If you are a Visa Card Holder like myself, you know that Sam's Club hates us. They will not accept that card that is accepted in more places that any other. They do accept Master Card and Discover card. Logically you would think I would just get one of those cards, but I don't need another credit card or an extra bill I have to pay each month so I'm sticking with my trusty Bank Of America Visa Rewards Card.
Usually on my trips to Sam's, I use my bank debit card. There are huge down-sides to this. First, I miss out on all the Rewards Points I get when making purchases with my Visa Card. I cash those in for free flights on even a check. And second, my bank charges me a fee for using the debit card at Sam's Club. While it's not a big fee by any means, my goal in life is to save money, not spend extra. Besides, I pay $35.00/year just to be a members of the So-Called Club, why should I have to pay extra every time I shop there.
Well, no more. I will no longer have to use my debit card to make purchases at Sam's Club as I have found a way to beat the system. And no, it's not using cash. I take the Bank Of America Visa Rewards Card I spoke of earlier into Wal-Mart and I purchase a Wal-Mart Gift Card with it. Then take said Gift Card to Sam's Club and make my purchases using the Gift Card. This way I get my Reward Points from using my Visa Card and I avoid any transaction fees from using my debit card.
I do want to say, don't go into this blindly. Make sure you know about what you want to spend when purchasing the Wal-Mart Gift Card. Also, it's a good idea to bring some extra cash, just in case you see a deal you can't pass up and you have to go over budget. One time at Sam's Club I found Monster Kaos on Clearance for $12.80 a case! I bought 6 of them! I want you to make sure you have a back up plan in place for just such an occasion.
Other than that, the plan is simply. Wal-Mart takes Visa and sells Wal-Mart Gift Cards. Sam's accepts Wal-Mart Gift Cards, no questions asked.
Thanks for reading,
The King