I got the Citi Custom Card to get 5% on groceries and realized it’s been coding everything to ‘merchandise’ the entire time. This includes grocery stores like Safeway and Kroger’s (not box stores like Target). Have I been getting only 1% on groceries this entire time due to the merchant code?
Merchant code messing up Citi Custom CC points?
byu/ghiblifood inCreditCards
Posted by ghiblifood
4 Comments
I think you’ve zoomed in too far. Your cashback is determined based on which category a store falls into, not what you buy. If I snag a sofa an Office Depot during checkout, that’s an office supply. If I grab a gallon of milk at Walgreens on my way home, that’s a pharmacy item. Pull back a bit and focus on the store, not the item.
When I look at my transactions, it states that its Merchandise – Grocery Stores. Does it have any modifier after it? If it says “Grocery Stores” it is going into that category.
Every POS machine can be set to a different code. Safeway, to my knowledge, is always groceries, but if you go to a Walmart, there seems to be like a 50% change it goes as groceries and a 50% chance it’s considered wholesale.
Along with what kindadan said, you can see how many points you got for a transaction in your transaction history after your statement closes. Prior to that, they list your 5% category “Front Runner.” If “Grocery Stores” shows up there after a transaction at one of those stores, you can assume you’re getting full credit.