(April Fools!) Cracker Barrel Now Selling Visa Gift Cards Up To $1,000 (Available Online & In-Store)

Update 4/2/23: Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought this was real, but this is sadly just an April Fools joke 🙂

The Deal

• Buy Visa gift cards in denominations up to $1,000 from Cracker Barrel.
• Direct link to offer – online purchases.
• Direct link to offer – map for participating restaurants in-store.

Key Terms

• $6.95 purchase fee.
• Maximum purchase online – $1,000 per transaction.
• Maximum purchase in-store – unknown.

Tips & Ideas

Well, this is an exciting way to kick off Q2. Up until now it’s only been Simon Malls – both in-mall and online – that have been a good way for people to be able to buy Visa gift cards in denominations higher than $500, so it’s awesome to see another retailer joining them.

What’s even more exciting is that this should mean that you can buy $1,000 Visa gift cards on Amex cards. Amex currently offers no rewards when buying gift cards from Simon Mall, whereas that’s not – currently at least – the case with Cracker Barrel.

Note that the online portal is powered by Blackhawk Network, so buying the VGCs online won’t code as a dining purchase. However, buying them from the store at participating Cracker Barrel locations should code as dining which will be pretty sweet when paying with a card that earns more on dining purchases.

I imagine it’ll also be possible to redeem Choice Let’s Eat gift cards for Visa gift cards at Cracker Barrel. That’s because Let’s Eat cards are physical cards that can only be redeemed in-restaurant at eligible restaurant chains. Cracker Barrel is one such chain, so provided the cashier doesn’t notice that you’re paying with a Let’s Eat gift card rather than a regular credit or debit card, it should work.

One thing to note on that front though is that Choice Let’s Eat gift cards can only be loaded with a maximum of $500. I’ve no clue if it’ll be possible to split the payment of a $1,000 Visa gift card on more than one card, but if going this route it might be best to only load $993.05 so that the $6.95 purchase fee makes it $1,000 even, rather than splitting the $1,000 cost on two $500 Let’s Eat cards and then having to pay the $6.95 with a third card or with cash. The reason you might want to pay with Choice Let’s Eat gift cards is because they often go on sale elsewhere, either at a discount or earning bonus points in grocery store loyalty programs.

Anyway, you can find out more information about this new opportunity and the press release from Cracker Barrel/Blackhawk Network here. Have fun out there!