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.
Apr 24, 2014, 5:58 am
#4622
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
When does the 14 day period for Amex begin? The day I make my order or the day it was approved and processed?
Apr 24, 2014, 6:09 am
#4624
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Midwest U.S.A
Programs: Too many to list. Since the early 90's.
Posts: 1,407
I was told by others on FT that it begins when you placed the order, BUT it looks like it varies by person and by the whim of Amex. Wife ordered 18 days after previous order and got denied. Called the outsourced-to-Asia 'American' Express customer service and was told she ordered too quickly on the same cc because the order didn't actually get charged for a week therefore "she should try another cc". My card was charged the same day as hers and my new order was approved. Amex is nutty. But, I still have to love them for the AGC they sell and I can use a portal for lots of points. It's a love/hate relationship we have.
Apr 24, 2014, 6:13 am
#4625
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
I was told by others on FT that it begins when you placed the order, BUT it looks like it varies by person and by the whim of Amex. Wife ordered 18 days after previous order and got denied. Called the outsourced-to-Asia 'American' Express customer service and was told she ordered too quickly on the same cc because the order didn't actually get charged for a week therefore "she should try another cc". My card was charged the same day as hers and my new order was approved. Amex is nutty. But, I still have to love them for the AGC they sell and I can use a portal for lots of points. It's a love/hate relationship we have.
My 3K single card arrived and I already started cashing it out but still have not been billed for it and nothing is pending but Amex site does say it has been sent
It is by account or by CC? I hate to lose out on 3% cashback..
Apr 24, 2014, 6:19 am
#4627
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 194
I do that too but I keep getting declined because the information somehow doesn't match. No one at AMEX can explain it since it's auto filling the information and it, by default, has to match perfectly. They just keep declining for non-matching information. It's frustrating as hell. 7 in a row now.
Apr 24, 2014, 6:21 am
#4628
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
I do that too but I keep getting declined because the information somehow doesn't match. No one at AMEX can explain it since it's auto filling the information and it, by default, has to match perfectly. They just keep declining for non-matching information. It's frustrating as hell. 7 in a row now.
Looking at my my bad order - I mistyped my own street address so it was my own fault..
Apr 24, 2014, 6:27 am
#4629
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 194
What's weird is it does match perfectly. Every time I call they can verify it's a 100% match. But whoever is in the approval dept keeps declining it. All they can tell me to do is re-order, which then gets declined.
Apr 24, 2014, 6:28 am
#4630
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Midwest
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 401
I do that too but I keep getting declined because the information somehow doesn't match. No one at AMEX can explain it since it's auto filling the information and it, by default, has to match perfectly. They just keep declining for non-matching information. It's frustrating as hell. 7 in a row now.
If anyone has any experience getting out of the infinite declined loop, let me know.
Apr 24, 2014, 6:33 am
#4631
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: PVD/BOS
Posts: 879
TopCashBack: 2.25% on Amex Gift Cards, but changes in fees, BigCrumbs 2%.
For those of you who get constant denials what's your order pattern?
I tend to get denied and try again the same day. I'm wondering if taking a break in orders would help at all.
I had 4 approved on Monday and nothing since.
I tend to get denied and try again the same day. I'm wondering if taking a break in orders would help at all.
I had 4 approved on Monday and nothing since.
Apr 24, 2014, 6:33 am
#4632
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
Same here, except I'm up to 10. Just tried changing my Amex address around and submitting a new one. Order received already came...lame. I was doing so good for so long with this. I wonder if this is some sort of Amex GC shutdown.
If anyone has any experience getting out of the infinite declined loop, let me know.
If anyone has any experience getting out of the infinite declined loop, let me know.
I spent 30k last year on my Amex Plat and they gave me the annual back back as a bonus for renewal this year, I hope to do the same next year.
Apr 24, 2014, 6:34 am
#4633
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
Can't you put a ticket in and explain to Amex what is going on and let them investigate it?
Apr 24, 2014, 7:08 am
#4634
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 194
Already done. I've talked to the GC support, the Card support, pretty much everyone that I can talk to. They all apologize, tell me the info is actually right, and to reorder and "it will go through this time". Then it doesn't. Just placed another one and got the order received. Will get the decline around 10 AM probably.
Apr 24, 2014, 7:21 am
#4635
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 647
Already done. I've talked to the GC support, the Card support, pretty much everyone that I can talk to. They all apologize, tell me the info is actually right, and to reorder and "it will go through this time". Then it doesn't. Just placed another one and got the order received. Will get the decline around 10 AM probably.