Kroger: Fee for cash back with PIN Debit at some locations

[storewanderer]

Looks like this is at Dillons and at undisclosed Kroger locations...

https://www.wlwt.com/article/kroger-now ... t/28539136

Getting more and more customer unfriendly... only other retailer I know of who plays this game is Family Dollar. But many people use grocery stores like ATMs to get cash back and I suspect will just pay this fee (frankly, I would if I was there and needed cash back...). It will be interesting to see if more retailers follow.

Albertsons/Safeway keeps looking more and more customer friendly by making literally no changes to its model as Kroger continues to drift more and more off; no Visa cards at Smiths and FoodsCo; too many confusing digital app offers, 2 day digital app offers, 2 day sales, "pick up only" digital coupon offers, debit card cash back fee at some locations... man...

[rwsandiego]

1995 called and wants its fee schedule back.

The article mentions a $6 fee for cashback between $2,001 and $9,999. Do they really allow that much cash back? Hell, do they even keep that much cash in the til?

Unbelievable.

[storewanderer]

1995 called and wants its fee schedule back.

The article mentions a $6 fee for cashback between $2,001 and $9,999. Do they really allow that much cash back? Hell, do they even keep that much cash in the til?

Unbelievable.

I think if the cash back needed is above $100, you have to go to the customer service counter and the transaction will be initiated there. It probably involves getting cash out of the safe.

[SamSpade]

Most Kroger family of stores locations have a "Money Center" now, which is probably where these large transactions would be handled.
Kroger Money Services
With more employers moving to "prepaid debit cards" for employees that were not doing direct deposit into a bank account, perhaps this is where the fees are coming from?
https://www.moneyservices.com/check-cas ... d-cashing/
When I worked for Comcast in 2011 or so, they were transitioning the company. No more paper checks. They would provide a prepaid debit card free of charge or you could set up direct deposit into a U.S. bank account.

[BillyGr]

One of the chains here (Price Chopper/Market 32 - NY based) has charged a fee for quite some time - I was able to find a comment from 2010, and it may be even further back than that.

[storewanderer]

One of the chains here (Price Chopper/Market 32 - NY based) has charged a fee for quite some time - I was able to find a comment from 2010, and it may be even further back than that.

Interesting, so this is perhaps a more common practice than I thought. I guess I use Debit so rarely (WinCo...) and ask for cash back even more rarely, that maybe I am missing out on this policy already existing at some places. The only place I've ever seen do this is Family Dollar.

Strikes me as a real way to piss customers off... until everyone does it...

[arizonaguy]

One of the chains here (Price Chopper/Market 32 - NY based) has charged a fee for quite some time - I was able to find a comment from 2010, and it may be even further back than that.

Interesting, so this is perhaps a more common practice than I thought. I guess I use Debit so rarely (WinCo...) and ask for cash back even more rarely, that maybe I am missing out on this policy already existing at some places. The only place I've ever seen do this is Family Dollar.

Strikes me as a real way to piss customers off... until everyone does it...

I used to request cash back more often in years past (now I use credit cards but pay them off monthly for everything so I can get points). I never recall anyone charging for the service.

Kroger management seems committed to fighting credit card / debit card processing fees at all costs even if it upsets customers.

[BillyGr]

One of the chains here (Price Chopper/Market 32 - NY based) has charged a fee for quite some time - I was able to find a comment from 2010, and it may be even further back than that.

Interesting, so this is perhaps a more common practice than I thought. I guess I use Debit so rarely (WinCo...) and ask for cash back even more rarely, that maybe I am missing out on this policy already existing at some places. The only place I've ever seen do this is Family Dollar.

Strikes me as a real way to piss customers off... until everyone does it...

Although as far as I know (not having done this in quite some time), they are the only chain of the three supermarkets we have here that does so.

[Super S]

The fee is now showing up at Fred Meyer:

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/ ... 3062fc8dc7

[storewanderer]

The fee is now showing up at Fred Meyer:

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/ ... 3062fc8dc7

No signs about this at Smiths today. Just black and white photocopies of the no Visa Credit signs on top of each pinpad (since the nice color ones they had at first have fallen or become otherwise damaged in some cases).

So I am guessing this has not yet been imposed at Smiths.

I think a better policy would have been to limit "courtesy no fee" cash back to one transaction of up to $100 per card per day, and after hitting the limit, charge a fee.

I have heard employees get the cash back fee waived (not sure if they pay them through payroll cards and maybe it is waived if one of those cards is used or if it is somehow waived through the loyalty card similar to an employee discount).