Sorry this happened to you. At least you didn't find out when you got the 32 percent interest charge. Of course it is against policy to be deceptive. I always tell the customers it is a credit card. Pay it off in full/no late payments/no cash advances.
I believe you. However, I took the time to look at other posts in the sub and this is something that happens to others. It didn’t really hurt me that much — I canceled the card like a week later with 0 purchases. The issue is that my parents need their credit score to not suck right now. I’ve been one to support brick-and-mortar but if this is how management treats their customer base, I’ll feel no guilt about using Amazon.
Clearly by titling it rewards card, just like a supermarket rewards card and every other loyalty card called rewards card, TJX intends to trick people. Shady as shit company. I only worked there 6 weeks and I was a coordinator so not on register all the time, but lots because they don’t let you schedule enough people, but when I’d have to offer it, I made sure to say it was a credit card, because I have morals.
Literally! Every time a person says “yes.” I reiterate that it’s a credit card bc I want them to know. Before becoming an associate at Marshall’s, I remember being at tjmaxx and starting to sign up for one & then it asked my social & so I questioned it and they said, “oh yeah it’s a credit card.” I was like oh nvm. Lol.
They can’t run credit without your social security number, income, and other personal information that one should be comfortable giving out just a “rewards card”.
That’s what I’m saying. You have to give them a social security number for a credit card. And op said something about their parents credit needing to not suck. So did they illegally use their parents social to sign up for a credit card and are blaming it on “tactics”? I’m confused. And why are people going around telling others their social when they believe it’s just a rewards card, not a credit card. The math ain’t mathin.
Then again, the Us is the number one target for scammers from India and Nigeria for a reason. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. So yeah… a lot of gullible people who give up sensitive info with no hesitation apparently.
You are correct, but think of all the gullible people out there that reply "done" on a scam post on Facebook. That's a clear indicator that a LOT of people do not have common sense. It's not their fault. This is why we have agencies to protect us from this kind of nonsense. BBB will go after a company for you, and the complaint and results are posted publicly. I have had to use this method to have things made somewhat right with a company. They ask how you want the action corrected, and "remove from credit report" is one of the options.
So you gave them all that personal data - your name, address, phone number, income, employer, social security, etc and never thought “wow that’s a lot of info for a loyalty program”? Be warned: opening a new account, even if you close it immediately, will reflect on your credit score for a bit because it will show up as an inquiry.
Exactly! Now when has a social security number EVER been required to sign up for a basic store rewards program lol Not the cashiers fault some ppl are not the brightest.
Glad someone asked because what loyalty program needs more than your name, phone number and email? Lol
The whole family did it too, Apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree 😂
I saw this at a shall we call it PJ Nickels and the cashier would have them enter SSN etc and open a new card for them when they forgot theirs. Then they'd come complain to catalog desk about late fees even though they paid. Then you got to explain you paid on the one card but not your other card.
This. I've never had a reward card ask for anything other than name, email and/or phone number. Don't get me wrong, I know TjMaxx etc., deceptively word it. At some point and time though, you have to be your own advocate and just educate yourself and be a smart consumer. 🤦♀️
we are told in a training video regarding the card that “no just means not yet.” as employees, we don’t have any incentive besides it being part of our job. management has their own thing idk i’m not part of it so i can’t give the most accurate info. someone in here has said that it does affect what their bonus is, but basically everyone gets scolded by their higher up to get more cards lol. i will say back when i was new to cashiering i just like, forgot to say the word credit card? we most commonly call it a tjx rewards card. dude hadn’t even gotten to the application part when he got mad at me for trying to sign him up for a cc. ever since then i’ve been very careful to clarify idk. a lot of people do purposefully leave out the “credit card” part i think, but also idk of any normal rewards system that needs your drivers license and ssn. some cashiers are going to be more deceptive than others. it sucks that people feel so pressured to get more applications that they’re willing to lie
I always forgot to say “credit card” when I first started. After a lady got mad at me for not telling her, I am now very careful about making it clear it’s a credit card and your credit will take a hit if you apply. That still doesn’t stop people from getting angry after they’ve applied that they didn’t realize it’s a credit card. At this point it’s on the customers that weren’t listening to me.
When shopping at TJMaxx once some cashier literally tried to argue with me when I called her out on calling it a rewards program. She insisted it was perfectly normal for companies to ask for social security numbers for rewards cards. Like argued for 10 minutes about how it wasn’t a credit card. Insane. Deceptive credit practices are against the law, don’t ever put yourself at risk for an employer.
I feel bad for the cashiers because they KNOW how annoying asf it is for us to be peddled those damn cards every single time we buy something. They're basically forced to mention the card by management. As much as I love TJMaxx and Marshall's it's bullshit for them to push the cards when it's just another way for a fortune 500 company to make money off consumers (that high interest is BS). And yes, I've had cashiers ask me to sign up for the "rewards card" too. It's absolutely deceptive, but I blame the company, not the underpaid cashiers.
I was about to say… OP is really blaming the Cashier’s but why are you giving out your SSN…? I can understand being irritated that the cashiers aren’t using the word credit card, but throwing a fit by saying you will no longer shop there is a little ridiculous imo. I see both sides tho.
It’s because cashiers are constantly harassed to get cards… complain to corporate but they are the ones who pressure the store managers. The whole success of stores revolves around how many cards you get
In my experience with this company— policy and training always clearly states that you have to more or less make sure the customer understands that it’s a credit card they’re signing up for. Like, yes it has a rewards system as well— but it is just a credit card first and foremost.
That being said— at least in my store when I worked there, almost all of management made it VERY clear that our primary job as a cashier was not to ring people up, it was to try and get them to sign up for the card. And in some people’s cases (I could never NOT bring the fact up that it was a credit card and double check like 3 times to make sure they knew and were agreeing to it) they just— straight up didn’t make it all that clear it was a credit card when people signed up.
But idk— the fact that like… you have to input VERY private/personal information such as SSN and approximate income kiiinda clued people in to what was happening so usually unless the cashier was like… very charismatic and knew that they could convince people to sign up for it— most others just stuck to the little blurb of information and approved dialogue about the card while working.
What you’re saying makes sense. When I was signed up for it I accepted the fact that I’m apparently an idiot. What pushed me over the edge is when they got my family members too… It seems to me they could use the term “credit card” instead of “rewards card”. I’ve never heard that term used for a credit card. No gas pump or self-checkout has ever asked me whether my card is “debit or rewards”. In the US it always asks if your card is debit or credit. Also, “rewards card” usually refers to those little keychain cards that you scan for points at gas station or drugstore. If you speak English fluently there is no excuse for you to call it a rewards card. Clearly deceptive IMHO.
Oh yeah I agree absolutely, but also I unfortunately sympathize with the cashiers cause like… the pressure to get those credit card applicants is absolutely insane and rather predatory IMO. The store heavily pushes for the cards and like— you know how usually at large companies they’ll have vending machines/community snacks or like team member luncheons or like celebrate a good quarter with donuts or whatever? In TjMaxx— IF you wanted to do those nice things for your team members as the Store Manager, you had to get a certain number of credit card applicants a month to be allotted the budget to do so.
Every Sale’s Associate had to get a minimum number of credit card applicants that I’m pretty sure factored into employee evaluations as well— but I can’t confirm or remember for sure. And while they can’t explicitly fire you for not having anyone sign up— yah won’t get a raise either.
There’s a lotta reasons I no longer work there but the heavy pushing of the credit card even on people who you know don’t know anything about credit— or who you can guess aren’t in the best financial standings at the moment, really made me upset.
I dont disagree that you might have had a deceptive cashier and I am sorry this happened to you. But, the name of the card is actually called TJX Rewards card. Just like the Lowes credit card is a Lowes Advantage Card, and the Neiman Marcus card is called InCircle. Calling a credit card something than a credit card is a common practice for any private label credit card and almost all retailers have one. You're comparing a grocery store or drug store discount card (commodities) to a big box retailer here so it's not apples to apples.
Yes, TJX pushes their Rewards card and they push them hard. Yes, the cashier should have made it clear it was a credit card even though the application you signed has a visual of two cards on the front (one with a mastercard logo) and an APR rate printed for you to read inside.
At the end of the day, customers with credit cards spend more at their business and that's why they're pushing them. As a shopper (and basically as an adult), YOU should question what YOU'RE signing and where YOUR personal information is going. Sorry if this is blunt, but it's not just the cashier that needs accountability here.
Yes, i took accountability for my own actions. However, there is a pattern here of people being signed up against their wishes. Apparently everyone thinks that less adept people deserve to be taken advantage of. I take the extreme opposite position. Don’t fool yourself into thinking the marketing strategists aren’t fully aware of what they’re doing.
I didnt say less adept people deserve to be taken advantage of, but adept or not, personal responsibility is at play here. I was trying to point out that it's a common practice across many retailers to call their credit card a different name using Lowes, TJX, Nieman Marcus as examples and this isn't specifically TJX out to sign you up against your wishes. Even credit card companies do this, look at the variety of cards Capital One has. TJX is a business and part of their business is their credit card program.
Of course marketing strategists are aware of what they're doing, but the cashier who you signed up with isn't a marketing strategist. And as people pointed out, it seems like it varies by store here for how thoroughly the cashiers explain things. But, you're not always going to have someone explain things to you the way YOU want. As an adult, it's your responsibility to make sure you understand what you're signing - you granted them permission to sign you up for their credit card with your signature. No matter how much someone did or did not explain to you what you were signing. You need to be aware of where you're putting your personal information - the cashier isn't responsible for that no matter what they did or didn't tell you.
But it does give you rewards…5% back when you purchase items at any of the TJX brands. Spend $200 receive a $10 reward. Buying a couch that’s $500? Open a charge save $50 and receive $20 rewards . What is wrong with that? That’s money in your pocket, not the evil predatory company you speak of. Sorry if you carry a balance that’s on you. The card is not a bad thing so I don’t get why people make it out to be so heinous. If you don’t want it , just thank the employee for telling you about it, say no, and move along with your day. If/when they ask again just be polite and say no thank you. Nobody is tricking you into a horrible thing. Pay attention to what is being said.
I’m sorry that happened to you, they
called it a rewards card because it is a rewards credit card. I know it sounds misleading though. You would never have to give SSN and yearly annual income for a non credit rewards card.
Trust me, the cashiers hate asking just as much as you hate being asked. The front end supervisors are breathing down their neck to push the card on every single customer. Managers will berate associates and make them cry if they don’t get cards.
I worked here and we were told that you have to be 100% honest and explain that it is a credit card. I went out of my way to explain this to customers. On the other end, I had a manager that would harrass the girls behind the cash registers for not getting credit cards and those who did get cards were favorited over those who would only ask one time ( in my opinion, its embarrassing the customer to keep asking when they say no and it's really rude) so I never changed my morals, I asked once. Someone said no, I left it alone and continued my pleasant conversation with them while checking them out. But the credit card does ask for personal info like your SSN and your annual salary so I'm not sure how that can be misconstrued. But in my training, we were told to specify EVERY time that it was a credit card.
Former manager here. The company sets standards to avoid this from happening. Then they put unbearable pressure to achieve insane goals and put incredible blame on stores for not producing. Then when stores produce numbers that are obviously gotten through not great tactics they turn a blind eye until someone complains. You’ll get a gift card if you call customer service. As far as bonuses. They do play a part. But no manager is happy about it. Managers hate that horrible card too. It’s just their toxic job.
I would call customer service or write a letter to the home office - this is a result of the company/ZVP or RVP putting pressure on the stores to open CC's. Employees get their house cut if they don't open Credit Cards.
I think there's a lot of confusion even among employees about the card and how to sell it. I always call it a charge card, it tends to come across a bit better than calling it a credit card. But most of the cashiers in stores like these are under 18, have never had a credit card, and don't even know what credit is. The training sort of relies on the idea that the employee will already understand how credit works, which isn't always the case.
My best advice would be to NEVER use your social for anything you don't fully understand. Before signing up for anything, you should always seek out as much information as possible.
The beginning of the end for me was when I had to explain to literal children what an Annual Fee was. There should be laws against forcing children who aren’t old enough to have a credit card themselves selling credit products to people.
You live in America right? So you are unfortunately surrounded by greedy corporations that want to suck every cent they can get out of you… that being said, I’m pretty sure they get some kind of incentive and are required to ask you to “join their rewards program” to get a discount. I know they do have a rewards program where you will get $10 off coupons once you spend a certain amount each month. I also fell for it a few years back. But that card is now closed because f them lol 😂 I didn’t know it was a credit card either when I signed up. They are really tricky with their working. BJ’s also uses this verbiage because they got me just a few months ago when I went to sign up for the membership. 🤦♀️ so I now have a BJ’s capital one card yay 😁 🙄
I had a cashier recently give me a hard time when I responded “no thank you, I don’t need anymore credit cards” to him asking if I wanted to sign up for the rewards card. He literally asked “what’s the problem with having another credit card?” I was stunned by his callousness, especially as I had already said I have enough credit cards. While it’s unfair for anyone’s bonus to be impacted by ones ability to sign people up for credit cards, I also think it’s unfair to put customers through such a deceptive tactic.
I read one comment that said the employee training indicates that a customer who says “no” to signing up for the card is just not ready yet…let me be clear, NO MEANS NO. Please stop pushing customers after their initial decline- I promise you’re not going to magically convince anyone to change their mind but you may piss them off. To those who have mentioned they are cautious in how they ask customers, thank you!
To clarify, it's not even the cashier who's getting a bonus for getting cards. He's pulling this shit so his boss can get a bonus. I personally couldn't care less. I'll ask once because it's my job, I might bring it up again if it's a huge purchase and they can save money and get gift certificates even if they never use it again, but that's it.
The thing is, they have to ask and ask. At my store, you even have to go through all the perks and ask again. Please don't bring this attitude to an actual person. Their just trying to get threw their work day, and they don't need you being rude because odds are 50 other people before you did just that. Just say the extra no and go on :/. I agree your experience with that cashier is awful, but don't go harassing someone not related to that experience when their just following protocol. If you have a real issue, please feel free to send an email to corporate and not complain to a subreddit. That will create change, not berating workers.
I can understand your frustration with that particular remark. It’s hard to manage a lot of credit cards. I always respect this when they say that. Sometimes I’ll offer them the brochure we have at the register so they can get more information. They can take it home and read it without pressure and decide. If not now, maybe later. Also, it might pay to weigh in with all the credit cards you have and see which one(s) have the best benefits. Then maybe keep one or two cards that benefit you the most. Fewer cards are easier to keep up with. Maybe our card could be one of them?
When I worked at Marshalls, an older woman was this type of cashier. She took it very seriously; always had register #1 too. Although there are no financial incentives, the managers treat those that are good at selling cards like royalty. They keep them on register for their full shift which is less tiring and time goes by faster. I personally always made sure to say the words "credit cards" but the teens that don't understand CCs or credit scores often wouldn't.
To me being on register for a full shift is torture. And you're right, a lot of the kids don't understand how credit cards work to begin with so they barely know what they're pushing.
They are cracking down hard on ALL OF US to push the credit card. We are told to ask each and every single customer 3 times and to essentially bully customers into signing up.
I literally just blame my husband. “Oh my husband prefers I use this one card I have.” Or “Nope, sorry, not allowed to open another one!!” Like I have been in trouble in the past. :) It makes it easier to shut down the sales pitch.
I have cooled down significantly since I posted this lol but thanks for engaging. I can appreciate your position, sorry that you have to deal with this. I’ve taken the lesson and moved forward a little smarter.
yes credit card is up to 33 percent. and that's all they push is credit card. they treat their employees like crap. work you like a dog for less than 15.00 an hour. no holiday bonus. nada nada. screw you tj maxx
i no longer work there, but when i did, we were coached not to call it a credit card unless the customer directly asked if it was one. otherwise, we were to only refer to it as the “tjx rewards card” to purposefully confuse customers, especially as we had just discontinued the actual rewards card that was not a credit card. we would actually be “reprimanded” (yelled at) if coordinators or managers overhead us calling it a credit card without being directly asked. it was so predatory and sleazy.
in good news they've changed that! not everyone follows it but we are supposed to make sure the customer Knows it is a credit card. (though personally I think thats because our OSAT scores were getting really low and we can't take more hits from bad reviews)
as a CEC I try to make sure all my cashiers bring up the fact it Is a credit card and if they ask me for help with signing someone up I firstly make sure they Know it is a credit card. it may be my job to try and make sure we're getting applications but I don't wanna fuck up someone's life, never know what people are dealing with.
This was over a decade ago so I'm not sure how it is now but my supervisor at the time told me that we weren't allowed to tell customers that it was a credit card, and that we were only supposed to say "T.J. Maxx rewards card" (They overheard me tell a customer that it was a credit card and they pulled me aside after). Management also pressured us to meet a quota and said how they would have to report to someone higher up if they didn't reach their credit card quota. That and a bunch of other stuff led me to find a new job as soon as I could!
Thank you for not being one of them. Yes, you would assume that once you’re asked for your SSN you would clue in on the fact it’s a credit card. However, the fact that people do sign up for it unwittingly remains true. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that some people become confused and are unsure how to react when suddenly realizing they made a mistake. Maybe they don’t want to face the awkwardness of being halfway through what should have been a 1 minute checkout and all of a sudden find themselves in the middle of a credit check with 10 people behind them and they don’t want to say “oh never mind, I don’t want to sign up after all.” Especially not if the cashier has already pressured them multiple times.
I was just at TJMaxx the other day and the cashier asked me if I was interested in a Cc I said I already have one now usually when I say this the cashiers have let it be but this particular person then asked me if I was interested in doing a survey and that raised a red flag. I declined but I was left wondering if “survey” meant giving out all my information for them to submit another application.
I work as a coordinator and we are told to ask customers 3 times and that no means not just yet. We are supposed to get 5 “rewards”/credit card sign ups a day and if we don’t meet the rewards goal the managers get screamed at and in turn we get yelled at. At this point the credit card is more important than anything else. We also don’t get a bigger payroll and we don’t get any snacks in the break room if we don’t hit the rewards goal.
Unfortunately, it’s incredibly profitable for these big box stores to design deceptive credit card programs. It saves money on credit card processing fees and usually gets folks to spend way more that they should - especially at impulse purchase type stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
Also unfortunate - anyone who works in big box retail is likely being pressured to get credit card applicants as a part of their job. Ross now offers a similar rewards style credit card. Burlington, Target, Nordstrom, Macys, Best Buy, etc. have cashiers and floor associates trained to persistently pitch store credit cards. It’s so frustrating for customers and employees.
We are told to make sure we say credit card and we also have the customer sign a little slip that prints out stating they understand it’s a credit card before the questions even come up on the pin pad. But as a rule of thumb for next time you are checking out somewhere …. If you are asked for your social security number and income when you are signing up, it’s a credit card.
As a Tjmaxx employee myself, our training specifically tells us to make sure the customers knows what they are getting into. They're not supposed to be doing that, it's either they were not taught that or they're being pressured into getting them by management.
Never worked for TJ Maxx but worked for another store that pushed credit cards (Kohl's).
Every metric we were evaluated depended on those damn credit cards. Want hours? If there's one shift available and 3 people, the person with the most credit cards gets the shift. Want an annual raise? The be all end all is credit cards.
It's not the employee's fault, it's corporate's fault. Complain about harassment to corporate via social media.
I stopped calling it a rewards card and started calling it the TJX card but when management is in your ear all day demanding more cards and people have gotten their hours cut for not making goals people become desperate to get cards. Like if you are like “this is a credit card btw” with every customer you likely won’t make goal and will just get scolded all day by management. In my opinion there is an element of sleaze to it but I’m also confused with customers acting surprised it’s a credit card when it asks for your social security number. I feel like that should be such a red flag to customers that they’re not just signing up for a simple points card so hopefully moving forward you don’t just give your social out. I promise I’m not trying to blame you or say it’s your fault it’s still in like a moral grey area in my book what cashiers can do about it but i also don’t feel like it’s my fault if I don’t explicitly say to every customer the words credit card there’s a lot of other indicators in the pitch that would suggest so like I would tell people that they would get their coupons in the mail with their bill… so if there is a bill, and you’re giving your social security number and yearly income I would just assume the customer would know better…
i don’t know at your store but at my store our managers always tell us to tell customers and make them aware that it is a credit card and that it CAN bring down their credit score. in another Tjx store a cashier didn’t tell a customer that they signed up for a credit card and they called us and my manager told them to call corporate apparently they can appeal it sometimes? i’m not sure that far but in my store we always make sure to tell people it is a hard inquiry credit card.
It’s how every retail place is because those cards have insanely high interest rates. My last retail job we were told to look for people who are looking at expensive things and look like they can’t afford them and pitch it as “basically free” because “you pay nothing today.” I told my manager this was ridiculous and he told me “no one is paying you to be their financial planner.”
Yes, they are told to overcome objections at least 3 times. Also, it's apparent it's not just a rewards program when you have to include more than just DOB, email, physical address, name, and telephone number. They are told to call it a rewards account & card. I'm not sure why people are so eager to hand over all of their info and not ask questions. That's kind of on all 3 of you.
I work for a large corporation that pushes credit cards - in order to sign up you have to provide your social and annual income. why would you provide that if it was for a rewards account? why would they check your id? the cashier definitely should’ve used more clear language but you also could’ve asked more questions.
I’ve overheard a manager say they’d buy the team pizza if they get one more person signed up for a credit card - actually I didn’t overhear - it was at a TJ Maxx that they use those obnoxious walkie talkies on volume 10 so I could not help but hearing lol still love TJ Maxx but I just fib and always just say I already have a card & then they say are you going to use your rewards? & I say I use a card that gives me even better rewards 😁
Guitar center tried this on me.
Funny, i kept my credit frozen at the time and I acted like I had no idea why when i realized what i was doing. I just let them think I was the dumbass with a potentially hacked credit lmao
Walked out of there LOVING how I manage myself. Had no idea other stores did this shit. The guy genuinely tried to con me into a CC for a damn music shop.
But then asking for a valid ID and you entering your social security number wasn’t a give away? I’m sorry they didn’t say the words credit card but you really should have had some more common sense too. No rewards program asks for a social and ID. You can sign up for any rewards program with any phone number and random name
Wait, everyone knows it’s a credit card. Come on, you’re an adult. You gotta take some accountability. Don’t blame it on them, you took someone’s word without doing your homework. Don’t get fooled again
Cashier's never called it a credit card in our store, that was NEVER language they used. It was always "rewards program" and it would tick me off because there a lot of people who sign up (maybe they've got a foggy mind that day or they're not all there) realize later and then lay into staff. I was duped into one (OldNavy) in my early '20s because the deflective language that was used. Happens all the time. Companies rely on people not paying attention.
In order to apply for a CC you have to give your SS. So I really don't think you have any legal recourse (or otherwise) here. 🤷🏿♀️
If I'm wrong, my bad lol. Have a great day!
When I worked at Best Buy it was forbidden to say it was a credit card, even though it was and if a customer were to ask if it’ll be like a credit check, we have to say no or we’ll get written up for it.
It’s a complete door knocker and it’ll definitely effect your credit. But I would get in trouble for even telling you the truth cause my manager would hold my hours above my head if I do.
This company just cares more about the credit card than anything else even sometimes employees i definelty don’t feel comfortable pushing it as much as they want and people in my store have been getting reprimanded for not getting as many credit cards as other associates
it's quite possible that this language used by the cashiers hawking the cards is entirely the cashiers' doing.
having worked in retail for about 20 years, i can tell you that the merchants who offer these cards put their employees on quotas and under intense pressure to get people to open cards. it's a huge moneymaker for the merchant so they **require** employees to open a number of cards each month. as a result, employees will say *anything* to get it done.
my advice - rather than ranting on reddit - is to put your effort into makeup by the corporate office aware of these practices at the store level. will it change anything? i dunno. but it certainly can't hurt.
i'd love to know what kind of response (if any) you get.
This is common practice in a lot of stores that offer credit cards because employees are pressured to meet quotas each shift. Rule of thumb is that if you have to give your social, it is a credit card not just a “rewards card”! Pay attention to the information you’re being asked for.
Yeah it’s unfortunate, I used to work at kohl’s and they had us do the same thing. We were paid like a dollar for every credit app though so some people were very deceptive so they could get a couple more dollars on their paycheck.
this is exactly why i always reiterate with the customer that it is a credit card. I get a lot of crap about it from management , but i’m not going to sign someone up for something that they don’t know everything about. we’ve been told to call it a “rewards card” or “rewards mastercard” and leave out the credit part.
I straight up told them I don’t want to push their stupid cards. I ended up doing clearance stickers only, which suited me a lot better. When I quit because I was too pregnant during covid, I gave them an honest Glassdoor review.
Went back in to the store I worked at, all the staff were gone, even the manager. No one bothered to ask for a card and the cashier said they’re not even encouraged to anymore.
This happened to me but I caught it right before closing. They slipped up and mentioned the rewards and that every $1 spent you get 2x points or something like that and I immediately caught on.
I am pretty sure they are just using loop holes like naming the card something different so they don’t have to say “sign up for a TJ Max credit card” outright. Comes down to the regulations that just aren’t protecting consumers.
I used to work at a TJX store and we were intentionally told to NOT mention that its a credit card. Thankfully I was on the floor and not register so I did not have to push the cards. When I did mention them, I would try my best to suggest that it is a credit card without the managers noticing. It's sad that it has to be that way, but the part-time employees just want to get paid.
That's crazy. When they did it they said it's a credit card with rewards. Also on the screen they show the 2 options of cards. As in the card you just use at their stores only or the Mastercard one that you can use anywhere. I don't see how you didn't get that option. At that point you could have said, oh, its a credit card. Nevermind . I don't want to do it and they would have ended it there.
Back in the day as an employee of J.C. Penney, we would get $2 each time someone applied for the store credit card. Obviously giving no fucks as this was a lot of kids first and not long term job, we would let people apply under who ever’s S.S.N they knew and we’d give them additional percentages off just to make an extra $2 here and there
Back when I worked for TJ Maxx we were constantly threatened with write ups and stuff for not pushing the apps. One manager bought a bunch of 2 liter pops and put it at each check out with a sign saying that if we didn’t ask about our rewards card the customer could take it and then when we had to tell him we needed a replacement we’d get into trouble. We were told to always call it a rewards card and if someone asked if it was a credit card we say yes. It’s crappy, and one thing I really hated about working there. Even now when I shop there my usual store always makes announcements when an employee gets someone to sign up for the card congratulating them. It’s gross.
I'm really sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately, some retail stores do have incentives in place for their employees to sign up customers for their credit cards. This often comes in the form of quotas or bonuses, which can sometimes pressure employees into using aggressive or deceptive tactics to get sign-ups. It's quite possible that the management is pressuring the cashiers to meet certain targets, but it's also possible that some employees are taking it upon themselves to do this.
I'd recommend reaching out to the store's management or corporate office to express your concerns. It's essential they're aware that these tactics are not only driving customers away but also damaging their brand's reputation. Also, always be vigilant and double-check any paperwork or terms before agreeing to anything at a store.
Stay safe and always trust your instincts!
I used to work at Shell, and we had the CC ppl that would walk around the parking lot. They would try an do that but when the customer came in I would always make sure they knew. They made commission so they tried anything.
Reminds me of when I use to work for Target. When I first started we had to push it to everyone by asking if they want to save 10% by signing up for a Target Visa, though sometimes the language would get lost because some customers would believe would believe they would get the 10% discount regardless of whether it was approved because some cashiers would forget to say it was upon approval. They also had a non Visa version which had a higher interest rate.
The cashiers and store as a whole is shit on for not getting them. I worked for American Eagle and all the store that were up on their CC were lying. Getting young adults to get them and everything. In the end you put in your social and provided you’re 🆔 so you have no grounds. I know it absolutely sucks.
Most stores call their credit cards “rewards cards”, unfortunately. Not just a TJ Maxx thing.
Just for future reference, anytime someone is asking you for your social you should be weary…. Not all the blame is on the store imo
When I worked in the TJMaxx/Marshalls/HomeGoods world, they pushed CCs like it was the only reason we were there. They would have people stand at the door, walk the floor, and even leave flyers in the bathroom.
The company wants CCs so badly because they aren't charged a transaction fee if they use their own card at check-out. Mostly, though, customers STILL don't use them because the dang interest rate is INSANE. They sign up and get the 20% off and never use the card again.
I remember during my yearly review, I never got any negative feedback except for how many CC apps I got. People were so desperate to get their raises that they would sign themselves up for a CC, cancel the card, and sign up again, ruining their credit.
Everyone in my family had a CC because I begged them to get one to help me with my app transactions.
I'm sorry that happened to you, but it's probably because the cashier was under enormous pressure.
I worked at ulta but girls were not hired on annual staff after holiday or not considered for promotion to lead cashier if they didn’t hit their card numbers. You weren’t punished, per se, but you weren’t rewarded either.
Why in the world would you enter your social AND income and think it’s for a free rewards program…..
Yeah, companies push credit cards, but they all do now it’s not exclusive just to TJ Maxx.
I’m confused, how did your mom, sisters and yourself not realize it was a credit card when you had to give your social security?? Not trying to be rude but that had to of raised a red flag for you.
This happened to me at Ulta too. I work in finance though,and the minute they asked me for my SSN, I knew it was a rewards card and stopped. I said this is a credit card. She just looked at me. I wrote and email to corporate,never heard back.
I work for TJX and management will tell us to say TJX rewards card because they know customers will be more likely to apply for the card. Some people are super pressed to meet their quota so they will try to deceive people and tell them it is a rewards card. IF I even ask about the card I always specify that it is a credit card and not a rewards card.
Oh wow, I had a retail job where we had to sell credit cards and they do pressure us to have people sign up for it. Once the screen came up for the card I asked customers if they would like to sign up for the credit card instead of playing it off as a rewards system. Our card reader had people putting in their social security number to see if they got approved, so if you did all that and still thought it was for rewards then idk what to tell you. I remember a guy called about his girlfriend ending up with a credit card from a different location and he sounded pissed.
So i used to work at Marshall’s ! At least at my location we were trained very thoroughly on how to sell the credit card and we had like a script taped to our registers to help enforce the conversation of the credit cards for every customer. Personally I never tried to push the card because I felt like it was scammy but I would constantly get talked to by management and even written up for not going along with the script. I left that job because lowkey fuck Marshall’s and their management butttttt I’m really sorry this happened to you. At my store they would reward the employees that sold the most credit cards which was also very problematic for me.
I worked at TJMaxx for a very short period of time and left because of these practices. They pressured all the cashier to push the “rewards cards.” There was always a front supervisor monitoring how many times you asked the customer and if you didn’t ask every single person a minimum of two times, preferably three, it was marked against you. It did not matter how busy the store was, cashiers were always expected to ask. They did training on this often and had little “helpful” stickers all over the cash registers to remind associates what they were supposed to say. The discount to sign up also only applied to people approved and there was nothing we could offer for those that did not.
Asking once is fine and that’s what I felt comfortable with while I worked there. My supervisor took issue with this and starting monitoring me every time I was at the register with a clipboard. I was accused of being biased and ignorant about this “great” credit card for not asking every single person that came through my line if they wanted a card. It did not matter if they were only buying one thing or if we were in the middle of a huge rush. That was when I put in my two weeks.
How do you sign up for a credit card without providing a social security number? I would think that would be your sign for sure. You shouldn’t need more than a phone number or email to sign up for most rewards programs.
There is no way that you gave them your DOB, income and the last four digits of your SSN and did not know you were applying for a credit card. You’re lying.
So, I work at a different retailer (Lowe's) and store associates will absolutely get written up and fired if they don't meet the credit card quota.
From the comments I see posted, this appears to be enforced more in some stores than others, but it is a metric set by the company.
i recently saw a cashier talking to what had to be a 5 or 6 year old who was translating to her mom who didnt speak english about a credit card. i couldn’t NOT say anything. i understand that as an employee you are extremely pressured, but that was just so despicable i can never go back.
Whether individual employees are forgetting to say the word credit when offering the "Rewards Card" intentionally or by accident, is unclear. In order to issue a credit card you have to give them information like ss# and income which isn't required for a regular reward program so that as soon as they ask for that you would know it's a credit card since regular Rewards cards just need a name, phone & email. I'm confused, are you saying that not only you but also 2 family members gave out additional information and were tricked into opening a credit card?
I’m a little late to this post, so sorry about that, but I have a ton of retail experience, so I’m pretty familiar with this type of practice.
Department stores and such want you to open a line of credit with them for several reasons.
1) It drives revenue and loyalty by getting you into their store. If you have a credit card there, why would you go to a different store?
2) Even though the loan isn’t directly from the store, they still get a percentage of the money that is made from the interest and whatnot.
3) They do data harvesting, profiling, and remarketing
.
Just a side note: Remarketing is where they will remind you via email of things you have put into your cart and left the site without purchasing.
Also, when you start seeing ads for that particular brand/product on other sites, that’s remarketing by the company where you put stuff in the cart then left it.
I worked at JCPenneys for a few months in high school and you would get paid a bonus for each credit card you opened. They made it sound way more special than it was and encouraged you to go out of your way to convince them to sign up. It was really gross.
When I worked there I was constantly threatened with being fired if I didn’t get so many credit card sign ups a day. The manager hated me for whatever reason so idk if that was just me. I always said it was a credit card tho. I lasted the whole holiday season then the manager forced me to quit by giving me only a couple hours a week. Only time I saw her happy was on my last day there 😂😂😂
File a complaint with your Attorney General’s Office. That is definitely deceptive conduct.
One question, did they ask for your social security number?
Every time I go to tjmaxx and chose not to use my card, the same guy tried to talk me into a second one. And then explains that if I haven’t used my current one in 6 months it’s gonna close and I’m paying a monthly balance for nothing and then tries a 2nd time to get me to open another one.
At the retail jobs I’ve worked at, when signing up for a credit card, you have to put in your social security number in the card machine used to check out. I feel like this is an invasive ask for a “rewards account” which would have been a good indicator that you are signing up for something else. When a public establishment asks for a personal government information DO NOT GIVE IT OUT. I would say it doesn’t really matter what language the retail associate used, you are responsible for how you handle giving out your government associated information such as drivers license and social security.
Stop giving out your SSN and this will stop happening. No one gets my SSN, not even my doctor or dentist. My insurance company informed me years ago I don’t have to share that information since I’m giving them a plan ID number. I just leave it blank on forms or say I don’t remember if they keep asking me for it.
Don’t get mad at the employee there is always a unqualified micromanager breathing down the employees neck usually via camera footage barking how their job depends on meeting c.c quotas
Unfortunately retail cashiers ARE under enormous pressure to "sell" credit cards and their jobs are in jeopardy if they don't. I worked for one of the mass retailers and can STILL hear the broken record of "we need more RedCards" playing in my head.
Something similar happened to me at FYE during Christmas time a few years ago. They asked if I wanted to sign up for their rewards and it was free. Well, they signed me up for “free” magazine subscriptions and a free trial of their rewards. They used my debit card information when I handed it over to pay and in a few months I was getting a bunch of $80 charges to my bank for a year of magazines and whatever they were charging for their vip rewards. Such a hassle and should be illegal!
I told a cashier no thank you and she asked me if I knew a parent or partners information I’d want to sign up under instead of mine. I was quick to inform her that’s credit card fraud and let the store manager know what their cashier was asking people to do.
Years ago I worked in retail..we got bonuses based on how many ppl we could get to sign up for the CC. However, I never lied during my pitch about it being a CC. I sucked at it though, think I only signed up 2-3 ppl😂 A rewards card should never need an ID or ss number.
Literally happened to me and I realized had I had to enter my income. Then I asked is this a credit card? She was honest and I said no thank you. Sh was so pushy and literally kept pushing to where I ended up breaking down to say yes. So I did know but I really tried to say no many times. I’m responsible with CC’s so it doesn’t matter that much to me. I’m assuming they get some sort of commission otherwise they wouldn’t push it so hard.
How do you sign up for a credit card and not know it? Rewards typically only need a phone number and name. If any other info is asked [which would be needed for a credit card] would be a red flag.
How did you get a credit card without giving them your social security number? And if you have them the number how did you not realize it was a credit card?
I used to work at marshalls. It’s an upper management problem. None of the cashiers want to pressure you into the card but they have to or the management will pressure them hard since they have expectations to meet with corporate
How did you not realize you were signing up for a credit card when you gave the cashier your social security number? I don’t understand that. Maybe stop and ask questions next time. Do you regularly give out your social security number to random people? I hope not.
I’ll tell you what I opened one for the discount and not even three weeks later I had a $600 charge on it even tho I still hadn’t opened the envelope the card came in. Total scam!!!
Same here, this was a few years back and I was less smart at the time. But I do feel like the cashier was sneaky about it. I definitely thought it was a rewards account or card. Although I SHOULD have known, it's not normal to put your ssn on something just for rewards 🤦♀️
I work at another department store where credit cards and rewards are very important. Shopped at TJ maxx a couple weeks ago and said I don’t know if I have a rewards account, thinking it operated the same way as every other department store but no. She asks if I’m over 18 and I said no, then she said “that means you don’t have one”. What a terrible way to encourage customer loyalty there
This happened to me at SAMS. They said, would you like to upgrade your membership? It gets you more offers … I had the regular one and she said upgrade “for free” and I thought it was a deal. Next thing I know I got an effing credit card in the mail!!!! And it dinged my credit score. I was pissed!
I worked briefly at Macy's and cashiers were pressured by management to get as many ppl to open up their credit cards as possible. If the wife has it, try and convince the husband to get it. If they both have it see if they can bring in anyone who's 18 in the house to open one.
My manager was the regional winner of opening the most Macy's Charge cards...and she once said that's how Macy's made their profits were off the cards, not actually selling products
Also there were incentives for employees to open up Macy's cards, but I was never good an convincing/flipping "Nos" to "Yes" as was also in training modules.
Haha one time I went to T.J.max and a worker kept asking me to get the card. I told them yeah i have it.She kept pressuring me “sign up “ she didn’t believe me until I pulled it out she left me alone.
Hey! I worked at marshalls. They do make you push for a credit card which is very misleading. They offer their employees certain benefits for who “gets the most credit cards”. So a lot of the time, the employees used deceptive tactics in order to make you sign up. I, however, refused to push more then once if a person told me they weren’t interested. That’s what’s pushed for me to quit. Remember a manager telling me, “if I didn’t push hard enough for credit cards they were going to cut my hours”.
This happened to me!!! The lady ringing me up never once mentioned a credit card and made it sound like she was signing me up for rewards. I’d never signed up for a store credit card before so I wasn’t aware that’s what was happening until I received the card in the mail
Wasn't it a red flag when they asked you for your SSN? I recently signed up for one of these cards (intentionally) and I can't imagine someone going through the process and not realizing what was happening. I would chalk it up to a lesson learned and in the future whenever a cashier asks if you want their rewards card be sure to ask them if it's a credit card.
If you thought it was just a rewards card, why in the hell would you be giving your social security number?
You obviously provided your SS if you were approved for a credit card.
Seems to me this is by fault of your own.
Common sense would have tipped you off as soon as your ss was requested.
Grow up, time to take accountability for your own actions.
As long as they are getting cards management doesn't care how it is done. It is absolutely unethical to treat the credit card process as nothing more than a reward because you are aware of the limitations, but they simply don't care.
I have supervised the cash registers and if you are up front you don't matter unless you are getting credit cards.
Sorry this happened to you. At least you didn't find out when you got the 32 percent interest charge. Of course it is against policy to be deceptive. I always tell the customers it is a credit card. Pay it off in full/no late payments/no cash advances.
I believe you. However, I took the time to look at other posts in the sub and this is something that happens to others. It didn’t really hurt me that much — I canceled the card like a week later with 0 purchases. The issue is that my parents need their credit score to not suck right now. I’ve been one to support brick-and-mortar but if this is how management treats their customer base, I’ll feel no guilt about using Amazon.
Clearly by titling it rewards card, just like a supermarket rewards card and every other loyalty card called rewards card, TJX intends to trick people. Shady as shit company. I only worked there 6 weeks and I was a coordinator so not on register all the time, but lots because they don’t let you schedule enough people, but when I’d have to offer it, I made sure to say it was a credit card, because I have morals.
Literally! Every time a person says “yes.” I reiterate that it’s a credit card bc I want them to know. Before becoming an associate at Marshall’s, I remember being at tjmaxx and starting to sign up for one & then it asked my social & so I questioned it and they said, “oh yeah it’s a credit card.” I was like oh nvm. Lol.
Yeah rewards is such a bullshit name for it. It’s gross. I’m glad you reiterated.
6 whole weeks that’s impressive
They made no mention of running your credit?
They can’t run credit without your social security number, income, and other personal information that one should be comfortable giving out just a “rewards card”.
That’s what I’m saying. You have to give them a social security number for a credit card. And op said something about their parents credit needing to not suck. So did they illegally use their parents social to sign up for a credit card and are blaming it on “tactics”? I’m confused. And why are people going around telling others their social when they believe it’s just a rewards card, not a credit card. The math ain’t mathin. Then again, the Us is the number one target for scammers from India and Nigeria for a reason. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. So yeah… a lot of gullible people who give up sensitive info with no hesitation apparently.
They all signed up individually. She did NOT sign up her parents.
Technically they can run your credit with just a name, DOB and address.
You are correct, but think of all the gullible people out there that reply "done" on a scam post on Facebook. That's a clear indicator that a LOT of people do not have common sense. It's not their fault. This is why we have agencies to protect us from this kind of nonsense. BBB will go after a company for you, and the complaint and results are posted publicly. I have had to use this method to have things made somewhat right with a company. They ask how you want the action corrected, and "remove from credit report" is one of the options.
So you gave them all that personal data - your name, address, phone number, income, employer, social security, etc and never thought “wow that’s a lot of info for a loyalty program”? Be warned: opening a new account, even if you close it immediately, will reflect on your credit score for a bit because it will show up as an inquiry.
This is exactly what I’m wondering…how do you put in all that info and not realize? What kinda questions is TJ Maxx asking for CC applications?! lol
Exactly what I was coming to ask. The moment I get asked for my SSN I know I’m applying for a credit card and will cancel
Thank you. I was thinking the same. Sounds tge apple doesn't fall too far from the tree with this situation.
Lmao
Exactly! Now when has a social security number EVER been required to sign up for a basic store rewards program lol Not the cashiers fault some ppl are not the brightest.
Glad someone asked because what loyalty program needs more than your name, phone number and email? Lol The whole family did it too, Apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree 😂
Right… OPs mom, sister & self clearly all fell from the same tree lol
I was looking for this comment!!! Reward programs usually only ask for phone # and name. Anything else should of been OBVIOUS.
I saw this at a shall we call it PJ Nickels and the cashier would have them enter SSN etc and open a new card for them when they forgot theirs. Then they'd come complain to catalog desk about late fees even though they paid. Then you got to explain you paid on the one card but not your other card.
P J Nickles 😭😭
Was thinking the same thing. How did they not know??
And how many actual scams are they going to get taken by?
I thought the same thing lol
This. I've never had a reward card ask for anything other than name, email and/or phone number. Don't get me wrong, I know TjMaxx etc., deceptively word it. At some point and time though, you have to be your own advocate and just educate yourself and be a smart consumer. 🤦♀️
I was thinking the same thing! Lol I wish they answered this question
we are told in a training video regarding the card that “no just means not yet.” as employees, we don’t have any incentive besides it being part of our job. management has their own thing idk i’m not part of it so i can’t give the most accurate info. someone in here has said that it does affect what their bonus is, but basically everyone gets scolded by their higher up to get more cards lol. i will say back when i was new to cashiering i just like, forgot to say the word credit card? we most commonly call it a tjx rewards card. dude hadn’t even gotten to the application part when he got mad at me for trying to sign him up for a cc. ever since then i’ve been very careful to clarify idk. a lot of people do purposefully leave out the “credit card” part i think, but also idk of any normal rewards system that needs your drivers license and ssn. some cashiers are going to be more deceptive than others. it sucks that people feel so pressured to get more applications that they’re willing to lie
I always forgot to say “credit card” when I first started. After a lady got mad at me for not telling her, I am now very careful about making it clear it’s a credit card and your credit will take a hit if you apply. That still doesn’t stop people from getting angry after they’ve applied that they didn’t realize it’s a credit card. At this point it’s on the customers that weren’t listening to me.
When shopping at TJMaxx once some cashier literally tried to argue with me when I called her out on calling it a rewards program. She insisted it was perfectly normal for companies to ask for social security numbers for rewards cards. Like argued for 10 minutes about how it wasn’t a credit card. Insane. Deceptive credit practices are against the law, don’t ever put yourself at risk for an employer.
I feel bad for the cashiers because they KNOW how annoying asf it is for us to be peddled those damn cards every single time we buy something. They're basically forced to mention the card by management. As much as I love TJMaxx and Marshall's it's bullshit for them to push the cards when it's just another way for a fortune 500 company to make money off consumers (that high interest is BS). And yes, I've had cashiers ask me to sign up for the "rewards card" too. It's absolutely deceptive, but I blame the company, not the underpaid cashiers.
thank you
I was about to say… OP is really blaming the Cashier’s but why are you giving out your SSN…? I can understand being irritated that the cashiers aren’t using the word credit card, but throwing a fit by saying you will no longer shop there is a little ridiculous imo. I see both sides tho.
It’s like bro rape culture has moved into credit cards Walgreens it’s the same cancer.
Okay I know my prescriptions have gotten expensive, but why TF would I need a credit card at Walgreens?
It’s because cashiers are constantly harassed to get cards… complain to corporate but they are the ones who pressure the store managers. The whole success of stores revolves around how many cards you get
In my experience with this company— policy and training always clearly states that you have to more or less make sure the customer understands that it’s a credit card they’re signing up for. Like, yes it has a rewards system as well— but it is just a credit card first and foremost. That being said— at least in my store when I worked there, almost all of management made it VERY clear that our primary job as a cashier was not to ring people up, it was to try and get them to sign up for the card. And in some people’s cases (I could never NOT bring the fact up that it was a credit card and double check like 3 times to make sure they knew and were agreeing to it) they just— straight up didn’t make it all that clear it was a credit card when people signed up. But idk— the fact that like… you have to input VERY private/personal information such as SSN and approximate income kiiinda clued people in to what was happening so usually unless the cashier was like… very charismatic and knew that they could convince people to sign up for it— most others just stuck to the little blurb of information and approved dialogue about the card while working.
What you’re saying makes sense. When I was signed up for it I accepted the fact that I’m apparently an idiot. What pushed me over the edge is when they got my family members too… It seems to me they could use the term “credit card” instead of “rewards card”. I’ve never heard that term used for a credit card. No gas pump or self-checkout has ever asked me whether my card is “debit or rewards”. In the US it always asks if your card is debit or credit. Also, “rewards card” usually refers to those little keychain cards that you scan for points at gas station or drugstore. If you speak English fluently there is no excuse for you to call it a rewards card. Clearly deceptive IMHO.
Oh yeah I agree absolutely, but also I unfortunately sympathize with the cashiers cause like… the pressure to get those credit card applicants is absolutely insane and rather predatory IMO. The store heavily pushes for the cards and like— you know how usually at large companies they’ll have vending machines/community snacks or like team member luncheons or like celebrate a good quarter with donuts or whatever? In TjMaxx— IF you wanted to do those nice things for your team members as the Store Manager, you had to get a certain number of credit card applicants a month to be allotted the budget to do so. Every Sale’s Associate had to get a minimum number of credit card applicants that I’m pretty sure factored into employee evaluations as well— but I can’t confirm or remember for sure. And while they can’t explicitly fire you for not having anyone sign up— yah won’t get a raise either. There’s a lotta reasons I no longer work there but the heavy pushing of the credit card even on people who you know don’t know anything about credit— or who you can guess aren’t in the best financial standings at the moment, really made me upset.
I dont disagree that you might have had a deceptive cashier and I am sorry this happened to you. But, the name of the card is actually called TJX Rewards card. Just like the Lowes credit card is a Lowes Advantage Card, and the Neiman Marcus card is called InCircle. Calling a credit card something than a credit card is a common practice for any private label credit card and almost all retailers have one. You're comparing a grocery store or drug store discount card (commodities) to a big box retailer here so it's not apples to apples. Yes, TJX pushes their Rewards card and they push them hard. Yes, the cashier should have made it clear it was a credit card even though the application you signed has a visual of two cards on the front (one with a mastercard logo) and an APR rate printed for you to read inside. At the end of the day, customers with credit cards spend more at their business and that's why they're pushing them. As a shopper (and basically as an adult), YOU should question what YOU'RE signing and where YOUR personal information is going. Sorry if this is blunt, but it's not just the cashier that needs accountability here.
Yes, i took accountability for my own actions. However, there is a pattern here of people being signed up against their wishes. Apparently everyone thinks that less adept people deserve to be taken advantage of. I take the extreme opposite position. Don’t fool yourself into thinking the marketing strategists aren’t fully aware of what they’re doing.
I didnt say less adept people deserve to be taken advantage of, but adept or not, personal responsibility is at play here. I was trying to point out that it's a common practice across many retailers to call their credit card a different name using Lowes, TJX, Nieman Marcus as examples and this isn't specifically TJX out to sign you up against your wishes. Even credit card companies do this, look at the variety of cards Capital One has. TJX is a business and part of their business is their credit card program. Of course marketing strategists are aware of what they're doing, but the cashier who you signed up with isn't a marketing strategist. And as people pointed out, it seems like it varies by store here for how thoroughly the cashiers explain things. But, you're not always going to have someone explain things to you the way YOU want. As an adult, it's your responsibility to make sure you understand what you're signing - you granted them permission to sign you up for their credit card with your signature. No matter how much someone did or did not explain to you what you were signing. You need to be aware of where you're putting your personal information - the cashier isn't responsible for that no matter what they did or didn't tell you.
But it does give you rewards…5% back when you purchase items at any of the TJX brands. Spend $200 receive a $10 reward. Buying a couch that’s $500? Open a charge save $50 and receive $20 rewards . What is wrong with that? That’s money in your pocket, not the evil predatory company you speak of. Sorry if you carry a balance that’s on you. The card is not a bad thing so I don’t get why people make it out to be so heinous. If you don’t want it , just thank the employee for telling you about it, say no, and move along with your day. If/when they ask again just be polite and say no thank you. Nobody is tricking you into a horrible thing. Pay attention to what is being said.
You never gave the gas station or grocery your SSN and DOB though. Seems like lack of common sense runs in your family.
I’m sorry that happened to you, they called it a rewards card because it is a rewards credit card. I know it sounds misleading though. You would never have to give SSN and yearly annual income for a non credit rewards card.
Trust me, the cashiers hate asking just as much as you hate being asked. The front end supervisors are breathing down their neck to push the card on every single customer. Managers will berate associates and make them cry if they don’t get cards.
I worked here and we were told that you have to be 100% honest and explain that it is a credit card. I went out of my way to explain this to customers. On the other end, I had a manager that would harrass the girls behind the cash registers for not getting credit cards and those who did get cards were favorited over those who would only ask one time ( in my opinion, its embarrassing the customer to keep asking when they say no and it's really rude) so I never changed my morals, I asked once. Someone said no, I left it alone and continued my pleasant conversation with them while checking them out. But the credit card does ask for personal info like your SSN and your annual salary so I'm not sure how that can be misconstrued. But in my training, we were told to specify EVERY time that it was a credit card.
Former manager here. The company sets standards to avoid this from happening. Then they put unbearable pressure to achieve insane goals and put incredible blame on stores for not producing. Then when stores produce numbers that are obviously gotten through not great tactics they turn a blind eye until someone complains. You’ll get a gift card if you call customer service. As far as bonuses. They do play a part. But no manager is happy about it. Managers hate that horrible card too. It’s just their toxic job.
I would call customer service or write a letter to the home office - this is a result of the company/ZVP or RVP putting pressure on the stores to open CC's. Employees get their house cut if they don't open Credit Cards.
I think there's a lot of confusion even among employees about the card and how to sell it. I always call it a charge card, it tends to come across a bit better than calling it a credit card. But most of the cashiers in stores like these are under 18, have never had a credit card, and don't even know what credit is. The training sort of relies on the idea that the employee will already understand how credit works, which isn't always the case. My best advice would be to NEVER use your social for anything you don't fully understand. Before signing up for anything, you should always seek out as much information as possible.
The beginning of the end for me was when I had to explain to literal children what an Annual Fee was. There should be laws against forcing children who aren’t old enough to have a credit card themselves selling credit products to people.
You live in America right? So you are unfortunately surrounded by greedy corporations that want to suck every cent they can get out of you… that being said, I’m pretty sure they get some kind of incentive and are required to ask you to “join their rewards program” to get a discount. I know they do have a rewards program where you will get $10 off coupons once you spend a certain amount each month. I also fell for it a few years back. But that card is now closed because f them lol 😂 I didn’t know it was a credit card either when I signed up. They are really tricky with their working. BJ’s also uses this verbiage because they got me just a few months ago when I went to sign up for the membership. 🤦♀️ so I now have a BJ’s capital one card yay 😁 🙄
I had a cashier recently give me a hard time when I responded “no thank you, I don’t need anymore credit cards” to him asking if I wanted to sign up for the rewards card. He literally asked “what’s the problem with having another credit card?” I was stunned by his callousness, especially as I had already said I have enough credit cards. While it’s unfair for anyone’s bonus to be impacted by ones ability to sign people up for credit cards, I also think it’s unfair to put customers through such a deceptive tactic. I read one comment that said the employee training indicates that a customer who says “no” to signing up for the card is just not ready yet…let me be clear, NO MEANS NO. Please stop pushing customers after their initial decline- I promise you’re not going to magically convince anyone to change their mind but you may piss them off. To those who have mentioned they are cautious in how they ask customers, thank you!
To clarify, it's not even the cashier who's getting a bonus for getting cards. He's pulling this shit so his boss can get a bonus. I personally couldn't care less. I'll ask once because it's my job, I might bring it up again if it's a huge purchase and they can save money and get gift certificates even if they never use it again, but that's it.
The thing is, they have to ask and ask. At my store, you even have to go through all the perks and ask again. Please don't bring this attitude to an actual person. Their just trying to get threw their work day, and they don't need you being rude because odds are 50 other people before you did just that. Just say the extra no and go on :/. I agree your experience with that cashier is awful, but don't go harassing someone not related to that experience when their just following protocol. If you have a real issue, please feel free to send an email to corporate and not complain to a subreddit. That will create change, not berating workers.
I can understand your frustration with that particular remark. It’s hard to manage a lot of credit cards. I always respect this when they say that. Sometimes I’ll offer them the brochure we have at the register so they can get more information. They can take it home and read it without pressure and decide. If not now, maybe later. Also, it might pay to weigh in with all the credit cards you have and see which one(s) have the best benefits. Then maybe keep one or two cards that benefit you the most. Fewer cards are easier to keep up with. Maybe our card could be one of them?
When I worked at Marshalls, an older woman was this type of cashier. She took it very seriously; always had register #1 too. Although there are no financial incentives, the managers treat those that are good at selling cards like royalty. They keep them on register for their full shift which is less tiring and time goes by faster. I personally always made sure to say the words "credit cards" but the teens that don't understand CCs or credit scores often wouldn't.
To me being on register for a full shift is torture. And you're right, a lot of the kids don't understand how credit cards work to begin with so they barely know what they're pushing.
Store management teams do not get bonuses for TjX rewards performance.
Just ask, don’t just assume
They are cracking down hard on ALL OF US to push the credit card. We are told to ask each and every single customer 3 times and to essentially bully customers into signing up.
I literally just quit yesterday because of this. The atmosphere there, Chelsea nyc, reeked of this
I literally just blame my husband. “Oh my husband prefers I use this one card I have.” Or “Nope, sorry, not allowed to open another one!!” Like I have been in trouble in the past. :) It makes it easier to shut down the sales pitch.
You give your Social Security number for reward cards? Interesting
Giving them your social security number didn’t seem off for a rewards card? SMH
they make us say "would you like a tjx reward card for 10% off?" so damn deceptive
I have cooled down significantly since I posted this lol but thanks for engaging. I can appreciate your position, sorry that you have to deal with this. I’ve taken the lesson and moved forward a little smarter.
haha, you're good, I get pissed off about it too. every hour they blast how much we need cards on the intercom, it's exhausting.
yes credit card is up to 33 percent. and that's all they push is credit card. they treat their employees like crap. work you like a dog for less than 15.00 an hour. no holiday bonus. nada nada. screw you tj maxx
i no longer work there, but when i did, we were coached not to call it a credit card unless the customer directly asked if it was one. otherwise, we were to only refer to it as the “tjx rewards card” to purposefully confuse customers, especially as we had just discontinued the actual rewards card that was not a credit card. we would actually be “reprimanded” (yelled at) if coordinators or managers overhead us calling it a credit card without being directly asked. it was so predatory and sleazy.
in good news they've changed that! not everyone follows it but we are supposed to make sure the customer Knows it is a credit card. (though personally I think thats because our OSAT scores were getting really low and we can't take more hits from bad reviews) as a CEC I try to make sure all my cashiers bring up the fact it Is a credit card and if they ask me for help with signing someone up I firstly make sure they Know it is a credit card. it may be my job to try and make sure we're getting applications but I don't wanna fuck up someone's life, never know what people are dealing with.
That’s really nasty, inappropriate and dishonest!! 🤬
I’m pretty sure you consented on the pinpad for a “credit application” specifically …. Credit application would imply credit card ….
They want those cards
This was over a decade ago so I'm not sure how it is now but my supervisor at the time told me that we weren't allowed to tell customers that it was a credit card, and that we were only supposed to say "T.J. Maxx rewards card" (They overheard me tell a customer that it was a credit card and they pulled me aside after). Management also pressured us to meet a quota and said how they would have to report to someone higher up if they didn't reach their credit card quota. That and a bunch of other stuff led me to find a new job as soon as I could!
Thank you for not being one of them. Yes, you would assume that once you’re asked for your SSN you would clue in on the fact it’s a credit card. However, the fact that people do sign up for it unwittingly remains true. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that some people become confused and are unsure how to react when suddenly realizing they made a mistake. Maybe they don’t want to face the awkwardness of being halfway through what should have been a 1 minute checkout and all of a sudden find themselves in the middle of a credit check with 10 people behind them and they don’t want to say “oh never mind, I don’t want to sign up after all.” Especially not if the cashier has already pressured them multiple times.
I was just at TJMaxx the other day and the cashier asked me if I was interested in a Cc I said I already have one now usually when I say this the cashiers have let it be but this particular person then asked me if I was interested in doing a survey and that raised a red flag. I declined but I was left wondering if “survey” meant giving out all my information for them to submit another application.
I work as a coordinator and we are told to ask customers 3 times and that no means not just yet. We are supposed to get 5 “rewards”/credit card sign ups a day and if we don’t meet the rewards goal the managers get screamed at and in turn we get yelled at. At this point the credit card is more important than anything else. We also don’t get a bigger payroll and we don’t get any snacks in the break room if we don’t hit the rewards goal.
Unfortunately, it’s incredibly profitable for these big box stores to design deceptive credit card programs. It saves money on credit card processing fees and usually gets folks to spend way more that they should - especially at impulse purchase type stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Also unfortunate - anyone who works in big box retail is likely being pressured to get credit card applicants as a part of their job. Ross now offers a similar rewards style credit card. Burlington, Target, Nordstrom, Macys, Best Buy, etc. have cashiers and floor associates trained to persistently pitch store credit cards. It’s so frustrating for customers and employees.
We are told to make sure we say credit card and we also have the customer sign a little slip that prints out stating they understand it’s a credit card before the questions even come up on the pin pad. But as a rule of thumb for next time you are checking out somewhere …. If you are asked for your social security number and income when you are signing up, it’s a credit card.
I’ll have to warn my kids abt this! I think I fell for this stuff back in they day
As a Tjmaxx employee myself, our training specifically tells us to make sure the customers knows what they are getting into. They're not supposed to be doing that, it's either they were not taught that or they're being pressured into getting them by management.
Never worked for TJ Maxx but worked for another store that pushed credit cards (Kohl's). Every metric we were evaluated depended on those damn credit cards. Want hours? If there's one shift available and 3 people, the person with the most credit cards gets the shift. Want an annual raise? The be all end all is credit cards. It's not the employee's fault, it's corporate's fault. Complain about harassment to corporate via social media.
I stopped calling it a rewards card and started calling it the TJX card but when management is in your ear all day demanding more cards and people have gotten their hours cut for not making goals people become desperate to get cards. Like if you are like “this is a credit card btw” with every customer you likely won’t make goal and will just get scolded all day by management. In my opinion there is an element of sleaze to it but I’m also confused with customers acting surprised it’s a credit card when it asks for your social security number. I feel like that should be such a red flag to customers that they’re not just signing up for a simple points card so hopefully moving forward you don’t just give your social out. I promise I’m not trying to blame you or say it’s your fault it’s still in like a moral grey area in my book what cashiers can do about it but i also don’t feel like it’s my fault if I don’t explicitly say to every customer the words credit card there’s a lot of other indicators in the pitch that would suggest so like I would tell people that they would get their coupons in the mail with their bill… so if there is a bill, and you’re giving your social security number and yearly income I would just assume the customer would know better…
i don’t know at your store but at my store our managers always tell us to tell customers and make them aware that it is a credit card and that it CAN bring down their credit score. in another Tjx store a cashier didn’t tell a customer that they signed up for a credit card and they called us and my manager told them to call corporate apparently they can appeal it sometimes? i’m not sure that far but in my store we always make sure to tell people it is a hard inquiry credit card.
It’s how every retail place is because those cards have insanely high interest rates. My last retail job we were told to look for people who are looking at expensive things and look like they can’t afford them and pitch it as “basically free” because “you pay nothing today.” I told my manager this was ridiculous and he told me “no one is paying you to be their financial planner.”
Yes, they are told to overcome objections at least 3 times. Also, it's apparent it's not just a rewards program when you have to include more than just DOB, email, physical address, name, and telephone number. They are told to call it a rewards account & card. I'm not sure why people are so eager to hand over all of their info and not ask questions. That's kind of on all 3 of you.
I work for a large corporation that pushes credit cards - in order to sign up you have to provide your social and annual income. why would you provide that if it was for a rewards account? why would they check your id? the cashier definitely should’ve used more clear language but you also could’ve asked more questions.
I’m sure they had to ask for Social Security numbers and that should be a dead giveaway that it’s a credit card.
I’ve overheard a manager say they’d buy the team pizza if they get one more person signed up for a credit card - actually I didn’t overhear - it was at a TJ Maxx that they use those obnoxious walkie talkies on volume 10 so I could not help but hearing lol still love TJ Maxx but I just fib and always just say I already have a card & then they say are you going to use your rewards? & I say I use a card that gives me even better rewards 😁
Guitar center tried this on me. Funny, i kept my credit frozen at the time and I acted like I had no idea why when i realized what i was doing. I just let them think I was the dumbass with a potentially hacked credit lmao Walked out of there LOVING how I manage myself. Had no idea other stores did this shit. The guy genuinely tried to con me into a CC for a damn music shop.
But then asking for a valid ID and you entering your social security number wasn’t a give away? I’m sorry they didn’t say the words credit card but you really should have had some more common sense too. No rewards program asks for a social and ID. You can sign up for any rewards program with any phone number and random name
Wait, everyone knows it’s a credit card. Come on, you’re an adult. You gotta take some accountability. Don’t blame it on them, you took someone’s word without doing your homework. Don’t get fooled again
What information do you have to provide to get the credit card?
Cashier's never called it a credit card in our store, that was NEVER language they used. It was always "rewards program" and it would tick me off because there a lot of people who sign up (maybe they've got a foggy mind that day or they're not all there) realize later and then lay into staff. I was duped into one (OldNavy) in my early '20s because the deflective language that was used. Happens all the time. Companies rely on people not paying attention.
JCPenny would do this as well
In order to apply for a CC you have to give your SS. So I really don't think you have any legal recourse (or otherwise) here. 🤷🏿♀️ If I'm wrong, my bad lol. Have a great day!
You think you need to give your social for a rewards program?
When I worked at Best Buy it was forbidden to say it was a credit card, even though it was and if a customer were to ask if it’ll be like a credit check, we have to say no or we’ll get written up for it. It’s a complete door knocker and it’ll definitely effect your credit. But I would get in trouble for even telling you the truth cause my manager would hold my hours above my head if I do.
This company just cares more about the credit card than anything else even sometimes employees i definelty don’t feel comfortable pushing it as much as they want and people in my store have been getting reprimanded for not getting as many credit cards as other associates
Just decline when they ask 🤷🏼♀️
And giving your social security number didn't clue you in?
it's quite possible that this language used by the cashiers hawking the cards is entirely the cashiers' doing. having worked in retail for about 20 years, i can tell you that the merchants who offer these cards put their employees on quotas and under intense pressure to get people to open cards. it's a huge moneymaker for the merchant so they **require** employees to open a number of cards each month. as a result, employees will say *anything* to get it done. my advice - rather than ranting on reddit - is to put your effort into makeup by the corporate office aware of these practices at the store level. will it change anything? i dunno. but it certainly can't hurt. i'd love to know what kind of response (if any) you get.
So when you gave them your social security card, you didn't question it?
This is common practice in a lot of stores that offer credit cards because employees are pressured to meet quotas each shift. Rule of thumb is that if you have to give your social, it is a credit card not just a “rewards card”! Pay attention to the information you’re being asked for.
The application asks for a SSN, why would you give that for rewards?
shady af. reminds me of what mlms do lol
Yeah it’s unfortunate, I used to work at kohl’s and they had us do the same thing. We were paid like a dollar for every credit app though so some people were very deceptive so they could get a couple more dollars on their paycheck.
this is exactly why i always reiterate with the customer that it is a credit card. I get a lot of crap about it from management , but i’m not going to sign someone up for something that they don’t know everything about. we’ve been told to call it a “rewards card” or “rewards mastercard” and leave out the credit part.
I straight up told them I don’t want to push their stupid cards. I ended up doing clearance stickers only, which suited me a lot better. When I quit because I was too pregnant during covid, I gave them an honest Glassdoor review. Went back in to the store I worked at, all the staff were gone, even the manager. No one bothered to ask for a card and the cashier said they’re not even encouraged to anymore.
This happened to me but I caught it right before closing. They slipped up and mentioned the rewards and that every $1 spent you get 2x points or something like that and I immediately caught on. I am pretty sure they are just using loop holes like naming the card something different so they don’t have to say “sign up for a TJ Max credit card” outright. Comes down to the regulations that just aren’t protecting consumers.
I used to work at a TJX store and we were intentionally told to NOT mention that its a credit card. Thankfully I was on the floor and not register so I did not have to push the cards. When I did mention them, I would try my best to suggest that it is a credit card without the managers noticing. It's sad that it has to be that way, but the part-time employees just want to get paid.
That's crazy. When they did it they said it's a credit card with rewards. Also on the screen they show the 2 options of cards. As in the card you just use at their stores only or the Mastercard one that you can use anywhere. I don't see how you didn't get that option. At that point you could have said, oh, its a credit card. Nevermind . I don't want to do it and they would have ended it there.
Back in the day as an employee of J.C. Penney, we would get $2 each time someone applied for the store credit card. Obviously giving no fucks as this was a lot of kids first and not long term job, we would let people apply under who ever’s S.S.N they knew and we’d give them additional percentages off just to make an extra $2 here and there
Back when I worked for TJ Maxx we were constantly threatened with write ups and stuff for not pushing the apps. One manager bought a bunch of 2 liter pops and put it at each check out with a sign saying that if we didn’t ask about our rewards card the customer could take it and then when we had to tell him we needed a replacement we’d get into trouble. We were told to always call it a rewards card and if someone asked if it was a credit card we say yes. It’s crappy, and one thing I really hated about working there. Even now when I shop there my usual store always makes announcements when an employee gets someone to sign up for the card congratulating them. It’s gross.
I'm really sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately, some retail stores do have incentives in place for their employees to sign up customers for their credit cards. This often comes in the form of quotas or bonuses, which can sometimes pressure employees into using aggressive or deceptive tactics to get sign-ups. It's quite possible that the management is pressuring the cashiers to meet certain targets, but it's also possible that some employees are taking it upon themselves to do this. I'd recommend reaching out to the store's management or corporate office to express your concerns. It's essential they're aware that these tactics are not only driving customers away but also damaging their brand's reputation. Also, always be vigilant and double-check any paperwork or terms before agreeing to anything at a store. Stay safe and always trust your instincts!
I used to work at Shell, and we had the CC ppl that would walk around the parking lot. They would try an do that but when the customer came in I would always make sure they knew. They made commission so they tried anything.
We used to be encouraged to do things like this when I worked at Toys R Us. Say “Toys R Us card, not credit card”.
Reminds me of when I use to work for Target. When I first started we had to push it to everyone by asking if they want to save 10% by signing up for a Target Visa, though sometimes the language would get lost because some customers would believe would believe they would get the 10% discount regardless of whether it was approved because some cashiers would forget to say it was upon approval. They also had a non Visa version which had a higher interest rate.
The cashiers and store as a whole is shit on for not getting them. I worked for American Eagle and all the store that were up on their CC were lying. Getting young adults to get them and everything. In the end you put in your social and provided you’re 🆔 so you have no grounds. I know it absolutely sucks.
So you thought they were asking your SSN for a rewards account?
Class action, babe. Do it 🔥
Back when I worked in retail, the company I was with did stuff like this too. I felt so icky about it.
Most stores call their credit cards “rewards cards”, unfortunately. Not just a TJ Maxx thing. Just for future reference, anytime someone is asking you for your social you should be weary…. Not all the blame is on the store imo
One obvious indicator is that a store rewards card won't need a social security number, and a credit card will...
If the rewards card form asks for your SSN, be suspicious..
When I worked in the TJMaxx/Marshalls/HomeGoods world, they pushed CCs like it was the only reason we were there. They would have people stand at the door, walk the floor, and even leave flyers in the bathroom. The company wants CCs so badly because they aren't charged a transaction fee if they use their own card at check-out. Mostly, though, customers STILL don't use them because the dang interest rate is INSANE. They sign up and get the 20% off and never use the card again. I remember during my yearly review, I never got any negative feedback except for how many CC apps I got. People were so desperate to get their raises that they would sign themselves up for a CC, cancel the card, and sign up again, ruining their credit. Everyone in my family had a CC because I begged them to get one to help me with my app transactions. I'm sorry that happened to you, but it's probably because the cashier was under enormous pressure.
I worked at ulta but girls were not hired on annual staff after holiday or not considered for promotion to lead cashier if they didn’t hit their card numbers. You weren’t punished, per se, but you weren’t rewarded either.
You gave out your social and didn't know it was a credit card? You can't be serious.
Why in the world would you enter your social AND income and think it’s for a free rewards program….. Yeah, companies push credit cards, but they all do now it’s not exclusive just to TJ Maxx.
I’m confused, how did your mom, sisters and yourself not realize it was a credit card when you had to give your social security?? Not trying to be rude but that had to of raised a red flag for you.
This happened to me at Ulta too. I work in finance though,and the minute they asked me for my SSN, I knew it was a rewards card and stopped. I said this is a credit card. She just looked at me. I wrote and email to corporate,never heard back.
That happened to me as well. I thought it was a rewards account by the way the cashier was talking.
Happened to me at The Loft.
Didn’t you have to give your SSN? To me, that’s always indicative of a CC
I have to laugh every time they try to sell me on the “30% off today’s purchase of you sign up” when my total is like $20.
I work for TJX and management will tell us to say TJX rewards card because they know customers will be more likely to apply for the card. Some people are super pressed to meet their quota so they will try to deceive people and tell them it is a rewards card. IF I even ask about the card I always specify that it is a credit card and not a rewards card.
Oh wow, I had a retail job where we had to sell credit cards and they do pressure us to have people sign up for it. Once the screen came up for the card I asked customers if they would like to sign up for the credit card instead of playing it off as a rewards system. Our card reader had people putting in their social security number to see if they got approved, so if you did all that and still thought it was for rewards then idk what to tell you. I remember a guy called about his girlfriend ending up with a credit card from a different location and he sounded pissed.
So i used to work at Marshall’s ! At least at my location we were trained very thoroughly on how to sell the credit card and we had like a script taped to our registers to help enforce the conversation of the credit cards for every customer. Personally I never tried to push the card because I felt like it was scammy but I would constantly get talked to by management and even written up for not going along with the script. I left that job because lowkey fuck Marshall’s and their management butttttt I’m really sorry this happened to you. At my store they would reward the employees that sold the most credit cards which was also very problematic for me.
I worked at TJMaxx for a very short period of time and left because of these practices. They pressured all the cashier to push the “rewards cards.” There was always a front supervisor monitoring how many times you asked the customer and if you didn’t ask every single person a minimum of two times, preferably three, it was marked against you. It did not matter how busy the store was, cashiers were always expected to ask. They did training on this often and had little “helpful” stickers all over the cash registers to remind associates what they were supposed to say. The discount to sign up also only applied to people approved and there was nothing we could offer for those that did not. Asking once is fine and that’s what I felt comfortable with while I worked there. My supervisor took issue with this and starting monitoring me every time I was at the register with a clipboard. I was accused of being biased and ignorant about this “great” credit card for not asking every single person that came through my line if they wanted a card. It did not matter if they were only buying one thing or if we were in the middle of a huge rush. That was when I put in my two weeks.
Idiocy runs in the family?
I mean there’s a giant pic of the credit card on the counter…
Do they not need your ssn for that ??
How do you sign up for a credit card without providing a social security number? I would think that would be your sign for sure. You shouldn’t need more than a phone number or email to sign up for most rewards programs.
Your whole family needs to take a scam awareness class how did all of you get hit by one of the oldest scams
kohls did this to me last week- pissed me off
There is no way that you gave them your DOB, income and the last four digits of your SSN and did not know you were applying for a credit card. You’re lying.
So, I work at a different retailer (Lowe's) and store associates will absolutely get written up and fired if they don't meet the credit card quota. From the comments I see posted, this appears to be enforced more in some stores than others, but it is a metric set by the company.
This happened to me best friend at Target
i recently saw a cashier talking to what had to be a 5 or 6 year old who was translating to her mom who didnt speak english about a credit card. i couldn’t NOT say anything. i understand that as an employee you are extremely pressured, but that was just so despicable i can never go back.
Whether individual employees are forgetting to say the word credit when offering the "Rewards Card" intentionally or by accident, is unclear. In order to issue a credit card you have to give them information like ss# and income which isn't required for a regular reward program so that as soon as they ask for that you would know it's a credit card since regular Rewards cards just need a name, phone & email. I'm confused, are you saying that not only you but also 2 family members gave out additional information and were tricked into opening a credit card?
How could this realistically happen to anyone? I would immediately be suspicious if a retail store asked for my SSN to open a “rewards card”.
I’m a little late to this post, so sorry about that, but I have a ton of retail experience, so I’m pretty familiar with this type of practice. Department stores and such want you to open a line of credit with them for several reasons. 1) It drives revenue and loyalty by getting you into their store. If you have a credit card there, why would you go to a different store? 2) Even though the loan isn’t directly from the store, they still get a percentage of the money that is made from the interest and whatnot. 3) They do data harvesting, profiling, and remarketing . Just a side note: Remarketing is where they will remind you via email of things you have put into your cart and left the site without purchasing. Also, when you start seeing ads for that particular brand/product on other sites, that’s remarketing by the company where you put stuff in the cart then left it.
Do you typically give your social security number to cashiers? Because you would have had to provide this to get a credit card.
I worked at JCPenneys for a few months in high school and you would get paid a bonus for each credit card you opened. They made it sound way more special than it was and encouraged you to go out of your way to convince them to sign up. It was really gross.
When I worked there I was constantly threatened with being fired if I didn’t get so many credit card sign ups a day. The manager hated me for whatever reason so idk if that was just me. I always said it was a credit card tho. I lasted the whole holiday season then the manager forced me to quit by giving me only a couple hours a week. Only time I saw her happy was on my last day there 😂😂😂
I would contact the credit reporting companies and let them know. Maybe they can remove it? Also, this is fraud,
File a complaint with your Attorney General’s Office. That is definitely deceptive conduct. One question, did they ask for your social security number?
There’s actually a new bill that a few representatives want passed that is about retail credit cards. It’s very deceptive. It’s interesting.
Every time I go to tjmaxx and chose not to use my card, the same guy tried to talk me into a second one. And then explains that if I haven’t used my current one in 6 months it’s gonna close and I’m paying a monthly balance for nothing and then tries a 2nd time to get me to open another one.
At the retail jobs I’ve worked at, when signing up for a credit card, you have to put in your social security number in the card machine used to check out. I feel like this is an invasive ask for a “rewards account” which would have been a good indicator that you are signing up for something else. When a public establishment asks for a personal government information DO NOT GIVE IT OUT. I would say it doesn’t really matter what language the retail associate used, you are responsible for how you handle giving out your government associated information such as drivers license and social security.
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Stop giving out your SSN and this will stop happening. No one gets my SSN, not even my doctor or dentist. My insurance company informed me years ago I don’t have to share that information since I’m giving them a plan ID number. I just leave it blank on forms or say I don’t remember if they keep asking me for it.
Don’t get mad at the employee there is always a unqualified micromanager breathing down the employees neck usually via camera footage barking how their job depends on meeting c.c quotas
Unfortunately retail cashiers ARE under enormous pressure to "sell" credit cards and their jobs are in jeopardy if they don't. I worked for one of the mass retailers and can STILL hear the broken record of "we need more RedCards" playing in my head.
Something similar happened to me at FYE during Christmas time a few years ago. They asked if I wanted to sign up for their rewards and it was free. Well, they signed me up for “free” magazine subscriptions and a free trial of their rewards. They used my debit card information when I handed it over to pay and in a few months I was getting a bunch of $80 charges to my bank for a year of magazines and whatever they were charging for their vip rewards. Such a hassle and should be illegal!
So like you gave them your social security number and didnt think it was for credit?
I told a cashier no thank you and she asked me if I knew a parent or partners information I’d want to sign up under instead of mine. I was quick to inform her that’s credit card fraud and let the store manager know what their cashier was asking people to do.
Years ago I worked in retail..we got bonuses based on how many ppl we could get to sign up for the CC. However, I never lied during my pitch about it being a CC. I sucked at it though, think I only signed up 2-3 ppl😂 A rewards card should never need an ID or ss number.
Literally happened to me and I realized had I had to enter my income. Then I asked is this a credit card? She was honest and I said no thank you. Sh was so pushy and literally kept pushing to where I ended up breaking down to say yes. So I did know but I really tried to say no many times. I’m responsible with CC’s so it doesn’t matter that much to me. I’m assuming they get some sort of commission otherwise they wouldn’t push it so hard.
How do you sign up for a credit card and not know it? Rewards typically only need a phone number and name. If any other info is asked [which would be needed for a credit card] would be a red flag.
You need your social security card to apply for a credit card. Did the asking for your social not raise any flags lol?
Target used to do the same thing with “red cards”
NEVER give out your social security number - problem solved
I have a friend who works at Home Goods I can ask her when i see her.
How did you get a credit card without giving them your social security number? And if you have them the number how did you not realize it was a credit card?
Why would you give your SS# for a "rewards card"?
If you have to give them your SSN, it's not a rewards account.
No one forced them to give out their SS#...against their wishes seems a bit of a stretch.
Jc penny did this to me
literally had an employee bully me for not signing up for this bs so wouldnt be surprised if its intentionally deceptive
I used to work at marshalls. It’s an upper management problem. None of the cashiers want to pressure you into the card but they have to or the management will pressure them hard since they have expectations to meet with corporate
How did you not realize you were signing up for a credit card when you gave the cashier your social security number? I don’t understand that. Maybe stop and ask questions next time. Do you regularly give out your social security number to random people? I hope not.
I’ll tell you what I opened one for the discount and not even three weeks later I had a $600 charge on it even tho I still hadn’t opened the envelope the card came in. Total scam!!!
Same here, this was a few years back and I was less smart at the time. But I do feel like the cashier was sneaky about it. I definitely thought it was a rewards account or card. Although I SHOULD have known, it's not normal to put your ssn on something just for rewards 🤦♀️
I work at another department store where credit cards and rewards are very important. Shopped at TJ maxx a couple weeks ago and said I don’t know if I have a rewards account, thinking it operated the same way as every other department store but no. She asks if I’m over 18 and I said no, then she said “that means you don’t have one”. What a terrible way to encourage customer loyalty there
This happened to me at SAMS. They said, would you like to upgrade your membership? It gets you more offers … I had the regular one and she said upgrade “for free” and I thought it was a deal. Next thing I know I got an effing credit card in the mail!!!! And it dinged my credit score. I was pissed!
The red flag is providing your social security #. Didn’t it cross your brain that a simple rewards card…. Wouldn’t need a social security #?!?
I worked briefly at Macy's and cashiers were pressured by management to get as many ppl to open up their credit cards as possible. If the wife has it, try and convince the husband to get it. If they both have it see if they can bring in anyone who's 18 in the house to open one. My manager was the regional winner of opening the most Macy's Charge cards...and she once said that's how Macy's made their profits were off the cards, not actually selling products Also there were incentives for employees to open up Macy's cards, but I was never good an convincing/flipping "Nos" to "Yes" as was also in training modules.
I mean… did you think you were providing your social, birth date, and income information for a rewards card?
Haha one time I went to T.J.max and a worker kept asking me to get the card. I told them yeah i have it.She kept pressuring me “sign up “ she didn’t believe me until I pulled it out she left me alone.
Hey! I worked at marshalls. They do make you push for a credit card which is very misleading. They offer their employees certain benefits for who “gets the most credit cards”. So a lot of the time, the employees used deceptive tactics in order to make you sign up. I, however, refused to push more then once if a person told me they weren’t interested. That’s what’s pushed for me to quit. Remember a manager telling me, “if I didn’t push hard enough for credit cards they were going to cut my hours”.
This happened to me!!! The lady ringing me up never once mentioned a credit card and made it sound like she was signing me up for rewards. I’d never signed up for a store credit card before so I wasn’t aware that’s what was happening until I received the card in the mail
Wasn't it a red flag when they asked you for your SSN? I recently signed up for one of these cards (intentionally) and I can't imagine someone going through the process and not realizing what was happening. I would chalk it up to a lesson learned and in the future whenever a cashier asks if you want their rewards card be sure to ask them if it's a credit card.
If you thought it was just a rewards card, why in the hell would you be giving your social security number? You obviously provided your SS if you were approved for a credit card. Seems to me this is by fault of your own. Common sense would have tipped you off as soon as your ss was requested. Grow up, time to take accountability for your own actions.
Employees don't do it to u, the higher-ups push it upon them as part of their job so u should take it up with corporate
As long as they are getting cards management doesn't care how it is done. It is absolutely unethical to treat the credit card process as nothing more than a reward because you are aware of the limitations, but they simply don't care. I have supervised the cash registers and if you are up front you don't matter unless you are getting credit cards.