Smith's Supermarket(Kroger subsidiary)

[Kirk W]

3 hours ago, Blues said:

The thing about alerts is that regardless of whether you find out one second or one month after your card is compromised, the card will still be cancelled and you'll have to figure out how to get another one sent to you (always a hassle if you're a traveling fulltimer). 

About 4 years ago we received a call from Citibank about a potential fraudulent transaction that resulted in their locking the card. They supplied me a special phone number to call back as soon as we determined where we would stop for the night. I pulled off the road and we selected a park an hour farther down the road, called to reserve a spot for the night and then used to call-back number to give them the RV park, city and site number. The following morning a car with FedEx on the side pulled up to our site at about 8:30 and a new card was delivered. 

[Ray,IN]

3 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Yes, we still have slides rules just in case electronic calculators turn out not to work correctly. 

I still have my Post slide rule  from college;🐢  anyone want to show me how to use it again?

Kirk, we had about the same scenario happen to us, while we were in Canada, only we declined to receive the replacement card since we had another already, one with my name-one with DW's name. Mine was cut up that  evening, we made the rest of the caravan trip on her card. They mailed my new card after we returned home and called again.

Edited October 10, 2019 by Ray,IN

[Randyretired]

I had to send my phone in for some warranty work and was without for a little more than a week.  I knew I would miss my phone but it was worse than I imagined.  I use my phone for all of my internet activities such as banking and bill paying and much more.  Hopefully I don't have to go through that again!

[DanZemke]

19 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Yes, we still have slides rules just in case electronic calculators turn out not to work correctly. 

Sounds like a wise choice.  Although the bamboo-based  straight ones have their charms,  the newer plastic circular ones are probably more appropriate for space constrained RVers. 🙂

BTW, "Android Pay" was rebranded as Google Pay (aka G Pay) in early 2018.

Unfortunately, I have an old Moto G4 Plus that does not support NFC.  But largely because of your posts,  my next phone will.

Thanks,

Dan

 

Edited October 10, 2019 by DanZemke
spelling

[Carlos]

19 hours ago, Randyretired said:

One time he wrote me a check and I used my phone to deposit it.  He was not happy.  Now his daughter is a bank executive and he uses online banking.  Even has the bank app on his phone!

Wow, sounds like we have the same friend, same thing happened to me!!  His daughter isn't an exec though, just happened to go to work for a bank and has explained to him why the apps are more secure than the mail or phone.

There are some crazy people who still think fax is more secure than email!

 

[chirakawa]

44 minutes ago, DanZemke said:

Sounds like a wise choice.  Although the bamboo-based  straight ones have their charms,  the newer plastic circular ones are probably more appropriate for space constrained RVers. 🙂

BTW, "Android Pay" was rebranded as Google Pay (aka G Pay) in early 2018.

Unfortunately, I have an old Moto G4 Plus that does not support NFC.  But largely because of your posts,  my next phone will.

Thanks,

Dan

 

Does NFC and Google Pay work with a good case on the phone?

[Carlos]

Yes.  It generally can work out to at least a half inch.  I have NFC stickers around the house to do automation stuff, and I have an NFC/RFID implant in my hand.  The stickers scan to about 2" away most of the time.  My hand has to be super close, because skin stops radio waves.  Anything that is not metal or water should not stop radio waves however (plastic, rubber, leather cases).

 

[DanZemke]

I agree with Carlos - yes.

[Carlos]

I just tested the NFC reader at Subway by bringing it close slowly.  About 2-2.5" was the read distance.  I tested some of the 30mm NFC stickers I have around the house, and they are about the same.  This is with a Nomad "rugged" case, which is protective but not stupidly large like those Otterbox things.

The distance is from antenna to antenna.  If you hold the phone so the antennas not aligned, then you might have to touch the phone to the reader to get the scan.  The iPhone 8 has the antenna in the middle of the phone, the later phones have it at the top about 2/3 from the camera side to the other edge.  Androids vary a lot.  Most store scanners have multiple antennas, but some only have it right by the NFC symbol.  Wells Fargo and BofA ATMs only have it right by the symbol.

[bobsallyh]

Frys in Yuma, AZ. is informing customers that sometime next week they will be charging for cash back. Don't know if it is the entire Kroger system or just Frys.

[Carlos]

Interesting, I just assumed stores would always charge for that service.  Do most stores do that free?

[Kirk W]

10 hours ago, Carlos said:

Do most stores do that free?

We have never been charged by any store for getting cash back when using a debit card. We have been charged if doing so from an ATM belonging to a different bank but our bank reimburses those fees when they occur. Walmart has long been our main source of cash. 

[docj]

13 hours ago, bobsallyh said:

Frys in Yuma, AZ. is informing customers that sometime next week they will be charging for cash back. Don't know if it is the entire Kroger system or just Frys.

It appears to be throughout the Kroger system of stores: Kroger charges for cash back

[Barbaraok]

Well Kroger is doing all it can to ensure that it won't get my business.  

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by Barbaraok

[Darryl&Rita]

34 minutes ago, Barbaraok said:

Well Kroger is doing all it can to ensure that it won't get my business.  

 

Agreed.

[Carlos]

If a service costs them money to provide, they should charge for it.  Most people are going away from cash, and shouldn't have to subsidize people who still want to use it.

 

[sandsys]

2 hours ago, Carlos said:

If a service costs them money to provide, they should charge for it.  Most people are going away from cash, and shouldn't have to subsidize people who still want to use it.

The BLM LTVAs only take cash or personal check. In fact most government campgrounds have that policy--iron rangers are popular in those. If you never go there maybe not having a source for cash is not a problem for you.

Linda

[Carlos]

24 minutes ago, sandsys said:

The BLM LTVAs only take cash or personal check. In fact most government campgrounds have that policy--iron rangers are popular in those. If you never go there maybe not having a source for cash is not a problem for you.

Linda

 

I carry checks for such things.  But this isn't about ME, it's about society in general realizing that cash is expensive to deal with.

 

[Darryl&Rita]

Life is expensive.

[docj]

7 hours ago, Carlos said:

If a service costs them money to provide, they should charge for it. 

It costs money to keep cash around.  For a big corporation, the "time value of money" can amount to a lot across all its stores.  If each store has to keep extra cash around to service customer "cash back" requests, then there's a real cost associated with that. Just because we're used to getting cash back for free doesn't mean that it is really "free" to the store that is providing it. 

We have an account with Wells Fargo because there usually is a nearby branch at which we could get cash if we needed it.  So far that hasn't been an issue because we've been able to get cash at supermarkets, Walmart, etc.  If that ability starts to go away or incurs fees then we'll have to be more cognizant of where we are relative to a Wells Fargo ATM. Frankly, we use very little cash and could use even less if we set our minds to it.   The other day I used my debit card (my phone actually) to buy a 79 cent soda because I didn't want to get change back.  I could do that for every purchase, if I wish.

[SWharton]

6 hours ago, sandsys said:

The BLM LTVAs only take cash or personal check. In fact most government campgrounds have that policy--iron rangers are popular in those. If you never go there maybe not having a source for cash is not a problem for you.

Linda

We stopped at a COE last year that was switching to CC only. I read today that 50% of the US doe not use cash. Not sure if I believe that number but I do believe it is trending that way.

[sandsys]

41 minutes ago, SWharton said:

We stopped at a COE last year that was switching to CC only.

Wow! That's a major change! But, change is one of the few things that is guaranteed to happen. That's why I am careful about what I say on this forum since much of our experience is outdated. Thanks for letting me know about this one.

Linda

[Barbaraok]

11 hours ago, Carlos said:

If a service costs them money to provide, they should charge for it.  Most people are going away from cash, and shouldn't have to subsidize people who still want to use it.

 

Yes, but then they have to realize that there will be a reaction to their decision.   They don't accept smart phone pay apps, so that means that very, very seldom will I shop there.   Now they have another thing they won't accept.  Other stores are doing more things to make it easier for me to shop - they will get my business.

[Chalkie]

On 10/18/2019 at 10:32 AM, Carlos said:

If a service costs them money to provide, they should charge for it.  Most people are going away from cash, and shouldn't have to subsidize people who still want to use it.

 

King Soopers, our local Kroger brand is now charging a fee for getting cash back on a debit card purchase. That makes the "bank" of Walmart more appealing but not enough to overcome the lousy produce they carry. So, yes, I am willing to pay the fee.

20 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

Yes, but then they have to realize that there will be a reaction to their decision.   They don't accept smart phone pay apps, so that means that very, very seldom will I shop there.   Now they have another thing they won't accept.  Other stores are doing more things to make it easier for me to shop - they will get my business.

So would you write a check to an RV park for a 50% PPA discount if that is what they required? Or pay straight up cash to a park that will not accept cards as they do not want to pay the processing fees? Personally, I find that being flexible in my payment options is the best way to go. That way I can take advantage of things that save me money. 

[Barbaraok]

2 hours ago, Chalkie said:

So would you write a check to an RV park for a 50% PPA discount if that is what they required? Or pay straight up cash to a park that will not accept cards as they do not want to pay the processing fees? Personally, I find that being flexible in my payment options is the best way to go. That way I can take advantage of things that save me money. 

Yes, because writing a check means a savings to me.  It benefits me.   If I had to write a check and still pay "rack" rate, then no, they wouldn't get my business.     My money, my right to choose.   And it is all about choice.  I'm not sure why Kroger thinks this is a winning strategy.