Stop&Shop will introduce to their POS systems a $500 limit per transaction on select retailer gift cards beginning December 2, 2019. The following brands will be affected: Best Buy, iTunes, Google Play, GameStop.
A few notes:
- The wording on top of the memo (not shown here) “All Stores” indicates these limits will affect all Stop&Shop locations.
- I’m unsure if Giant and Martin’s will make these limitations as well.
- Looks like even lower amounts may require manager override.
- Sounds like each gift card brand gets its own $500 limit.
It’s still possible to check out $500 per transaction, and repeat multiple times, but the implication is that the cashiers are not supposed to allow this, so it’ll be the standard YMMV. Regardless, it’s obviously a pain.
Best Buy, especially, is interesting to a lot of resellers. Other retailers who sell Best Buy gift cards also have these $500 limits as well. Best Buy is worried about Victim Assisted Fraud, according to the memo.
Safeway just added the same $500 limit as well.
Thanks to my friend Jay for tipping me off to this
View Comments (5)
This going to make it more difficult for me to pay the IRS.
It is also enforced in other grocery stores like Safeway. I found it is not per transaction. It is like a period of time per counter.
It's not fraud if it's victim assisted. It's evolution.
I think they meant to say transactions of $200 or more require manager override. As long as I can remember, a manager has had to use a key to override when I buy a $500 Visa or MC gift card. Recently, I've been directed to CS to buy them. I was told anything over $200 requires this.
Right, I thought it was a mistype as well; "up to $200" should say 'over $200'; "up to $500" should say 'over $500'.