Target policy changed on GC

[Forevermarypoppins]

It is the only reason I shop at Target.
No GC to use for future Disney GC, then no more shopping there for me!

 

[fauna74]

I was at my target this past week and while I was at check out decided to pick up a Disney gc, and use some of my $5 and $10 target gc to help pay for the order. As the cashier started scanning the gift cards it popped up on her monitor that gift cards could only be applied to "X" amount of order (the amount of order minus the Disney gift card purchase). And the cashier specifically said "you can't use the gift cards to pay for the Disney card". It wasn't a problem, but it's definitely the first time I've seen it handled like that.

 

[QVCshopper]

Something definitely changed with the Target gift cards; I think they're fighting back the fraud. I just used a $5 Target e-gift card (from a Coke survey) to buy my food order, and the Target app had to email me an access code for the cashier to type in. It's a big process for one gift card--I can't imagine using many in one order.

 

[SL6827]

I looked today at my app and noticed that I can still get an automatic 5% off of DGC- the electronic version, but not the physical ones? Is that right?

 

[bpesch]

I had a Target employee tell me you can no longer buy a GC with a Target GC, period. But she also told me that has been that way for a long time, which I know is not true, so we shall see...

 

[bpesch]

Same thing happened to me. Daughter was given a $100 target gift card. Was going to get her $50 gift card for disney to use when we go in a few weeks and some books/clothes. We were able to get the books and clothes but no gift card. Manager informed me that this is a new policy. I think Walmart has the same policy.

Not true at Wal Mart. I bought two Disney GC's there the other day and had no issue paying for them with a Wal Mart GC.

 

[afan]

Something definitely changed with the Target gift cards; I think they're fighting back the fraud. I just used a $5 Target e-gift card (from a Coke survey) to buy my food order, and the Target app had to email me an access code for the cashier to type in. It's a big process for one gift card--I can't imagine using many in one order.

The access code thing has been around for over 3 months now and how you need to be prepared for them prior to going because the emails don't always come in a timely way. It's better not to put them into the app and keep them in their email or website form so you have the access code right there. I go to mine straight from swagbucks, ibotta or wherever I got it from so I can read it to the cashier. When I requested the email I got it over 12 hours later.

 

[TCB in FLA]

I wasn’t able to buy a Starbucks GC with my Target GC last week. The cashier said apologetic but didn’t know what was going on. The computer let me use it for my other items, but I had to pay a different way for the GC. So it’s not just Disney GC related.

 

[SUSIEQ]

It is the only reason I shop at Target.
No GC to use for future Disney GC, then no more shopping there for me!

I feel the same way, and I hope A LOT of others feel the same!
I'm hoping that Best Buy doesn't decide to go this same route.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I feel the same way, and I hope A LOT of others feel the same!
I'm hoping that Best Buy doesn't decide to go this same route.

I won't be one, sorry! It's far too convenient for me and good deals on household items and baby supplies and clothes! I compare with Walmart and Amazon and they're usually cheaper. And I just don't enjoy Walmart...

 

[LadyD]

Even if this is an IT oopsies bug, unless it is interfering with other aspects of their system running appropriately or corporate feels very strongly about continuing to allow Target GC —> entertainment GC (such as Disney) transactions, I doubt it will be fixed. There is no reason to invest the money or time in their IT figuring it out. I’m guessing this is going to be permanent for now until IT does an oopsies that accidentally fixes it.

 

[Riss]

I'm an employee at Target, and actually just made an account to post on here although I have been browsing the blog for quite a while now (my family has a trip planned this year to do a 4-night Disney Dream Cruise with a 4-night stay in Disney World mid-September), but as far as I know, and I guess all of the Targets are different, it has always at least been my store policy that you can't use GC to pay with GCs, but unlike before, the computer would never stop us at mine, you could still do it even though it wasn't necessarily "policy." There would be some team members who wouldn't do it, though, even when the computer had allowed it.

However, this time, the computer is actively stopping us from using Target GCs to apply to any type of GCs and most employees akin it to corporate actually changing it, just like how the Access code is now needed for GCs, to prevent people from stealing GC numbers, waiting until the card is loaded, and using it, which I heard is what sometimes happens. I guess it's also if people get a large gift card (I saw someone once with like a $3500 gift card who repeatedly bought $50 Google Play gift cards, coming in and out of the store before we realized what he was doing and stopped him) then it prevents them from using it if they had gotten the GC in an illegal manner? They always talk at my store about people being the subject of a scam that requires them to purchase thousands of dollars in Target GCs with cash to like "save loved ones." It may sound unbelievable, but I've definitely seen people get fidgety when they are politely asked if they are somehow being asked to send a Target GC worth that much overseas and one woman had even come in with an envelope with over a thousand dollars in cash to pay for the GC.

I, like some here, speculate that this isn't just an IT problem gone wrong, but may be something more permanent. So far, while working there, I haven't seen any IT mistake that resulted in a change in the system entirely on every computer. The IT mistakes would typically be if something didn't come off properly, like Cartwheel, or, more recently, some of the promotional GCs not loading immediately for the guest to use it right away buying something else.

 

[Tinkerbell58]

If this is the new policy, it may be a game changer for me. I purchase Target gc in December when they have 10% off Target gc offer. I then use the Target gc to purchase Disney gc, which are used toward my AP or other Disney vacation expenses. I also use the $5 or $10 Target gc I collect throughout the year for Disney gc.

 

[kristenrice]

Hopefully, they will still allow the 5% RedCard discount on the gift cards. I can switch my budgets around and use my FWP gift cards on groceries and my RedCard on Disney gift cards. If the RedCard discount goes away, though, I will shop at Wal-Mart instead.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Hopefully, they will still allow the 5% RedCard discount on the gift cards. I can switch my budgets around and use my FWP gift cards on groceries and my RedCard on Disney gift cards. If the RedCard discount goes away, though, I will shop at Wal-Mart instead.

Yes, the 5% still works. I just used my Target GC’s on stuff I needed anyways and used the red card for the Disney GC and saved the same.

 

[robinb]

If this is the new policy, it may be a game changer for me. I purchase Target gc in December when they have 10% off Target gc offer. I then use the Target gc to purchase Disney gc, which are used toward my AP or other Disney vacation expenses. I also use the $5 or $10 Target gc I collect throughout the year for Disney gc.

Me too. I saved a boat load of money that way in the past. But Target also lost a half of a boatload of money from me at the same time.

I understand about "money laundering" and using fraudulent gift cards to turn them into non-fraudulent cards. I might have some sympathy for Target if they actually addressed the victims of that fraud. But they don't. They just throw up their hands and say that the victims are at fault for not taking care of their cards properly. Even when those cards have never left the possession of the buyer.

 

[DizMe]

I'm an employee at Target, and actually just made an account to post on here although I have been browsing the blog for quite a while now (my family has a trip planned this year to do a 4-night Disney Dream Cruise with a 4-night stay in Disney World mid-September), but as far as I know, and I guess all of the Targets are different, it has always at least been my store policy that you can't use GC to pay with GCs, but unlike before, the computer would never stop us at mine, you could still do it even though it wasn't necessarily "policy." There would be some team members who wouldn't do it, though, even when the computer had allowed it.

However, this time, the computer is actively stopping us from using Target GCs to apply to any type of GCs and most employees akin it to corporate actually changing it, just like how the Access code is now needed for GCs, to prevent people from stealing GC numbers, waiting until the card is loaded, and using it, which I heard is what sometimes happens. I guess it's also if people get a large gift card (I saw someone once with like a $3500 gift card who repeatedly bought $50 Google Play gift cards, coming in and out of the store before we realized what he was doing and stopped him) then it prevents them from using it if they had gotten the GC in an illegal manner? They always talk at my store about people being the subject of a scam that requires them to purchase thousands of dollars in Target GCs with cash to like "save loved ones." It may sound unbelievable, but I've definitely seen people get fidgety when they are politely asked if they are somehow being asked to send a Target GC worth that much overseas and one woman had even come in with an envelope with over a thousand dollars in cash to pay for the GC.

I, like some here, speculate that this isn't just an IT problem gone wrong, but may be something more permanent. So far, while working there, I haven't seen any IT mistake that resulted in a change in the system entirely on every computer. The IT mistakes would typically be if something didn't come off properly, like Cartwheel, or, more recently, some of the promotional GCs not loading immediately for the guest to use it right away buying something else.

I just wanted to thank you very much for taking the time to give us your informed opinion on this. I'm in sad agreement that it seems unlikely that this system change will eventually revert to the old one.

 

[starry_solo]

I guess I'll just have to be happy with the 5% off via the red card.

 

[SL6827]

I guess I'll just have to be happy with the 5% off via the red card.

Yep that is most likely the most we will be getting through Target from now on. I need to purchase around $600 worth of DGCs before we go in June and I am just budgeting 5% off. I hope that they never take away this Red Card benefit.

 

[DreamIsaWish]

So can I no longer get a Target gift card with a Target gift card? I still have part of larger Target gift card from the 10% offer in December. I need to get a smaller gift card for a kid birthday party present and this would be the best way to do that.

I would definitely rather break down the larger Target gift card than use my Red Card to get the smaller one (because I don't get the 5% off on the new gift card purchase). If I can't break down the larger gift card, then I guess I'll get something else from somewhere else for this present.