowe's credit account active during my 'slow' periods (you don't get 5% off gift cards like most Lowe's purchases). I've also bought Amazon cards at Lowe's during the recent Amex offers - $10 off $50 Lowe's purchase - so I bought three and paid for them separately with a different Amex each time. Easy-peasy.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

DantGwyrdd — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 23:53:44 GMT

I've just (the other day) bought a $50.00 Amazon GC and a $50.00 Sears GC at Kroger and paid with my Amex; the only weird thing is that the cashier was prompted to verify that the name on my ID matches the name on my CC. I don't know if it's because of the amount or because the Amazon GC was the variable load kind ($25-$500), but it's something to keep in mind.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

UncleB — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 02:47:28 GMT

@DantGwyrdd wrote:
I've just (the other day) bought a $50.00 Amazon GC and a $50.00 Sears GC at Kroger and paid with my Amex; the only weird thing is that the cashier was prompted to verify that the name on my ID matches the name on my CC. I don't know if it's because of the amount or because the Amazon GC was the variable load kind ($25-$500), but it's something to keep in mind.

Hmm... that's odd. Does your local store have the chip readers turned on in their credit card readers?

My local Kroger used to be prompted automatically to enter the DL number into the register for GC purchases of $100 or more that were paid by credit card, but once they started taking chip credit cards the register no longer prompts for this. It never bothered me too much but it is nice not having to do that step now.

Just a note about Kroger and the variable-load cards... when they are running the 4x fuel point special, the variable-load cards never earn the bonus fuel points. If you call their 800 number they can manually give you the points, but I learned a while back to avoid the variable-load cards during the promotions.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 05:03:39 GMT

@DantGwyrdd wrote:
I've just (the other day) bought a $50.00 Amazon GC and a $50.00 Sears GC at Kroger and paid with my Amex; the only weird thing is that the cashier was prompted to verify that the name on my ID matches the name on my CC. I don't know if it's because of the amount or because the Amazon GC was the variable load kind ($25-$500), but it's something to keep in mind.

It appears to be Kroger policy, and has to do with amount on a credit card.

I used to buy Amazon (and anyplace else I was going) at Kroger to get the fuel points. Could get up to $2 off a gallon of gas. When it was $3 a gallon, could pay a bit over $1.

Gawd, do I miss Kroger.

OP, definitely try out the supermarket. I think, at this point, all supermarkets carry Amazon (probably Walgreens, etc, as well)

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

mongstradamus — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 05:08:21 GMT

@red259 wrote:
Sadly staples was sold out of them, so I guess I will need to order online unless my groccery store has them and is willing to take credit card.

I never had any issues buying store GC at supermarket with a CC , i haven't bought that many but i had few problems buying Google Play gift cards and amazon gc before. Its probably an YMMV situation. I also never really had issues buying VGC at Supermarket with same amex card,.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

DantGwyrdd — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 13:17:13 GMT

@UncleB wrote:
@DantGwyrdd wrote:
I've just (the other day) bought a $50.00 Amazon GC and a $50.00 Sears GC at Kroger and paid with my Amex; the only weird thing is that the cashier was prompted to verify that the name on my ID matches the name on my CC. I don't know if it's because of the amount or because the Amazon GC was the variable load kind ($25-$500), but it's something to keep in mind.
Hmm... that's odd. Does your local store have the chip readers turned on in their credit card readers?

My local Kroger used to be prompted automatically to enter the DL number into the register for GC purchases of $100 or more that were paid by credit card, but once they started taking chip credit cards the register no longer prompts for this. It never bothered me too much but it is nice not having to do that step now.

Just a note about Kroger and the variable-load cards... when they are running the 4x fuel point special, the variable-load cards never earn the bonus fuel points. If you call their 800 number they can manually give you the points, but I learned a while back to avoid the variable-load cards during the promotions.

You know what, that might be it because I used Samsung Pay which counts as a swipe AFAIK.

As for the fuel points, it should be just variable-load Visa/MC/Amex cards that don't get you 4x the points, store* gift cards should still get them -- last time there was 4x points I got a variable-load Amazon card for ~ 160 and I did get the full 640 points

*Except of course for Kroger GCs that don't get any points.

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

UncleB — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 13:53:51 GMT

@DantGwyrdd wrote:
@UncleB wrote:
@DantGwyrdd wrote:
I've just (the other day) bought a $50.00 Amazon GC and a $50.00 Sears GC at Kroger and paid with my Amex; the only weird thing is that the cashier was prompted to verify that the name on my ID matches the name on my CC. I don't know if it's because of the amount or because the Amazon GC was the variable load kind ($25-$500), but it's something to keep in mind.
Hmm... that's odd. Does your local store have the chip readers turned on in their credit card readers?

My local Kroger used to be prompted automatically to enter the DL number into the register for GC purchases of $100 or more that were paid by credit card, but once they started taking chip credit cards the register no longer prompts for this. It never bothered me too much but it is nice not having to do that step now.

Just a note about Kroger and the variable-load cards... when they are running the 4x fuel point special, the variable-load cards never earn the bonus fuel points. If you call their 800 number they can manually give you the points, but I learned a while back to avoid the variable-load cards during the promotions.
You know what, that might be it because I used Samsung Pay which counts as a swipe AFAIK.

As for the fuel points, it should be just variable-load Visa/MC/Amex cards that don't get you 4x the points, store* gift cards should still get them -- last time there was 4x points I got a variable-load Amazon card for ~ 160 and I did get the full 640 points

*Except of course for Kroger GCs that don't get any points.

Yep, I suspect that's what caused it. Next time try inserting your chip card and I bet it will go right through with no ID drama at all!

Thanks for the heads-up on variable-load Amazon cards now triggering the 4x... it's been a while since I tried it at my store, but now at least I know they've likely fixed it. In any case they are fantastic about making things right when you reach out to them (either call or via email), but I have been avoiding variable-load cards just to keep things simple. Now I'll have to give them another try!

Re: Amazon gift cards bought with credit card at Staples

DantGwyrdd — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 14:05:54 GMT

Will do, but I do love my Samsung Pay, they were/are running a promo where you got 4x the points for Samsung Rewards (it ended a few days ago) AND $50 coupon codes for samsung.com were only a 1000 points and boy did I hit them up for some free/deeply discounted stuff (suffice it to say I redeemed $250 worth of coupon codes most of it for stuff that ended up being free ).

The actual in-store displays are fairly detailed when it comes to exclusions so when in doubt just give them a read over but I haven't had any problems with 2x and 4x the points for variable load Amazon cards so far and yeah their support is really good... once they pick up the phone