Handing a $1000 gift card to a server?

DrFacilier

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
So I have about $2500 in Disney GCs that I’ve bought in preparation for our coming trip. Went on Disneygiftcard.com and combined them into 2 $1000 and 1 $500 card. We plan on using them to pay for everything from souvenirs to snacks, drinks and meals. We are not staying on site so we cannot charge to our MBs. If I hand a server a $1000 gift card will they take it to a credit card machine in the back or do they scan it like a magic band at the table? Starting to think I should have combined in smaller denominations. Feels weird letting $1000 “cash” out of my sight.
 
So I have about $2500 in Disney GCs that I’ve bought in preparation for our coming trip. Went on Disneygiftcard.com and combined them into 2 $1000 and 1 $500 card. We plan on using them to pay for everything from souvenirs to snacks, drinks and meals. We are not staying on site so we cannot charge to our MBs. If I hand a server a $1000 gift card will they take it to a credit card machine in the back or do they scan it like a magic band at the table? Starting to think I should have combined in smaller denominations. Feels weird letting $1000 “cash” out of my sight.

I think I would go back and do smaller denominations. No way I'd let that much money leave my hand. They will have to take it somewhere to scan.
 
I think I would go back and do smaller denominations. No way I'd let that much money leave my hand. They will have to take it somewhere to scan.
I would “go back” if I could but it cant be undone at this point right?
 


I would be sure to write down the number of the gift card including the 800 number just in case it is "lost".
This is a good point. I can carry around an empty GC so if it was "lost" or lost I would be able to go to the website to quickly transfer the balance of that card. Thanks. Feeling better already.
 


This is a good point. I can carry around an empty GC so if it was "lost" or lost I would be able to go to the website to quickly transfer the balance of that card. Thanks. Feeling better already.

I would certainly hope that CMs are honest, and 99% of them probably are. However, with a GC, you have no way to prove how much money is still on that card or should be on that card. They could skim $$$ off and then rerun with the new total and say that's all you had on there.

I would “go back” if I could but it cant be undone at this point right?

Do you still have the original GCs? You should be able to reverse it, but only if you still have those cards.
 
I would certainly hope that CMs are honest, and 99% of them probably are. However, with a GC, you have no way to prove how much money is still on that card or should be on that card. They could skim $$$ off and then rerun with the new total and say that's all you had on there.



Do you still have the original GCs? You should be able to reverse it, but only if you still have those cards.
Yeah. I feel like the chances of something happening are pretty slim an I’m assuming there won’t be issues. I will be carrying an extra card just in case. I have already gotten rid of most of the GCs. Didn’t know there was a way to reverse.
 
i would not hand it off to the server. Pretty much every restaurant I've been in has a cash register that is guest-accessible that the transaction can be rung through on *with you standing right there while it is* so you don't have to hand over your gift card/credit card/debit card to do the transaction. Yes, it means you get to take a little walk to make the payment, but it lets you retain control over something that is next to cash.

SW
 
... I wonder. Is there a way while at Disney to buy for 10 $100 gift cards, and use the $1000 GC as payment?
 
Purchase a few gift cards with a small amount on them and reallocate the large balances. I would be more concerned with loosing one that large.

Love the flexibility the web site offers for managing gift cards.
 
I have used gift cards with more than $1000 and had no problem handing it to a CM. This was before we could transfer GCs ourselves. Now, since more and more people carry GCs, I get unique ones to use so I know automatically that the card I get back is mine.
 
Or buy one, keep the large ones in the safe in your room and keep moving funds to the card you carry. I do this when at food & wine and find I spend more than planned sampling :)
yup, the least hassle would be to carry the $500 one - the first dinner you have will make a big ding in it anyway, lol. then transfer money a few hundred at a time from the others to it.

I also use a unique one (I buy a $100 gift card from the Disney store in my favorite movie, I am carrying a sleeping beauty and a zootopia one). I also keep an empty one on me so that I can transfer funds to it if I lose one. I've never had an issue with my gift card not coming back to me and honestly I probably started with $1000 on it. The remaining balance is printed on the receipt so I always check that - if I get back sleeping beauty and a receipt with the expected balance I'm good.
 
If a CM ever skimmed my card, he/she would have some explaining to do.

We frequently use $500 GCs. Here’s my tips.

Track your balance and transactions here - https://www.disneygiftcard.com/manage/

Ask to see the balance after each transaction. I believe it is shown on the bottom of the receipt at every POS.

Reuse GC with older designs. We have a lot of old DMR cards.

I apply a sticky note to the back (torn to fit above the bar code) to keep track of balances. Especially when dealing with multiple cards.

Never let them keep your 0 balance card(s).
 
i would not hand it off to the server. Pretty much every restaurant I've been in has a cash register that is guest-accessible that the transaction can be rung through on *with you standing right there while it is* so you don't have to hand over your gift card/credit card/debit card to do the transaction. Yes, it means you get to take a little walk to make the payment, but it lets you retain control over something that is next to cash.

SW
Good to have this option. Thanks!

Purchase a few gift cards with a small amount on them and reallocate the large balances. I would be more concerned with loosing one that large.

Love the flexibility the web site offers for managing gift cards.
I love the flexibility too. Unfortunately at this point you can only combine into larger amounts. I would love to see they expand to allowing guests to break up large amounts onto multiple cards as well.

I have used gift cards with more than $1000 and had no problem handing it to a CM. This was before we could transfer GCs ourselves. Now, since more and more people carry GCs, I get unique ones to use so I know automatically that the card I get back is mine.
Thanks for the idea. Just went on the Disney Store site and picked up a sweet Space Mountain one with the Fab 5 on it.
yup, the least hassle would be to carry the $500 one - the first dinner you have will make a big ding in it anyway, lol. then transfer money a few hundred at a time from the others to it.

I also use a unique one (I buy a $100 gift card from the Disney store in my favorite movie, I am carrying a sleeping beauty and a zootopia one). I also keep an empty one on me so that I can transfer funds to it if I lose one. I've never had an issue with my gift card not coming back to me and honestly I probably started with $1000 on it. The remaining balance is printed on the receipt so I always check that - if I get back sleeping beauty and a receipt with the expected balance I'm good.
Yeah the balances won't stay large for long lol.
 
If a CM ever skimmed my card, he/she would have some explaining to do.

We frequently use $500 GCs. Here’s my tips.

Track your balance and transactions here - https://www.disneygiftcard.com/manage/

Ask to see the balance after each transaction. I believe it is shown on the bottom of the receipt at every POS.

Reuse GC with older designs. We have a lot of old DMR cards.

I apply a sticky note to the back (torn to fit above the bar code) to keep track of balances. Especially when dealing with multiple cards.

Never let them keep your 0 balance card(s).
Thanks so much for this!!! I had no idea that there was a transaction history! This is awesome and why I love the Disboards.
 

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