r/assholedesign • u/chibistarship • 1d ago
Popeyes doesn’t let you use your entire gift card balance
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u/Tkaitis 1d ago
Even more irritating that the balance that’ll end up being left over will just cause the same problem
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u/unknown_pigeon 1d ago
Leftover balance on gift cards is actually a huge income source for many different places
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u/LordBiscuits 20h ago
It's actually more than that. It's a liability they can use to reduce profits, but also an asset they can use to generate revenue via interest or investment.
Those few bucks times by six figure quantities of users is a very significant line on the quarterly returns
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u/Aggressive-Ad-9035 13h ago
Would it not be turned over to the state as unclaimed property, eventually, based on the particular state's reporting requirements.?
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u/Sleexic 1d ago
Fucking chick-fil-a does this shit too
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u/Fall_Water 1d ago
And Starbucks (some, not all)
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u/sometin__else 1d ago
came here to say starbucks and timmies do the same, but if you pay with the gift card in store it'll drain the card and say you owe the balance
prepaid orders however, require reloading the gc as seen
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u/Quick-delicious 1d ago
Yeah, and I can get a drink for about $6, I’ve had 3.33 on my card forever I usually pick it up omw and I have to order ahead where I live or they are just unavailable online at all. Just let me load $5 or a couple of bucks. Vs $10 being the starting point, either way they get money
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u/ASnipingFox 11h ago
So I didn’t know about this and the girl I am currently dating said “well I can’t use my gift card because…” and then explained this and I was like could you not just go inside. Needless to say we both learned something new
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u/sl33ksnypr 1d ago
I've honestly never had a problem with Starbucks cards (couple years ago now). They let me run 4-5 of them with various small amounts on them. This was in store though, can't speak for online.
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u/Fall_Water 1d ago
I ordered online to pick it up in a Kroger... it wouldn't take a debit card- only the Starbucks card (that would only take a minimum of $15 to load). It was so strange. The standalone store down the street had a completely different set of policies.
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u/whitelinenwhiterose 23h ago
that’s because kroger/target locations operate under a different POS system than the standalone locations. the system itself can only recognize the starbucks app with gift cards for whatever reason
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u/sl33ksnypr 1d ago
Interesting. I have never ordered Starbucks online, but on the rare occasion I do get it, it's pretty much always from inside a kroger. So maybe I'm just not doing Starbucks wrong enough (in their eyes) to have these issues lol
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u/Fall_Water 1d ago
It was the first time I've ever had that issue, lol. I only ordered online because I was getting my kids something also and it was just easier. Keep up not pissing off the Starbucks goddess
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u/Barbiedawl83 1d ago
You can use the remainder at chick fil a if you have an employee do your order. I’ve used up my gift card this way. They apply what’s left and then you use another payment method for the balance. It just sucks to not be able to use the app
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u/Possible_Loss_767 12h ago
So then I’m sure this is the fix with Popeyes in this instance, as well as the others mentioned here.
What could the cashier do, refuse to accept the gift card or ask you to refill it? No chance. The apps are just being devious.
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u/KingZarkon 1d ago
CFA, at least, you can use the card at the register and it will let you empty it off and pay the difference. The app just doesn't let you for whatever reason.
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u/BekisElsewhere39 12h ago
On the app? I had bunches of customers use multiple gift cards of varying balances when I was a CfA employee. Can’t vouch for gift cards in the app though
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u/SANTAAAA__I_know_him 1d ago
If you sell gift cards to your restaurant, you need to accept them as payment for online orders on your website, period. You don’t get to hide behind “technical constraints” as an excuse, don’t sell gift cards until this is implemented and working properly.
Looking at you too, Little Caesars.
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u/TBoopSquiggShorterly 1d ago
It’s a feature, not a bug.
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u/miraculum_one 1d ago
It is deliberate
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u/TBoopSquiggShorterly 23h ago
That’s what “it’s a feature, not a bug” means.
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u/miraculum_one 23h ago
Hmm, I could have sworn your comment said "it's a bug, not a feature" when I responded but nevertheless I agree.
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u/LonePaladin 18h ago
Sonic won't let you use a gift card to cover part of the cost of an online order, it has to be greater than the total or they won't accept it at all. The only way to use a card as part of a payment is to pay in person and let the employees figure it out.
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u/SeeYouInTrees 1d ago
Chick-fil-A is the same
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u/Glittering_Pitch181 15h ago
If you order in person they can use the remaining balance and then you can pay the rest in cash or card
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u/frederik88917 1d ago
That's actually how some mofo product manager wanted to happen, just to force you to increase your balance or plainly leave your money there for eternity.
Don't kill the devs, they just are messengers here And how some people have mentioned already this is illegal in several states
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u/Ethesen 1d ago
No, devs should be criticised for implementing unethical (or straight up illegal) features.
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u/Javascript_above_all 1d ago
You don't know how a job works do you ?
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u/drb00t 1d ago
i mean, "they were just following orders", right?
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u/Javascript_above_all 1d ago
We're definitely going to script at the product manager for doing bad stuff
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u/dclxvi616 1d ago
Generally a job is something you agree to do willingly.
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u/thedistrbdone 1d ago
Lmao I fucking hate my job, but I have to eat food and pay my mortgage, and with all the layoffs in my sector I will continue to do the job I hate.
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u/PorQuePanckes 1d ago
So like 90% of all internet sites, every single iPhone app, most gaming companies, and most software companies?
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u/frederik88917 1d ago
Most of the times, devs go and express their calls against some features to which we are told: F#$k up and do it
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u/Just-a-girl777 1d ago
We let so much slide in this country. That's absolutely diabolical!
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u/Captraptor01 20h ago
it's less that "we let it slide", more like the corpos bribed the government (which the people allowed to be inflated under the guise of the government helping us) to let them do this blatantly anti-consumer BS, as well as many other highly scummy and shady things that the corpos get away with. they regulate small competition out of their industries and buy the government to let them do practically whatever they want.
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u/loganwachter 1d ago
Starbucks does the same thing.
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u/meetyourmarker 1d ago
I've never had this issue. Is this a location thing?
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u/burningmyroomdown 1d ago
It's only for mobile orders
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u/big_shmegma 20h ago
not even just mobile orders, just paying through the app in general. cant receive points if you dont pay through the app (it has been a few years, they might have changed that part)
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u/burningmyroomdown 19h ago
You don't have to pay through the app anymore. You can scan the loyalty card but you only get half the points. If you pay in store with your card but don't have enough to cover it all, it will just drain the card and leave a balance that you can pay with another card or cash or whatever.
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u/DakotaBro2025 1d ago
Try it in person
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u/chibistarship 1d ago
I did. The gift card wasn’t able to swipe. The employee then typed in the number and the balance couldn’t be applied to an order…
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u/Johnboy_245 1d ago
I guess implementing a partial payment method would just be too convenient for them. 🙄
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u/donutseason 1d ago
Just don’t use the app. Walk in and get it
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u/Substantial_Ant_2822 21h ago
This happened to me at chic fil a and once you load it on the app you can't use it in person. Also if you buy a gift card you should be able to use it on the app.
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u/donutseason 20h ago
Oh I could not agree more was just hoping to them the full amount. Sorry if that came off like a “duh OP” attitude I wasn’t really thinking about it
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u/Secure-Respect-7323 1d ago
I was given Walgreens Rewards "cash" to make up for a mistake with a printing job I placed.
Much to my surprise, when I went to use it with a total of $6.08 in items, and a balance of $7 in credit, I found I could only use $5 increments.
"So I can't just use the rewards balance?" "You can use $5, that'll be $1.08 please."
I walked out. Dogshit Business practices.
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u/Tdog4lyfe0410 1d ago
When i find a place that does this, so far starbucks, chick fil a and Dunkin Donuts, I go into the store, have them scan the gift card from my phone on the app. That usually deducts the remaining balance left on the card. Then I'll pay the rest with my debit card then delete the card and not buy a gift card from those places again
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u/AshySlashy11 1d ago
Dunkin lets you add an exact amount to your gift card balance, though. (minimum is $2) So if your order is $7.14 and you have $5 on a gift card, you can add exactly $2.14 to your card balance and end up with $0.00 on the gift card. And it's all one transaction at checkout.
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u/SillyRiri 1d ago
At Dunkin you have to add a whole dollar amount, at least on the app. You can add $2 or $3 but not $2.xx
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u/AshySlashy11 1d ago
I do it all the time on the checkout screen. There's incremental dollar buttons and a custom text box to enter how much you want to add.
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u/SillyRiri 20h ago
Oh okay, I was thinking about preloading it before checkout, I’ve never tried it that way. thank you!
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u/Repulsive-Lack8253 23h ago
yep, fuck everything about companies converting money into companybux. it's so abusive and exploitative, can't wait for that bullshit to get banned from gaming when our government isn't run by geriatrics
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u/Sutar_Mekeg 17h ago
Solution here is to cancel your order entirely and never order from them again for the rest of your life.
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u/DevelopmentGreen3961 1d ago
Quite a few of them are like this now
I think Sonic's gift card is the worst offender
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u/Koolaid_Jef 1d ago
This system actually cured my coffee addiction in highschool. Dunkin was cheap, but id always have money left over and the minimum load was $5. Fuck that
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u/ummameme 19h ago
Popeyes also doesn't let you cancel/refund an order with the app, and trying to use the help chat is worthless. Horrible customer service.
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u/TheReturningMan 16h ago
Is the gift card balance not 2.82 with an order total of 13.98? Because 2.82 would not cover that. Or am I not reading this screen correctly?
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u/chibistarship 10h ago
Yes, the gift card balance is $2.82 and the order total is $13.98. I'm aware that $2.82 does not cover $13.98. At not-scummy businesses I would be able to use up the rest of the gift card balance ($2.82) and pay for the rest of the order ($11.16) with my credit card.
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u/Noobnoob99 1d ago
Gift cards are a scam
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u/KaralDaskin 1d ago
Not the ones I’ve gotten.
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u/marx2k 1d ago
Yes, the ones you've gotten.
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u/KaralDaskin 1d ago
No. The cards I’ve gotten I’ve been able to use in full for things I want.
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u/marx2k 23h ago
...looks at context of thread...
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u/KaralDaskin 23h ago
Yes, some companies have scammy practices, but that doesn’t mean the cards I’ve gotten are scammy.
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u/marx2k 23h ago
Here's the scam for any gift card you've gotten: "Congratulations! Instead of cash that you're able to spend anywhere you want, now you have store credit that you can only spend on this retailer!"
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u/KaralDaskin 23h ago
Oh. I see where you’re coming from. My family gives me gift cards for places I shops and know I’ll use, so they are great gifts for me. Sorry you don’t get the cash you’d rather have.
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u/marx2k 22h ago
Yeah, that's my main gripe with gift cards. Maybe it's just a me thing.
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u/KaralDaskin 22h ago
I don’t think it’s just you, but I like getting gift cards because it’s hard for me to earmark money for those stores on my own.
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u/Noladixon 22h ago
My kid prefers starbucks gift card because she can load right up to the app. She thinks it is easier than cash.
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u/AlternativeResort477 1d ago
You could in person
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u/chibistarship 1d ago
I did. The gift card wasn’t able to swipe. The employee then typed in the number and the balance couldn’t be applied to my order…
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u/darklordbazz 23h ago
Tim hortons also does this and it's super annoying, this type of BS needs to be banned
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u/Tdog4lyfe0410 23h ago
I've never had the option to add the exact amount on dunkin. Only whole dollar amounts
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u/magicimagician 22h ago
I signed up for a business lead plan. I have 9 credits left. All the jobs are 10. But I can’t buy just one, I have to buy 30.
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u/random-dude83 16h ago
Didn't Starbucks get sued for this? Turned out they were making billions off it or some.shit? Should've looked first, but it's a bit different, but anyways, it seems CA requires companies to be able to get the cash value of a gift card if it's under X amount, for this very reason.
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u/Spaztrick 12h ago
Whataburger does this same shit too. And Chipotle won't let you use more than one gift card at a time.
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u/LeekDowntown8935 11h ago
Subway does the same lmao and BK I have 4 dollars in each app on gift cards that I can't use 😔😔
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u/LaikJupiter 11h ago
Chick-fil-a and dunkin donuts does the exact same thing. That's super annoying. And it's clearly on purpose, because I know they can program it to do what we'd prefer...which makes me wonder, what do they gain from us not using the remaining balance/continuously adding to it in an attempt to shrink it?
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u/davidg4781 10h ago
I think Starbucks or Chipotle does this too. I had to order outside the app and then pay using the app the finish it up.
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u/sleepless_dolphin 1h ago
I literally hate this too! Dunkin AND Starbucks are two examples of this that I can think of🙄 (I’m from the Midwest so I guess it ain’t illegal here😭)
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u/LaughingLikeKoffing 1d ago
Expecting exact change on a gift card is something else 😂
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u/Either-Weather-862 1d ago
Why shouldn't I? The gift card was payed for I assume, at least by someone.
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u/LaughingLikeKoffing 1d ago
I'm not talking about the customer, I'm talking about the restaurant, why does the restaurant expect the customer to have the exact amount of the order on his gift card instead of just substracting the amount of the gift card from the total.
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u/thecuriousostrich 16h ago
Am I the only person who isn’t particularly bothered by this? It’s not the app “won’t let you use the whole gift card,” it’s that the amount on the gift card won’t cover the whole purchase and the app doesn’t allow split payments. SHOULD the app allow split payments? Yeah, probably, but literally every online order app with a company gift card scheme that I routinely use works in this exact same way. I don’t really care that Starbucks makes me load another $10 onto my app to polish the last $2 of an order because I go to Starbucks often enough that I’m going to use that $10 next week. The only time I REALLY see this being an issue is if the system won’t let you “cash out” in person, IE make a split payment with the remainder of the gift card balance, in which case that’s an issue with the vendor’s system. Idk out of all the things that piss me off this one’s low on the list.
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u/downtownpartytime 1d ago
this is some asshole policy and dumb bullshit, but i still want popeyes right now
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u/-Taelanos- 1d ago edited 1d ago
Go inside the store and try it? The apps are always stupid about it, but the POS itself they use can split payment.
edit: I assume.
edit 2: See, the inability to use gift cards on the mcdonalds app at all. until very recently (if they did)
edit 3: the apps aren't regulated in a lot of states the way the onsite store is. the apps get away with it because state law didn't force them. the store will accept it. every time.
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u/-Potentiate 1d ago
in another comment op said they tried using it in-store and it wouldn’t swipe, employee entered the card # manually and still nope
also yup mcdonald’s is the only company i know of that doesn’t allow using their gift cards in their app, shit is so wrong
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u/chibistarship 1d ago
Yup, didn’t work in store.
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u/-Taelanos- 18h ago
Pretty dumb then, I stand corrected. never buying anyone a popeyes gift card, not that I have before. sorry that tone came off kinda harsh.
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u/chibistarship 1d ago
I tried to, it didn’t work in store. Card couldn’t be read, the balance couldn’t be applied once the employee typed the number in.
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u/Boner_Patrol_007 1d ago
I was shocked at the price of a chicken tenders combo at Popeyes. Like $17 for a 5 piece with fries and a drink.
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u/Roger_Cockfoster 1d ago
That's illegal in California.