Gift Card Question

[Linda the Book Lover]

I am thinking of purchasing gift cards through AARP and using them for the drink packages. There are three of us and I noticed you can only use nine per transaction. Anyone with experience using $100 gift cards to purchase the plan, did you just finish and close one transaction and then do another one? Was there any issues in not purchasing all the drink plans in one transaction? I am guessing there should be no problem as each of us will have separate payments on our cruise cards. Thanks for the help!

Edited January 29, 2020 by Linda the Book Lover
forgot to add information

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Assuming you are all in the same cabin, you have to do it in one transaction because all people in a cabin have to have Cheers.  If you have more than one cabin, then each cabin could be a separate transaction.

 

To use more than 9 gift cards, you can purchase all at once over the phone.

 

As a side note, if you purchase the gift cards using allstate rewards instead, they have gift cards for $500 and $1000, in addition to the $100 cards.  

[Linda the Book Lover]

8 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Assuming you are all in the same cabin, you have to do it in one transaction because all people in a cabin have to have Cheers.  If you have more than one cabin, then each cabin could be a separate transaction.

 

To use more than 9 gift cards, you can purchase all at once over the phone.

 

As a side note, if you purchase the gift cards using allstate rewards instead, they have gift cards for $500 and $1000, in addition to the $100 cards.  

Thank you for the information. We are in the same cabin. When I called the customer service rep told me he could not take gift cards as payment over the telephone when I tried to use for internet purchases. He told me gift cards needed to be used online. I have USAA, but I thank you for the Allstate information. 

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

30 minutes ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

Thank you for the information. We are in the same cabin. When I called the customer service rep told me he could not take gift cards as payment over the telephone when I tried to use for internet purchases. He told me gift cards needed to be used online. I have USAA, but I thank you for the Allstate information. 

 

We have USAA also  🙂

 

I've used gift cards as payment before over the phone.  Weird. Maybe a misinformed CSR.

 

But, you do NOT need to be an allstate customer to participate in allstate rewards.  Here's a post with detailed instructions.  Also, around the same time as that post, is a huge list of codes you can use to quickly get lots of points.  The gift cards are currently available to purchase (they do sell out, and can take anywhere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks to come back in stock).

 

 

 

[Linda the Book Lover]

18 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

We have USAA also  🙂

 

I've used gift cards as payment before over the phone.  Weird. Maybe a misinformed CSR.

 

But, you do NOT need to be an allstate customer to participate in allstate rewards.  Here's a post with detailed instructions.  Also, around the same time as that post, is a huge list of codes you can use to quickly get lots of points.  The gift cards are currently available to purchase (they do sell out, and can take anywhere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks to come back in stock).

 

 

 

Thanks!

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

Thank you for the information. We are in the same cabin. When I called the customer service rep told me he could not take gift cards as payment over the telephone when I tried to use for internet purchases. He told me gift cards needed to be used online.

 

Call them again and try a different CSR. Carnival's CSR's are notorious for giving us different info. or different answers depending on which one we get. One time I had to call for something and got three different answers from three different reps., all in less than half an hour.

 

With AARP's new rewards program, we're only allowed to buy one Carnival gift card per month. Also, in case you weren't aware, you also have to be a (paying) AARP member.

[Buffalofirsttimer4]

59 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

We have USAA also  🙂

 

I've used gift cards as payment before over the phone.  Weird. Maybe a misinformed CSR.

 

But, you do NOT need to be an allstate customer to participate in allstate rewards.  Here's a post with detailed instructions.  Also, around the same time as that post, is a huge list of codes you can use to quickly get lots of points.  The gift cards are currently available to purchase (they do sell out, and can take anywhere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks to come back in stock).

 

 

 

Just so you are aware not everyone can sign up for Allstate Drivewise- it isn't available to people in Western New York

[n6uqqq]

From my experience, Carnival will not accept gift cards over the phone for funshop purchases.

[bury me at sea]

4 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

From my experience, Carnival will not accept gift cards over the phone for funshop purchases.

 

That has been my experience in the past.  I haven't tried recently.

[n6uqqq]

Just now, bury me at sea said:

 

That has been my experience in the past.  I haven't tried recently.

 

We tried multiple people and got same answer...............online only.

Edited January 29, 2020 by n6uqqq

[ricew001]

I used gift cards over the phone back in September or so. Interesting....

[rukkian]

43 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

 

We tried multiple people and got same answer...............online only.

I am guessing the reps just didn't want to.  I used my cards over the phone to my TA (a big box store), my younger sister did hers over the phone to her TA, and my older sister used hers over the phone to her pvp.

[rukkian]

3 hours ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

I am thinking of purchasing gift cards through AARP and using them for the drink packages. There are three of us and I noticed you can only use nine per transaction. Anyone with experience using $100 gift cards to purchase the plan, did you just finish and close one transaction and then do another one? Was there any issues in not purchasing all the drink plans in one transaction? I am guessing there should be no problem as each of us will have separate payments on our cruise cards. Thanks for the help!

It would be a bit of a pain, but you could always buy something else with the cards (a couple of excursions), and then cancel, and they will send you a gift card with the full amount instead of individual cards.  I used several small cards to purchase some excursions, and then when they went on sale for BF, I cancelled, rebooked and got one GC in the mail.

[Organized Chaos]

TA's are different. They're a separate entity and you have to call them when using the gift cards. If anyone has been able to do it over the phone with Carnival, it looks like you were an exception to the rule. From the FAQ's:

 

• Forms of Payment: We accept the following forms of payment for Fun Shops gift orders: Visa, MasterCard, The Discover Card, American Express as well as credit card gift cards. We also accept the Carnival Gift Card for online gift purchases. We are not able to accept checks nor the Carnival Gift Card for telephone orders. 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1354/~/the-fun-shops-gift-orders

[bury me at sea]

10 minutes ago, rukkian said:

I am guessing the reps just didn't want to.  I used my cards over the phone to my TA (a big box store), my younger sister did hers over the phone to her TA, and my older sister used hers over the phone to her pvp.

 

Yes, my TA and pvp have both taken gift cards over the phone too.  But the Fun Shop has not.  Cheers, cruise cash, etc. are ordered through the Fun Shop.

[Schoifmom]

50 minutes ago, ricew001 said:

I used gift cards over the phone back in September or so. Interesting....

 

7 minutes ago, rukkian said:

I am guessing the reps just didn't want to.  I used my cards over the phone to my TA (a big box store), my younger sister did hers over the phone to her TA, and my older sister used hers over the phone to her pvp.

 

You can use gift cards over the phone to pay on your cruise, grats, or insurance.  The Fun Shops are on a different system and they only take gift cards online.  It was just a few years ago that they didn't take gift cards at all.

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1354/kw/fun shop

[n6uqqq]

2 hours ago, rukkian said:

I am guessing the reps just didn't want to.  I used my cards over the phone to my TA (a big box store), my younger sister did hers over the phone to her TA, and my older sister used hers over the phone to her pvp.

I do over the phone for Costco and they take the gift cards for bookings. Where Carnival did not take the gift cards was for Funshop purchases.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Many thanks for your replies. We are going to use the 9 cards and the balance will be paid with a credit card. 

[jdemps]

17 hours ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

Many thanks for your replies. We are going to use the 9 cards and the balance will be paid with a credit card. 

Are you saying AARP only has the $100 gift cards now?  I haven't used that site in a while but they had $500 ones a few years ago.  

[Joe817]

3 minutes ago, jdemps said:

Are you saying AARP only has the $100 gift cards now?  I haven't used that site in a while but they had $500 ones a few years ago.  

That's exactly what Linda is saying. And they are not gift cards. They are e-cards that's emailed to you. AND you have to be a member to purchase it, AND you can only buy 1 per month. 

[Linda the Book Lover]

2 hours ago, Joe817 said:

That's exactly what Linda is saying. And they are not gift cards. They are e-cards that's emailed to you. AND you have to be a member to purchase it, AND you can only buy 1 per month. 

Thanks Joe!😃

Linda

[Joe817]

4 minutes ago, Linda the Book Lover said:

Thanks Joe!😃

Linda

Most welcome! 😊