store bought gift cards

[Night Elf]

My local grocery store has a kiosk of all kinds of gift cards. I need to purchase one and rather than going all the way to the restaurant, it would be easier to just buy one at the grocery store. Can they be trusted though? I thought I remembered how easy it is for scammers to steal the gift card codes, wait for it to be activated, then use them. Should I chance it? Have you ever had a problem using these cards bought from the grocery store?

[SemiSweet]

We buy them, have never had any problems.

[kewb]

I buy them all the time and have yet to have an issue.

[LuvToRead]

I get fuel rewards on my grocery purchases, so I buy all my gift cards from the grocery store.  I make sure that silver scratch-off coating is still intact, and I have never had a problem.  I do save my activation receipts just in case.

[Pawz4me]

We buy them all the time and have never had a problem.

[UCF612]

Never had a problem here either. We've bought many like that.

[Tammyla]

No problems here either, I purchase gift card at the grocery store and get a rewards back from them.

[Night Elf]

Ok, I bought it. I went through the self checkout and it charged me the $50 but it didn't do anything specific to activate it so I hope it's ok. I'm sending it to my mom for Mother's Day.

[Amy in NH]

I know with store gift cards they need to be slid through a machine to activate them. Maybe that's not the case with cards for other businesses? I might call customer service to make sure.

[Valley Girl]

Ok, I bought it. I went through the self checkout and it charged me the $50 but it didn't do anything specific to activate it so I hope it's ok. I'm sending it to my mom for Mother's Day.

 

Often you'll receive a small "activation slip" with your regular store receipt. Did you get one of those?

 

If I were you, I'd go to the website for the card you bought and check the balance to make sure it's been activated. If it hasn't, take your store receipt back to the grocery store and ask to speak to a manager.

[mom2samlibby]

Ok, I bought it. I went through the self checkout and it charged me the $50 but it didn't do anything specific to activate it so I hope it's ok. I'm sending it to my mom for Mother's Day.

 

I thought the info was inside the cardboard that the recipient has access to after they open it.  

[gardenmom5]

the merchants have been better about hiding the codes.  both scratch off to see it, and covered by the packaging.

[Night Elf]

There was no slip on the receipt to active it. And there was no phone number on the back of it to check the balance. It's attached to a cardboard backing but you could see the black numbers on the back of the card. I saved the receipt. I've mailed it to her already. I'll ask her to take it to the restaurant and have them check the balance. I knew I should have purchased it from the restaurant. Ugh!

[Tenaj]

There was no slip on the receipt to active it. And there was no phone number on the back of it to check the balance. It's attached to a cardboard backing but you could see the black numbers on the back of the card. I saved the receipt. I've mailed it to her already. I'll ask her to take it to the restaurant and have them check the balance. I knew I should have purchased it from the restaurant. Ugh!

 

I think it's fine.  I've purchased both by the cashier and the self-checkout and never had a problem with them.

[Prairie~Phlox]

I'm sure if you paid for it, it's fine, you had to scan the back and that's how it was activated.