It’s a good idea to know what to expect about Trader Joe’s payment options before you hit up the checkout lines at your local store. Trader Joe’s accepts many payment options, including cash, credit and debit cards, personal checks, gift cards, and EBT, to make transactions convenient for customers.
Trader Joe’s accepts $100 bills. While all legitimate U.S. bills are considered legal tender, used to pay for products and services, some stores may not accept larger denomination bills such as $50 or $100 bills if they are low on available cash to break large bills.
Check out Trader Joe’s payment options, policies, and alternative forms of payment for larger purchases.
Trader Joe’s Payment Policies
At Trader Joe’s you can use a variety of payment methods that include all major forms of credit cards, such as MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express, that are recognized in the U.S.
You can also use multiple other forms of payment that make it easy to make large or small purchases at the store.
Trader Joe’s payment policy also enables customers to do cashback free of charge without incurring any hefty $1 or $2 fees per transaction.
Why Trader Joe’s Customer Payment Policies Are Important
Since Trader Joe’s first opened in 1967, the company has gone out of its way to ensure customer satisfaction. This means that Trader Joe’s payment policies are in place to protect customers and ensure FCI compliance and security for all transactions in the store. Their flexibility with payment methods also makes it more convenient for customers to shop with their preferred payment method.
Payment Options at Trader Joe’s
Currently, Trader Joe’s accepts 6 forms of payment methods that include:
- Cash
- Credit or debit cards
- Mobile payments with Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay
- Personal checks
- Physical Trader Joe’s gift cards
- EBT cards
Accepted Forms of Payment at Trader Joe’s
When you go to pay for your purchases at Trader Joe’s you can use cash, sign a bank check, swipe with your credit, debit, or EBT card, or tap your mobile device if you have this payment method set up.
Payment Options at Trader Joe’s vs. Other Retailers
Compared to some other retailers, such as Fresh Market, which has sometimes restricted the use of cash payments in some locations, particularly since COVID-19, Trader Joe’s offers a wide variety of flexible payment options.
Aldi and Whole Foods accept a similar list of payment methods, while Walmart goes a step beyond Trader Joe’s by enabling customers to use money orders if placed in advance.
How Convenient Are Trader Joe’s Payment Options?
The wide range of payment options that Trader Joe’s offers make it very convenient for customers to choose from multiple ways to pay.
You can hand over your cash to pay for groceries and products or you can even install the external Zip app on your phone for contactless payment that enables you to do a buy now, pay later plan in 4 installments for 6 weeks.
Does Trader Joe’s Accept Large Denomination Bills?
Yes, Trader Joe’s accepts large denomination bills at any location that can change a $50 or $100 bill.
Trader Joe’s Policy on Accepting Large Denomination Bills
While the store’s website doesn’t specifically cover the acceptance of large denomination bills, Trader Joe’s payment method policy enables customers to use cash.
Trader Joe’s Acceptance of Large Denomination Bills vs. Other Retailers
In contrast to some Whole Foods locations, which started restricting cash payments starting in 2020 due to COVID-19 precautions, Trader Joe’s hasn’t made any such announcement.
Currently, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Walmart, Costco, Kroger, and Target retailers all accept cash as long as they can break the bill and return the appropriate change to the customer.
The Impact of Trader Joe’s Large Bill Policy on Customer Convenience
Since Trader Joe’s stores accept large bills whenever possible, this makes purchases more convenient for customers who ordinarily carry and prefer to pay in cash.
Alternative Payment Options for Large Trader Joe’s Purchases
If you want to pay in cash for a large purchase at Trader Joe’s, but the cashier can’t break a large denomination bill, you have the option to tap your phone to make a mobile payment, if you already have this set up. You can use a credit or debit card, and even a check or gift card.
Alternative Payment Options at Trader Joe’s and Customer Convenience
Since Trader Joe’s offers a high number of alternative payment options, this makes it easy and convenient for customers to shop and pay at the store without any hassle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do They Ring the Bell at Trader Joe’s?
Team members ring the bell once, twice, or three times at Trader Joe’s to communicate with each other across the store’s space.
That’s because Trader Joe’s doesn’t have a PA system, so the bell acts as a kind of company Morse code to help them contact each other to get the job done.
Can You Return Things to Trader Joe’s Without a Receipt?
Due to Trader Joe’s generous return policy, you can take practically any item back to the store and get a full refund even if you don’t have a receipt.
Their return policy covers non-edible items that failed to meet your expectations and even opened food products.
Despite the generous return policy, it’s a good idea not to abuse the policy by continually buying and returning things for a refund.
Instead, if you want to test a product, it’s better to do it on the spot in the store. That way, you won’t have to bring the item back in and get your money back the same day.
Do You Save Money Shopping at Trader Joe’s?
According to many customers and competitor comparisons, Trader Joe’s offers great food options for more affordable prices than most grocery stores.
On the downside, this makes it a popular spot, so be prepared for long lines at the checkout aisle.
Final Thoughts
In general, Trader Joe’s accepts large denomination bills such as $50s or $100s, provided that the individual store doesn’t have a policy against accepting them and if the cashier is able to break a larger denomination.
The good news is that there are multiple alternative payment options that range from credit or debit cards to gift cards, mobile pay, and personal checks next time you want to pay for a large purchase at a Trader Joe’s store.
