Oct 25, 2013, 7:07 pm
Last edit by: ericdabbs
Please read the wiki before posting a question.
UPDATE 01/17/15
BeFrugal: 1.5%
Big Crumbs: 0.9%
TopCashBack: 1.5%
For other cash back or airline portals, check here: http://www.cashbackmonitor.com/Cashb...erican+express
Public Service Announcement: Do NOT use fee-free codes if you want portal cashback / miles. CB/Miles will post and then be clawed back.
FAQ
Will it post as a cash advance (CA)?
Citi - Yes.
Cards from Chase, BoA, FIA, Barclay, AMEX, CapitalOne, US Bank, Discover, HSBC, etc., have posted as purchase. PNC Visa Cashbuilder - posts as purchase but does not earn CC rewards
Note: Some issuers (Discover, US Bank, etc.) will decline the authorization if it exceeds your CA limit. This does NOT mean it will post as CA. It simply means you need to lower the purchase amount below your CA limit for authorization, but it ultimately posts as a purchase.
How do I set PIN on AMEX Gift Cards and use as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc.
You cannot set PIN or use them as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc. You can only use them as credit where AMEX is accepted.
How do I cash out AMEX Gift Cards?
Use manufactured spend techniques (load RB, buy Visa/MC GCs, VRs, AP, AFT, etc.) or normal spend where AMEX is accepted.
Why buy AMEX Gift Cards then?
To reduce the cost of manufactured spend, to mask your manufactured spend (i.e unusual high spend at Target or CVS), earn additional cash back on spend, or meet minimum spend targets faster.
Next day shipping that isn't?
The next day shipping is from when they ship the cards to UPS, which can be as long as 10 days from the order submission if you order personalized cards (more recently this has been under a week). For next day shipping, you are notified late night (once your card finishes processing, see above) and the package arrive that same morning before 10:30AM in your area.
What is with the charge disappearing from my credit card?
Once the order is placed you will see a pending charge on your CC account. Quite often once the card ships this pending is removed but does not show as a charge. Don't panic (or celebrate) it will show up as a charge within a day or so.
Personalized GCs?
Either Biz or Personal GCs can be personalized with your name. This helps when shaky cashiers who demand to see your card are prevalent. These take approximately 4 biz days to arrive compared to the non personalized which arrives as quickly as the next day.
UPS Tracking?
If you logged in to your AMEX account when placing the order you can get tracking info by logging in to your AMEX account and clicking on cards > gift cards > order history > order details. Unfortunately tracking information may not appear until well after your order has shipped so it's best to sign up for UPS My Choice to get faster tracking info and reroute your package if needed. Since UPS may drop your package off at the door if you're not home, it will be useful to know when your package will arrive.
The portal terms indicate that coupon codes will invalidate cash back. Is this true?
Yes (as of July 2014)
What are the purchase limits? (Updated Dec 2014)
10K personal every 14 days
100K business every 14 days
Do declined orders count toward the purchase limits?
YMMV
Do fees and shipping count toward the purchase limits?
No
Why was my purchase declined by AMEX?
There are several possibilities:
- Your billing address does not match 100% with what the credit card company has on file. This could be anything from apt/suite/condo # on the wrong line to zip code requiring 9 digits instead of 5. If your first purchase does not go through, call your bank or login to your acct to verify that this matches what you used.
- You have gone over the $10k every 14 day limit on personal gift card purchase.
- Even if you are sure the first two are correct as you have ordered before on that card and it's been more than 14 days, you might still get declined. No one has any idea why.
- You placed a business order and you don't really have a business (at some point AMEX does a background check for a valid business) or you have exceeded the 14 day limit for business orders.
My order was declined but my credit card still shows a pending authorization. How long until this falls off and my credit line is freed up?
I typically takes 1 week for the pending authorization to fall off after a declined order.
Can I order from the business side using a personal card? Or does it need to be a business card?
You can use whatever credit card you want to pay for business or personal orders. About the only restriction is you can't use an AMEX GC to buy another AMEX GC.
How long will it take the portal to track my order and confirm the pending cash back or points?
For non-Cartera portals (TCB, BC, Befrugal, etc) your order will usually track within a day or two.
For Cartera portals (Barclay Reward Boost, Lucky Rewards, USAA, Alaska, Delta) it will take 3-4 weeks to track.
My orders are not tracking. How can I maximize the chances the portal will track my order properly?
Use a browser you do not normally use (Chrome, Firefox, Opera), reset all browser settings to defaults, clear all browser cookies, disable all browser add-ons, and close/re-start your browser before navigating to the portal and placing your order. Do NOT use promotional coupon codes. The vast majority of tracking issues result from use of coupon codes, a bad browser cookie, improperly configured browser settings, or add-ons that interfere with cookie tracking.
UPDATE 01/17/15
BeFrugal: 1.5%
Big Crumbs: 0.9%
TopCashBack: 1.5%
For other cash back or airline portals, check here: http://www.cashbackmonitor.com/Cashb...erican+express
Public Service Announcement: Do NOT use fee-free codes if you want portal cashback / miles. CB/Miles will post and then be clawed back.
FAQ
Will it post as a cash advance (CA)?
Citi - Yes.
Cards from Chase, BoA, FIA, Barclay, AMEX, CapitalOne, US Bank, Discover, HSBC, etc., have posted as purchase. PNC Visa Cashbuilder - posts as purchase but does not earn CC rewards
Note: Some issuers (Discover, US Bank, etc.) will decline the authorization if it exceeds your CA limit. This does NOT mean it will post as CA. It simply means you need to lower the purchase amount below your CA limit for authorization, but it ultimately posts as a purchase.
How do I set PIN on AMEX Gift Cards and use as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc.
You cannot set PIN or use them as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc. You can only use them as credit where AMEX is accepted.
How do I cash out AMEX Gift Cards?
Use manufactured spend techniques (load RB, buy Visa/MC GCs, VRs, AP, AFT, etc.) or normal spend where AMEX is accepted.
Why buy AMEX Gift Cards then?
To reduce the cost of manufactured spend, to mask your manufactured spend (i.e unusual high spend at Target or CVS), earn additional cash back on spend, or meet minimum spend targets faster.
Next day shipping that isn't?
The next day shipping is from when they ship the cards to UPS, which can be as long as 10 days from the order submission if you order personalized cards (more recently this has been under a week). For next day shipping, you are notified late night (once your card finishes processing, see above) and the package arrive that same morning before 10:30AM in your area.
What is with the charge disappearing from my credit card?
Once the order is placed you will see a pending charge on your CC account. Quite often once the card ships this pending is removed but does not show as a charge. Don't panic (or celebrate) it will show up as a charge within a day or so.
Personalized GCs?
Either Biz or Personal GCs can be personalized with your name. This helps when shaky cashiers who demand to see your card are prevalent. These take approximately 4 biz days to arrive compared to the non personalized which arrives as quickly as the next day.
UPS Tracking?
If you logged in to your AMEX account when placing the order you can get tracking info by logging in to your AMEX account and clicking on cards > gift cards > order history > order details. Unfortunately tracking information may not appear until well after your order has shipped so it's best to sign up for UPS My Choice to get faster tracking info and reroute your package if needed. Since UPS may drop your package off at the door if you're not home, it will be useful to know when your package will arrive.
The portal terms indicate that coupon codes will invalidate cash back. Is this true?
Yes (as of July 2014)
What are the purchase limits? (Updated Dec 2014)
10K personal every 14 days
100K business every 14 days
Do declined orders count toward the purchase limits?
YMMV
Do fees and shipping count toward the purchase limits?
No
Why was my purchase declined by AMEX?
There are several possibilities:
- Your billing address does not match 100% with what the credit card company has on file. This could be anything from apt/suite/condo # on the wrong line to zip code requiring 9 digits instead of 5. If your first purchase does not go through, call your bank or login to your acct to verify that this matches what you used.
- You have gone over the $10k every 14 day limit on personal gift card purchase.
- Even if you are sure the first two are correct as you have ordered before on that card and it's been more than 14 days, you might still get declined. No one has any idea why.
- You placed a business order and you don't really have a business (at some point AMEX does a background check for a valid business) or you have exceeded the 14 day limit for business orders.
My order was declined but my credit card still shows a pending authorization. How long until this falls off and my credit line is freed up?
I typically takes 1 week for the pending authorization to fall off after a declined order.
Can I order from the business side using a personal card? Or does it need to be a business card?
You can use whatever credit card you want to pay for business or personal orders. About the only restriction is you can't use an AMEX GC to buy another AMEX GC.
How long will it take the portal to track my order and confirm the pending cash back or points?
For non-Cartera portals (TCB, BC, Befrugal, etc) your order will usually track within a day or two.
For Cartera portals (Barclay Reward Boost, Lucky Rewards, USAA, Alaska, Delta) it will take 3-4 weeks to track.
My orders are not tracking. How can I maximize the chances the portal will track my order properly?
Use a browser you do not normally use (Chrome, Firefox, Opera), reset all browser settings to defaults, clear all browser cookies, disable all browser add-ons, and close/re-start your browser before navigating to the portal and placing your order. Do NOT use promotional coupon codes. The vast majority of tracking issues result from use of coupon codes, a bad browser cookie, improperly configured browser settings, or add-ons that interfere with cookie tracking.
Cashback on Amex GC through TopCashBack, BigCrumbs, etc.
Dec 18, 2014, 3:41 pm
#9646
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: S Cal
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, United Silver, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,142
Posted today by Frequent Miler:
http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co...wards-may-end/
That was not what I wanted to read.
http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co...wards-may-end/
That was not what I wanted to read.
Dec 18, 2014, 3:51 pm
#9647
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Phoenix Desert
Programs: Hilton Cubic Zirconia, Marriott Fools Gold
Posts: 1,692
Posted today by Frequent Miler:
http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co...wards-may-end/
That was not what I wanted to read.
http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co...wards-may-end/
That was not what I wanted to read.
Dec 18, 2014, 3:59 pm
#9648
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I kind of want to go big on this before the VX portal promo ends. If I put it on mv VX card I'm getting 3pts per $ (1 from the card, 2 from the portal).
I did this earlier with a small GC ($2k). I've just been using it for normal spend. I'm fine with that. I'm not sure if I want to do that with $10k + worth of cards though, keeping them for months at a time. I don't mind floating the cash until I spend it, but I have zero protection against fraud with these things.
I did this earlier with a small GC ($2k). I've just been using it for normal spend. I'm fine with that. I'm not sure if I want to do that with $10k + worth of cards though, keeping them for months at a time. I don't mind floating the cash until I spend it, but I have zero protection against fraud with these things.
Dec 18, 2014, 4:03 pm
#9649
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SEA
Posts: 1,887
Good deal if you normally fly them. Keep in mind flight credit isn't the same as cash back. Airline GCs typically sell at a 10% discount. Flight credit would be less liquid than GCs, so I'd say worth closer to 4%. Personally I'd have to go out of my way to fly Virgin America so 2x SwagBucks is more appealing. YMMV.
Dec 18, 2014, 4:22 pm
#9650
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 290
Good deal if you normally fly them. Keep in mind flight credit isn't the same as cash back. Airline GCs typically sell at a 10% discount. Flight credit would be less liquid than GCs, so I'd say worth closer to 4%. Personally I'd have to go out of my way to fly Virgin America so 2x SwagBucks is more appealing. YMMV.
SQ redemptions are great. SIN-SYD is 20k VX points RT + $141 fees. This flight can easily be $1000+. RT between JFK-FRA is only 20k + $147.
Last edited by sedubby; Dec 18, 2014 at 4:27 pm
Dec 18, 2014, 4:32 pm
#9651
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Good deal if you normally fly them. Keep in mind flight credit isn't the same as cash back. Airline GCs typically sell at a 10% discount. Flight credit would be less liquid than GCs, so I'd say worth closer to 4%. Personally I'd have to go out of my way to fly Virgin America so 2x SwagBucks is more appealing. YMMV.
So it's not a matter of whether you fly VX; it's a matter of whether you fly with their partners (or, at least, fly routes that their partners fly) and plan far enough in advance that reward travel makes sense to you.
Dec 18, 2014, 5:23 pm
#9653
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Hilton, Hyatt, Priority, SPG - AA, Hawaiian Airline, United, US Airline
Posts: 608
It doesn't say PASS. However, I see "Prepaid" on Amex gift card.
American Express® Gift Cards & Business Gift Cards: Cash Back is not available on PrePaid Card, PASS card. Cash Back is not available when any promotional coupon code is used. Cash Back is only available if a member doesn't exceed $10,000 purchase every 14 days on Consumer Gift Cards. For Business gift cards, Cash Back will be available if a member doesn't exceed $100,000 purchase every 14 days.
Last edited by happy9zz; Dec 18, 2014 at 5:32 pm
Dec 19, 2014, 12:10 am
#9654
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 503
Looks like it's definitely going on hiatus tomorrow. TCB is listing their standard, for the last couple months at least, rate of 1.5% as ending tomorrow.
Dec 19, 2014, 9:05 am
#9655
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Coconut Creek, FL
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum-2 MM Starwood Plat,Delta DM
Posts: 975
I am glad I saw this thread today that today was the last day. Just got my order in. I was surprised there were no big promotions this holiday season on these. The airline portals all dropped them. They may hold until jan 1 or something.
Dec 19, 2014, 11:02 am
#9656
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 133
Is anyone else having trouble getting on the topcashback site? I've been having intermittent problems for the last 3 days.
Dec 19, 2014, 11:47 am
#9657
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
They didn't all drop them. It's still on the VX portal for 2 pts / $
Dec 19, 2014, 1:12 pm
#9658
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: ACY
Programs: All of the good ones
Posts: 21
TCB was giving me problems today(holiday rush?). Anyone have similar issues?
Last edited by Mrmeatus; Dec 19, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Dec 19, 2014, 1:40 pm
#9659
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 116
Sounds a good issue to have.
Last edited by Deallover; Dec 27, 2014 at 9:50 pm