Credit Card Programs - How to spend $10,000

I've got to spend $10,000 (for work) and I'm wondering how to get the most bang for my points buck.

I've already got:
Citi Mastercard and Amex
Chase Sapphire and Ink Bold
SPG Amex and Business

I've had:
BA Visa
Venture One
Marriott

https://www262.americanexpress.com/business-card-application/business-gold-charge-card/apply/44060-286-0

Seems like a pretty simple way to do it.

Where do u have to spend? If we know that, we could recommend one of the cards u have. Also is it one charge of 10k? Does all your CC have 10k limit?

I've gone ahead and moved this to the Credit Card Programs forum

Is your spend domestic or foreign?

Domestic
It's for software license.
I've got plenty of room on my C.C. for the spend but it could be split between 2 or 3 if necessary.

As previous poster entioned, if you have the time, you can apply for the Amex business gold.
If not, I would get 2 Amex prepaid and load them with $2500 using Ink Bold in office depot buying Vanilla card. The remaining 5k would go into SPG. 3 cards used in total. If you can use more, I would do 3 Amex prepaid and 1 SPG.

If you apply for the card linked in post #2 a $10,000 purchase would generate 85,000 Membership Rewards. If you are not interested in that solution we could compare other alternatives, but nothing else will come close to generating the same amount of value.

As previous poster entioned, if you have the time, you can apply for the Amex business gold.
If not, I would get 2 Amex prepaid and load them with $2500 using Ink Bold in office depot buying Vanilla card. The remaining 5k would go into SPG. 3 cards used in total. If you can use more, I would do 3 Amex prepaid and 1 SPG.

I've thought about the AMEX prepaid (which I have) but the possible problem with that is that it would require the purchase of 10 - $500 cards to load up the 2 AMEX cards. That might raise a red flag at Chase and cause some problems.

If you apply for the card linked in post #2 a $10,000 purchase would generate 85,000 Membership Rewards. If you are not interested in that solution we could compare other alternatives, but nothing else will come close to generating the same amount of value.

That's right. 75,000 plus the 10,000 in spend. Thanks

https://www262.americanexpress.com/business-card-application/business-gold-charge-card/apply/44060-286-0

Seems like a pretty simple way to do it.

dito

http://personal.fidelity.com/products/checking/content/amex_investment_card.shtml

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what about the ink bold? doesn't it have a 10k min spending to reach the additional 25k bonus

what about the ink bold? doesn't it have a 10k min spending to reach the additional 25k bonus
The new one does. The one I have didn't.

Done - AMEX Business Gold

Thanks for all the advice

10,000 lotto tickets.

The new one does. The one I have didn't.

Get the new Ink Bold. You'll get 50,000 for hitting the $10,000 minimum spend plus at least an extra 10,000 for the spend itself (assuming all your spend is 1x).

If you decide to get a little creative and crazy, you can buy some gift cards at Office Depot (which will get you 5x points) and easily rack up an extra 15,000-20,000 UR points.

You're looking at a minimum of 60,000 Chase points if you get the new Ink Bold and maximum of over 80,000.

I'd definitely take the 60,000 Chase points over the 85,000 Amex points.

Just as a data point, I got the old Ink Bold in early Nov. 2011 and got the new Ink Bold in April 2012. They are considered two different cards, so you will be able to get the new one, even if you keep the old one open.

This may seem like a basic question... but do I understand this correctly.

What you can do sometimes, is go to a store and purchase a prepaid card. This is a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card which is basically used just one time. You pay $5.95 (usually) for the card, plus the amount that you load onto it, and then use it like a regular credit card until it's used up. These cards usually have a $500 loadable maximum. The advantage is that you (a) can time-shift purchases to meet spending requirements and (b) can often purchase the prepaid card at a store which falls into a bonus category. For example, if you had an Ink Bold or a Chase Freedom with groceries as a bonus category, you could purchase the prepaid card at an office supply or grocery store respectively, and get 5x points. Then you use the prepaid card as you would any credit card.

Am I understanding this right?

Also, are these cards reloadable? This would be useful if you wanted to register the card for some kind of recurring use, or just not deal frequently with a small balance.

Get the new Ink Bold. You'll get 50,000 for hitting the $10,000 minimum spend plus at least an extra 10,000 for the spend itself (assuming all your spend is 1x).

If you decide to get a little creative and crazy, you can buy some gift cards at Office Depot (which will get you 5x points) and easily rack up an extra 15,000-20,000 UR points.

You're looking at a minimum of 60,000 Chase points if you get the new Ink Bold and maximum of over 80,000.

I'd definitely take the 60,000 Chase points over the 85,000 Amex points.

Just as a data point, I got the old Ink Bold in early Nov. 2011 and got the new Ink Bold in April 2012. They are considered two different cards, so you will be able to get the new one, even if you keep the old one open.

Already have it.

This may seem like a basic question... but do I understand this correctly.

What you can do sometimes, is go to a store and purchase a prepaid card. This is a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card which is basically used just one time. You pay $5.95 (usually) for the card, plus the amount that you load onto it, and then use it like a regular credit card until it's used up. These cards usually have a $500 loadable maximum. The advantage is that you (a) can time-shift purchases to meet spending requirements and (b) can often purchase the prepaid card at a store which falls into a bonus category. For example, if you had an Ink Bold or a Chase Freedom with groceries as a bonus category, you could purchase the prepaid card at an office supply or grocery store respectively, and get 5x points. Then you use the prepaid card as you would any credit card.

Am I understanding this right?

Also, are these cards reloadable? This would be useful if you wanted to register the card for some kind of recurring use, or just not deal frequently with a small balance.

What does this have to do with this thread?

This thread is about how to maximize benefits from certain credit card spending.

Two posts up or so someone mentions buying gift cards at OfficeMax.

This may seem like a basic question... but do I understand this correctly.

What you can do sometimes, is go to a store and purchase a prepaid card. This is a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card which is basically used just one time. You pay $5.95 (usually) for the card, plus the amount that you load onto it, and then use it like a regular credit card until it's used up. These cards usually have a $500 loadable maximum. The advantage is that you (a) can time-shift purchases to meet spending requirements and (b) can often purchase the prepaid card at a store which falls into a bonus category. For example, if you had an Ink Bold or a Chase Freedom with groceries as a bonus category, you could purchase the prepaid card at an office supply or grocery store respectively, and get 5x points. Then you use the prepaid card as you would any credit card.

Am I understanding this right?

Also, are these cards reloadable? This would be useful if you wanted to register the card for some kind of recurring use, or just not deal frequently with a small balance.

Yep, you are understanding that right. Some cards you can get are reloadable, others aren't. Just depends which ones you want to get.

But yes, your understanding about how to use the Ink Bold or Freedom to buy gift cards is spot on.

That's correct, at least for prepaid gift card. In addition, there are people (or school of thoughts) that refer to AMEX prepaid reloadable cards: e.g., get permanent prepaid from AMEX and buy reloads from office supply stores then add the amount to the permanent prepaid AMEX - the tipping factor is the option to withdraw cash from these so called permanent prepaid cards although there is a limit for the amount you can withdraw each month. See details here http://boardingarea.com/blogs/frequentmiler/2012/05/01/one-card-to-rule-them-all/

The advantage is that you (a) can time-shift purchases to meet spending requirements and (b) can often purchase the prepaid card at a store which falls into a bonus category. For example, if you had an Ink Bold or a Chase Freedom with groceries as a bonus category, you could purchase the prepaid card at an office supply or grocery store respectively, and get 5x points. Then you use the prepaid card as you would any credit card.

Am I understanding this right?

Also, are these cards reloadable? This would be useful if you wanted to register the card for some kind of recurring use, or just not deal frequently with a small balance.

This thread is about how to maximize benefits from certain credit card spending.

Two posts up or so someone mentions buying gift cards at OfficeMax.
No.. this thread is about geting the best points bang for your buck when I have to spend $10,000. What card will get me the most benefits from spending the 10 grand. Certainly not about how to buy gift cards.

How about 135,000 American Airlines miles by using the two browser trick to get both the Visa and the Amex personal cards (50K each), and then, probably later, getting the business card (35K). Total spend $7,500, giving you another 7,500 miles, for a total of 142,500 miles.

Details on my website below in the Credit Cards > Annual Fee Cards page (though that fee is waived for the first year).