Originally Posted by
sk8uno
I think it would be odd for AMEX to shut down people who load VR and use BB to pay bills. If I could pay rent/mortgage/loans with my AMEX card directly, wouldn't AMEX encourage me to do so? If yes, why do they have a problem with me buying VR on an AMEX, then using BB to pay rent/mortgage/loans?
Now, just because I think it would be odd doesn't mean it won't happen. And just because it doesn't make logical sense to be shut down in this instance also doesn't mean it won't happen. But this scenario sure seems like a winning proposition for AMEX, especially for those customers who buy the VR with AMEX.
We don't know how much Amex gets when it takes a VR load. If it's $500 for a $500 load, then I agree. It's all good. Maybe they got a swipe/merchant fee on the sale of the VR, and thus they come out well to the good. But if it's less, then that's where the problem could come in. I think it's probably less, but we don't know.
Assume for the sake of argument Amex gets $495 when it takes on a $500 VR load, which you purchased with a Chase card. Assume further than you make a nearly immediate demand on Amex for the $500 to make a payment for which it does not get a transaction fee (e.g., a billpay). You can see why it might not like this very much.