Anyone get a hard time from member services paying with multiple giftcards...

[lovin'fl]

I paid some of my MF a couple days ago and used 3 gift cards and 1 CC rewards redemption card...no problem.

Oh...just noticed OP says it's now a rule you can only do 5 at a time...my 4 wasn't a problem then. And doing the 4 wasn't exactly quick (not really long but not a quickie call)...couldn't imagine doing a stack of 20 or 30.

 

[CarolMN]

Those of you who want the online payment options to include gift cards and Disney Visa reward cards should consider sending an email Member Satisfaction. Perhaps if they get enough "grief" over this, they'll be encouraged to make it happen.

 

[Splashboat]

I paid one contract with 12 gift cards over the phone at the beginning of the month.

One of the gift cards emptied (on the Disney site where I could check) but showed an error on her end. Sure enough when she finished she realized it didn't deduct the $ from one gift card off our dues.

I was on the phone a very long time. She got a supervisor and she couldn't figure it out. They said it was an IT problem. It took over a day to get straight and they said this happened to others.

Maybe they are getting frustrated that gift cards are causing them so much time.

 

[lodge]

Those of you who want the online payment options to include gift cards and Disney Visa reward cards should consider sending an email Member Satisfaction. Perhaps if they get enough "grief" over this, they'll be encouraged to make it happen.

Great suggestion. I'll do that now. It would be very convenient and they'd get my payments much earlier as I like to space them out over shopping trips.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The Target discount is the only reason I give Disney my funds ahead of time. Otherwise I would be paying with my credit card and they would be paying merchant fees on that.

In the end everything is a trade off. If MS puts in a clause like a limit of 10 per phone call because they are otherwise too busy dealing with MDE and FP+ issues then to me my dues are being mis-directed. Actually I already feel that about the time they are spending on the MDE issues. I can easily switch back to the credit card and they have the cost of the fees and no added benefit of receiving my funds earlier from the GC purchase or they can just take my single phone call and gift cards or provide some other means to accept the GC's in bulk.

 

[disneynutz]

All of this is dependent on Target continuing to allow discounts on gift cards and that could change tomorrow. Other stores that offered the discounts have stopped doing so. The gift card discount is a loss for the company and is used to bring in business.

Bill

 

[Sur]

All of this is dependent on Target continuing to allow discounts on gift cards and that could change tomorrow. Other stores that offered the discounts have stopped doing so. The gift card discount is a loss for the company and is used to bring in business.

Bill

there's a whole slew of us, on the DCL thread, that buy the gc at our local grocery store, as it gives us .20 cents off/gallon of gas (the amount varies). It really adds up. Check out DIS member Pillow.... she's a pro at it!

 

[disneynutz]

there's a whole slew of us, on the DCL thread, that buy the gc at our local grocery store, as it gives us .20 cents off/gallon of gas (the amount varies). It really adds up. Check out DIS member Pillow.... she's a pro at it!

HEB was offering discount Disney gift cards but it's seemed to be up to the store manager to decide if Disney cards qualified for the discount. I contacted HEB general offices and was told that they are aware that some customers were getting a discount on the cards but it was never their intention to sell them at a discount and that memos were going out to the stores.

A gas discount is good if you buy a lot of gas during the valid discount period.

As I said, eventually Target will catch on and remove gift cards from the discount if it isn't making them enough money.

Who knows, the law suits that will be filed in the next few years might have them closing their doors. 70 million people have had their personal information stolen and our Government is expecting a major financial attack on the US as a result.

Bill

 

[Halle]

What numbers on the GC does MS need? The number under the barcode?? I called this afternoon to pay with gift cards. The CM asked me how many I have, 21, she told me to fax the numbers to. MS. I asked which numbers on the card do you need? I was told all of them. Is that true?

 

[sweetdana]

Those of you who want the online payment options to include gift cards and Disney Visa reward cards should consider sending an email Member Satisfaction. Perhaps if they get enough "grief" over this, they'll be encouraged to make it happen.

I sent a similar email, based on wanting to buy AP and use FP ahead of arriving.. I got for security reasons we cannot they did assist and try to help me. .. but it doesn't fix the whole..

Option 1) Allow all Disney stores to sell larger gift cards using smaller gift cards (or even the Disney store.com)
Option 2) allow target to sell 500$ gift cards.
Option 3) allow them online for anything traceable. .. if they are concerned for theft, my ss # is attached to my ownership.. I am not hard to find.. if you want to not allow them for ticket without a MB or something maybe.. but once attached to your name.. they can find you.. so seems like a no brainer.

I faxed my cards on Tue 1st thing, called today stated they received and are processing.. still waiting. She did state on the phone they are permitted to take 10.. I have no idea where 5 came from.. also you can add 10 more the following day.. it is not like you have to pay by credit card, just more than 1 phone call.

 

[davedmaine]

Disney letting people pay absolutely everything via giftcard is genius on their end. People.save money on these cards (not on Disney 's dime). This translates to people feeling they have more money to spend on their vacations. So essentially, Disney is making money off of target, Costco, etc....

No, you're wrong. Merchant services fees are normally higher on gift cards than regular credit cards. This is costing Djsney money; don't think they're doing it to enhance your vacation. I expect they'll put an end to it shortly.
On a side note: I wonder how many gift-card buyers credit card numbers were stolen at Target.

 

[backyardponder]

What numbers on the GC does MS need? The number under the barcode?? I called this afternoon to pay with gift cards. The CM asked me how many I have, 21, she told me to fax the numbers to. MS. I asked which numbers on the card do you need? I was told all of them. Is that true?

They need the 16 numbers on the card. The last 4 of these numbers are under the scratch off strip.

 

[Halle]

They need the 16 numbers on the card. The last 4 of these numbers are under the scratch off strip.

Thank you for clarifying it for me.

 

[sweetdana]

I have a terrible update!

Tue faxed in (told 48 hours)
Fri called verified recieved

Wed (today) called back. They said they received more than they initally expected and they will be udpated by 02/14.

I only put 10 on, and if I wait for those, then the rest of my dues will be late.



I guess I will call, or send another fax with the exact difference.. but this is a mess..

 

[disneynutz]

I have a terrible update!

Tue faxed in (told 48 hours)
Fri called verified recieved

Wed (today) called back. They said they received more than they initally expected and they will be udpated by 02/14.

I only put 10 on, and if I wait for those, then the rest of my dues will be late.



I guess I will call, or send another fax with the exact difference.. but this is a mess..

DVC needs to publish the gift card rules and treat the owners like they care a little bit. I wonder if Disney knows how you are being treated?

Bill

 

[sweetdana]

Update..

I just got an email.. We received 10 gift cards total XXX and bal due XXX and please pay remaining by 2/14. Ect ect..

but they are now also showing on my DVC account logged in

 

[nabi]

Whew!

I'm looking for some clarification on how it costs merchants to sell the gift cards. I don't know how that works. Also, how does it cost Disney?

I nearly lost one, recently, and that would've paid for the cost of the plastic and shipping of MANY cards, lemme tell ya!

 

[crisi]

Whew!

I'm looking for some clarification on how it costs merchants to sell the gift cards. I don't know how that works. Also, how does it cost Disney?

I nearly lost one, recently, and that would've paid for the cost of the plastic and shipping of MANY cards, lemme tell ya!

Disney subcontracts out all the cards and banking. Then sells those cards to Target. The numbers here are made up (they would be confidential anyway).

Disney pays a gift card broker $55 for a face value $50 card - the $5 delta pays for printing the card, and the costs incurred in tracking and redeeming the card - keeping the database of numbers, the accounting, moving all the money around - that sort of thing.

Disney sells that $50 facevalue card to Target for $45. When Target sells it for $50, Target makes a $5 profit. If Target sells the card for $47.50 because of the red card discount, Target makes a $2.50 profit.

Disney has paid $55 for the card, which they sell for $45 and you get $50 of value out of when you use it. So they are out $10 on the equavalent cash transaction, and about $7 on a straight credit card transaction (merchant fees on a regular transaction being something like 3%).

HOWEVER, it can still be a good deal for Disney, they "make" money on these a few ways.

1) Every $50 gift card that isn't redeemed is pure profit for Disney (minus the $5 to cut the card originally or however that accounting is done).

2) If you have a $50 gift card, spend $47 and throw it away because there is "only" $3 left, that $3 is pure profit for Disney

3) They make a little in TVM (either they do or the issuing company does, if the issuing company is getting the money, Disney is paying less for the cards). In other words - you pay $50 for a card for a vacation you'll take in a year. If Disney invests that $50 at 4% interest, they'll make $2 off of you holding the card. Gift cards often sit for months waiting to get used. Sometimes years.

 

[nabi]

Thank you very much. That is what I was hoping to understand after reading about the costs of these cards on this thread.

 

[crisi]

There is another way Disney, or anyone else, makes money on gift cards. People tend to spend more. If you are given a $50 card to Red Lobster, you will likely go in and spend $60 or more....without the gift card you might have eaten somewhere else. That, of course, doesn't factor in when paying DVC dues, and so Disney isn't getting that benefit there.