Can I participate in Target gift card promos if I use my EBT card?

[danivdp]

I was at T yesterday and was trying to get the Quaker promo, buy 5, get a $5 gift card. They told me I couldn't do the promo with my EBT card :hectic1: Is that legal? Should I go back and insist they sell them to me?

[puakinikini]

Sorry I know nothing about this so hopefully someone else who knows about EBT cards and what you can vs. can't use them for will chime in. But this seems wrong to me in that this is just a promotion rather than a sale price. I am sorry this happened to you. I just had to call Albertson's corporate the other day because I witnessed a person with an EBT card being treated very rudely - totally unacceptable.

[Mama Stu]

Didn't they already give you the gift card before you paid? I don't have any idea but I don't know why it would make any difference to them how you were going to pay.

[CoveredinGrace]

Not sure. While I know you can use coupons with an EBT as well as receive coupons back with EBT (like catalinas), there may be restrictions on receiving "cash back" in the form of gift cards or whatever using EBT. I know that the gov't sometimes puts restrictions on gift card deals like this.

It makes me think of the prescription coupons that give you back a gift card for filling a prescription. If you use a gov't funded insurance (like medicaid), they cannot by law allow you to redeem that coupon and get a gift card back. I know this b/c we are a military family and they consider our insurance "government funded", even though it is something we get through work, not something for free like medicaid. It ticks me off but it's the law in that case, so perhaps that law covers the deal you stated?

[vintageplumm]

Hi there

I am by no means an expert with such things, however I know a wee bit about it. I am on disability, we also receive foodstamps and use an EBT card. I live here in washington state, howewver Im pretty sure the laws reguarding such things are fedral as opposed to state...so anywhoo

My opnion based on experience is that no that is not legal. Under any circumstances, end of story.
If they regularly take foodstamps as an accepted form of payment for food items, then thats it, case closed, no exceptions. Either they take them or they don't. As long as the item you are purchasing falls under the umbrella that is foodstamps and abides by their regulations balh blah blah blah....then they cannot refuse you.
By them refusing to sell the cereal to you, they are blatantly discriminating agaist you, due to your economic/financial status and resulting method of payment.
They could get in trouble from several different agencies
Such as
1. your local DSHS office who issued you the card- Target as well as any stores who have an account with the state so they are allowed to accept an EBT card have certain rules and regulations they must abide by or their ability to take an EBT card could be revoked.
2. Better Busnuiess Bureau- They plainly advertised the sale I'm assuming, I personally dont shop Target much really, so they advertised it, if they did not advertise the fact that if you were paying with foodstamps you were ineligeable, thats false advertising among other things.
3. Then of course there is the whole civil liberties ball of wax - They are commiting a serious violation of our Fedral anti discrimination laws on so many different levels its mind numbing to even think about it

So in conclusion, I would head back there throw a few big words at em , given they refused to sell it to you earlier, they can't be that bright, big words should impress 'em LMAO I'd stand your ground as much as you feel comfortable with

I know when I first got my card, I was embarssed, badly. No way would I have argued about such a thing, Im a lilttle more comfy with it now, but it still bothers me on occassion. It's people like the ones you ran in to at Target that made me ashamed and embarssed in the first place. hey have some BS mentality that an EBT card makes you some second class citizen. There is absoloutely nothing to be embarssed about. Letting your family go hungry when there are other options available thats something to be ashamed about. Seeking the help you need and very clearly deserve, thats worthy of praise.

sorry about the lengthy post, I am even more sorry that you had to experience what you did. If I was there I'd give em what for for yah

Hang in there, and go back with your head high, and tell em to hand over your friggen' gift card STAT!
TTYL
Morgan

[CoveredinGrace]

Since there are varying opinions on here by people who do use food stamps, I'd say it's something to talk to DHSS about-since they issued the cards, are a govt. agency, and should know the law. I would approach it as, "Is this legal?" rather than accusatory when speaking to DHSS. Then, equipped with whatever information that they can provide on the matter (assuming it says you CAN do that), I would go back to the store and demand that they sell them to me. But that's only if DHSS agrees with you, like I say, it sounds awfully familiar to the law covering gift cards over gov't funded prescriptions, so I think they might just actually be right on this one. Only way to know is to ask and find out!

[cina409]

:shrug7:I am a caseworker in Ohio. Gift cards are not to be given if you use a EBT card, that is a government program and you can not recieve any cash or gift cards when using a program like that. You also can not recieve a gift card for Rx deals they have in the pharmacy like get a gift card when transfer or with new Rx, if you use a medical card to pay. These rule are put into place to prevent people from buying beer or tabacco products with the gift cards. Basicly you are not lossing anything but you can not gain from it either. (sorry):shrug7:

[danivdp]

:shrug7:I am a caseworker in Ohio. Gift cards are not to be given if you use a EBT card, that is a government program and you can not recieve any cash or gift cards when using a program like that. You also can not recieve a gift card for Rx deals they have in the pharmacy like get a gift card when transfer or with new Rx, if you use a medical card to pay. These rule are put into place to prevent people from buying beer or tabacco products with the gift cards. Basicly you are not lossing anything but you can not gain from it either. (sorry):shrug7:

That is helpful, thanks so much.

I tried again at another store (with a much nicer cashier) and the same computer error happened. Manager can't over-ride, and so I just said forget it :sad:

I was comparing it to Walgreens RR's, but now that you explain the beer/cigs thing, I see why....I can't buy beer or cigs with RR's, but theoretically I could with the Target GC.

[incognito]

Here's what happens.

Target CHARGES you $5 for the GC, then takes $5 off your total...making it free~
HOWEVER! Now when you ring up your EBT purchases the $5 balance is now marked as NON FOOD because you are paying for the GC.
Make sense?
Like I go in and do some cereal deals all the time. If my balance for EBT is $5 I can not use my EBT because the $5 is now non-food. BUT! If my balance is $10 I can use my EBT to pay for $5 of the total and then use the bank card to fund the other $5 since it is now being read a non-food.

I'm not told I can't use my EBT, but that's why the machine won't take the whole balance. Still a good deal though when you can find it!

[incognito]

The above $10 balance and paying half with EBT only works if you did not receive 2 GC. :THUMPSUP: