Help! We're here and can't use gift cards

[ribbot]

Got here 2 days ago--staying at Royal Pacific. Have visited Studios and Islands.....went to use our $50 Universal Gift Card (we purchased a couple hundred dollars worth of these things before we left home!) and NBA restaurant would not take it. Also, Royal Pacific would not take it either...towards any restaurant OR the hotel purchase.

What's up with this? So from what we are told, it's only for the food at the parks and for the tickets? (in which we pre-purchased at AAA before we left home)....and we didnt eat in either of the parks.

The only thing I've purchased so far in the parks is the $6.99 refillable mug and I paid cash like a dummy because I was saving the gift cards for our "bigger" meals.....so does anybody know anything about this or have any ideas what I can do with these things besides buy $200 worth of souvenirs? LOL

BTW...first time here..LOVE IT and the weather is HOT HOT HOT!!!

 

[Bluer101]

The cards need to be redeemed at guest service for Universal dollars to use in the parks. Then what you don't use you can turn back in for cash thats what I have heard before.

 

[*LittleMermaid*]

You just have to get the universal dollars in order to use them at the restaurants and hotels. You can get them at any ticket window or guest services.

 

[phamton]

Just repeating what the others have said. You redeem the cards for Universal dollars and the Universal dollars can be used almost anywhere on property. If you have any left over after your trip, you can go to Guest Services and redeem the leftover Universal dollars for real currency.

 

[Metro West]

weather is HOT HOT HOT!!!

Yup and it's not going to change this weekend.

 

[Halle]

Are there benefits to gettting the Universal card?

 

[phamton]

Are there benefits to gettting the Universal card?

IMO, I don't see any benefits. If they could be used like a credit/debit card like most gift cards, that would be fine. But having to redeem them seems like a waste of time to me.

The only reason I can see having them is if you have earned them and they haven't cost you anything. Like some people have earned points for purchasing gas, etc. and used the points to get the cards. I think many people purchase them so they can "save" for a vacation. They buy a gift card every month or so and then use them for their trip.

 

[ribbot]

Thanks for the insight on getting the Universal Dollars. Its quite funny....seems like NOBODY even knows what they are and what you're supposed to do with them....gift cards I mean.

Took the gift cards to the ticket window today..they look at them like they have no idea what to do. Finally they pulled out a stack of this fake looking money....and guess what? I have yet to use ANY of them. None of the City Walk restaurants take them. The only thing theyre good for are gift shops, carts or restaurants IN the parks. AND, I see on them that it says not redeemable for cash...so does that mean I dont get change back if I use them at the gift shop?

I got these because I got gas points at our local grocery store...but believe me, I wont do it again. PLUS, one of the cards that I purchased before getting here is showing a ZERO balance..so now I have to hope the receipt is at home or Im out $50. What a pain!!! Im going to try cashing these back in tomorrow...Ill update to let you know what happens.

Other than that....it's been GREAT here!!!

 

[phamton]

You can get cash for the Universal dollars at Guest Services at either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. That is the only place that can redeem them for cash.

And about the gift shops, you will get change back in real currency. So if you spend a $20 Universal bucks on something that cost $11, then you will get $9 back in real U.S. currency.

About the one $50 gift card, it sounds like it wasn't processed correctly at your grocery store. They have to be activated at the time of purchase.

 

[ribbot]

You can get cash for the Universal dollars at Guest Services at either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. That is the only place that can redeem them for cash.

And about the gift shops, you will get change back in real currency. So if you spend a $20 Universal bucks on something that cost $11, then you will get $9 back in real U.S. currency.

About the one $50 gift card, it sounds like it wasn't processed correctly at your grocery store. They have to be activated at the time of purchase.

Well, we just checked at Guest Services at IOA and they said they DO NOT cash the dollars back in for cash, so this is not true. They said you can get currency back if you spend them, but they will not give you cash back for the bills.

Unless we found someone that doesnt know what theyre talking about (SHOCK), we are pretty much screwed and running out of time to use these. They also said the City Walk restaurants would take them.....but when we checked at Nascar, NBA and Bubbas, they said no.

I just wish people would get their stories straight here at the parks....it's crazy! I will be checking elsewhere to see if I can find a place that cashes these back in for cash.

 

[ribbot]

UPDATE UPDATE

Ok, I just called Universals phone number and told them that Guest Services would not change our dollars back into cash....she said they are supposed to and they should have never told us no.

She called IOA herself and spoke to the manager and told her what happened, so I am headed over there to change these babies back in.

I also informed her of the lack of knowledge regarding these things in the restaurants, etc. She said the ONLY place they are not good at is Emerils. I told her people at the restaurants were telling us no to the gift cards without ever telling us we needed to exchange those in for Universal dollars (we didnt know this until just a few days ago..and thanks everybody here for answering me on my original post).

She said they are good indefinitely and never expire.

So finally......I got my answers...AND the name of the manager of Guest Services.

Ok, time to head back out into the heat! Record highs tomorrow of 95!

 

[Detailor]

So finally......I got my answers...AND the name of the manager of Guest Services.
Ok, time to head back out into the heat! Record highs tomorrow of 95!

Glad to hear that you got it straightened out. This thread is good info for all who might be likely to go the gift card route as a way to not have to carry a bunch of cash.

Be sure to grab a bottle of water and use those misting machines in the parks!

Dick Taylor

 

[Pink Flamingo]

Glad you got things straightened out. I know it must have been quite frustrating.

We'll be joining you tomorrow in the in the heat!

 

[ribbot]

Glad you got things straightened out. I know it must have been quite frustrating.

We'll be joining you tomorrow in the in the heat!

All straightened out! Cashed in the vouchers for cash at guest services at Islands. Hubby said he had no problem the 2nd time and asked the girl what the problem was earlier.....she, of course, said she had no idea why that one particular girl said no. Figures.....we always get the long wait lines and the employees that dont know, LOL. Oh well, its all figured out now.

I saw in another thread questions about where these can be used.....everywhere in the parks---restaurants (except Emerils), gift shops and food carts. Personally, I just dont understand why you cant use the gift card AS a gift card----whats the whole purpose of trading them in for paper fake money?

Yep--come on down and bring lots of water and sunscreen!

 

[Bluer101]

I think it comes down to there are too many promotions and stuff that everyone is not informed about all the items, but they really should be.

 

[phamton]

UPDATE UPDATE

Ok, I just called Universals phone number and told them that Guest Services would not change our dollars back into cash....she said they are supposed to and they should have never told us no.

That is absolutely correct. Guest Services is the only place that you can exchange the Universal dollars for U.S. currency. You should have never been turned away.

 

[keishashadow]

im willing to bet that when HP opens & new guests arrive (think the WDW die hards who save up the reward cards in exchange for loyalty programs - me lol); the card program may be more publicized-promoted.

it's a very good way for a park to make sure that guests spend X amt of $ onsite

imo, it's amazing that U would refund unused value on the cards in the 1st place, the disney cards just hold their value until next visit or can be used online @ their shopping site.

 

[phamton]

imo, it's amazing that U would refund unused value on the cards in the 1st place, the disney cards just hold their value until next visit or can be used online @ their shopping site.

I doubt if they would refund the gift cards if they worked like regular gift cards. Most gift cards are similar to cash/debit/credit cards. They have a set amount loaded onto the card and each time you use the card, it removes that amount from the card. Most gift cards scan like credit cards.

But oh no, these gift cards do not scan at credit card or cash registers. They only read the amount of the card and that can't be reduced except to $0. So Guest Services takes the card, reads the amount of the card, debits them out to $0 and gives you Universal dollars to use instead. Universal Dollars are redeemable for cash at Guest Services. (I think that Disney Dollars are redeemable for cash at Disney also.) So the cards themselves aren't redeemable for cash but the Universal dollars are.

 

[*LittleMermaid*]

imo, it's amazing that U would refund unused value on the cards in the 1st place, the disney cards just hold their value until next visit or can be used online @ their shopping site.

It is amazing. A gift card is meant to be used at the place that it is for. If you get it exchanged for cash then you can spend it anywhere else and not just at Universal.

Guest Services will exchange it for cash but it is frowned upon.

 

[ribbot]

Well, I had PLANNED on using the gift cards in the restaurants that we had picked out to eat at as we went along----but since NOBODY at any of the establishments we visited told us that we needed to trade the gift cards in for Universal Dollars---the cards did not get used.....and this was after about 4 days of being here.

Another reason I decided not to use them at the restaurants or in the eateries in the park was because in the meantime I see that Discover is offering 5% back on restaurant purchases this month.

So it boils down to I got 10% back on gas to fill up my car by buying the gift cards in the first place, cashing in what was left (I did use a few of the dollars for a few small things in the park), and then getting 5% back on meal purchases through Discover, PLUS I used my AAA discount at these restaurants (or the ones that would take it, not all would).

Yes, I could have kept them until next time...but we were so ticked off by the time we found out how to even use the darn things that we said it just wasnt worth it. We had shown the cards at a half dozen places and then got turned down at Guest Services to exchange them....it kinda took the fun and the ease out of even having them in the first place.

When I called Universal and spoke to someone, she did tell me that I should have never been told no, but that the cards do not expire and could be used later on down the road...but I had such a bad taste by that time I just wanted to get my money back. Doesn't matter, Universal is getting the cash from them anyway

We also had that 1 bum card that must not have gotten scanned correctly at home before we got here, so I have to deal with that now when I get home.

I guess if I had been a little more informed from the start as to what I was getting involved with, it would have been a whole lot easier. I do have to say though, that in almost 7 days of being here, I have not seen ONE person using Universal Dollars.