# Multiple visa/mastercard gift cards in one transaction?



## praire_guy (Sep 8, 2011)

Here is the situation. 

I've got just over a grand in PC points that I'd like to "launder" (if that's the correct term) my points and purchase visa or mastercard gift cards to use towards a larger purchase. 

My larger purchase will be about 1200 dollars so I am wondering if it can be done with these cards, I.e I can use 10-100 dollar cards and then pay the rest with my own card?

I know Home Depot will allow multiple cards and each card you use simply reduces the balance owing and you pay the balance any way you want. 

So do these cards work like gift cards, or would it be like me paying with my MasterCard 10 times?

I've only seen visa/mc gift cards in 100 denominations. 

The merchant accepts both visa and mc but wasn't sure if we could do multiple cards as he has never done it before. He said to call visa/mc, but they both said ask the merchant, lol. 

I don't want to cash in my points and find out it doesn't work, and now I'm stuck with a grand worth of visa giftcards. 

Has anyone done what I want to do ?


----------



## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

For sure you can use multiple credit cards for a single transaction, if the cashier knows how to do it. I've done it numerous times in group settings at restaurants - the bill is $500 and each person wants to pay their own piece with credit card, the server has no problem with it.


----------



## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

if you are buying a durable good that might have to be returned, I was cautioned to hang on to all of the gift cards that went into the purchase.

If you need a refund the refund has to be the funds going back to the gift cards, then the residual funds going back to the credit card/cash that covered the remainder of the purchase.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Ponderling said:


> if you are buying a durable good that might have to be returned, I was cautioned to hang on to all of the gift cards that went into the purchase.
> 
> *If you need a refund the refund has to be the funds going back to the gift cards,* then the residual funds going back to the credit card/cash that covered the remainder of the purchase.


Using multiple gift cards to pay for part of the balance of a sale may come back to bite you, IF the product turns out to be unsatisfactory or defective at some point. 


The only record the store will have is what you paid for the item on receipt and your regular Mastercard or visa. 

I wouldn't do this (USING MULTIPLE GIFT CARDS on one purchase), if I was going to buy any tangible goods that I have to return, which includes lumber etc.

Once the gift card is scanned by the cashier at point of sale, the amount on the Gift card is removed and moved to the store credit for gift cards. These cards are considered "temporary cards', which means that that* your name is not on them. [/B
They only have a certain face value. Now if you buy something and there happens to be a residual balance, the card is NOT kept by the cashier but
handed back to you for future use of the residual balamce left on the gift card (ie: H-D or CTC gift cards). 
However, the gift card id may not always not show up on your receipt, like your credit card info, but treated more like a cash payment.

So as long as you think you don't have any future issues with the product, I suppose it might work, but it might be a nightmare to try and get your money back if the product you buy with them develops a defect under the terms of the warranty period.
Some stores will just issue you a store credit for something else, if you don't want the exact item as a replacement.*


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Ponderling said:


> if you are buying a durable good that might have to be returned, *I was cautioned to hang on to all of the gift cards that went into the purchase.*
> 
> If you need a refund the refund has to be the funds going back to the gift cards, then the residual funds going back to the credit card/cash that covered the remainder of the purchase.


If the gift card has zero balance, the cashier confiscates the card, as it has no further value on it.


----------



## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

Many stores will just give you back a store credit if you have to return something that you purchased on gift cards. I do it all the time at Home Depot.

You will never 'be stuck' with a grand worth of visa gift cards. They can always be used.

I'd use the PC Points to buy groceries. It's not free money - they bumped the prices up to cover the points, so it's just a rebate.


----------



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

nobleea said:


> Many stores will just give you back a store credit if you have to return something that you purchased on gift cards. I do it all the time at Home Depot.
> 
> You will never 'be stuck' with a grand worth of visa gift cards. They can always be used.
> 
> I'd use the PC Points to buy groceries. It's not free money -* they bumped the prices up to cover the points, so it's just a rebate*.


Yes, I found that out a long time ago. I don't use their MC nor shop there unless I have no choice in a specific grocery item. They are getting very expensive for what you are
getting...so you can get a deal at another grocery store even without cashing in their points which takes longer to save than you think and the minimum you can cash in,
is 20,000 points (which is then discounted to actual $20 worth of grocery items + you pay the balance once the points are cashed.

The way it worlks is that every time you buy something on their PCF MC, you get 10 points for every dollar spent. You need to spend $2000 on their PCF MC to get 20,000 points.
Now cashing them in..1000 points = $1 of grocery items or other merchandise. So you blast through that $20 worth of points they allow..but then you are stuck with paying off
$2000 worth of PCF MC at 19.8%..and when you get your statement..if you only pay the minimum monthly payment, they advise you that it will take 15 to 18 years to pay off the balance.

Good deal? Certainly for Loblaws..they got you on the hook with their credit card and high store prices!


----------



## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

carverman said:


> Yes, I found that out a long time ago. I don't use their MC nor shop there unless I have no choice in a specific grocery item. They are getting very expensive for what you are
> getting...so you can get a deal at another grocery store even without cashing in their points which takes longer to save than you think and the minimum you can cash in,
> is 20,000 points (which is then discounted to actual $20 worth of grocery items + you pay the balance once the points are cashed.
> 
> ...


Oh, I don't think they're more expensive than other places. This is comparing Superstore to Costco - they're about the same price on many things. Costco higher for some, Superstore higher for some. I just collect the PC Points using the free loyalty card. I shop there anyways, so the points accumulate anyways. The free cash back credit cards (like MBNA) provide about the same value anyways and means one less card to carry. Just using the loyalty card, I get about 60-80$ of groceries back per year.

I was just implying that the PC points are not 'free' money, just a return of money you've already spent. If we're in the frugality section, then using the PC points to buy a 'want' is not a great idea.


----------

