Westfield Gift Card - RED and Gold XS Westfield Gift Cards > PROOF of RIP-OFF <

Lcatchpossum on 01/12/2018 - 00:02
Last edited 02/12/2018 - 21:01 by 1 other user

Westfield Gift Card - RED and Gold XS Westfield Gift Cards > PROOF of RIP-OFF <

I've recently seen a lot of posts on both Ozbargain and other forums where people are getting very stressed out and confused about the Red and XS (Gold) Westfield Gift Cards.

It's no wonder due to the below statement in their FAQ's — Westfield FAQ's

Where can I use the Westfield XS Gift Card ?
The Westfield XS Gift Card offers more choice and flexibility.

In addition to being accepted in participating retailers in our centres Australia wide, the Westfield XS Gift Card can be used anywhere EFTPOS is accepted outside of Westfield Centres (at retailer’s discretion).

Gift Card acceptance is at the retailer’s discretion and some retailers may choose not to accept the Westfield Gift Card or Westfield XS Gift Card, including cinemas

The above FAQ statement is an absolute lie and what westfield thinks is a very clever way to cash in on unsuspecting customers. Most customers would also assume because they are paying an extra $2 ( $4.95 for Westfield XS Gift Card GOLD ) and it has the EFTPOS logo on the front it must be legit.

It's not legit and I will explain why >

BOTH cards , the Westfield Gift Card ( RED $2.95 ) and the Westfield XS Gift Card ( GOLD $4.95 ) are BOTH EFTPOS CARDS. In fact the cheaper RED Westfield Gift Card is BETTER than then the more expensive XS Westfield Gift Card Gold.

EFTPOS cards ( so both the westfield RED and GOLD gift cards ) can be used anywhere in Australia that accepts EFTPOS, again it's BS that they have to be used inside a westfield shopping centre.

If you're having problems at a check out or POS machine, make sure you do it yourself - everyone is so used to tapping now, this card needs to be swiped and then you need to press SAVINGS - do not press cheque or credit as it will decline just like any other EFTPOS card would - after you press SAVINGS enter your PIN, the PIN is located on the back on the card - you scratch to reveal it.

I have been using my card outside of westfield for YEARS at pretty much every single shop you can think of and surprise guess what - yes it works because it's EFTPOS!

Here is a screen shot https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/282722/64473/westfield… of my receipt from outside of westfield to show you, you can also check your own RED Westfield Gift Card ( or Gold ) if you are still unsure by going to the below website link > This tool will check if the entered credit card numbers conforms to the Luhn formula ( Google > Luhn Formula < if you are unsure what this is ) Debit, Prepaid, Credit and Gift Cards should all work fine.

https://www.mobilefish.com/services/credit_card_number_check…

PLEASE NOTE - Never enter your personal or credit card details or other personal details onto any site to 'test', the site I have linked only asks for the card number - not your EXP date or CVV number - If a site is asking for this then it's a phishing site and a scam.

Below you will see a check I did on my RED Westfield Gift Card.

Valid credit card numbers. Passing the Luhn test.

Credit card number: 502119#############
Personal account number: 0230#######
Major Industry Identifier: (5) Banking and financial
Bank identification number (BIN): 502119

So what does this tell us? Well now we know it's a valid debit, prepaid , credit or gift card ( yeah so what… ) - > what we really want is the (BIN) which is the cards 'Bank Identification Number' - as you can see the RED Westfield Gift Card BIN is 502119

Now you know the BIN ( by the way ALL RED Westfield gift cards have the SAME BIN ) you can go to this website and check your BIN >

https://www.exactbins.com/bin-lookup - again I tested the above BIN mentioned and the below is the result.

BIN: 502119
Card Brand: MAESTRO
Issuing Organization: WESTFIELD GIFT CARDS PTY LIMITED
Card Type (DEBIT/CREDIT/CHARGE): DEBIT
Card SubType: GIFT
Issuing Country: AUSTRALIA

Anything stand out to you? Yes that's correct - CARD BRAND = MAESTRO | Maestro = Mastercard | and CARD TYPE = DEBIT. ( Debit is EFTPOS )

more details on Wikipedia re Maestro

Due to the fact it's a Maestro DEBIT card - what this means is yes you can use your RED Westfield Gift Card card outside of westfield, you can also use it anywhere in Australia that accepts EFTPOS and because it's a MAESTRO card you can use it anywhere in the WORLD! ( that accepts Maestro which is EFTPOS )
please see below statement from Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EFTPOS

Australian debit cards normally cannot be used outside Australia. They can only be used outside Australia if they carry the MasterCard/Maestro/Cirrus or Visa/Plus or other similar logos, in which case the non-Australian transaction will be processed through those transaction systems. Similarly, non-Australian debit and credit cards can only be used at Australian EFTPOS terminals or ATMs if they have these logos or the MasterCard or Visa logos"

So all of a sudden you've gone from having a Red Westfield Gift Card which you think gets you no where / being ripped off and told / restricted to using your RED Westfield Gift Cards only in Westfield Shopping Centres to now actually having a Maestro Debit Card which can be used anywhere worldwide.

You're Welcome - Merry Christmas ;)

Mod: Removed libellous language.

Financial

Related Stores

Westfield Gift Cards
Westfield Gift Cards

Comments

      • [Deactivated] on 02/12/2018 - 13:15
        +1

        I've always gotten a cash refund for EFTPOS transactions. If it were a retailer's own gift card, they'd refund you the amount with store credit or on a new gift card.

  • andyyle on 01/12/2018 - 12:23

    anything i can do about my mum's expired card (by 2.5 months) :(. she forgot she had one. would it still work

    • kerfuffle on 01/12/2018 - 20:36

      Go talk to the Concierge Desk at a Westfield and ask them if they can do anything. They should be able to move the funds to a new card.

    • catchpossum on 02/12/2018 - 11:54
      -1

      Hey I'm guessing that's an older westfield Gift Card ? All Westfield Gift Cards in line with the ACCC's ruling have a 3 year expiry date. If it is expired then you can try your luck at concierge but I highly doubt you'll be successful. If you bought banana's at Coles and they went brown before you had time to eat them do you think it's fair that you take them back and ask for new banana's? Even though coles probably would give you new banana's lol

    • [Deactivated] on 02/12/2018 - 13:19
      +1

      If you contact their gift card customer service they might issue a new card out of goodwill.

      • catchpossum on 02/12/2018 - 13:41
        +3

        lol westfield? Goodwill? get out of here :)

    • mocon on 03/12/2018 - 14:04
      +1

      You can renew an expired gift card only if its within 6 months of expiry. and its renewed for 3 months.

  • blonky on 02/12/2018 - 17:27
    +1

    Thought it was public knowledge they could be used anywhere as EFTPOS - so far the only major retailer I know of that wouldn't accept them is Coles

    • catchpossum on 02/12/2018 - 18:27
      -1

      Mine worked at coles and no due to westfields advertising and pretty much tricky tactics - a lot of people are still confused.

  • Timfoo on 02/12/2018 - 18:13
    +2

    Tried mine outside of Westfield
    Declined

    • catchpossum on 02/12/2018 - 18:30
      -1

      Which Card was it? expiry? Where was it? When was it? Have you checked the balance? Did you do the transaction yourself? What did you press SAV, CHQ or CREDIT? Are you sure you entered the correct pin? Did the merchant accept EFTPOS payments? - If you were to post this information, I may be able to help.

    • SydOzber on 02/12/2018 - 18:32
      +1

      You sure ?

  • berry580 on 02/12/2018 - 19:19
    +4

    You're really paying the cost of the physical card and packaging, nothing comes free. If you're bothered by the $2 difference, then clearly neither product is right for you.

    How about try red packet Asian style instead, there'd be no service charge and be accepted everywhere Australia-wide. haha

    • catchpossum on 02/12/2018 - 20:55
      -1

      you get a physical card with the Red Westfield Gift Card

  • ego22 on 02/12/2018 - 20:19
    +2

    …….i dont understand any of this.
    can somone bullet point this or summarise it?

    • catchpossum on 02/12/2018 - 20:53

      Hey - which part are you getting confused by? Maybe I can help :)

  • gimme on 02/12/2018 - 20:29
    +5

    Old news.. Been using Westfield cards at various shops outside Westfield for years.
    People here go nuts during Amex deals on those cards.

    It doesn't need an essay. Not a breakthrough in some major conspiracy.

      • gimme on 02/12/2018 - 21:33
        +2

        Just some life/work advice. Brevity is key to getting your point across. You may thank me one day. Keep it simple :)

        I didn't neg you btw.

  • Fobsessive on 03/12/2018 - 08:19
    +1

    Yep they are EFTPOS cards and I use them anywhere.

    • SnoozeAndLose on 03/12/2018 - 08:30

      The red one cant be use with Officeworks tho

      • tomclancy on 03/12/2018 - 09:57
        +1

        I believe both the Red and XS don't work at Officeworks. I've personally tried the Red at Officeworks on three different occasions and it was declined all three times, though it worked flawlessly at every other shop outside of Westfield I tried. I can't vouch for the XS but other OzBargainers have reported the XS card hasn't worked at Officeworks since 2016 onwards.

        • gimme on 03/12/2018 - 11:40

          Could be wrong but from memory it didn't work at Bunnings either. Not exactly sure how it works but it seems not to at random places. I'm sure someone here knows the answer.

          • JIMB0 on 03/12/2018 - 13:32
            +2

            @gimme: They can block the BIN (first six numbers of card). Wesfarmers choose to block it at several of their chains.

            • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:02

              @JIMB0: That's interesting JIMBO but it makes no sense, why would Westfarmers want to block you from spending your money at their stores? If anyone was blocking it would be Westfield… interesting theory though.

          • tomclancy on 03/12/2018 - 16:31

            @gimme: Mid 2017 the red ones worked in Bunnings for me. Could have changed in the past 18 months though

          • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:04

            @gimme: Yes the answer is above in a very long explanation - hello Ozbargain can I attach Video tutorials in the future? lol

        • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:55

          I don't shop at office works but again similar to the guy talking about Westfarmers, don't you think it's odd that a company would block you from spending money at their store?

      • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 07:57

        Why can't they be used? explain the process in which you tried to use the card please :)

  • uk3000 on 03/12/2018 - 08:35
    +2

    Westfield are good at supporting their gift cards if used according to their T&C. I once had a problem with a failed transaction on their red card at JB Hi-Fi, JB could do nothing to fix it but Westfield just replaced the card and credited the disputed amount. That said, I imagine if anything goes wrong with their red card outside their centres (and things can go wrong with EFTPOS), they would just laugh at you as that'd be a rough violation of their gift cards T&C. And they would have every rights to do so. After all, the red card fee they charge you may well be less than the credit card surcharge they absorb when your pay for it using a credit card. They can also block or cancel their gift cards at their discretion, according to their T&C. Good luck abusing it and then trying to challenge the outcome.

    • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:08

      lol rubbish. I've never had a Red westfield card decline or blocked anywhere in Australia ( yes I'm sure your particular card may have been faulty ) but that's a faulty card nothing to do with EFTPOS. Also yes imagine if - so what lol? If something goes wrong, make sure you have followed the correct steps then go to another shop. sh$t happens in life - next lol

  • iSamurai on 03/12/2018 - 09:27
    +2

    wasn't this exposed a few years back when amex was running some crazy cashback deals?

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/279431

    • buckster on 03/12/2018 - 16:45
      +1

      Man that was a good year for Amex deals :(

  • pformag on 03/12/2018 - 14:53
    +2

    Damn, OP is going nuts in the comments.

    • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:11

      lol is there a link where I can find all the acronyms you guys use? I'm assuming I'm OP ? have no idea what it means

  • brendanm on 03/12/2018 - 18:27
    +2

    It literally tells you in the terms and conditions that it "can be used outside Westfield" you goose.

    • Fobsessive on 04/12/2018 - 00:39

      That I had no idea

    • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:11

      The Gold XS Westfield correct, not the RED.

  • sobes on 04/12/2018 - 08:49
    +5

    OP is a great example of how overusing bold can actually make something harder to read.

    • John Kimble on 04/12/2018 - 08:50
      +1

      Did you also read it in Judge Judy's voice like me?! :(

      • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:14

        I hope you did "Put your hand down!"

    • ronnknee on 06/12/2018 - 12:08
      +1

      jv would like to have a word with you.

    • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:14

      I re edited this 5 times after I knew how to BOLD lol

    • askbargain on 25/12/2018 - 18:14

      Have you seen xev's posts?

  • coolsteps on 08/12/2018 - 12:51
    +2

    just the heads up the New zealand red westfield gift card that i brought with amex to get my $5 credit offer only works at westfield centres over there but its free and you need to press credit in store to redeem

  • ilikedeals on 20/12/2018 - 06:30

    Does anyone know if you’re able to obtain cash out (via ATM or grocery stores) using the Red Westfield Gift Card?

    • madreece on 21/12/2018 - 08:16

      You wish.

    • catchpossum on 21/12/2018 - 08:17
      +1

      Hi, no you can't.

    • Neoika on 21/12/2018 - 16:57
      +2

      There was a way at Auspost before July 2017. You could deposit the fund to any eligible bank cards via EFTPOS transfer. Now this method was banned and Auspost only accepts cash or cheque.

      • ilikedeals on 04/01/2019 - 05:27
        -1

        Who can use Bank@Post?
        Anyone with an account at one of our participating banks and financial institutions can use Bank@Post. All you need is:

        • a designated account from a participating financial institution
        • a plastic transaction card
        • a Personal Identification Number (PIN)

        —> Does this mean they could accept an EFTPOS card then?

  • macmine on 25/12/2018 - 14:22

    Hi everyone, is it possible to use these Westfield gold XS cards online, thus with all your explanation about it being a Mastercard debit?

  • random12 on 25/12/2018 - 18:18

    What is this guy ranting about?

    Of course they can be used anywhere eftpos is accepted.

    I used mine at a 7-11

    The real question is why anyone is stupid enough to pay extra fees for gift cards which lock your money to be spent a certain way (even though, in this case, its not locked to a particular store).

  • kadaj on 17/02/2019 - 19:50

    Can the Westfield gift card be used for online purchases?

    • kerfuffle on 17/02/2019 - 19:58
      +2

      No as it's an EFTPOS card.

  • palmtree02 on 01/04/2019 - 13:57

    So…

    Westfields XS/Red cards can be used OVERSEAS as well then?
    Did I understand that correctly?

  • MirgeGSR on 13/06/2019 - 12:48

    Westfield recently limits gift card purchase to $250 per transaction per day(at concierge) in WA, not sure about other states tho. However, there's still an option to purchase maximum limit online. Recently ordered 2 $995 GC online and got rejected despite providing all IDs they requested. No criminal records, no outstanding bad debts, credit card used still has plenty of limit. When asked for a reason they refused to provide any. Its quite frustrating, if they don't intend to sell, they shouldn't bother requesting for ID upload at all geez!

    • kerfuffle on 13/06/2019 - 13:01

      Burwood NSW tried to pull that one on me a few years ($500 limit if paying with Amex). E-mailed Westfield to clarify and they said that wasn't the case. Try e-mail Westfield and see what they say.

    • Neoika on 13/06/2019 - 19:44
      -1

      Many other shopping centres sell similar "Own Brand" EFTPOS cards, the same universal cards. I know Castle Towers, Rouse Hill Town Centre do and charge less card fee.

      e.g. Available in 9 locations.
      https://www.rhtc.com.au/gift-card-packages/gift-cards-1

      You may find something similar in your area other than Westfield.

      • samehada on 13/06/2019 - 21:04

        Be very careful with these guy Givv, they can block your card if you spend outside the shopping centre. You don't want to be stuck with thousands dollar worths of giftcards that you don't need.

        These guys are the one who provide Crown gift card in the machine opposite Village cinemas in Melbourne.

        I can tell you these guys are not easy to play with, they have experience when ppl ozbargained the Crown gc for Amex points. I'd rather pay more with Westfield to be safe than playing with these guys.

        • Neoika on 13/06/2019 - 21:30

          Thanks for heads up. Use it up in a day if outside.

          • samehada on 15/06/2019 - 22:04

            @Neoika: I think I should remind you how these guys block you. After you have used the card outside the designated shopping centre, they will blacklist your credit card and the next time you buy the gift card your gift card is blocked and you will need to call them.

            So unless you get your new credit card, you are not safe, even you want to use it up in the same they you don't even have that chance. So do weigh up the risk to see if it is really worthwhile.

  • WayneY1991 on 18/08/2019 - 22:22
    +1

    Hey guys,
    Some updates this week.
    Looks they cancel the XS card and limit the max to 500 dollars.
    However, face a "swipe error" at a cafe today. Anyone suffers the same issue?

  • lilkid28 on 08/12/2019 - 15:42

    Has limit been reduced to $500 per card now?

    • kerfuffle on 08/12/2019 - 16:01

      Did you bother reading the comment above yours?

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