debit card style rebates

[SoreArms]

A couple of months a go I sent out for a $20 rebate from a blue tooth ear piece I bought for my cell phone. I received the rebate last week, to my surprise inside the envelope was a debit/credit card instead of a $20 check. I really didn't understand why they would do it that way I mean doesn't it cost more money to make the card, set up a system to validate and keep track of these cards than to simply print a check?

After using it for some small purchases, I realized that there was something like <$1 balance left on that thing, and I was not going to call the number to check the balance. Afterall, I am not going to tell a cashier/clerck that I'll pay 68 cents with debit, the rest with cash. It finally all made sence. Imagine, assuming msot people are like me, a lot of people that get these will end up leaving a dollar and change, or less than a dollar of balance on there. They'll save tons of money in the long run over simply sending a $20 check.


Genius!

 

[bigmann245]

bingo..... thats exactly right.. then after a while they take the remaining balance back for there "fee"...

 

[SoreArms]

who ever came up with the idea must have gotten a phat promotion and compensation.

 

[Lestat]

its a great system.

 

[Gambino]

A couple of months a go I sent out for a $20 rebate from a blue tooth ear piece I bought for my cell phone. I received the rebate last week, to my surprise inside the envelope was a debit/credit card instead of a $20 check. I really didn't understand why they would do it that way I mean doesn't it cost more money to make the card, set up a system to validate and keep track of these cards than to simply print a check?

I think it is much cheaper to use plastic than check...obivioulsy is because electronic purchasing is the mainstay...check's, with all the proccessing, mailing and sorting, plus the cost of printing, paper, and security features surely costs a sheet load more than stamping out plastic cards by the billion

 

[bigmann245]

this is also why stores push gift cards on ya.... i had a gift card from best buy and i used it and they gave me the reciept and said it had 2 cents left. i was like wtf 2 cents??? he said yea, i said wtf am i to do with the card. he said that i can hold onto it until i come back and do a split payment... i was like no way im not doing a split payment for 2 cents and whtever else the balance is... he said thats how the store makes free money... they get a lot of people that do the same thing... buy a gift card and not use it all then after a while they dedusct a fee for not using it... its a scam...

 

[Sweet_Bitch]

I think it is much cheaper to use plastic than check...obivioulsy is because electronic purchasing is the mainstay...check's, with all the proccessing, mailing and sorting, plus the cost of printing, paper, and security features surely costs a sheet load more than stamping out plastic cards by the billion

That is acutally the reason that most companies do this. A card is actually cheaper in the long run. It is also more versatile. You don't need to take a check to the bank and deposit it/cash it to use the money. You can just use the card. In addition, many times a person won't actually ever do anything with a check, which causes a lot of accounting issues. They are more likely to use a card no matter what the amount.

 

[bran987]

wtf? I always use up the last few cents on gift cards and then pay the difference in cash. it's hard enough to make $$$ without giving it away.