Gift cards can often be bought discounted. When my credit card offers their 5% 'cash back' bonus on 'grocery' I buy gift cards from the grocery for gas, restaurants and other things I use. I understand that COSTCO always sells gift cards with discounts (I'm not a member so this is second hand information). I understand that Target sells gift cards and I can get a 5% discount on cards there using my Target Red Card (I have not looked to see what they have and/or whether I get my 5% discount at the register for a gift card).
Discounted cards are also available for purchase on line by Raise.com and other vendors. Typically I purchase Five Guys cards for 80 to 90 cents on the dollar from a place like Raise.
I see two big advantages to using gift cards: 1) the location being shopped does not have my name or any records of my personal information and 2) if my gift card gets skimmed they can only steal the value remaining on the card.
Edited to add: Around the holidays many of the restaurants I shop have gift card deals that frequently amount to 20 to 25% savings. I load up on cards of the restaurants where I can use such cards on shops. Just a little added profit to my shop as I am reimbursed for the $ spent, not the cost of the $ spent.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2019 08:46PM by Flash.