Are you allowed to use someone else's Safeway club card?

When I’m traveling and go shopping I usually just ask the cashier if they have a card, they usually do. I get the discounts, they get whatever points are accrued.

No one has told me there’s anything wrong with it and I’ve done the same thing dozens of times. I wouldn’t worry about it.

I’m sure there’s a pamphlet laying out the official rules for any particular club if you’re interested in an official answer.

I give the phone # we had about 10 years ago, which now belongs to someone other than me :)

Honestly I don’t think anyone really gives a crap. The cashier certainly doesn’t care about verifying my identity, they’re just happy the phone number works.

Why not just get your own card? It is a phone number, and doesn’t cost anything.

What is to stop you? They have no way to check.

I’ve never seen anything in the rules that say you can’t. From their own point of view, they would rather you get your own card because it counts toward their marketing.

I think to answer this question you need to specify allowed by who? For instance the person who has the card you use might tell you YES or they might tell you NO! If they say yes you are allowed by them but then there is the question of if Safeway will allow it. If you get permission from the girl at the register they have allowed it even if it is against their general policies. As far as does the law allow it I think the answer is yes, the law does allow it, so long as you are not somehow breaking another law like defrauding Safeway by exceeding some limit-per-person, etc.

Here is a motto to live by in 99% of these types of cases. It has served me well for decades, and I recommend it frequently:

It is easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.

Just do it.

Yes

I can’t imagine there would be a problem as long as the person’s card you’re using is OK with it. They stand to get benefits from you using it.

YES you can!

I’ve been in stores (Fry’s, Safeway) where the person in line ahead did not have a card, the cashier asks if they can borrow my card.

With Fry’s you get coupons in the mail based on your purchases. All that means is it may apply to whatever they purchase. Safeway out here does not have the mail coupons so far.

According to the Safeway website,

The “just for u” program and “Personalized Prices” (“the Programs”) are intended for the sole use of the Safeway Club Card-associated household. A violation of this policy may result in our taking action we deem appropriate, including without limitation, issuing a warning and suspending or terminating your access to and use of the Programs. Source

I haven’t shopped in a Safeway in years, so I don’t know how strict they are about policing this policy. My experience in other grocery chains is that the check-out clerks don’t give a hoot who owns the account. They ask if you have a membership. If the answer is ‘yes’ but the card or tag isn’t in possession, they ask for the phone number associated with the account. Once, the person in line behind me offered his card. There was no benefit in his doing so other than a discount to my bill. The clerk didn’t bat an eye while accepting it. Sometimes, a clerk will enter their own code. I don’t know if this provides them any benefit or not.

The point is, while it may be against the rules, the grocery store clerks do not seem to care about adhering to the policy. Maybe they do it out of empathy for customers who would otherwise not be privy to a discount. Maybe they gain a benefit from using their own number. It could be that they are savvy enough to recognize that this gesture generates customer loyalty.

@Pied_Pfeffer is right in that if you go online and put “coupons” on the card, you can only use your card unless you have the card # and password on someone else’s account.

And yes, the cashier will accept whoever’s card is given. Even when you check out and they try to pronounce your name (name from card) it shouldn’t matter.