Purchasing Lottery Tickets with Credit Cards

Last Updated:
Apr 22nd, 2021 12:07 am

Tags:

SCORE
+1
2
1

Reply to ThreadReply

Search this thread

Search this thread

Oct 24th, 2017 4:35 pm

starchoice [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 13, 2007; 4763 posts; 3697 upvotes; Edmonton

Oct 24th, 2017 4:35 pm

Purchasing Lottery Tickets with Credit Cards

So with the recent Marketplace episode about being charged fees for lottery tickets because they are considered a cash advance, it appears that RBC confirms this and doing some research, it appears that TD is the same. There are statements put out that not all cards consider lottery purchases as cash advnaces and you can certainly avoid this by just buying them at a convenience store. However, I would like to get a lottery subscription so would like to know what banks/credit cards DO NOT charge any fees for these purchases if buying them form the lottery corporation directly. Some of you must have experience with this and be in the know.

32 replies

Oct 24th, 2017 4:59 pm

cowbunpants: Deal Addict; Feb 16, 2013; 1568 posts; 1329 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 24th, 2017 4:59 pm

Sorry to say, but statistically, buying lottery tickets is the same as taking your money and throwing it in the garbage.
Why on earth would someone buy lottery tickets on credit?

Use cash, if you have spare cash.

....

+3

Oct 24th, 2017 6:12 pm

lookingfortv: Jr. Member; Mar 22, 2015; 159 posts; 75 upvotes; Toronto, ON

Oct 24th, 2017 6:12 pm

I've never been charged a fee in-store using my PC MC but got charged $5 using it on the playolg.ca website.

Oct 24th, 2017 6:22 pm

Dreamrider: Deal Addict; Jan 12, 2017; 3391 posts; 4381 upvotes; B.C.

Oct 24th, 2017 6:22 pm

I didn't think it's the card but more depends on where you buy it.
Lottery booth only takes cash/debit/cash advance, as lottery is only thing they sell, while convenience stores and gas stations cannot charge you as cash advance since you could buy lottery, gas, snacks, etc in one transaction.

Oct 24th, 2017 6:24 pm

JemboBam: Jr. Member; Feb 15, 2017; 153 posts; 152 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 24th, 2017 6:24 pm

The PlayOLG website is very clear about this, so just use Visa Debit or Interac Online.

IDK why anyone would stiff store owners with the fees if they did accept credit card for lottery purchases. They can only lose money in this scenario.

0

Oct 24th, 2017 6:32 pm

scorpionx23x: Jr. Member; Aug 27, 2015; 127 posts; 69 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Oct 24th, 2017 6:32 pm

Once time i use walmart master card to buy 649 lottery and it charges me $5 cash advance. So, never buy lottery by credit card.

Oct 24th, 2017 8:10 pm

gh05t: Deal Fanatic; Sep 16, 2004; 9779 posts; 2047 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 24th, 2017 8:10 pm

Comes down to greed by Credit card companies and Government support for such greed hence OLG leading the way in this fee.
A benefit of using your credit card and in a store like Shopper drugmart for instance is validation.
Many people found this was unfair or against the rules, but we've seen in the past where jackpot winners have been tracked down, and awarded the top prize, due to validation this way after they had lost their paper tickets.

+1

Oct 24th, 2017 8:16 pm

peli33: Deal Addict; Jan 29, 2017; 3800 posts; 2444 upvotes

Oct 24th, 2017 8:16 pm

Look at Cash Advance column under Service fee category: http://itools-ioutils.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/S ... c-eng.aspx

Several are listed $0 fee for Cash Advance in Canada

+3

Oct 24th, 2017 8:21 pm

rocking23nf: Deal Guru; May 29, 2006; 10824 posts; 3556 upvotes

Oct 24th, 2017 8:21 pm

I buy all my sports select at shoppers with my world elite PC mastercard.

usually 50-60 bucks every weekend on NFL. gives me 1500-1800 PC points each weekend.

Oct 24th, 2017 8:42 pm

kaliman: Member; Feb 27, 2014; 335 posts; 81 upvotes

Oct 24th, 2017 8:42 pm

Anyone ordered BC Children Hospital's Lottery online and paid by credit card without incurring a cash advance fee?

Oct 24th, 2017 8:50 pm

mannie511: Sr. Member; Nov 11, 2003; 510 posts; 163 upvotes; Scarb

Oct 24th, 2017 8:50 pm

Got charged the fee on PlayOLG when I first signed up. Realized that they consider it as cash advance so just use my TD Debit Visa instead so there's no fee.

Oct 24th, 2017 9:03 pm

JackWhyte: Deal Guru; Jul 19, 2012; 14733 posts; 4863 upvotes; Montreal

Oct 24th, 2017 9:03 pm

gh05t wrote: ↑ Comes down to greed by Credit card companies and Government support for such greed hence OLG leading the way in this fee.

not to mention it's a hugely regressive fee, as those most likely to play the lottery are the poorest, least-educated among us, which is hardly the place a supposedly-progressive country should be going to price-gouge on bank/CC fees.

It's right up there with the recent trend towards scamming the OCD/ADHD/Autistic gaming crowd with expensive and incessant loot chests and micro-transactions. It's like being allowed to sell beer in an AA meeting.

My last and final digital game I purchased at PSN from those Sony Devils was on November 22, 2020 - Ban that Sorny!

+1

Oct 24th, 2017 11:26 pm

Hattie917: Member; Sep 16, 2016; 311 posts; 296 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 24th, 2017 11:26 pm

I believe that you must buy your lottery using your money, cash. You can't buy it using the money you borrowed from the credit cards company unless it is a cash advance. If you only have 10$, just buy the maximum $10 lottery. Lottery is kind of gambling!

If we can dream it, we can make it!

Oct 25th, 2017 5:22 am

GZero604: Member; Nov 11, 2006; 399 posts; 115 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Oct 25th, 2017 5:22 am

kaliman wrote: ↑ Anyone ordered BC Children Hospital's Lottery online and paid by credit card without incurring a cash advance fee?

I used to buy tickets for probably every local charity lottery including the one you mentioned and never once was charge a cash advance fee. Most recently I bought the PNE prize home lottery tickets online and I wasn't charged the fee

Oct 25th, 2017 5:44 am

PointsHubby: Deal Expert; Feb 7, 2017; 25713 posts; 25258 upvotes; Eastern Ontario

Oct 25th, 2017 5:44 am

Never been charged a cash advance fee... Be it OLG Lottery Tkts at the Grocery Store, Pharmacy, or Gas Station

Same thing with other organized big charity lotteries (Cancer, Heart & Stroke, Hospitals etc)

Sounds like it is only when buying direct from the Lottery Corp... And perhaps in particular Provinces ?

PS... I think someone should fight this legally. You take out a Cash Advance (ie at a Bank / ATM etc) and your CC gives you a receipt saying you owe them money... Nothing else. You BUY a Lottery Ticket, ya don't just get a receipt, you also get an actual item... A ticket. You bought a ticket. Same as any other PURCHASE made with a cc (you get an actual item in addition to your receipt).

Plus you get a ticket... And a HOPE FOR CASH... No real cash. So it is not a Cash Advance.

Oct 25th, 2017 8:53 am

JackWhyte: Deal Guru; Jul 19, 2012; 14733 posts; 4863 upvotes; Montreal

Oct 25th, 2017 8:53 am

PointsHubby wrote: ↑Plus you get a ticket... And a HOPE FOR CASH... No real cash. So it is not a Cash Advance.

exactly, it's just a tax grab on the poor, like when the CRA tried to tax lottery winnings on multiple winners, stating that due to it being their main source of income (cuz they were poor), playing the lottery was now their "full-time job" - obviously they never let people claim their lottery ticket losses on any tax form I've ever seen.

My last and final digital game I purchased at PSN from those Sony Devils was on November 22, 2020 - Ban that Sorny!

Oct 25th, 2017 9:54 am

Gee: Deal Expert; Aug 2, 2004; 37305 posts; 10542 upvotes; East Gwillimbury

Oct 25th, 2017 9:54 am

Let’s take a look at this for a second.

I think the people selling lottery tickets make a 5% commission for every thicket sold. If you use a credit card, the credit card companies charge upwards of 3%

Cash advance have no fees charged to the retailer.

Home Automation Thread

Heatware

Oct 25th, 2017 3:01 pm

starchoice [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 13, 2007; 4763 posts; 3697 upvotes; Edmonton

Oct 25th, 2017 3:01 pm

peli33 wrote: ↑ Look at Cash Advance column under Service fee category: http://itools-ioutils.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/S ... c-eng.aspx

Several are listed $0 fee for Cash Advance in Canada

Cool chart but unless I am missing something, I see only two with no cash advance fees, Affirm Mastercard and AmEx Gold but

AmEx Reward cards state:

The card cannot be used for recurring billing, such as utilities and subscriptions, at casinos, for cash or cash equivalents or for transactions requiring a pre-authorization for less than the full value of the transaction (such as some car rental and cruise line transactions), or for any other transactions, merchants and/or merchant industries that we may determine.

Affirm MasterCard appears to treat an advance like a purchase:

"Purchase" means the use of your card or Account number to:
1.
buy or lease goods or services;
2.
buy "Cash Equivalents"
(i.e.,
wire transfers,
money orders, person to person money transfers,
bets, lottery tickets, or casino gaming chips) from
any seller other than a financial institution;

but they charge $120/yr annual fee.

Oct 25th, 2017 8:04 pm

vkizzle: Deal Expert; Aug 22, 2011; 40081 posts; 27568 upvotes; Center of Universe

Oct 25th, 2017 8:04 pm

I buy CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery every year (Visa, MC and AMEX) and was never charged any fees.

Oct 25th, 2017 9:49 pm

peli33: Deal Addict; Jan 29, 2017; 3800 posts; 2444 upvotes

Oct 25th, 2017 9:49 pm

starchoice wrote: ↑ Cool chart but unless I am missing something, I see only two with no cash advance fees, Affirm Mastercard and AmEx Gold but

When you sort by Canada I see 9 with 0$. Can't say if they have any exclusions.

Reply to Thread

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)