Beware of Companies Paying with Gift Cards - Be very careful
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Which company does this? Did they make it clear that you would be paid in this manner?
@sarag wrote:
I did a restaurant shop and got "paid" with two gift cards. This week I received an email from the shopping company to say that the gift cards have expiration dates. I hadn't noticed that they had and was horrified to think that my "payment" could expire soon. I caution others to be aware of this before accepting shops with this form of payment.
Definitely good to check when your GC expires.
@sarag wrote:
To me it doesn't seem fair to get paid with a deadline.
Don't understand why not. If a company pays you with a check it almost always has an expiration date on it.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2015 04:39AM by bgriffin.
There is a law about gift cards and them not being allowed to expire, but i think they can still charge fees after a certain time...it is usually a lengthy amount of time to use it through...
I did this with CheeseCake Factory..I had the card for a LONG TIME..never got around to doing another shop as I wasn't thrilled about being paid with another gift card....I eventually converted it to a Walmart gift card for about 80% the value.
I had done some shops for Amusement Advantage...where you got paid in a voucher to go back to the location...It was as summer only place..I did the shop at the end of August...the voucher expired that fall...it was useless...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2015 04:36AM by jmitw.
I did this with CheeseCake Factory..I had the card for a LONG TIME..never got around to doing another shop as I wasn't thrilled about being paid with another gift card....I eventually converted it to a Walmart gift card for about 80% the value.
I had done some shops for Amusement Advantage...where you got paid in a voucher to go back to the location...It was as summer only place..I did the shop at the end of August...the voucher expired that fall...it was useless...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2015 04:36AM by jmitw.
[www.ncsl.org]
In 2009, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which set consumer protections for gift cards based on many state laws. The law provides that gift cards cannot expire within five years from the date they were activated and generally limits inactivity fee on gift cards except in certain circumstances, such as if there has been no transaction for at least 12 months. The federal law creates a floor for regulation and leaves room for state regulation on redeeming gift cards for cash and unclaimed property provisions.
In 2009, Congress passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which set consumer protections for gift cards based on many state laws. The law provides that gift cards cannot expire within five years from the date they were activated and generally limits inactivity fee on gift cards except in certain circumstances, such as if there has been no transaction for at least 12 months. The federal law creates a floor for regulation and leaves room for state regulation on redeeming gift cards for cash and unclaimed property provisions.
@bgriffin wrote:
@sarag wrote:
I did a restaurant shop and got "paid" with two gift cards. This week I received an email from the shopping company to say that the gift cards have expiration dates. I hadn't noticed that they had and was horrified to think that my "payment" could expire soon. I caution others to be aware of this before accepting shops with this form of payment.
Definitely good to check when your GC expires.
@sarag wrote:
To me it doesn't seem fair to get paid with a deadline.
Don't understand why not. If a company pays you with a check it almost always has an expiration date on it.
with a check..you deposit it and you are done....and can use the money right away or will it to your grandkids 50 years from now...
with a GC--you have to go back to that location to benefit.......its not as easy as cashing a check
That wasn't my point. You have to do something with the check (cash it, deposit it) within a certain time frame.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
If the gift card company does this then they are in violation of federal law!
Some states have even tighter restrictions than this and some states will take the funds after 5 years and hold them for even longer. The gift card industry does not get to keep the money anymore or charge a monthly fee to eat the card up. The Federal and State laws fixed that.
I have a company that pays with a reloaded Visa gift card and I run the card down to $10-$15 before I need to do a grocery shop. I check out at the customer service desk and make sure I get someone who knows how to break the sale up and charge me in two transactions. The first one is what I tell them and the exact total left on the card to the penny. I then pay for the remaining with my normal credit card. After I zero balance the card, I take it out of my wallet until I shop and get paid again for this MSC.
Some states have even tighter restrictions than this and some states will take the funds after 5 years and hold them for even longer. The gift card industry does not get to keep the money anymore or charge a monthly fee to eat the card up. The Federal and State laws fixed that.
I have a company that pays with a reloaded Visa gift card and I run the card down to $10-$15 before I need to do a grocery shop. I check out at the customer service desk and make sure I get someone who knows how to break the sale up and charge me in two transactions. The first one is what I tell them and the exact total left on the card to the penny. I then pay for the remaining with my normal credit card. After I zero balance the card, I take it out of my wallet until I shop and get paid again for this MSC.
@ wrote:
Federal Trade Commission
Shopping for gifts can be a real dilemma. Just what do you get your finicky Aunt Mary, your co-worker, or your child's babysitter? Gift cards may be the answer: one size fits all, and the recipients can get exactly what they want from a retailer or restaurant.
Before you buy a stack of gift cards, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, wants you to know about the different types of gift cards and tips for buying and using them.
retail gift cards are sold by retailers and restaurants, and can be used only with those merchants.
bank gift cards carry the logo of a payment card network like American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa, and can be used wherever the brand is accepted.
New rules for gift cards went into effect on August 22, 2010. Here are the highlights:
Money on a gift card cannot expire for at least five years from the date the card was purchased, or from the last date any additional money was loaded onto the card. If the expiration date listed on the card is earlier than these dates, the money can be transferred to a replacement card at no cost.
Inactivity fees can be charged only after a card hasn't been used for at least one year, and you can be charged only once per month. But you may be charged a fee to buy the card or to replace a lost or stolen card.
The expiration date of a card must be clearly disclosed on the card, and fees must be clearly disclosed on the card or its packaging.
Problems and Complaints
If you have a problem with a gift card, contact the company that issued the card. If you can't resolve the problem at that level, you may want to file a complaint with the appropriate authorities:
For cards issued by retailers, contact the Federal Trade Commission or call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP. Or you may file a complaint with your state Attorney General (for a list of state offices, visit naag.org).
For cards issued by national banks, contact the Comptroller of the Currency's (OCC) Customer Assistance Group by calling 800-613-6743 or sending an e-mail to: customer.assistance@occ.treas.gov. The OCC charters, regulates, and supervises national banks.
That Staples card I got for $44 as rebate for buying that case of paper last month said right on the card that they can charge a monthly fee but not for the first six months.
Any gift card I get that isn't store-specific (Visa pre paid debit cards for instance) I usually just give up the 2.75% and run it through my Square device to deposit it into my bank. I'm not in the habit of using gift cards and prefer all my transactions be on my credit card for bookkeeping purposes. I don't get a statement for things I bought on a Visa debit card. I used the Staples card for fast food since I don't need to track that for tax purposes. I think I've got it down to less than a dollar at this point. If I remember I'll check the balance. It has to be at least a dollar to run it through Square.
Any gift card I get that isn't store-specific (Visa pre paid debit cards for instance) I usually just give up the 2.75% and run it through my Square device to deposit it into my bank. I'm not in the habit of using gift cards and prefer all my transactions be on my credit card for bookkeeping purposes. I don't get a statement for things I bought on a Visa debit card. I used the Staples card for fast food since I don't need to track that for tax purposes. I think I've got it down to less than a dollar at this point. If I remember I'll check the balance. It has to be at least a dollar to run it through Square.
Time to build a bigger bridge.
@dspeakes wrote:
That Staples card I got for $44 as rebate for buying that case of paper last month said right on the card that they can charge a monthly fee but not for the first six months.
Any gift card I get that isn't store-specific (Visa pre paid debit cards for instance) I usually just give up the 2.75% and run it through my Square device to deposit it into my bank. I'm not in the habit of using gift cards and prefer all my transactions be on my credit card for bookkeeping purposes. I don't get a statement for things I bought on a Visa debit card. I used the Staples card for fast food since I don't need to track that for tax purposes. I think I've got it down to less than a dollar at this point. If I remember I'll check the balance. It has to be at least a dollar to run it through Square.
I never thought of doing that. Thanks for the tip.
If you use google wallet or paypal, you can also throw your prepaid visas into those accounts.
Regular gift cards never expire in California. So if you live in a state where they do, even after 5 years, either take a trip or send the cards to me and I will use them.
However, there is a catch. Not all payments are in the form of an actual "gift card". In some cases you will get a voucher or something else in payment. These may look like gift cards but they are not and do not have the same rules. In many cases where you get something for "free" when purchasing something else, especially at Christmas time, these are not gift cards. Gift cards have to be purchased with an exchange of cash by someone to have no expiration date. If it is a "gift" given to you by the vendor themselves it is not a gift card. So if you buy a dinner and get a "voucher" to take $10 off next time this is not a gift card. If you get payment for a mystery shop in the form of a $40 off your next dinner it is not necessarily a gift card but may be like a voucher. Prepaid debit cards are a whole other thing and have their own rules but these can be turned into cash fairly easily. You need to check each offer carefully.
However, there is a catch. Not all payments are in the form of an actual "gift card". In some cases you will get a voucher or something else in payment. These may look like gift cards but they are not and do not have the same rules. In many cases where you get something for "free" when purchasing something else, especially at Christmas time, these are not gift cards. Gift cards have to be purchased with an exchange of cash by someone to have no expiration date. If it is a "gift" given to you by the vendor themselves it is not a gift card. So if you buy a dinner and get a "voucher" to take $10 off next time this is not a gift card. If you get payment for a mystery shop in the form of a $40 off your next dinner it is not necessarily a gift card but may be like a voucher. Prepaid debit cards are a whole other thing and have their own rules but these can be turned into cash fairly easily. You need to check each offer carefully.
Thank you for all of you suggestions. Since it is a gift card to a particular restaurant, i will try to plan on a dinner there soon. It's a good thing I like their food. I don't think I'll take one of these shops again though. I don't like someone telling me where I have to dine by a specific date if the dinner is on my own time.
Shopping North New Jersey
I received gift cards as compensation by a certain mystery shopping company. This was two years ago. I checked one old card in my wallet this week and it STILL has a small balance on it. No fees have ever been taken out. No expiration and none shown on the card. I will use it eventually 
@sarag wrote:
Thank you for all of you suggestions. Since it is a gift card to a particular restaurant, i will try to plan on a dinner there soon. It's a good thing I like their food. I don't think I'll take one of these shops again though. I don't like someone telling me where I have to dine by a specific date if the dinner is on my own time.
Yeah, that does sound pretty crummy that a client is trying to make money off of your work. We all just thought Sonic trying to squeeze us was bad...
I don't mind those yellow $40 gift cards.
Once your paid the first time, you just keep paying for the next meal with the card from the previous shop. They get them out to you fast enough to use for the next months shop if you can get it. They go fast around me and I keep a real close eye on the job board around the time they post them. Sometimes the shops are taken within 30 minutes for the whole month.
Once your paid the first time, you just keep paying for the next meal with the card from the previous shop. They get them out to you fast enough to use for the next months shop if you can get it. They go fast around me and I keep a real close eye on the job board around the time they post them. Sometimes the shops are taken within 30 minutes for the whole month.
I wonder if the OP was talking about the Bonehead Grill psuedo gift cards? I haven't done one of those shops because, well see the other thread regarding them. But I can see where those "gift cards" with all of their restrictions could have an expiration date.
Is the OP still around?
Is the OP still around?
You have the right restaurant but why are you calling them pseudo gift cards? They definitely have an expiration date on them. I thought they were regular gift cards and I was still upset.
Shopping North New Jersey
I think the pseudo gift card label was added because with the Bonefish Grill cards it is a use it or lose it scenario. If your card is for $25 and you only use $15 you will lose the remaining $10 balance. It doesn't carry over like most gift cards.
Thanks for making that clear - not that I ever spend less than $25 to go for dinner. i think this is why I got paid in two $25 gift cards rather than one $50 one.
Shopping North New Jersey
The not carrying over restriction must only apply to the bonehead gift cards. The cheese cards will hold a balance as I have used a $40 one for a lunch shop and then carried a $7 balance over to the next visit. This restriction must be something bone headed this one client is doing as the other clients of the same MSC don't have this restriction.
The bonehead shops sit there as the only thing on the MSC site all month. From what I read about the report, I can see why.
The bonehead shops sit there as the only thing on the MSC site all month. From what I read about the report, I can see why.
Yes, I called the Bonehead Grill cards psuedo gift cards because the balance doesn't carry over and it's my understanding that you can't apply the balance to tax, tip and alcohol. I'm not sure how using one of those things doesn't out you as a shopper since I have no idea how you would get such a card except through shopper payment.
And yes, the cheese cards are the same as a regular gift card. I continually roll them to pay for the next shop there.
And yes, the cheese cards are the same as a regular gift card. I continually roll them to pay for the next shop there.
I did the Bonefish shop and the report is overly detailed, long, required pictures AND the required meal items will put you way over the gift card. The only good thing which came out of it was the psuedo gift card instantly identified me as a ms'er when I tried to use it at a different Bonefish. My card was $25 and my meal was $30. The server took the card and a minute later, the manager came over and was all smiles and couldn't be NICER! He told me not to worry about any balance; they would comp the entire meal. Hmm...I didn't want to cheat the server and left a cash tip for her. I will NEVER do another Bonefish because of the report.
Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@
~Polish Proverb~
~Polish Proverb~
I used my card tonight and had a similar experience with the manager coming over to my table. It turns out that these are cards they give to customers who have an unhappy experience at the restaurant. they give them to them to entice them to come back. That's why they have an expiration; they want the person to return and have a good experience soon. The manager said he was new at that location. He wanted to know what happened before. I was in NJ and said I dined before in Florida. He didn't ask much else. So maybe presenting the cards doesn't identify you as a mystery shopper.
Shopping North New Jersey
That means your worse than a MS in the eyes of the manager. Your someone who will send off a well written complaint to corporate headquarters. You instill fear in the manager and he don't want you to do the same to him. Your a corporate troublemaker either way. Now I see why they just sit there all month. I've done every other shop I see but that one.
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