Credit Card Strategies (Churn/MS/Points!)

[elaine amj]

You don't have an Amex Visa; you either have an Amex or a Visa gift/debit card. If it's an Amex, you won't be able to use it to load because it codes a credit card which are no longer allowed. A Visa or MC has a pin and will code as a Debit which is still allowed.
Amex GC are not pin-enabled.

I meant to say a Visa gift card - not sure how that ended up getting typed out as an Amex Visa. LOL - I am an absolute idiot. I know Amex gift cards cannot be used as a debit card

Glad to hear I can unload my Visa gift cards to the Redcard. I do feel more comfortable unloading from the redcard since I can pay my CC bills and also withdraw cash from an ATM.

 

[taymorel]

OK, after reading this thread I am off to google MS and Redbird, neither of which I have ever heard of. I learn so much on the Dis!

Me too. Very interesting.

 

[calypso726]

Yup the deal is dead even in the non carrying Redbird states like Florida. Oh well, I am glad that we can still load gift cards. It's good to have a back up plan for making minimum spend on the app-o-ramas and general ms.

 

[btk2333]

Yup the deal is dead even in the non carrying Redbird states like Florida. Oh well, I am glad that we can still load gift cards. It's good to have a back up plan for making minimum spend on the app-o-ramas and general ms.

I'm still hoping to get one here in Iowa for the Visa gift cards- closest ones are like 5 hours away though and all the states to which I'm traveling don't have them yet either (Illinois, Minnesota, California, Georgia)

 

[alymae1010]

I'm still hoping to get one here in Iowa for the Visa gift cards- closest ones are like 5 hours away though and all the states to which I'm traveling don't have them yet either (Illinois, Minnesota, California, Georgia)

I bought mine off Ebay.

 

[alymae1010]

FYI, reading about a possible demise of the debit card load to RB beginning May 16th. Hope it isn't true!

 

[Madteaparty001]

FYI, reading about a possible demise of the debit card load to RB beginning May 16th. Hope it isn't true!

Uhg I hope not, that will definitely mean the death of the redbird in many people's wallets.

 

[DizMe]

Question: is there a way to use a rewards credit card to get the points when the place you need to use it doesn't accept credit cards? This is an annual dues and tuition payment, and I'd love to get the points for using my SW card but they don't accept cc's. I read that you used to be able to send money to someone you trust through Amazon--you could authorize a payment for 'goods and services' and use your cc. They would then receive the payment and presumably give you the cash. However, I see Amazon no longer allows this. I thought of using PayPal and authorizing a payment that way, but they seem to only want checks.

 

[Sunnywho]

I'm still hoping to get one here in Iowa for the Visa gift cards- closest ones are like 5 hours away though and all the states to which I'm traveling don't have them yet either (Illinois, Minnesota, California, Georgia)

Minnesota has prepaid redcard. NE Mpls "Quarry" Target.

 

[alymae1010]

Question: is there a way to use a rewards credit card to get the points when the place you need to use it doesn't accept credit cards? This is an annual dues and tuition payment, and I'd love to get the points for using my SW card but they don't accept cc's. I read that you used to be able to send money to someone you trust through Amazon--you could authorize a payment for 'goods and services' and use your cc. They would then receive the payment and presumably give you the cash. However, I see Amazon no longer allows this. I thought of using PayPal and authorizing a payment that way, but they seem to only want checks.

There is a round-about way to do this. I'd suggest doing a google search for 'bluebird to pay tuition'. There are other tools besides Bluebird, but it should give you the basic rundown of what would be required.

 

[DizMe]

There is a round-about way to do this. I'd suggest doing a google search for 'bluebird to pay tuition'. There are other tools besides Bluebird, but it should give you the basic rundown of what would be required.

Thanks. I had briefly looked into it but I'll give it more attention.

 

[alymae1010]

RIP Redbird

 

[calypso726]

Yeah, the death of red bird is sad news indeed The timing couldn't be worse. We are in the middle of making the spend on a 100k membership rewards Amex that requires $10k spend in three months and the 100k British Airways card which requires $20k in a year and staying on track for the companion pass when you hit $30k. I am going back to blue bird. Sigh ...

 

[disneedee]

i just found out about the disney gift card target thing. had no idea there was more than that. do you have a favorite forum about this stuff?

 

[Albort]

RIP Redbird

time to switch to serve!

 

[alymae1010]

Yeah, reading up on Serve now. Had 2 Bluebirds before, but switched 1 to Redbird. Looking into the pros and cons of the different types.

 

[calypso726]

i just found out about the disney gift card target thing. had no idea there was more than that. do you have a favorite forum about this stuff?

There are a number of forums/blogs to learn about travel hacking and manufactured spending. Some of the bloggers I follow are Frequent Miler, Million Mile Secrets, The Points Guy and Mommy Points. Dan's Deals is another good one for information besides collecting points and miles. Flyer Talk and Inside Flyer (formerly Mile Point) are a couple of forums frequented by the travel hacking community as well. I hope this helps.