Credit Cards - Fees on Gift Cards

born_again

TheMod1 said:

Looks like airtime rewards are working on a fix. When you go to buy a gift card it blocks credit cards and has this message

We’ve temporarily disabled credit card payments for gift cards while we work on resolving an issue. Debit cards are still available as normal.

Also just to add ive never faced extra charges for buying gift cards on my CC, must he lucky.

TBH, & this will be unpopular. 
Gift cards should be classed as cash purchase. As that is exactly what you are doing loading a card with a cash value.

flaneurs_lobster

born_again said:

TheMod1 said:

Looks like airtime rewards are working on a fix. When you go to buy a gift card it blocks credit cards and has this message

We’ve temporarily disabled credit card payments for gift cards while we work on resolving an issue. Debit cards are still available as normal.

Also just to add ive never faced extra charges for buying gift cards on my CC, must he lucky.

TBH, & this will be unpopular. 
Gift cards should be classed as cash purchase. As that is exactly what you are doing loading a card with a cash value.

Can't say I'm particularly bothered if they are or not, but if there's a (legal) way to avoid charges while earning cashback on spending then I'm going to be taking advantage. 

Slinky

born_again said:

TheMod1 said:

Looks like airtime rewards are working on a fix. When you go to buy a gift card it blocks credit cards and has this message

We’ve temporarily disabled credit card payments for gift cards while we work on resolving an issue. Debit cards are still available as normal.

Also just to add ive never faced extra charges for buying gift cards on my CC, must he lucky.

TBH, & this will be unpopular. 
Gift cards should be classed as cash purchase. As that is exactly what you are doing loading a card with a cash value.

But you can't swap that gift card value in for cash (as far as I'm understanding things), so I can't see what the difference is between buying a gift card for a supermarket on a credit card, or buying stuff at the supermarket on the same credit card. The only slight advantage being that you can get the cashback before paying the credit card bill.

Slinky

TheMod1 said:

Looks like airtime rewards are working on a fix. When you go to buy a gift card it blocks credit cards and has this message

We’ve temporarily disabled credit card payments for gift cards while we work on resolving an issue. Debit cards are still available as normal.

Also just to add ive never faced extra charges for buying gift cards on my CC, must he lucky.

Being charged for a 'cash advance' when buying the gift card, somewhat negates any advantage of the cashback.

Slinky

crumpet_man said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Slinky said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Slinky said:

I'd spotted the change that giftcards no longer qualify for cashback, so they've become much less attractive to buy on Airtime.

Someone on another thread mentioned Everup, which I've found give much better rates than Airtime and Topcashback in the main. The only difference being that it's a minimum of £10 to cashout to your bank, and they charge 30p if you do this. However you can knock off your cashback earned of any amount against the next card you buy.

Thanks for that. Can you buy Giftcards with credit cards and are these purchases reported as cash advances? 

I've had no problem so far buying giftcards through Everup with my John Lewis credit card. No cash advance charge.

Thanks. I've installed the app and had a quick look round. Rates look good, am I right that purchases with a cc have to be via Google Pay?

Would you be so kind as to provide the discount rates for Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys?  I don't suppose they have Amazon on there too?

Sorry, just noticed it's shown on their website, often you have to download and sign up to the app to see the current rates.

Asda 

4.80% Instant Cashback
+ 1,616 coins per £1 spent

Tesco

5.50% Instant Cashback

Sainsburys

5.20% Instant Cashback
+ 1,751 coins per £1 spent

No Amazon

I think the rates do seem to vary a little from time to time

ZeroSum

I have a workplace scheme & used various credit cards & not once has it been treat as cash

michaels

So this is what Lloyds bank define as 'cash like transactions for their credit cards.  If they include gift cards why not specifically say so?

What other transactions count as a cash transaction?

Withdrawing cash is the most common type of cash transaction. But there are some other uses that also count, depending on your provider. For example, we include:

• Using your available credit to obtain cash (e.g. at a cash machine or at an over-the-counter service). 
• Gambling transactions, using your card to make transactions at casinos, betting outlets and bookmakers, and buying online lottery tickets or gaming chips, share trading or spread betting.
• Buying foreign currency.
• Sending money orders or wire transfers (other than balance transfers or money transfers).
• Buying coins, banknotes or digital currency.
• Paying government or court fines, enforcement penalties, fees or costs.
• Online trading such as share dealing or investments.
• Purchasing or topping up electronic money, payment cards, mobile wallets or account dashboard services.

Please check the terms and conditions of your credit card for a comprehensive list of cash transactions.

etienneg

michaels said:

So this is what Lloyds bank define as 'cash like transactions for their credit cards.  If they include gift cards why not specifically say so?

What other transactions count as a cash transaction?

Withdrawing cash is the most common type of cash transaction. But there are some other uses that also count, depending on your provider. For example, we include:

• Using your available credit to obtain cash (e.g. at a cash machine or at an over-the-counter service). 
• Gambling transactions, using your card to make transactions at casinos, betting outlets and bookmakers, and buying online lottery tickets or gaming chips, share trading or spread betting.
• Buying foreign currency.
• Sending money orders or wire transfers (other than balance transfers or money transfers).
• Buying coins, banknotes or digital currency.
• Paying government or court fines, enforcement penalties, fees or costs.
• Online trading such as share dealing or investments.
• Purchasing or topping up electronic money, payment cards, mobile wallets or account dashboard services.

Please check the terms and conditions of your credit card for a comprehensive list of cash transactions.

So, given the last line above, why not quote the T&Cs of your credit card?

Slinky

Well it depends what the business type the giftcard company are registered as.  

Everup is apparently a 'Card, Gift, Novelty and Souvenir Shops' according to the transaction on my Lloyds Ultra CC.

Topcashback are 'Computer Software Stores'

Neither of which has generated fees for a cash advance on my account.

michaels

etienneg said:

michaels said:

So this is what Lloyds bank define as 'cash like transactions for their credit cards.  If they include gift cards why not specifically say so?

What other transactions count as a cash transaction?

Withdrawing cash is the most common type of cash transaction. But there are some other uses that also count, depending on your provider. For example, we include:

• Using your available credit to obtain cash (e.g. at a cash machine or at an over-the-counter service). 
• Gambling transactions, using your card to make transactions at casinos, betting outlets and bookmakers, and buying online lottery tickets or gaming chips, share trading or spread betting.
• Buying foreign currency.
• Sending money orders or wire transfers (other than balance transfers or money transfers).
• Buying coins, banknotes or digital currency.
• Paying government or court fines, enforcement penalties, fees or costs.
• Online trading such as share dealing or investments.
• Purchasing or topping up electronic money, payment cards, mobile wallets or account dashboard services.

Please check the terms and conditions of your credit card for a comprehensive list of cash transactions.

So, given the last line above, why not quote the T&Cs of your credit card?

That was what I found on the lloyds bank web page, T&C of my card are probably on some booklet that came with the card.  In this day and age the website should have the information in a form that is not open to interpretation/misunderstanding.

But as you asked:
cashback-terms-and-conditions.pdf
Cash equivalent. Using your card to make cash-related transactions or transactions that are like obtaining cash. This includes: • sending money orders or wire transfers, other than balance transfers or money transfers • buying coins, banknotes or digital currency • paying government or court fines, enforcement penalties, fees or costs • online trading such as share dealing or investments • purchasing or topping up electronic money, payment cards, mobile wallets or account dashboard services.

It is not obvious to me that purchasing a gift card comes under one of these categories, especially as I have purchased other gift cards from different suppliers using the same Lloyds card and it has not been treated as a cash equivalent transaction.  Lloyds have not supplied details of the coding they use so even if I were to ask the retailer prior to purchasing (it is not exactly info that is on the retailer website) how would they or I know how Lloyds was going to treat their transaction?