Triple-dip gift card strategy to pay for Disney trip?

[Marionnette]

ah 2 places I have not spent much time in. Been to Ohio for a wedding and I've only been to Philly a couple of times .

I'm an east coast guy (live in jersey) but never heard of it before

Giant Eagle is a Pittsburgh-area grocer. There aren't any "Jine-Iggles" in Philly! We have "Ak-a-mees" in SEPA.

 

[kaddjr]

I'm getting between $30-$40 per month on SB with very little effort. OTOH, I redeemed for over $400 in GCs on Perk in May. It's definitely a much better earner for me now that they've added Live and fixed the Pop Quiz app.

I get about the same amount on SB, but could you please tell me how you are making so much from Perk?

 

[Marionnette]

I get about the same amount on SB, but could you please tell me how you are making so much from Perk?

5 devices running Live (all old android phones). 5 running Quiz (old iphones and ipads) and 3 running Perk TV(old ipod touch devices). We're a family of early adopters and we hang on to our old devices as backs ups for the new ones rather than purchase insurance plans. Those devices were just sitting in a drawer, so I put them to good use.

I also follow the reddit forum for Perk daily for hints and to keep up with any changes.

 

[pittsburghmom]

Does this come out to an 8% discount?

My strategy yields a 18% discount:

American Express offers 6% back at grocery stores (gc are included). $100 worth of gc = $6.00

Giant Eagle often offers a '20 cents a gallon' bonus off fuel when you buy $50 worth of gift cards, so for every $100 in gc you get $.40 fuel perks, $.40 x 30 gal of fuel (we have extra cans) = $12.00.

We did this last year, we bought $2000 in gift cards.

Yes, this! We buy our Disney gift cards when Giant Eagle is having their bonus fuel perks. If I buy $2000 in Disney gift cards, I would earn $240 in free gas. Last trip, we didn't pay for gas for 3 months! Do you have a Kroger? I see people post on here about Kroger having a decent gift card/fuel perks program.

 

[teller80]

ah 2 places I have not spent much time in.

You're not missing much.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

Does this come out to an 8% discount?

My strategy yields a 18% discount:

American Express offers 6% back at grocery stores (gc are included). $100 worth of gc = $6.00

Giant Eagle often offers a '20 cents a gallon' bonus off fuel when you buy $50 worth of gift cards, so for every $100 in gc you get $.40 fuel perks, $.40 x 30 gal of fuel (we have extra cans) = $12.00.

We did this last year, we bought $2000 in gift cards.

Yes, this! We buy our Disney gift cards when Giant Eagle is having their bonus fuel perks. If I buy $2000 in Disney gift cards, I would earn $240 in free gas. Last trip, we didn't pay for gas for 3 months! Do you have a Kroger? I see people post on here about Kroger having a decent gift card/fuel perks program.

I have access to Giant Eagle as well.........I just wanted to respectfully point out that you're both leaving a lot money on the table!! The optimum GE strategy right now (and for quite some time) is yielding at least 32% savings when using double fuel perks and looks something like this:

1. Purchase Visa/MC/Amex gift cards at GE in no less than $100 increments (my GE carries only $100 max) with your Amex (Blue cash preferred). The $100 cards have a fee of $5.95. So a $1,000 in GC would cost you $1,059.50 and you would get back from $63.57 from Amex plus $126 in free gas ($1,050/$50*.20*30 gallons = $126). Your cost after step 1 is $1059.50-$63.57-$126=$869.93 for $1,000 in GC or 13% savings.

2. Purchase Target GC at GE with the Visa/MC/Amex GC you just purchased. So $1,000 in GC would yield another $120 in free gas or 12%. You're total cost is now $869.93-$120=$749.93 or total savings of 25%.

3. Purchase Disney GC with the Target GC using your RedCad default payment online to save another $50 or 5%. You're total cost is now $749.93-$50=$699.93 or 30% total savings. If you can actually get cash back by logging into Target through a Portal such as eBates, then you can add that amount to this also.

4. Spend the $1,000 via a DVA and get another 2% back for a toal of 32% savings.

 

[ChrisJG]

I have access to Giant Eagle as well.........I just wanted to respectfully point out that you're both leaving a lot money on the table!! The optimum GE strategy right now (and for quite some time) is yielding at least 32% savings when using double fuel perks and looks something like this:

1. Purchase Visa/MC/Amex gift cards at GE in no less than $100 increments (my GE carries only $100 max) with your Amex (Blue cash preferred). The $100 cards have a fee of $5.95. So a $1,000 in GC would cost you $1,059.50 and you would get back from $63.57 from Amex plus $126 in free gas ($1,050/$50*.20*30 gallons = $126). Your cost after step 1 is $1059.50-$63.57-$126=$869.93 for $1,000 in GC or 13% savings.

2. Purchase Target GC at GE with the Visa/MC/Amex GC you just purchased. So $1,000 in GC would yield another $120 in free gas or 12%. You're total cost is now $869.93-$120=$749.93 or total savings of 25%.

3. Purchase Disney GC with the Target GC using your RedCad default payment online to save another $50 or 5%. You're total cost is now $749.93-$50=$699.93 or 30% total savings. If you can actually get cash back by logging into Target through a Portal such as eBates, then you can add that amount to this also.

4. Spend the $1,000 via a DVA and get another 2% back for a toal of 32% savings.

I wish my grocery stores would do this I don't even have a Kroger. We get cash rewards but promos exclude the gift cards (plus my tank only holds 15 gallons)

 

[ldarcy]

Can you help this newbie figure out a gift card triple-dip strategy for an upcoming trip? Amount in question is $2000. Here's what I'm thinking:

This strategy yields $160 total.

With respect, that sounds like an awful lot of work for $160. To be fair, I'm a coupon clipper & people tell me I'm wasting my time for a few dollars. But, it still sounds like a lot of work.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

With respect, that sounds like an awful lot of work for $160. To be fair, I'm a coupon clipper & people tell me I'm wasting my time for a few dollars. But, it still sounds like a lot of work.

I haven't done exactly those steps. But I have gotten Target gift cards on Raise and on Giftcard Zen. They come in instantly (other than the first one where I had to call them and verify a couple things.) I use a Visa card that gives me 1% back on those. The Raise ones I've done through TopCashBack (and hoping I get it!). I then order Disney cards from Target using my RedCard and saving 5%. When those come in, I enter them online straight to the Disney site to pay off my balance. No Disney Vacation Account here.

So far, doing just those steps, I've saved $252 on the $2,100 I've paid. That's a 12% savings, which I think is pretty good. Yes, it takes a little time. Maybe, all total, I've spent an hour tracking orders, entering cards, adding up savings, etc. But I look at it like this. How many of us have a job that pays us $252 an hour???? If I can take an hour out of my day and save over $250, it's well worth it! I would think a fellow coupon clipper would understand that!!!

So I already got free dining with a bounce back from last year and now saving 12% on the package. I think I'm making out pretty well!

 

[honeybunches]

I have access to Giant Eagle as well.........I just wanted to respectfully point out that you're both leaving a lot money on the table!! The optimum GE strategy right now (and for quite some time) is yielding at least 32% savings when using double fuel perks and looks something like this:

1. Purchase Visa/MC/Amex gift cards at GE in no less than $100 increments (my GE carries only $100 max) with your Amex (Blue cash preferred). The $100 cards have a fee of $5.95. So a $1,000 in GC would cost you $1,059.50 and you would get back from $63.57 from Amex plus $126 in free gas ($1,050/$50*.20*30 gallons = $126). Your cost after step 1 is $1059.50-$63.57-$126=$869.93 for $1,000 in GC or 13% savings.

2. Purchase Target GC at GE with the Visa/MC/Amex GC you just purchased. So $1,000 in GC would yield another $120 in free gas or 12%. You're total cost is now $869.93-$120=$749.93 or total savings of 25%.

3. Purchase Disney GC with the Target GC using your RedCad default payment online to save another $50 or 5%. You're total cost is now $749.93-$50=$699.93 or 30% total savings. If you can actually get cash back by logging into Target through a Portal such as eBates, then you can add that amount to this also.

4. Spend the $1,000 via a DVA and get another 2% back for a toal of 32% savings.

You just blew my mind!

 

[teller80]

1. Purchase Visa/MC/Amex gift cards at GE in no less than $100 increments (my GE carries only $100 max) with your Amex (Blue cash preferred). The $100 cards have a fee of $5.95. So a $1,000 in GC would cost you $1,059.50 and you would get back from $63.57 from Amex plus $126 in free gas ($1,050/$50*.20*30 gallons = $126). Your cost after step 1 is $1059.50-$63.57-$126=$869.93 for $1,000 in GC or 13% savings.

2. Purchase Target GC at GE with the Visa/MC/Amex GC you just purchased. So $1,000 in GC would yield another $120 in free gas or 12%. You're total cost is now $869.93-$120=$749.93 or total savings of 25%.

3. Purchase Disney GC with the Target GC using your RedCad default payment online to save another $50 or 5%. You're total cost is now $749.93-$50=$699.93 or 30% total savings. If you can actually get cash back by logging into Target through a Portal such as eBates, then you can add that amount to this also.

4. Spend the $1,000 via a DVA and get another 2% back for a toal of 32% savings.

I'm going to GE today so I'll ask, but on their website it says, "Visa® prepaid re-loadable cards are excluded from our fuelperks! program. With these cards, fuelperks! are earned when the cards are redeemed ", so you can't earn double fuel perks and you'll *only* get $63 in free gas, not $126. But I will say, THANK YOU for the additional savings!

 

[hollypoast]

Can the 7+% discounts on Target gift cards on raise.com be trusted? That's HUGE.

I've purchased over $3,000 worth of Target gift cards though raise.com. I, personally, have never had any issues. Occasionally, I read that people have issues with a card or two but raise seems to take care of the issues quickly. Whenever I have purchases GC through raise.com I use them immediately. Good Luck!

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

I'm going to GE today so I'll ask, but on their website it says, "Visa® prepaid re-loadable cards are excluded from our fuelperks! program. With these cards, fuelperks! are earned when the cards are redeemed ", so you can't earn double fuel perks and you'll *only* get $63 in free gas, not $126. But I will say, THANK YOU for the additional savings!

Um, I'm not sure how you got the impression that I would post a very detailed strategy with the intention of helping you if I was not 100% sure it works, but so be it. The word "re-loadable" does not appear anywhere in my post. The cards I mentioned are fixed dollar amount gift cards. I have been purchasing them for years, they ABSOLUTELY qualify for fuel perks and always have, you will ABSOLUTELY get $126 back, not $63, and I just purchased $2,000 worth in the last mother's day double fuel perks promotion in which the cards were advertised on the VERY FRONT of the GE ad as qualifying for fuel perks. So, feel free to ask at your local store, but TRUST ME, they qualify

I'm a little hesitant to offer additional help, but here goes, you may be able to find a Getgo in your area that qualifies as a "grocery" purchase for your Amex card's 6% cash back. I found one that qualifies as such in my area. Why is this important? Because they sell $200 Visa/MC/Amex gift cards with a $6.95 fee found on the very bottom of a rotary rack in the back of the store which if purchased, will increase your savings to 35% with the strategy I provided above.........and yes, they ABSOLUTELY qualify for fuel perks!!

 

[honeybunches]

I have access to Giant Eagle as well.........I just wanted to respectfully point out that you're both leaving a lot money on the table!! The optimum GE strategy right now (and for quite some time) is yielding at least 32% savings when using double fuel perks and looks something like this:

1. Purchase Visa/MC/Amex gift cards at GE in no less than $100 increments (my GE carries only $100 max) with your Amex (Blue cash preferred). The $100 cards have a fee of $5.95. So a $1,000 in GC would cost you $1,059.50 and you would get back from $63.57 from Amex plus $126 in free gas ($1,050/$50*.20*30 gallons = $126). Your cost after step 1 is $1059.50-$63.57-$126=$869.93 for $1,000 in GC or 13% savings.

Can you purchase the Visa gift card using this strategy, then (instead of turning them around to purchase Target gift cards) go through Raise, Cardpool, etc to get 12.5% off a Target gift card, plus whatever % from Ebates, then do the Redcard? I am not sure if those sites accept gift cards as payment.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

I have not done it myself, but see absolutely no reason why not. In fact, the Amex gift cards process as credit cards and not debits like the Visa/MC, so I'd be shocked if those did not work and I'd try those first. A lot of times in this game it's trial and error, but once you find out what works, you're good to go! Also, many people will purchase these Gift cards from Staples using their Chase Ink cards to get 5% back and subsequently use those cards for further transactions.