[scorpion_ca]

I have been managing an office pool of 25 members since 2012. I don't feel bad as the money goes to healthcare, infrastructure and etc.

$2/per week.
Total spent $16,470.
Cash winnings $2,063 so far. However, we get free plays on every week.

 

[mattw]

I think option #2 is the better one. I learned the same lesson about credit card purchases, the same way, some years back. That was probably my last lottery ticket purchase.

I have never been "lucky" with such things, while perhaps some are. One hears of people with multiple wins. So no point in me buying tickets.

Some years ago, I worked in an office with a total staff of about 16. Lotto 6/49 in BC was then drawn twice a week and tickets cost a buck. We each put in $2/week so we would hold 16 tickets for each draw. In the 4 years or so I was there, I think we won about $90 a couple of times and a few $10 wins. Not much of a return on $32/week for 4 years (about a $6,000 loss). I only stayed in the pool because I feared that if i dropped out, my colleagues would win big and all retire, leaving me on my own.

I am not sure, but the cash advance fee might perhaps be avoided if one makes a payment on the cc before making the lottery ticket purchase, so that one is in a net credit position when the transaction occurs. I would think that if you had run up, say $500 in purchases since paying your last statement balance in full (which I expect most here do every month), and, to be safe, you made a payment of $600 on the card, creating a $100 credit balance, the issuer might be hard pressed to say you took a $5 "advance". What was advanced was, in reality, your own money. But then, the written agreement might say you have to pay, even to be advanced your own money.

I never buy lotto tickets but always contribute to work lotto pools. Losing a couple dollars as insurance for not hating my life decisions forever if co-workers won is worth it to me.

 

[JohnTobbs]

First time that I hear about this. Thanks for letting me know about lottery tickets - possible fees.

 

[WGZ]

I get them at Petro or Esso gas stations. Looks like I'm getting 2% cash back on the purchases, as they consider it gas/fuel on my Tangerine Mastercard.

I only buy the cheap tickets with better chances just for fun. There's way more tickets you can get for $1-3. I stopped Lotto 649 and Lotto Max. I don't need to win the highest prizes.

 

[calm]

I purchase my tickets on-line and use a VISA credit card and no extra charges for doing so.

 

[MrMatt]

Since I didn't know what this Cash Equivalent Fee was in the first place, I started by calling PC MasterCard Customer service. Once they explained what it was, I did ask them if they could waive this fee this time, as I was unaware of it, but they were unwilling to do so.

Oh well, that's a $5 penalty to me for not thoroughly reading my cardholder agreement...

I've honestly never seen this, but reports are PC mastercard definately does this.

https://www.pcfinancial.ca/docs/default-source/legal-stuff/disclosure_summary_en.pdf

Scummy practice IMO. If it's a purchase it's a purchase.

 

[scorpion_ca]

I use PC WE MC to purchase lottery tickets from Mobil gas station, Circle K and small store in our area but never paid any additional fees.

 

[dubmac]

On a slightly different topic, but related to credit cards and fraud, A few years ago, I was given a $500 gift card - the 500 credit was on a "Joker" Mastercard. Recently, I had some car repairs and looked to use the credit to pay for the repairs, only to find the credit gone. I did some research & found these cards had experienced widespread hacking. I called the company, they denied that the card was hacked. Avoid these gift cards & if you have one, spend the money now.

 

[Tostig]

I have been managing an office pool of 25 members since 2012. I don't feel bad as the money goes to healthcare, infrastructure and etc.
...

When I see commercials on TV reminding me of this, my first thought is "then what are my taxes doing?" In which case, I also remind myself of all the tax cuts and budget cuts we had received in the past thirty years. Which inevitably makes me feel guilty for inadequately funding our healthcare system because I don't participate in this voluntary taxation program.

 

[troywruck]

So, like for many of you I just discovered this additional $5 charge on my PV Financial MasterCard. The divert fact that I discovered it, along with many of you, means we are responsible enough to watch for unknown charges and not likely to be gamblers. I decided to buy my first lottery ticket online for a US$1.4B lottery from Canada. So my only option was to buy online (I didn’t win, but the way!). At first I was annoyed by the extra fees and having been charged for something I clearly did not know I would be charged for (obviously fine print bullshit!). Then, I thought maybe it was because the companies selling the tix have an arrangement that they get the full amount of the cash for lottery purchases. But ultimately, i hypothesized that they know people who are addicted to gambling wouldn’t even think twice about the extra costs so they are absolutely taking advantage of addictions. And that, just makes me angry.

 

[41742]

This thread is from 5 years ago - and is PC MasterCard still doing that? Charging a fee for lottery buys? So what happens you make a grocery purchase at Loblaws at the same time buying a lottery ticket there. Are you dinged for buying the lottery ticket?

Imagine, buy $3 lottery ticket and get dinged for $5 whilst giving your business to the umbrella group of "PC=President Choice" where both Loblaws and PC MasterCard fall under. Sheesh. Talk about easier to rob you than you rob a bank!

 

[41742]

So, like for many of you I just discovered this additional $5 charge on my PV Financial MasterCard. The divert fact that I discovered it, along with many of you, means we are responsible enough to watch for unknown charges and not likely to be gamblers. I decided to buy my first lottery ticket online for a US$1.4B lottery from Canada. So my only option was to buy online (I didn’t win, but the way!). At first I was annoyed by the extra fees and having been charged for something I clearly did not know I would be charged for (obviously fine print bullshit!). Then, I thought maybe it was because the companies selling the tix have an arrangement that they get the full amount of the cash for lottery purchases. But ultimately, i hypothesized that they know people who are addicted to gambling wouldn’t even think twice about the extra costs so they are absolutely taking advantage of addictions. And that, just makes me angry.

... did you ask what that additional $5 charge was for? Maybe it was a "processing" fee for out of country online buys, much like getting tickets for a concert? or was it strictly for using a credit card for the buy aka "fine" the print BS?

I use Amex for an occasional lottery "alone" buy at my local pharmacy (never bought online) and no dings. I dare them.

 

[ian]

The lottery kiosk in our local Superstore only takes debit or cash. I use cash. Our local Co Op sells lottery tickets at their customer service counter and at their gas stations. When I buy a lottery ticket there I use my credit card. No extra charge….hidden or otherwise.

 

[hfp75]

My RBC Avion card doesn't charge a fee for Lotto tickets here in Alberta.

If I was at a casino and asked for $500 worth of chips and used my VISA to purchase, then I might expect a $5 fee, but for a Lotto? That is the Card Company nickel and diming your azz, I'd phone and complain - or find a new credit card company - they are as common as dirty socks and yours is looking like it might need a change.

 

[bgc_fan]

If I was at a casino and asked for $500 worth of chips and used my VISA to purchase, then I might expect a $5 fee, but for a Lotto?

Which is the case when you buy a lotto at the lotto kiosks. If you are purchasing at a convenience store or gas station, they don't charge that fee. Where exactly do you buy your lotto tickets?

 

[hfp75]

7-11, gas station, macks, grocery store.... rarely do I buy from the Lotto Kiosk....

 

[bgc_fan]

7-11, gas station, macks, grocery store.... rarely do I buy from the Lotto Kiosk....

Right, as everyone else has already mentioned, when you buy them from those locations, you don't get charged. It has nothing to do with the card that's being used, but where you bought them. So in this case the lotto kiosk is equivalent to the casino as you mentioned before, because the transaction is being coded as a lottery purchase. You buy from 7-11, gas station, etc, they get coded as store, or gas, or grocery.
But now that I look back at the OP, I don't think @Mookie actually said he bought them from a kiosk.