Update: Free miles at Macy’s

I’ve gotten alot of feedback about my previous post on getting free miles at Macy’s, and the gist of it is as follows:

1. Macy’sT&C explicitly state that you cannot credit giftcards to a credit card.

I hadn’t seen this before and it’s certainly not a policy Macy’s follows. In fact, there are many policies that stores do not follow, because above all else, they advocate that “the customer is right.” This includes returning clearly worn items (prom dresses anyone?), allowing people cash returns even though they didn’t have their receipt and tags, etc.

Still, this is an official policy and Macy’s credit card services could shut down your account if you violate the T&C.

2. The T&C are listed on the back of giftcards.

I wasn’t aware of this either. Keep in mind that even though stores may allow crediting gift cards to your Macy’s card, this is against the rules and Macy’s can shut down your account over it.

3. If you return merchandise in-store that was purchased online, you will lose your portal points.

Steer clear of this method all together.

4. “Macy’s will close your credit card after the second or third large overpayment refund request, as confirmed by multiple sources who have thought of this several years earlier.”

I haven’t found anything on Flyertalk or elsewhere about this, but feel free to comment if you’ve had a similar experience. I don’t doubt that Macy’s will shut you down if you abuse the system. That is why I will continue to caution against abuse and advocated moderation.

Solution: If you’re looking for a silver lining, try the following instead: Buy a gift card, use it to purchase something, return it in store, and ask for the return to be credited to your Macy’s account. This is well within the rules, as long as you do not abuse it.

I’m sure like any other department store, Macy’s keeps track of people who return too much stuff. Keep it under $5k and you’ll end up with a very reasonable 25,000-30,000 free points per year. It’s important not to get greedy and overdo it. Otherwise, this will get shut down and you may end up in trouble with Macy’s corporate and credit card service.