# What do you do when you leave your grocer discount card at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674 "2003-04-14T17:11:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/41 "2003-04-16T02:29:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Taters \* > \*\*I mainly just don’t want the hassle of using Club cards and applying for them. I feel sale prices should be offered to all the customers. \*\* Just curious… Why is it a “hassle” to apply and use one? It took me a couple of minutes to apply for the ones I have (fill out my name, phone number and address) right at the check-out, and using them is not a hassle at all. At Safeway, I swipe it, right before I swipe my debit card. Is it that much of an inconvenience to swipe two cards? At the Giant, I hand it to the cashier and she scans it over the barcode reader and hands it back to me. I can even lay it on top of a loaf of bread or a can of green beans at some point and the cashier will pick it up. Not a hassle at all. I keep the cards in my wallet, with my credit cards and my debit cards. I agree, the sale price should be offered to everyone, and the whole concept is a bit of a scam, but it’s not really a hassle to use the card. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/42 "2003-04-16T02:29:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Taters \* > \*\*I mainly just don’t want the hassle of using Club cards and applying for them. I feel sale prices should be offered to all the customers. \*\* Just curious… Why is it a “hassle” to apply and use one? It took me a couple of minutes to apply for the ones I have (fill out my name, phone number and address) right at the check-out, and using them is not a hassle at all. At Safeway, I swipe it, right before I swipe my debit card. Is it that much of an inconvenience to swipe two cards? At the Giant, I hand it to the cashier and she scans it over the barcode reader and hands it back to me. I can even lay it on top of a loaf of bread or a can of green beans at some point and the cashier will pick it up. Not a hassle at all. I keep the cards in my wallet, with my credit cards and my debit cards. I agree, the sale price should be offered to everyone, and the whole concept is a bit of a scam, but it’s not really a hassle to use the card. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/43 "2003-04-16T02:29:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Taters \* > \*\*I mainly just don’t want the hassle of using Club cards and applying for them. I feel sale prices should be offered to all the customers. \*\* Just curious… Why is it a “hassle” to apply and use one? It took me a couple of minutes to apply for the ones I have (fill out my name, phone number and address) right at the check-out, and using them is not a hassle at all. At Safeway, I swipe it, right before I swipe my debit card. Is it that much of an inconvenience to swipe two cards? At the Giant, I hand it to the cashier and she scans it over the barcode reader and hands it back to me. I can even lay it on top of a loaf of bread or a can of green beans at some point and the cashier will pick it up. Not a hassle at all. I keep the cards in my wallet, with my credit cards and my debit cards. I agree, the sale price should be offered to everyone, and the whole concept is a bit of a scam, but it’s not really a hassle to use the card. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/44 "2003-04-16T02:40:31Z")
Well, I also was, at one time, one of those who swore never to shop at a store requiring a discount card to get the sale price. But then, Dominick’s and Jewel Foods started having “2 for $8.88” and even occassional “$3.98 each” sales on 24-packs of Pepsi…and I’m a Pepsi addict. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/45 "2003-04-16T03:26:46Z")
BiblioCat- I guess it’s a hassle for me to actually apply for one because I want to get in and out and not be bothered. I also feel like I’m holding up the people in line behind me. I realize it’s probably not a huge deal, but it’s just my personal quirk.😉 If I am stopping at Safeway it’s because it’s on my way home or on my way to where I need to be. I am always in a rush, not because I’m late, but because I’m impatient by nature. Frankly, Safeway is more expensive than Fred Meyer even with the club card savings. The Freddies out by my place is much nicer and has a wider variety of stuff to choose from. I apologize for the slight hijack, just trying to answer the question posed to me… ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/46 "2003-04-16T08:21:30Z")
At most places I shop, the cashier asks me if I have their card, I say no, and the cashier shrugs and swipes the house card. I’ve never had one of my own. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/47 "2003-04-16T14:39:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BiblioCat \* > \*\*Just curious… Why is it a “hassle” to apply and use one? It took me a couple of minutes to apply for the ones I have (fill out my name, phone number and address) right at the check-out, and using them is not a hassle at all. At Safeway, I swipe it, right before I swipe my debit card. Is it that much of an inconvenience to swipe two cards? > At the Giant, I hand it to the cashier and she scans it over the barcode reader and hands it back to me. I can even lay it on top of a loaf of bread or a can of green beans at some point and the cashier will pick it up. > Not a hassle at all. I keep the cards in my wallet, with my credit cards and my debit cards… \*\* Well, it’s more like there are 4 stores around here that want cards, and about 5 that have equal sale prices that don’t. I don’t like carrying a lot in my wallet, so I really don’t want 4 extra cards. Being that the competition is just as good and just as close, I have no reason to carry the card. Plus, I’ve headed into Kroger ('s) only to realize I don’t have a card, didn’t feel like filling out a form to shop, and can’t be completely sure they will give me the discount when I get to the register (CVS has given me a hard enough time to where I now avoid going there). For me, it’s a simple decision with no extra work and no extra money spent. It has nothing to do with giving out information. It’s a case of a store making it inconvenient for me to shop. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/48 "2003-04-16T16:16:59Z")
Well, where I go to the store, if you forget your card, they’ll either use the house card, or you can come back the next time you shop there with the receipt and your card and they’ll refund you the difference. ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/49 "2003-04-16T23:01:33Z")
So what do you do when they WON’T let you use the “house card?” Has this happened to anybody else besides me? ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/50 "2003-04-16T23:19:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by prisoner6655321 \* > \*\*So what do you do when they WON’T let you use the “house card?” Has this happened to anybody else besides me? \*\* Did you actually READ any of the posts? ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/51 "2003-04-17T00:22:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BiblioCat \* > **That’s why I like having two phone lines. One for regular use, and one for the computer. Whenever someone like Safeway or Toys R Us wants my phone number, I give them the computer line number. No big deal.** Why give them any number at all? Last week I was at Toys R Us, buying Lego. When the cashier said, “May I have your phone number?”, I answered, as I always do, “No, thank you.” The guy in front of me who was gathering up his packages was stunned and said, “You can do that?” Well…yeah. Is Toys R Us really going to turn me away from buying a whole big bunch of Lego because I won’t give them my phone number? Anyway, no cashier at any store that asks for phone numbers has ever said one word to me when I politely refuse. ---
**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/52 "2003-04-17T01:12:07Z")
This has happened to my hubby. Kinda funny story. Anyway I am looking through the mail one day and I notice a piece of mail, addressed to our poodle Max with our last name attached. The mail was from Kroger and they enclosed coupons encouraging him to come back to Kroger and shop with them. All the while I am wondering to myself. How the hell Kroger got our dogs name and started sending him mail? Fair enough question. So I ask hubby this same question. He stated that he was grocery shopping one day and had forgot his card. Well there was this little old lady at a table trying to get people to sign up for the Kroger card. So he comes along and fills out the information with our dogs name. I guess she never checked for identification? So he used the temporary card that day and came home and threw the card in the junk drawer and never used it again. And when they sent new cards he threw those in the drawer never saying a word to me about it. Then the day I get the mail I see the dog getting 2 really good coupons for like $25 off purchase of $50 or more and I am left wondering what the hell? I guess they thought our dog was taking his business elsewhere so they decided to lure him back in with major coupon savings. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/53 "2003-04-17T01:49:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LilyoftheValley \* > \*\*Why give them any number at all? \*\* Right! Or give them a fake tel. # or yours with 1 digit off. I still use an old phone number for a supermkt. that I frequent. Maybe someone else gets all the credit. But I get the immediate “savings.” At this chain of grocers, you just key in your area code and phone #. No need to carry cards. I have shopped out of town, and the clerks use their own cards. If I go to an area out of town frequently, I get a card, like at Giant. If I forget a discount card, I think I’d just pay to save time. One gripe I have is getting home and realizing they didn’t put an item in the bag. I say I’ll return, but if it’s a couple of bucks, I don’t bother. But I think I should! ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/54 "2003-04-17T02:13:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by voguevixenDid you actually READ any of the posts? Uh. YES. Can you please show me exactly where someone said that a store didn’t let them use a “house card?” ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/55 "2003-04-17T02:13:28Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Violet_ > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by LilyoftheValley \* > > Why give them any number at all? > > \*\*Right! Or give them a fake tel. # or yours with 1 digit off. I still use an old phone number for a supermkt. that I frequent. \*\* Why bother trying to remember an old number or giving someone else’s number, when I can give one that no one’s ever going to answer? It’s not that big a deal (to me, at least) to just give our “other” phone number. Sometimes I do refuse to give it, but the grocery store tracks the discount card through the phone number, so I can’t always give a fake one… I’d never remember what I gave them. When I signed up for the card, I gave the second line number. I knew they were never going to call me, so that’s what I used. If I am ever there without my card, I just have to remember that it’s the other phone number that I have to key in for the discount to work. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/56 "2003-04-17T15:23:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by prisoner6655321 \* > \*\*Uh. YES. Can you please show me exactly where someone said that a store didn’t let them use a “house card?” \*\* If I must. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Missy2U_ > **…if you forget your card, they’ll either use the house card, or you can come back the next time you shop there with the receipt and your card and they’ll refund you the difference.** > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Taters_ > \*\*I just go ahead and pay “full price”. \*\* > [@](#): > > _originally posted by handy_ > **I have been known to ask for a new card. They give me one right away at Albertsons.** > [@](#): > > _originally posted by chukhung_ > **…look around the parking lot for a card that someone might have dropped.** > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Zenster_ > **YOU ASK THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SWIPE THEIR CARD SO YOU GET THE SAVINGS AND THEY GET THE CREDIT BUMP** > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Kat_ > **I can’t find it, so they scan a house card for me… If it ever gets to the point where they won’t, I’ll just leave all the groceries and walk out.** > [@](#): > > _originally posted by Washte_ > **Safeway can track your card number via phone number in the US. Was always forgetting my card so just gave them my phone number.** > [@](#): > > _originally posted by voguevixen_ > \*\*Some of the cards work for more than one store. If you happen to be missing just one card, try the others. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![prisoner6655321](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@prisoner6655321](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prisoner6655321)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/57 "2003-04-17T17:58:43Z")
Umm… There was only one case there (which I missed in my reading) that talked about them refusing a request to use their house card, and it was hypothetical. I asked if someone HAD been refused the house card and what DID they do when that happened. I guess from the lack of responses that the grocery stores here (except HEB) don’t want my business. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/58 "2003-04-19T21:46:17Z")
Thanks for quoting me **voguevixen** but had no clue of such a thing as a “house card”. As in my post, Safeway (in the US) can track your store card via phone number so why bother with having to use the “house card”? In the UK, at Tesco anyway, you just get the receipt signed to bring in with you the next time you have your card. There is no such thing as a “house card” with Tesco that I am aware of. The other stores I shop at do not use loyalty cards. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/59 "2003-04-20T00:03:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Taters \* > \*\*I just go ahead and pay “full price”. I really don’t shop at the stores that use those cards. > > Really and truly I shop mainly at Fred Meyer and Costco. I don’t need a card for Freddie’s to get sale prices. \*\* Can you not use a Kroger card at Fred Meyer? (Kroger owns Fred Meyer). You can normally use Kroger cards at their subsidiary chains e.g. I used one at a Smith’s in SLC recently. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674/60 "2003-04-20T06:31:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amarone \* > \*\*Can you not use a Kroger card at Fred Meyer? (Kroger owns Fred Meyer). You can normally use Kroger cards at their subsidiary chains e.g. I used one at a Smith’s in SLC recently. \*\* Yeah, like I said…I’ve used my Albertson’s card at both Kroger('s) and Fry’s…so my official response is: “probably.” heh. (Both cashiers had to be coerced into actually trying the card, and were dumbfounded when it went through.) And **Washte** I’m sorry to have possibly misused your post, but I was merely trying to lay out all the options already given to the query: “What do I do when I can’t use the house card?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-leave-your-grocer-discount-card-at-home/168674.md?page=4)