There are always off-and-on reports of CVS making Vanilla Reloads and other prepaids into cash-only items. Usually it’s a particular store or a particular clerk who doesn’t know the published limits – $5,000 per 24 hours and an ID swipe required at $1,000 in a transaction.
However, @Ringsthecaddy on twitter tweeted me this memo today from a CVS store in Boca Raton, FL. It details that on March 31st, several items that can now be bought with credit cards will be cash-only. They include Vanilla Reloads, PayPal, AMEX Serve reloads, and MyVanilla cards, but do not include things like Visa or Mastercard gift cards:
As of 3/31, the acceptable form of payment for all Reloadable Debit Cards will be cash only.
- Amex Serve
- MyVanilla VL $20-$500
- NetSpend $20-$500
- PayPal $20-$500
- Vanilla Reload Network (n.b. – this is likely what we refer to as “Vanilla Reloads”)
- Amex Swipe Reload
- Netspend Reload
- Paypal Reload
- Jackson Hewitt Classic Reload
- Momentum Reload
- Mio Reload
- My Vanilla Reload
- First Data Money Network Reload
These reloads are a great way to achieve minimum spending for credit cards, as well as rack up other points for a set cost. However, if they go cash-only, that’s a big hit.
As always, the FlyerTalk thread has caught wind of this and others in Florida are saying they saw a similar memo. It could be a regional thing (and as someone in California, I sure hope it is). It could also be an early April Fools’ joke. We’ll see on Monday for sure.
I visited 3 CVS stores in the LA area I normally frequent on the way to work today (yeah, even on Saturday :/), and none had heard anything about cash-only. What have you all heard in your locations?.
