This is a developing story and I will update this post as necessary.
Good evening everyone. I just received a few emails from Discover regarding the ApplePay 10% bonus promotion. I purchased a $500 Visa Gift Card along with a few other items at Walgreens on 9/16/2015. Discover is honoring the VGC purchase and will reward me with 10% cash back.
The following day, I bought another $500 VGC along with a candy bar. Discover is honoring the VGC purchased on 9/17/2015.
Unfortunately, the very next day, I bought a $50 Southwest Airlines gift card. Discover is not going to honor the cash back for my gift card purchased on 9/18/2015.
On September 18, Frequent Miler wrote Discover’s Deal of the Year: Excludes gift cards. Has anyone received an email from Discover showing a gift card purchase was honored on or after September 18? I wonder if Discover will send me an email for every purchase I made after September 18 (that would be several emails). A few weeks ago, I wrote Discover It + ApplePay + Walgreens = 22% Cash Back for BART Clipper Card Reloads. I wonder if my BART Clipper Card reloads will qualify, since they are technically not gift cards. My Discover It Credit Card statement is closing tonight/tomorrow, so I should be able to see what the cash back statement looks like.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Have a great evening everyone!
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The most important question: How did they know that you purchased gift cards?
That’s amazing. They are not supposed to have that level of detail.
I’m not sure. I guess detecting $504.95 or $505.95 would probably be a good start.
Must be collecting level 3 data. Drats
That seems very likely. Did you purchase anything before 9/18?
Oh no, I purchased some gift cards in October. I guess those are not honored? I also purchased some gift cards at subway when I got sandwiches (2 foot longs + $20 dollars gift card = $34 something), so it’s not a flat amount. Do they know that my purchase includes a gift card? Or they would only give me 10% on the sandwichs portion, and the $20 dollar gift card portion is not qualified? So confusing lol
I have no idea, did you get an email from Discover about your Subway purchases?
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frequentmiler is saying that it may be due to just large purchases and that its up to the consumer to prove that it wasnt.
this was supposedly b/c some users reported that non-GC purchases ended up getting the denial as well. wish i’d made more purchases to test out this theory. i guess we’ll all find out in due time. ppl should start submitting data points on date and purchase amount so we can figure it out ;)
The biggest non-gift card purchase I made with Discover and ApplePay was probably around $60.
9/23 $1,011 Rite Aid Purchase was given Courtesy. All prior Walgreens and Rite Aid rejected 9/18-9/23.
I purchased some gift cards at Meijer, but not many, and the GCs had promos on them, so I would still feel like I got a deal on them, even if the promo wasn’t honored. No email from Discover so far for me. Most of my purchases have been legit groceries and gas, so I guess I will see with my statement next week.
Thank you for the data points. There is really no consistency from discover on who is getting emails. They are all over the place.
I got the same email for a $50 gift card purchase at staples on 16 sep. i made another $450 gift card purchase on 18 sep at staples, which I haven’t received an email about. I haven’t made any other gift card purchases and have followed the letter of their requirements. I’m a new discover card holder and to be quite honest, I’m pissed about the $450 transaction. Discover changed their t&c a few days after and did not send an update. I had no idea that the gift cards were excluded until I paid for them with the Apple Pay. I did not items to violate the t&c and I plan on escalating if they don’t honor the one $450 purchase. Great way to piss off a brand new customer who doesn’t take advantage of the banks.
I totally agree. I told a few people to get the Discover It Credit Card to participate in the promo and as soon as they got the credit card, Discover changed the rules of the promo. Very disappointing :(
Nope, I got this one:
mportant info about extra rewards with Apple Pay
Gift card purchases will not earn extra rewards
Dear XXXX,
We’re writing to let you know that your Apple Pay purchase on September 21, 2015 for $505.95 at #0XXXX Acme included a gift card. The gift card portion of your purchase does not qualify for the 10% Cashback Bonus® promotion.
As a reminder, now through December 31, 2015, you’ll earn an extra 10% Cashback Bonus® on up to $10,000 in purchases when you shop in stores and use your Discover card with Apple Pay, excluding gift card purchases.
If you disagree with our finding and contend that your purchase did not include a gift card or a portion of your purchase qualifies per the terms of the promotion, let us know with supporting documentation in the next 21 days. Documentation can include store receipts or invoices, but cannot include your Discover card statement. You can send documentation via email:
•Scan and then e-mail to promoverification@discover.com
Sincerely,
Discover Card Customer Service
Thank you for the email.
Grant, what was the total on your $50 SW gift card that got denied? Was it just and even $50, or was this a larger amount?
$50 even, nothing else was purchased at the same time.
I wonder if they are looking for an even amount and large amounts $200 or greater that they are denying.
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