Things nobody tells new olim about gift cards, zikui and loyalty clubs
After a few years here I collected some things about Israeli shopping that surprised me and that no ulpan teaches:
Zikui is not a refund. When you return something, many stores give store credit on a paper slip. It looks worthless. It is real money. People lose these constantly.
Gift cards last 5 years by law. Stores sometimes print shorter dates on the card. The Consumer Protection Law says at least 5 years, and it wins.
BuyMe cards (the ones everyone gets from work) can be split across purchases, and the leftover balance stays on the card. Check it before assuming it is empty.
Loyalty clubs stack up fast here. Your kupat holim, your credit card and your workplace each sign you up for clubs with real discounts, and then nobody remembers which club works where.
What else surprised you about shopping here? Curious what I am still missing.