From A Customer: Am I screwed?

Date: Mar 5, 2011

From A Customer: Am I screwed?

Drew P Weiner · Senior Member

Its generally regarded for that employee and family (ie spouse or for the younger employees, parents). That being said, I could really care less if someone comes through my line and uses a plus card with an employee discount.

Best way to dissolve that situation is to tell the cashier politely to "mind his/her own business" and if they get defensive, call back and speak to a manager. Truth is, Kroger values your business too much to let something like that get in the way. If they have to choose between you using somebody elses employee discount to save money or shopping at Ole Wally, you know which one they are going to pick.

barada · Guru

your in no danger, but the employee could be, depends on if anyone in management wants to make a stink about it

BagBoy · Guru

it's not like they can stop you from putting in any phone number you want, anyway. People use emp all the time in my lines and that cashier was being a dick. Just tell them that if they don't want you using the phone number on emp card to disable it from being used without the card. It's their own fault for allowing it in the first place. You know.

Date: Mar 5, 2011

Yes you could get in trouble over a phone number.Ever kroger employee should have there phone number remove from your kroger plus card.Only use your card when you make a purchase.

Date: Mar 6, 2011

someone was fired in my store for using thier kroger card for customer's but they were there using the card for the customer at th time.
also seen it where someone's friend was using thier phone number and nothing happened cause they said they didnt know they was using it.
just say you didnt know they were using it i feel at the most they will do is make you change your alternate id

thedude · Guru

The Kroger Company as a whole I am sure discourages other people using employee's Plus Cards to receive a discount. All this is trackable if anybody at kroger wishes to. For example, that cashier can go to management and they can do what is called a ET (electronic transaction) on that register. Everything is recorded even the number keyed in. They can then go find out who the card is registered to all in the matter of minutes.

i seriously doubt this particular cashier did any of that. You might want to lay low for awhile. If you are ever questioned just say you type the number in wrong. Accidents happen.

Date: Mar 6, 2011

The employee discount is suppose to be for Kroger employees and family members living in the same household. However, there's nothing stopping someone else in your household from letting someone else use their Kroger card or home phone number to get the discount.

Date: Mar 7, 2011

Kroger management takes the Kroger card very seriously. There are monitors in place to watch for fraudulent use of the card. This is done in the " loyalty " department , main regional office. Especially since there are fuel centers . Any employee whose discount is used by others a huge amount of times can expect a sit down with store management. I know of several careless employees in the past that recieved reprimands or warnings, had to use their card instead of the phone number. Also not recommended is a Kroger employee giving out phone numbers to customers to use . Say a friend of a friend of the employee. Not to get the employee discount, just to get the regular discount. Kroger spends a lot of money with vendors, food companies, to track usage and buying habits of card holders. They don't want the results skewed out of kilter. Bottom line. Don't mess with the card. You might get away with it a few times. Make it a habit, you will get caught.

Date: Mar 7, 2011

What's really great is when you're an employee and you live in the same household as someone who qualifies for the senior citizen discount. When you use their card or key in the phone number as the alternate ID you get both the employee discount and the senior citizen discount.

Date: Mar 8, 2011

I accidentaly scanned a card from another store (not Kroger Co.) that has "loyalty" cards and still got discount. Although it wasn't employee discount.

Have heard of kids accidentaly scanning school library cards and getting Kroger discounts.

Date: Mar 8, 2011

Anonymous wrote:

I accidentaly scanned a card from another store (not Kroger Co.) that has "loyalty" cards and still got discount. Although it wasn't employee discount.

Have heard of kids accidentaly scanning school library cards and getting Kroger discounts. That happens. Customers should be " lightly" discouraged from using other store cards that work. Don't want to piss off the customer and get a complaint. Using other store cards , from say gas stations or pet stores can screw up the fuel points and computer generated coupons from the Kroger site. Rightful owner of that id number may not get their fuel points, or extra ones, could lose some coupons or credits they have coming. Employees have to use common sense and tread water on that kind of issue. If a customer with the rightful id number loses say a pharmacy credit, they call the 800 number. The transactions can be looked up of what happened, what store, what cashier, method of payment.

BagBoy · Guru

Anonymous wrote:

I accidentaly scanned a card from another store (not Kroger Co.) that has "loyalty" cards and still got discount. Although it wasn't employee discount.

Have heard of kids accidentaly scanning school library cards and getting Kroger discounts.

That's not uncommon as long as their codes start with "429". They get the discount as if it were a kroger card but they will not get any other discounts (EMP/SENIOR) unless someone else has registered that same card number, highly unlikely, for those discounts.

If someone were to hand me, say, a speedway card I'd just use it and go on with my shift instead of stressing over it. We are not suppose to do it but I'm not going to make a scene over it, either.

Drew P Weiner · Senior Member

Anonymous wrote:

Kroger management takes the Kroger card very seriously. There are monitors in place to watch for fraudulent use of the card. This is done in the " loyalty " department , main regional office. Especially since there are fuel centers . Any employee whose discount is used by others a huge amount of times can expect a sit down with store management. I know of several careless employees in the past that recieved reprimands or warnings, had to use their card instead of the phone number. Also not recommended is a Kroger employee giving out phone numbers to customers to use . Say a friend of a friend of the employee. Not to get the employee discount, just to get the regular discount. Kroger spends a lot of money with vendors, food companies, to track usage and buying habits of card holders. They don't want the results skewed out of kilter. Bottom line. Don't mess with the card. You might get away with it a few times. Make it a habit, you will get caught.

Very true. One instance with the plus card involved one of the cashiers who worked where I work. At the end of the year gift cards and a ham are given to the biggest employee and customer spenders at one particular store. One of the women who has been there about 15 years who spends a ton of money at Kroger got the employee gift (and rightfully so), while the customer gift was traced back to a cashier who was entering phone numbers for people who didn't have a plus card.

Needless to say, she was reprimanded for it and she ultimately lost her job for something else.

Cathy · Guru

There is no way for Kroger to prove that your friend had knowledge of your use of the card, nor can they prosecute you for using the card. That said, I would still refrain from putting too much activity on the card, as it may raise questions from the loyalty dept.

Fat Boy · Senior Member

There was actually a loss prevention person in my store this week looking at employee discounts. So yeah, if they want to you can be fired for it. But they have to prove that you gave out your number for the intent of someone else getting your discount.

thedude · Guru

we had loss prevention at our store too this week. some old lady customer stole a bunch of crap. i heard they let her walk and only banned her from the store...

go figure.

Date: Mar 14, 2011

HAHA some moron tried to walk out the store with $200 bucks worth of meat in those save the stupid earth black bags, and caught him. He didn't go to jail for STEALING all they did was ban him for 2 ****ING YEARS. Makes me want to ****ing steal meat now, and if I get caught just a slap on the wrist. But now we have a joke when we are low on meat in the case. Did the meat shop get robbed? LMFAO

osharpiv · Newbie

If it is not family they are not suppose to use the kroger card

Date: Mar 16, 2011

osharpiv wrote:

If it is not family they are not suppose to use the kroger card

Kroger can't stop someone in your family from giving out their card or alternate ID (phone number) to somebody else.

Date: Aug 7, 2011

YES THEY WILL FIRED YOU EVEN FOR A PENNY!! I am working with a Kroger employee who just got fired for using a coupon and he has 40+ years with the co. They think they are doing you a favor giving you that card but it is just a way to spy on employees!!!

Cathy · Guru

One time I had a customer (a really nasty one), didn't have his card, his phone number didn't work, he didn't want to apply for a new one. He actually had the nerve to ask me for my phone number. Ummmm..... no.

Date: Aug 8, 2011

YES THEY WILL FIRE AN EMPLOYEE FOR ANY LITTLE THING 20 PEOPLE JUST GOT SUSPENDED FROM A KROGER STORE OVER ONE TYPE OF COUPON!! tHE SCANNER TOOK IT. wHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE CASHIER SAYING YOU CANT USE THIS. sOME OF THE EMPLOYEES HAVE YEARS WITH kROGERS aND DONTPLAN ON HAVING A CAREER AT kROGERS THEY WILL GET RID OF ANYONE WITH SENORITY!

Date: Mar 6, 2012

Yes the employee can get fired. I have worked for Kroger a couple of years now and we just went thru a speal about not knowing who has your card and how many cards you have that are accessible. It is our responsibility as an employee to keep track of our cards. You cannot get in trouble but the employee, if caught, will be terminated.

Date: Aug 6, 2012

The kroger employee discount is for EMPLOYEES (or their immediate family) hence the term "employee discount". Sharing that number with others most often results in the termination of said employee. If you don't work at kroger, you should not be getting the employee discount. It's that simple. I for one DO work at kroger, and I get quite irritated that a bunch of selfish lowlifes think it's ok to abuse one of the few benefits kroger employees get. I make a personal effort to record every number I see getting an employee discount and reporting them to our regional headquarters in Atlanta. I think you would have to be pretty stupid to think that it's ok to abuse this system for a benefit you haven't earned. If you want a discount that bad, get a ****ing job at kroger. What a bunch of lazy *******s. And to be honest. I stumbled on this forum while trolling search engines for employee numbers that I am going to turn in to the Loyalty card offices as soon as I return to work tomorrow. I cannot wait for those who have been sharing their numbers to lose their jobs. If you worked for a bank, would you share your free checking account with every customer? How about the gas stipend you are given as a delivery boy? Next time any of you thinks about using an employee number you found on the internet or were given by a friend, just remember this. I, and many other kroger employees like me, do not appreciate it and are now making every effort to see those who misuse this benefit terminated. Be happy with what you DID earn. And take it in stride.

thedude · Guru

errmmmm ......

ok thanks for dropping by!

Date: Aug 30, 2012

So I am expected to beleive that you MEMORIZE every single phone number that you type into your register? Are you an idiot or do you think that everyone who reads this is? You don't memorize s**t, you don't have a list of ph#'s to give corporate and you probably don't even work at Kroger. Also, unless you type the ph# into your register you have absolutely no way of knowing what ph# the customer types into the card reader because that info DOES NOT SHOW UP ON YOUR SCREEN! You also have no way of knowing what loyalty card # the person has when they swipe their loyalty card because (again) that info DOES NOT SHOW UP ON YOUR SCREEN, only the last 4 digits show on the screen, the same info that prints on the receipt.

You are a stupid, lying idiot. GO AWAY!

techelite · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
You also have no way of knowing what loyalty card # the person has when they swipe their loyalty card because (again) that info DOES NOT SHOW UP ON YOUR SCREEN, only the last 4 digits show on the screen, the same info that prints on the receipt.

Not necessarily true. When they enter their phone number and it rings up a card, the whole number (minus that last digit) does show up on the keyboard screen. As long as you haven't hit total previously (it will immediately total again so the number disappears), or made the number disappear by ringing up another item, that number will stay on the screen indefinitely.

Just saying.

Date: Aug 13, 2013

For Kroger employees, that is a little perk for being a Kroger associate. NO ONE should be getting discounts they don't deserve! If someone wants that discount, go get a job at Kroger. As a matter of fact, I worked for Kroger for almost 20 years. There was a cashier that was fired for using her card for customers that forgot their card or alternate id number. With her doing that, actually trying to be nice to the customer, she herself was accumulating fuel points for herself. So, it goes both ways. Everyone should use their own card or number.

Rich · Veteran Member

it's like giving someone your card for gas points

4hourrush · Guru

I know this is an old thread but what a great friend, possibly putting his friend's job on the line and he's more concerned about what could happen to him. lol

Date: Aug 15, 2013

thedude wrote:

The Kroger Company as a whole I am sure discourages other people using employee's Plus Cards to receive a discount. All this is trackable if anybody at kroger wishes to. For example, that cashier can go to management and they can do what is called a ET (electronic transaction) on that register. Everything is recorded even the number keyed in. They can then go find out who the card is registered to all in the matter of minutes.

i seriously doubt this particular cashier did any of that. You might want to lay low for awhile. If you are ever questioned just say you type the number in wrong. Accidents happen.

WRONG!!! Every bit of that transaction is logged! Just saying you typed in the wrong number won't get you off the hook especially if you make large transactions and pay with credit cards...your name is on the credit card!!! They can look up the transactions associated with the Plus Card in question and see names and card numbers used for payment... Not only will the employee get fired, but my guess is that you may likely face criminal charges of fraud and theft because your name shows up multiple times when paying electrically while using that employee's Plus Card account...every transaction is logged, time stamped, and corresponds to video footage from cameras that are above each checklane...

Date: Sep 18, 2013

It is for you, and the people in your house only and yes you are not supposed to passed on to friends that do not live with you. No you will not be fired but it will speak of your character because that is one of the things they warn us about while in trainning.

mega-kitteh · Guru

Anonymous wrote:

The kroger employee discount is for EMPLOYEES (or their immediate family) hence the term "employee discount". Sharing that number with others most often results in the termination of said employee. If you don't work at kroger, you should not be getting the employee discount. It's that simple. I for one DO work at kroger, and I get quite irritated that a bunch of selfish lowlifes think it's ok to abuse one of the few benefits kroger employees get. I make a personal effort to record every number I see getting an employee discount and reporting them to our regional headquarters in Atlanta. I think you would have to be pretty stupid to think that it's ok to abuse this system for a benefit you haven't earned. If you want a discount that bad, get a ****ing job at kroger. What a bunch of lazy *******s. And to be honest. I stumbled on this forum while trolling search engines for employee numbers that I am going to turn in to the Loyalty card offices as soon as I return to work tomorrow. I cannot wait for those who have been sharing their numbers to lose their jobs. If you worked for a bank, would you share your free checking account with every customer? How about the gas stipend you are given as a delivery boy? Next time any of you thinks about using an employee number you found on the internet or were given by a friend, just remember this. I, and many other kroger employees like me, do not appreciate it and are now making every effort to see those who misuse this benefit terminated. Be happy with what you DID earn. And take it in stride.

I let my family use my card and that's it. Management don't really care. Someone tried to raise a stink but I told them to mind they damned business.

techelite · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
It is for you, and the people in your house only and yes you are not supposed to passed on to friends that do not live with you. No you will not be fired but it will speak of your character because that is one of the things they warn us about while in trainning.

Actually, you can be fired for it. I've seen it happen before more than once.

AnonymousCutter · Guru

I don't think Kroger would actually care for a number of reasons below.

- Its only a 10% discount on Kroger brand. Will this make them and break them if others use it? Not likely. There is still a 20 - 30% markup on them therefore they're still making a profit.
- Its driving a potential walmart, albertsons, etc shopper to a Kroger store based upon a small discount to entice them.

socaligirl77 · Newbie

Ok I'm not a "young" employee. My mother lives in another state and is on SSI. I would love to help her save where she can, do you think they would have an issue? Does the discount count at Jay C's too?

techelite · Guru

socaligirl77 wrote:
Ok I'm not a "young" employee. My mother lives in another state and is on SSI. I would love to help her save where she can, do you think they would have an issue? Does the discount count at Jay C's too?

They might not KNOW, but if they do find out, they will probably care. The discount is specifically for family members who live with you.

mega-kitteh · Guru

techelite wrote:
socaligirl77 wrote:
Ok I'm not a "young" employee. My mother lives in another state and is on SSI. I would love to help her save where she can, do you think they would have an issue? Does the discount count at Jay C's too?
They might not KNOW, but if they do find out, they will probably care. The discount is specifically for family members who live with you.

Just keep it on the down low and don't state where she lives. If they ask, say she stays with you. They don't need to know by different. I don't think they'd ask for her proof of residency. If they did, it be pretty stupid n juvenile for them to do so.

techelite · Guru

mega-kitteh wrote:
techelite wrote:
socaligirl77 wrote:
Ok I'm not a "young" employee. My mother lives in another state and is on SSI. I would love to help her save where she can, do you think they would have an issue? Does the discount count at Jay C's too?
They might not KNOW, but if they do find out, they will probably care. The discount is specifically for family members who live with you.
Just keep it on the down low and don't state where she lives. If they ask, say she stays with you. They don't need to know by different. I don't think they'd ask for her proof of residency. If they did, it be pretty stupid n juvenile for them to do so.

However, keep in mind that they may not have to ask. MAX is a system that tracks things in many systems that are out of the ordinary, including the same plus card tied to an employee being used in multiple states frequently.