Anyone on board with Discover $500 Bonus?

[andrews_dad]

Just got the ad in the mail. I never use my Discover, but I got a letter with this deal. Charge $200 or more per month each month from June 2010 to October 2010 and get $500 cashback bonus. That is on top of cashback bonus you'd get. In fine print it says you must reach $2K per month. If I charge everything from gas to bills to grocery to diapers to new baby furniture (2nd due in July) ... everything, I can reach that. I always pay off in full every month (I currently charge everything to a card linked to my child's college savings account for rewards, but it can't hold a candle to a free $500. Anyone do this? It says you must call to enroll. I also see that you can get up to 5% with Dicover back now in one category, but in fine print it says you must sign up for each 5% program.

Anyone have details or experience on the 5% deals or the $500 deal? If I call do I find out this is a scam with an up-charge or something? I have had the card since 1999 but never use it. It might not have been used in 3 years.

 

[ShiPooOwner]

We use our Discover card for everything we can use it on and always pay in full at the end of each billing period. I always sign up for the bonus deals that offer 5% whether I think we'll use them or not. I haven't seen the letter you're referring to but maybe I tossed it into the recycling without even taking a second glance at what it had to say. I just don't think we would rack up $2k a month.

 

[andrews_dad]

We use our Discover card for everything we can use it on and always pay in full at the end of each billing period. I always sign up for the bonus deals that offer 5% whether I think we'll use them or not. I haven't seen the letter you're referring to but maybe I tossed it into the recycling without even taking a second glance at what it had to say. I just don't think we would rack up $2k a month.

How do you know what the 5% deal is, and how do you go about signing uo for it?

This ad came as a sperate letter (not in with statement) yesterday. I have not gotten a statement in years from them as I never use the card, though. Maybe I only got this due to being a "dormant" customer? This month I have $2500 on the card that I do use. I charge everything I can just for the bonuses. $1 menu item at McD's to bills that allow me to charge like landscapers or newspapers or magazines. I never have more than $10 in my wallet at any given time. It charge everything I can to get the bonuses bad and then just pay in full.

 

[andrews_dad]

$500 Cashback Bonus for Select Discover Cardholders
If you’re a Discover Card holder, it’s time to check your mail. From February through June 2010, Discover is running a special promo to targeted cardholders. If you’re eligible, you can earn a $500 bonus for spending at least $2,000 each month from February 2010 through June 2010. To enroll:
1) Call 1-866-645-1436 from January 1, 2010 to February 1, 2010 and let us know you’d like to stop using other cards and switch your spending to Discover.
2) Use Discover for all your purchases like groceries, gasoline, electronics as well as monthly bills like cell phone, internet and cable.
3) Earn an extra $500 CashBack Bonus – just for making $2,000 in purchases with your card in each month from February 2010 through June 2010. Remember, this is in addition to the CashBack Bonus you can earn every time with your card.
(Via FW)
This post is from Credit Card Watcher's Credit Card Deals Blog.
$500 Cashback Bonus for Select Discover Cardholders

I got this ame offer for new months, it seems....

 

[leahjade]

Call 1-866-645-1436 from January 1, 2010 to February 1, 2010

So it's too late for us to call now??????

 

[andrews_dad]

Not too late. There is a NEW round of promo. That is older info I cut and pasted. You must call between 5/1 and 6/1 ... nut it looks ike it is for SLECT customers ONLY!!

1-866-645-1436

 

[ShiPooOwner]

How do you know what the 5% deal is, and how do you go about signing uo for it?

There is an insert put in with my billing statement (does not come every month though) that lays out what the 5% bonus is on and for which months it applies and when you can sign up.

Here's what mine says:

April/May/June
Home Improvement
Department Stores
Clothing Stores

June (can sign up as of 5/1 it says)
Restaurants

July/August/Sept.
Gas
Hotels
Movies
Theme Parks

Oct/Nov/Dec
Restaurants
Department Stores
Clothing Stores

There are a couple catches. Depending on what type of card you have, you might get told you can't sign up for that month's 5% bonus deal. This happened to us once because ours is called "Open Road" card but don't ask me what that means. Also I believe there is a dollar limit on how much they will give you 5% back on, but I can't recall the exact amount and can't find it printed on the insert.

 

[andrews_dad]

There is an insert put in with my billing statement (does not come every month though) that lays out what the 5% bonus is on and for which months it applies and when you can sign up.

Here's what mine says:

April/May/June
Home Improvement
Department Stores
Clothing Stores

June (can sign up as of 5/1 it says)
Restaurants

July/August/Sept.
Gas
Hotels
Movies
Theme Parks

Oct/Nov/Dec
Restaurants
Department Stores
Clothing Stores

There are a couple catches. Depending on what type of card you have, you might get told you can't sign up for that month's 5% bonus deal. This happened to us once because ours is called "Open Road" card but don't ask me what that means. Also I believe there is a dollar limit on how much they will give you 5% back on, but I can't recall the exact amount and can't find it printed on the insert.

Interesting. Thanks, ShiPoo. Do you have to call and sit on hld to sign up, send something in with billing statement, or do it online?

 

[ShiPooOwner]

Interesting. Thanks, ShiPoo. Do you have to call and sit on hld to sign up, send something in with billing statement, or do it online?

Sign up online at Discover.com or call 1-800-347-2683. (If I remember right, when I've called the wait time is really minimal or nonexistent. Weird, huh? )

 

[KJF]

I signed up to do that offer back in January w/ the first go round. It's supposed to end in June. I'm not sure how quickly after it ends that I'll get the cash back - don't know if I'll have to wait like other cards do. We were using the Disney Visa for everything, so just switched that over for the 5 months. Then we'll go back to the Visa.

We are also getting the additional 5% cash back offers, so the cash back amount is growing nicely. I sign up for them on their website. I like to check my account online anyway to see if I'm near the $2k each month - usually not a problem! We did have trouble one month - about $300 short. So, I just picked up Disney gift cards when I was at the grocery store to put aside for our Aug trip.

 

[andrews_dad]

I signed up to do that offer back in January w/ the first go round. It's supposed to end in June. I'm not sure how quickly after it ends that I'll get the cash back - don't know if I'll have to wait like other cards do. We were using the Disney Visa for everything, so just switched that over for the 5 months. Then we'll go back to the Visa.

We are also getting the additional 5% cash back offers, so the cash back amount is growing nicely. I sign up for them on their website. I like to check my account online anyway to see if I'm near the $2k each month - usually not a problem! We did have trouble one month - about $300 short. So, I just picked up Disney gift cards when I was at the grocery store to put aside for our Aug trip.

Cool. So, as far as you can tell there is no catch or up-charge or anything to this? Just a free $500 bonus on TOP of your regular 1-5% cashback bonus? Seems like a no-brainer. I will do the same as you... drop my college-savings =reward card use for 5 months to used Discover instead.

 

[abmitch01]

don't forget to shop for online items through their website to get even more cashback. They have a long list of retailers. For example, I get an extra 5% when I order from Landsend through the Discover site.

and when you buy certain cash back gift cards, you get an extra percentage. For example, if I have $20 in cash back earned, I can buy a gift card for Landsend worth $25. Some offer better deals than others.

 

[KJF]

No catch that I can tell so far, although I am saving every statement w/ that letter they sent til it's completed! That is one thing I found out when I called - the letter made it sound like it was a per month amount, but it was a per statement amount. So, I had called right at the end of Jan before my deadline, but found out I needed to do it all before my statement end date of Feb 20th - I think that was the month I picked up the gift cards.

I used to use this card exclusively until we got the Visa, then would only use it for groceries so that I could get cash back (we really don't use cash, so that would be my spending money). I think the inactivity is why I got the offer, which is great, but, I will be going back to getting the Disney Dollars again when this is over.

 

[andrews_dad]

No catch that I can tell so far, although I am saving every statement w/ that letter they sent til it's completed! That is one thing I found out when I called - the letter made it sound like it was a per month amount, but it was a per statement amount. So, I had called right at the end of Jan before my deadline, but found out I needed to do it all before my statement end date of Feb 20th - I think that was the month I picked up the gift cards.

I used to use this card exclusively until we got the Visa, then would only use it for groceries so that I could get cash back (we really don't use cash, so that would be my spending money). I think the inactivity is why I got the offer, which is great, but, I will be going back to getting the Disney Dollars again when this is over.

I lOVE the gift card idea. Never thought of it. If you need to spend to hit the $2000 per month, you grab up gift cards. I'd get GC for my grocery store. And, if it is a month where grocery gets 5% cash back from Discover, I'd be saving that %5 right off the top. I guess I should do that every time!! That 5% savings would add up fast on my usual high grocery bills!

Thanks for info all. I'll be trying to earn this $500 bonus this summer! SCORE!

 

[leahjade]

I called and they said the offer is only good for people who don't use their Discover card much not like for regular users like myself - I guess the people who spend thousands on the card every month don't count!

 

[abmitch01]

I just called, hoping to get in on it

no one heard of it, even the supervisor I ended up talking to. Grrr, even if I don't qualify, I'd like ot speak to someone knowledgeable about it

 

[KJF]

I called and they said the offer is only good for people who don't use their Discover card much not like for regular users like myself - I guess the people who spend thousands on the card every month don't count!

Don't feel bad - that's the same reason I don't get the Disney Visa offers everyone else posts here that they get for 5% back!! Spending thousands doesn't count! I'm wondering if I'll have a Disney Visa offer show up now since I switched over for the past few months!!

I'll post back here when I see the $500 show up. My deal is set to end towards the end of June when my statement cycles.

 

[MrsPete]

3) Earn an extra $500 CashBack Bonus – just for making $2,000 in purchases with your card in each month from February 2010 through June 2010.

Sounds like a great deal, but I didn't spend $2000 in February or March. I did in April, but that doesn't sound like enough.

 

[alyssa810]

There is an insert put in with my billing statement (does not come every month though) that lays out what the 5% bonus is on and for which months it applies and when you can sign up.

Here's what mine says:

April/May/June
Home Improvement
Department Stores
Clothing Stores

June (can sign up as of 5/1 it says)
Restaurants

July/August/Sept.
Gas
Hotels
Movies
Theme Parks

Oct/Nov/Dec
Restaurants
Department Stores
Clothing Stores

There are a couple catches. Depending on what type of card you have, you might get told you can't sign up for that month's 5% bonus deal. This happened to us once because ours is called "Open Road" card but don't ask me what that means. Also I believe there is a dollar limit on how much they will give you 5% back on, but I can't recall the exact amount and can't find it printed on the insert.

These are the bonus rewards I get as well, you just need to SIGN UP for them to get them. They're great, except for the ones that have the fine print the cap of your bonus. In April (or it might have been March), they had an additional bonus for supermarkets -except it was only $200. I didn't catch that and I called because I only got about $10, and they said the max was $200. Oops, me.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I just got a similar letter from them which I pitched. I would have had to make at lest $2,000 in purchases for the next six statements to get the $500 bonus. I looked at my spending patterns and saw that unless I moved my automatic charges and put almost all of my discretionary spending on that card I would not hit the required amount. And even missing one month by 1¢ would kill it.