What does the Big C Card do?

[Hal65]

I've had this card scanned with every purchase for months now and as far as I can tell, I'm not getting any discounts (at least not on my receipt).

I tried to ask the customer service staff, but none could speak passable English. One tried her best, but after I while I had to feign understanding and leave.

I just moved apartments and I'm wondering if I should update my address details? I'd have to go back to the same counter so it wouldn't be fun for either party. What exactly does the card do?

[KittenKong]

You get 10% discount on fresh items (not imported) on Wednesdays. Also you get occasional discount coupons for future use, usually on the lines of "buy today for X Baht and get a voucher for future use of 10% of X".

The main problem with BigC is that nearly all the vouchers are written in Thai (and in stupidly tiny print) which means that I cant read or understand them. Given that they know who you are when you present your card, it should not be too hard for them to register a preference for Thai or English writing on vouchers and checkout receipts.

[Swiss1960]

without the card, your invoice will be around 20cm long... with the card it can go up to 200cm...

you get any number of discount coupons, some are general discounts that you can use on next purchase (mostly those displaying 10, 20 or 30 Baht) and some that you can use only on special items above a certain price... a lot of mine are for LG products, not sure whether that is because I bought LG TV and other stuff from BigC

Yes, I also can't read them, but what I do is to tear all those vouchers apart and hand them all to the cashier... she will take those she can use, throw those that are expired and give me back those I can not use (and sometimes, depending on her language skills and mood, they even explain me why I can not use the one's given back)

[toenail]

That is why I like the Expat card....at Topps, I get a discount, everytime I use it plus using the Central Expat card you accumulate points. I see I have been wasting my time with the BigC card thinking was was accumulating points. Stupid they cannot have it printed in English also since so many of their customers are farangs at Big C.

[i claudius]

oH gosh ,its written in Thai , in Thailand of all places , disgusting , i just give it to the wife to read .

[KittenKong]

....., i just give it to the wife to read .

I suppose that's one reason to get married.

[i claudius]

....., i just give it to the wife to read .

I suppose that's one reason to get married.

Well there was sex as well

[KittenKong]

....., i just give it to the wife to read .

I suppose that's one reason to get married.

Well there was sex as well

They let you do that at the checkout? Amazing Thailand.

[Basil B]

I asked checkout lady, she said "NO", her husband not like...

[KhunBENQ]

Wednesday is my day now

[bdenner]

Not one of you have it right!

Reward cards, whether they be Big C, Tesco/Lotus or Woolworths in Australia are designed by marketers to build a data base on individual spending habits. You have given them your name, rank, and serial number with the perceived idea of getting some sort of reward BUT they are the winners!- The more affiliates the better hence frequent flyers tie up with hotel, car rental etc.

Olde Saying:-

Let the buyer beware! They are watching you and you have given them the tools to do so.

EDIT:- Typo

[Pattaya46]

oH gosh ,its written in Thai , in Thailand of all places , disgusting , //

Ridiculous comment.

The system already recognizes that the Card owner is a foreigner,

and as a result the ticket is written in English, not in Thai (the list of products)

so they could easily write the promotions in English too... if they wanted it.

[KittenKong]

The system already recognizes that the Card owner is a foreigner,

and as a result the ticket is written in English, not in Thai (the list of products)

so they could easily write the promotions in English too... if they wanted it.

On my tickets it shows the item names in Thai though as you say I would expect them to be able to automate the selection of language.

Presumably on my database entry they just didnt tick the "English" box. I shall ask them about it.

[TheCruncher]

oH gosh ,its written in Thai , in Thailand of all places , disgusting , //

Ridiculous comment.

The system already recognizes that the Card owner is a foreigner,

and as a result the ticket is written in English, not in Thai (the list of products)

so they could easily write the promotions in English too... if they wanted it.

Add to that that the card issuer is a foreigner as well.

Big C = Casino France

[Suradit69]

That is why I like the Expat card....at Topps, I get a discount, everytime I use it plus using the Central Expat card you accumulate points. I see I have been wasting my time with the BigC card thinking was was accumulating points. Stupid they cannot have it printed in English also since so many of their customers are farangs at Big C.

I have a First Card that I use at Topps. PowerBuy and a few other places. I have the Thai version because my driver filled out the application years ago. There are some supposed discounts, but from time to time the cashier announces I have a xx baht credit to use that reduces whatever I'm buying.

When we buy something at Big C Extra my driver gives his card number and the cash register receipt prints out miles of discount coupons which he takes away.

Fine with me. Like those annoying stamps that 7-Eleven keeps handing me, I can't be bothered, but as long as someone is benefiting that's OK.

[nanoth]

The system,when you go through,recognises that the card owner is an English-speaking foreigner....and English will be used!

[connda]

What does a Big C card do?

It makes your wife go bonkers as she runs into the store and starts pulling everything you don't need into the basket so she can get the 3 additional points she needs to get a 'free' pair of Chinese made scissors.

Don't even mention the 15 THB she'll save the next time she goes shopping if she presents the receipt for 1200 THB we bought last week, but it needs to be used before Nov 9th.

"Honey, we go shopping today. I save 15 baht with this receipt."

OK, 200 THB worth of gas to travel to Big C from the boondocks, plus a bunch of stuff we either don't need or already have.....BUT, she saves 15 THB on something - Crap - only to be handed a receipt that now saves her 5 THB on her next purchase. Arrrghhh!

[Sparkles]

You get 10% discount on fresh items (not imported) on Wednesdays. Also you get occasional discount coupons for future use, usually on the lines of "buy today for X Baht and get a voucher for future use of 10% of X".

The main problem with BigC is that nearly all the vouchers are written in Thai (and in stupidly tiny print) which means that I cant read or understand them. Given that they know who you are when you present your card, it should not be too hard for them to register a preference for Thai or English writing on vouchers and checkout receipts.

Well the 5b and 10 b,sometimes more, discounts are shown in big letters white on black square every time you buy more than 500 b worth.

Not that hard to work out is it ? and I cant read Thai and we are in Thailand. Amazing it should be in Thai,Chinese coming soon

[connda]

You get 10% discount on fresh items (not imported) on Wednesdays. Also you get occasional discount coupons for future use, usually on the lines of "buy today for X Baht and get a voucher for future use of 10% of X".

The main problem with BigC is that nearly all the vouchers are written in Thai (and in stupidly tiny print) which means that I cant read or understand them. Given that they know who you are when you present your card, it should not be too hard for them to register a preference for Thai or English writing on vouchers and checkout receipts.

Ohhh, trust me. My wife breaks out the reading glasses and can read the print that I'd need a microscope to make out. The small print isn't what your save, it's how much more you need to buy in THB. You think you get 15 THB free? Only if you spend xxx.xx amount more. In the small print.

"Honey, we need buy only 150 THB more, we can use this receipt, we have free 15 baht." (And my wife can not pronounce receipt. It's either 'this paper' or 'bai set rap ngun' ) Gotta give it to Big C: they have marketing to frugal Thai women down to a science. Probably works on frugal farang women too.

If they'd just put chairs up front so I have somewhere to sit while the wife is shopping. TV and a football game or F1 racing on a big HD Plasma screen would be nice too. And beer served on the second floor, then maybe guys would be more interested in handing their tiiraks money to go on a 'discount shopping spree'.

However, I've got a new plan.

"Sweetie, how much are you saving?"

"I save 15 baht Honey."

"Ok Sweetie, here's 15 baht, now let me have that receipt. Kawp kun krap! <rip,rip,rip,rip,rip>

[maderaroja]

I gave up on Big C. Too often, their cash register computers do not accept my BBL ATM card. It works just fine elsewhere. So, elsewhere is where I now shop.

[NickJ]

At Tesco the girls will at times stop an order halfway thru and then use the coupons generated on the second half. I also get coupons on a regular basis that offer close to 200 b off if I spend 1000 b. It pays to check them. Movie tickets for 60 and 80 b as well.

I bet some people would not understand the stop and pay halfway thru an order and get mad.....I had 170b taken off just the other day.

[Nice Boyd]

That is why I like the Expat card....at Topps, I get a discount, everytime I use it plus using the Central Expat card you accumulate points. I see I have been wasting my time with the BigC card thinking was was accumulating points. Stupid they cannot have it printed in English also since so many of their customers are farangs at Big C.

I have a First Card that I use at Topps. PowerBuy and a few other places. I have the Thai version because my driver filled out the application years ago. There are some supposed discounts, but from time to time the cashier announces I have a xx baht credit to use that reduces whatever I'm buying.

When we buy something at Big C Extra my driver gives his card number and the cash register receipt prints out miles of discount coupons which he takes away.

Fine with me. Like those annoying stamps that 7-Eleven keeps handing me, I can't be bothered, but as long as someone is benefiting that's OK.

Stamps at 7/11 EZ some stamps are 1 baht and some stamps are 3 baht, just give on ur next purchase and employee give u discount, nothing to think about, last time u have to fill book, now just cash money

[slipperylobster]

oH gosh ,its written in Thai , in Thailand of all places , disgusting , i just give it to the wife to read .

isn't it soooo thai.....that they write in thai..eh?

[slipperylobster]

Last time I went, I grabbed the wrong bacon (I was looking for the blue wrapper in the deli section ..i think harpico)...

Instead I got something that tasted smelled like dried fish and vinegar. Exact package..but no label and not harpico.

Got a 5 baht discount...but lost 120 baht. So now I have to spend another 120 for the right bacon.... I am 115 in the hole, and I lost my appetite for bacon.

[peterb17]

It's one of life's great mysteries , there is a degree course at one of the Bangkok universities , if you really feel the need to find out more.

I had one - just binned it

[connda]

At Tesco the girls will at times stop an order halfway thru and then use the coupons generated on the second half. I also get coupons on a regular basis that offer close to 200 b off if I spend 1000 b. It pays to check them. Movie tickets for 60 and 80 b as well.

I bet some people would not understand the stop and pay halfway thru an order and get mad.....I had 170b taken off just the other day.

At Big C I find that the girls overlook the 'discount' amount and keep ringing up items. It's my wife who stops them. "Stop, stop! We have discount at 1000 baht" as the cashier grabs the most expensive item on the belt and runs it though the scanner, opps -too late, now 1556 baht and 25 satang (Yes, we've had that happen). Might have to check out Tesco. Teerak has a card there too and it sounds like the discounts are deeper. And she said they send her letters to tell her how many card points her has and what they will get her. Whoopee. Guess we're doing our monthly shopping at Tesco Chiang Mai. If we can get up to 200 THB discounts then I'd be interested too.

[connda]

Not one of you have it right!

Reward cards, whether they be Big C, Tesco/Lotus or Woolworths in Australia are designed by marketers to build a data base on individual spending habits. You have given them your name, rank, and serial number with the perceived idea of getting some sort of reward BUT they are the winners!- The more affiliates the better hence frequent flyers tie up with hotel, car rental etc.

Olde Saying:-

Let the buyer beware! They are watching you and you have given them the tools to do so.

EDIT:- Typo

Every business offering a card, credit card, debit card, or membership is dumping your personal information into a database and data-mining it. Which concerns me a lot less than the NAS hoover everything that goes through the data lines to and from the US, dumps them in a humongous database, and data-mines for God-knows-what. Big C? Tesco? I could care. Well, except when they send those reports to national HQ in the US or UK where the respective intel agencies hoover that info too as in comes into the country. Macro-data is their buddy. Majority Report is just about here. "Good morning Mr. Yamaguchi." C'est la vie.

[connda]

oH gosh ,its written in Thai , in Thailand of all places , disgusting , //

Ridiculous comment.

The system already recognizes that the Card owner is a foreigner,

and as a result the ticket is written in English, not in Thai (the list of products)

so they could easily write the promotions in English too... if they wanted it.

J-i-n-g-o-i-s-m spells: jingoism. They don't want to. Remember, you're a evil necessity to the economy, unwanted, and generally left in the dark if possible. Remember ASEAN. What's the universal business language? Hint: It is not Thai. Eventually farang will migrate to where there is the most support. Give it 10 years.

[writeshack]

At Tesco the girls will at times stop an order halfway thru and then use the coupons generated on the second half. I also get coupons on a regular basis that offer close to 200 b off if I spend 1000 b. It pays to check them. Movie tickets for 60 and 80 b as well.

I bet some people would not understand the stop and pay halfway thru an order and get mad.....I had 170b taken off just the other day.

Agree that use the coupons half way through works well. It just depends how keen the new cashier is. Most of the time they don't bother

[connda]

That is why I like the Expat card....at Topps, I get a discount, everytime I use it plus using the Central Expat card you accumulate points. I see I have been wasting my time with the BigC card thinking was was accumulating points. Stupid they cannot have it printed in English also since so many of their customers are farangs at Big C.

I have a First Card that I use at Topps. PowerBuy and a few other places. I have the Thai version because my driver filled out the application years ago. There are some supposed discounts, but from time to time the cashier announces I have a xx baht credit to use that reduces whatever I'm buying.

When we buy something at Big C Extra my driver gives his card number and the cash register receipt prints out miles of discount coupons which he takes away.

Fine with me. Like those annoying stamps that 7-Eleven keeps handing me, I can't be bothered, but as long as someone is benefiting that's OK.

Stamps at 7/11 EZ some stamps are 1 baht and some stamps are 3 baht, just give on ur next purchase and employee give u discount, nothing to think about, last time u have to fill book, now just cash money

I always wonder why they don't just discount their prices a forget about the stamps.