Target gift cards to Disney gift cards...NO LONGER

[twinsouvenirs]

That's a lot of shenanigans. No thank you.
I keep it simple. I buy Disney GCs at Target and get 5% off. That's it. No rearranging my life and schedule to get a few bucks. Not worth it (for me).

I may end up doing that with my red card for the balance of this cruise. The constant hunting for discounted target cards is exhausting! I will say, this way we'll still get the airline miles as well though (I calculated our particular card/program to yield a 2% savings). I'm getting near the home stretch so I will probably just stay the course.

 

[MinMou]

That's a lot of shenanigans. No thank you.
I keep it simple. I buy Disney GCs at Target and get 5% off. That's it. No rearranging my life and schedule to get a few bucks. Not worth it (for me).

You are fortunate to be in a position that 5% savings will work for you. Not everyone is in your shoes, and that's why people are coming up with alternatives. Just using the RED card, as you do, is a great way to go, but there are others, and no reason not to share them.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For those posting that they have been able to buy Disney gift cards with Target gift cards/e-gift cards recently, may I ask where you are located (e.g. which state)? I just spent a large amount of my afternoon at my local Target Guest Services arguing yet again with yet another manager about this transaction. Same story as before: it is not possible to buy Disney gift cards with Target gift cards or e-gift cards. The only way to do this is to use the gift cards (and for e-gift cards, they must be on the app; no screen shots, no print outs) to buy an equal or greater amount of merchandise than however many Disney gift cards you want to buy. Use the Target cards for the merchandise and a credit card for everything else. Sigh... According to the manager, it is against the law in CA to buy gift cards with other gift cards.
So for those of you who work at Target and/or are buying your Disney gift cards with Target gift cards without any trouble, which states are allowing this? I'm pulling my hair out after this afternoon's experience. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[bumbershoot]

According to the manager, it is against the law in CA to buy gift cards with other gift cards.

Did anyone there actually TRY it AT the register?

Disney "gift" cards aren't considered "gift" cards with Target. They are considered "entertainment" cards. That is why it has continued to be allowed.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Did anyone there actually TRY it AT the register?

Disney "gift" cards aren't considered "gift" cards with Target. They are considered "entertainment" cards. That is why it has continued to be allowed.

They wouldn't even let me get to the register. I tried it at the self check out and the team member there sent me to guest services. The team member there wouldn't even try it at the register, but called for a manager. The manager told me that this kind of transaction is illegal in CA, but admitted that it may well be legal in other states. She said that CA is reallly strict about all kinds of things like this.

 

[MrPTato]

For those posting that they have been able to buy Disney gift cards with Target gift cards/e-gift cards recently, may I ask where you are located (e.g. which state)? I just spent a large amount of my afternoon at my local Target Guest Services arguing yet again with yet another manager about this transaction. Same story as before: it is not possible to buy Disney gift cards with Target gift cards or e-gift cards. The only way to do this is to use the gift cards (and for e-gift cards, they must be on the app; no screen shots, no print outs) to buy an equal or greater amount of merchandise than however many Disney gift cards you want to buy. Use the Target cards for the merchandise and a credit card for everything else. Sigh... According to the manager, it is against the law in CA to buy gift cards with other gift cards.
So for those of you who work at Target and/or are buying your Disney gift cards with Target gift cards without any trouble, which states are allowing this? I'm pulling my hair out after this afternoon's experience. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

I had no problems at my local Target on Sunday when I used a couple egiftcards (from MileUp) and a physical card. This was in New Hampshire at the self check-out.

 

[Kkb0517]

Did anyone there actually TRY it AT the register?

Disney "gift" cards aren't considered "gift" cards with Target. They are considered "entertainment" cards. That is why it has continued to be allowed.

They used to be, it doesn't seem they are anymore

 

[bumbershoot]

They used to be, it doesn't seem they are anymore

I don't believe it. If the transaction had been tried and rejected then ok. But it wasn't tried.

From this month.

This is what irritates me the most as a Target employee. I'm a cashier and I've always trained the other cashiers to ring up the guest and let them use whatever form of payment they have. If it's allowed, the system will put it through. If it's not, they system will deny it.

I've shopped at Target as a guest and I know how the system works. I hate it when new cashiers assume that they can't do something. Or even worse when an older cashier tries to tell me that they can't do it. I've looked at them and told them that they can. I even pulled out a receipt for my Disney gift cards once. Showed them where I bought $1600 in Disney gift cards from the same store. The register is your friend. Follow it. Let it guide you.

Also from this month.

This thread should be closed because it is confusing.

You CAN buy a Disney gc with a Target gc IN THE STORE.

You can't combine a Target gc with a RED card, unless you are buying other items.

ETA.

At all Targets you aren't allowed to buy a GC with a GC. CA law doesn't matter. It's just not allowed.

But they classify Disney (and maybe a couple others) as Entertainment Cards. If Target reclassified it, then NO ONE would be able to do it at all. CA wouldn't matter.

Now it's possible that in the last week something has changed. I've never done any of this so I have no skin in the game or dog in the fight (both of those are awful metaphors, aren't they?). But since they didn't actually try the process at the register, there's no way to know it based on this recent experience.

 

[Kkb0517]

They used to be, it doesn't seem they are anymore

At least online

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I think the Target gift cards cannot be used for the "universal" type gift cards, like Visa or Amex. But they can be used for entertainment cards or restaurant cards. When I tried it last month (in Illinois) I tried at self checkout but the register froze. When the employee came over, she took me to a register but then noted I was trying to buy Disney GCs & said I couldn't. I said I had done it the week before, and she called over a supervisor who said she knew you couldn't purchase Visa but told the cashier to try the Disney GC. It worked fine.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I don't believe it. If the transaction had been tried and rejected then ok. But it wasn't tried.

From this month.

Also from this month.


ETA.

At all Targets you aren't allowed to buy a GC with a GC. CA law doesn't matter. It's just not allowed.

But they classify Disney (and maybe a couple others) as Entertainment Cards. If Target reclassified it, then NO ONE would be able to do it at all. CA wouldn't matter.

Now it's possible that in the last week something has changed. I've never done any of this so I have no skin in the game or dog in the fight (both of those are awful metaphors, aren't they?). But since they didn't actually try the process at the register, there's no way to know it based on this recent experience.

Which is exactly why I am asking (and not receiving any specific replies) if anyone has recently done this successfully at a Target in CA. Based on two replies, it appears to be legal in IL and in NH. I would very much appreciate it if someone from CA could report back on whether the cards went through at the register and whether the e-gift cards worked.
As for CA law, it actually does matter. There are lots of weird things that are illegal here that no one bats an eye at in the other 49 states. And Target has to operate under the laws of the state where they are located, not under the laws of the state where they are headquartered. So, for example, even if it turns out to be legal in MN (anyone out there know?), it doesn't seem to be legal here in CA.

 

[StarlitNight05]

Which is exactly why I am asking (and not receiving any specific replies) if anyone has recently done this successfully at a Target in CA. Based on two replies, it appears to be legal in IL and in NH. I would very much appreciate it if someone from CA could report back on whether the cards went through at the register and whether the e-gift cards worked.
As for CA law, it actually does matter. There are lots of weird things that are illegal here that no one bats an eye at in the other 49 states. And Target has to operate under the laws of the state where they are located, not under the laws of the state where they are headquartered. So, for example, even if it turns out to be legal in MN (anyone out there know?), it doesn't seem to be legal here in CA.

I can confirm that I did this successfully at a self-checkout register in Sacramento, California about a week ago (before I had to cancel my trip...). I used target gift cards loaded onto my phone, and did not purchase any additional items. It went through fine. I did however, have to say "I do not want to bag this item" since the weight sensor wasn't picking it up.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I can confirm that I did this successfully at a self-checkout register in Sacramento, California about a week ago (before I had to cancel my trip...). I used target gift cards loaded onto my phone, and did not purchase any additional items. It went through fine. I did however, have to say "I do not want to bag this item" since the weight sensor wasn't picking it up.

Thank you for this! Can you share which Target store you were at? (DH will be in Sacramento soon, so I will ask him to try again.)

 

[StarlitNight05]

Thank you for this! Can you share which Target store you were at? (DH will be in Sacramento soon, so I will ask him to try again.)

Yes I was at the one near Sac State, the address is:
6507 4th Ave, Sacramento, CA 95817

I had some problems getting my gift cards to scan and a team member kind of hovered over me to watch the process. She didn't mention it was against any rules (she saw my Disney card that I had placed near the top of the checkout stand after hitting not to bag).

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Thank you! DH will give this a try, and I'll report back after his trip. You're right about the gift cards being a bit tricky to scan. The team members usually bend the card board back to get the full bar code to show, but then the card ends up looking a bit sad. Good thing I won't be giving these away as actual presents!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thank you for this! Can you share which Target store you were at? (DH will be in Sacramento soon, so I will ask him to try again.)

The CA law thing sounds rofl to me. CA has great gift card laws protecting the CONSUMER. I haven't heard of this one. Idk if it exists but it just sounds sketchy. Law aside though because it doesn't matter to your situation. Corporate policy is no gift card to gift card even though computers will allow it. In my experience it's at the managers prerogative. (1 Target in my CA town allows it, one doesn't- BUT it's been a year since I last tried.) Your Target is done, the manager is all over that & has apparently informed the employees not to process the transactions. Try other Targets, but I wouldn't escalate to a manager any more. You have no corporate or legal policy to back your gc to gc purchases. Just try another Target. There must be a number of them in Sac!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

The CA law thing sounds rofl to me. CA has great gift card laws protecting the CONSUMER. I haven't heard of this one. Idk if it exists but it just sounds sketchy. Law aside though because it doesn't matter to your situation. Corporate policy is no gift card to gift card even though computers will allow it. In my experience it's at the managers prerogative. (1 Target in my CA town allows it, one doesn't- BUT it's been a year since I last tried.) Your Target is done, the manager is all over that & has apparently informed the employees not to process the transactions. Try other Targets, but I wouldn't escalate to a manager any more. You have no corporate or legal policy to back your gc to gc purchases. Just try another Target. There must be a number of them in Sac!

The restrictions on using a gift card to buy a cash type card (Visa, Amex, etc) is because it is possible to launder money this way. Apparently criminals use this method so it is banned (not just Target but everywhere)

 

[StarlitNight05]

The CA law thing sounds rofl to me. CA has great gift card laws protecting the CONSUMER. I haven't heard of this one. Idk if it exists but it just sounds sketchy. Law aside though because it doesn't matter to your situation. Corporate policy is no gift card to gift card even though computers will allow it. In my experience it's at the managers prerogative. (1 Target in my CA town allows it, one doesn't- BUT it's been a year since I last tried.) Your Target is done, the manager is all over that & has apparently informed the employees not to process the transactions. Try other Targets, but I wouldn't escalate to a manager any more. You have no corporate or legal policy to back your gc to gc purchases. Just try another Target. There must be a number of them in Sac!

I second this sentiment. I knew if it didn't go through at self checkout I'd sort of duck out and not go further. Seems like it's store by store here in CA based on other reports.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Update: Success (FINALLY)! So here's the rundown as of tonight:

Found a Target near DLR and went to the self checkout. Had my Disney gift cards and my Target e-gift cards (on my phone) ready to go. The Disney cards scanned, the e-cards scanned, everything went fine and no Target employees were involved.
Things learned:
I think the above poster is correct about why the gift card to gift card transactions are illegal in CA (possible money laundering). However, this only covers cash type cards like Visa and AMEX. But I think some people, like the manager at my local Target, believe this covers all gift cards regardless of category.
My Target receipt clearly labels my Disney cards as "entertainment-electronics," so they are not in the same category as cash type gift cards. Therefore, this specific transaction is allowed in CA, but apparently it varies from store to store.
According to the manager at my local Target, e-gift cards must be loaded to your online account and scanned from your phone or electronic device (e.g. iPad). The store cannot accept a printed copy or a screen shot since too many people have tried scams with those. (The exact same bar code printed on a piece of paper will not be accepted, but will scan from your phone.) Maybe the reason that this whole e-gift card for Disney cards rigamarole varies so much from store to store depends on what each store has experienced from customers who try it. If the store has been burned by lots of dishonest people, then it seems understandable that management at that store would shut down the transactions. Of course, it would help if they would be more clear and up front about their reasons.
Anyway, I hope all this is helpful to other DISers out there. I really appreciate all the help I've received from others in this thread!

 

[StarlitNight05]

Update: Success (FINALLY)!

Glad it finally worked for you!