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> Neat tip: you can use your area code + this number in almost any system that asks for a phone number (especially useful supermarket "loyalty" customer tracking systems). If they ask for a name, just tell them "Jenny".

Do you actually do this? It hasn't worked for me most places I've tried it. In a couple cases it froze/crashed their system. I always wondered what people who legitimately have this number do.



Yep, I use it all the time at the area supermarkets (works with no less than four different chains).

I predict that someday soon, supermarkets will sell my food purchase history to insurance companies, so when I buy loads of vegetables and such, I use my real number. When I buy wine & bacon -- you guessed it: 867-5309.

Tip #2: They also link purchase records based on debit card account numbers. So pay cash.

Tip #3: if the number doesn't work for your area code, try it with a different area code. (the sysadmins sometime purge a number that is being used by loads of people.) Also, if you need to provide a zip code, Beverly Hills 90210 works just fine.


> I predict that someday soon, supermarkets will sell my food purchase history to insurance companies, so when I buy loads of vegetables and such, I use my real number. When I buy wine & bacon -- you guessed it: 867-5309.

That won't help, your purchases can still be linked to yourself with your credit card.


With Apple/Google Pay isn't this information NOT shared with merchant, but only a transaction token ?


so they say. but the data lives somewhere, and when it has enough value it will be a commodity.


> That won't help, your purchases can still be linked to yourself with your credit card.

This doesn't seem to add much value on top of

>> Tip #2: They also link purchase records based on debit card account numbers. So pay cash.


I've used it at CVS with area code 213. I usually got a very large printout about all the beauty care products Jenny was using.


Used this at a Food Lion once and the savings to date was like $10k+ or something outrageous, we all had a good laugh.


I've had it work sometimes, but also ran into times where it must've been overused.




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