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.
#8026
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 319
I don't think AFT is going to work for buying AGC because Amex recognizes it as a prepaid product. And you cannot buy AGC with a prepaid card. Same for serve and bluebird.
#8027
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Midwest U.S.A
Programs: Too many to list. Since the early 90's.
Posts: 1,407
I added a Hilton Personal AMEX to my wife's account, which was an AMEX Business PRG. She has had several different AMEX cards over the last few years, most associated with the same login ID. The first card she had when she established the login id was a personal SPG, so that might be a difference. As she gets new Amex cards, I simply add it to that login id and remove them when and if she cancels. It's been a mix of personal and business cards, so I don't believe it matters. That's been my experience anyway.
#8028
Join Date: May 2014
Location: GSP
Posts: 129
Hey ..anyone try this lately..picked this up on the FM board....Use AGC to pay FIT...at a profit is dead?
Marty says:
July 17, 2014 at 11:43 am
I just got off the phone with ValueTaxPayment – and was told that no gift cards can be used to pay taxes. The balance of $3000 is confirmed but I cannot spend via ValueTaxPayment. Any recommendations? PS. My plan is / was to pay 1040-ES payments 2 times per quarter @ $3000 each payment.
Reply
FrequentMiler says:
July 23, 2014 at 7:53 am
Did you try PayUSATax.com?
Reply
Marty says:
July 17, 2014 at 11:45 am
I’m sorry my attempted payment was declined by ValueTaxPayment and I was told by an AmEx customer service person that AmEx gift cards cannot be used to pay taxes.
Reply
FrequentMiler says:
July 23, 2014 at 7:50 am
Yikes, sorry to hear that. Thanks for letting us know about that restriction.
Reply
- See more at: http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co....UKIWPhZw.dpuf
Marty says:
July 17, 2014 at 11:43 am
I just got off the phone with ValueTaxPayment – and was told that no gift cards can be used to pay taxes. The balance of $3000 is confirmed but I cannot spend via ValueTaxPayment. Any recommendations? PS. My plan is / was to pay 1040-ES payments 2 times per quarter @ $3000 each payment.
Reply
FrequentMiler says:
July 23, 2014 at 7:53 am
Did you try PayUSATax.com?
Reply
Marty says:
July 17, 2014 at 11:45 am
I’m sorry my attempted payment was declined by ValueTaxPayment and I was told by an AmEx customer service person that AmEx gift cards cannot be used to pay taxes.
Reply
FrequentMiler says:
July 23, 2014 at 7:50 am
Yikes, sorry to hear that. Thanks for letting us know about that restriction.
Reply
- See more at: http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.co....UKIWPhZw.dpuf
#8029
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA,UA,BA,SPG,IHG Plat, HH Gold, CC Gold, UR, MR
Posts: 195
I am certain, however, that out of my own login, which has both spg business and prg personal attached to it, I have ordered both bus. and pers. AGC's. And yes, the 99$ shipping plan has stayed there throughout. Hope that answers your question
Last edited by jhuck; Aug 15, 2014 at 1:26 pm Reason: typo
#8030
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA,UA,BA,SPG,IHG Plat, HH Gold, CC Gold, UR, MR
Posts: 195
I've switched back and forth between ordering business and personal so much that I can't swear that I've ordered any AGC business from this (wife's) account since I cancelled the Business PRG. I've recently stuck with personal now that there are two of us in the game.
I am certain, however, that out of my own login, which has both spg business and prg personal attached to it, I have ordered both bus. and pers. AGC's. And yes, the 99$ shipping plan has stayed there throughout. Hope that answers your question
I am certain, however, that out of my own login, which has both spg business and prg personal attached to it, I have ordered both bus. and pers. AGC's. And yes, the 99$ shipping plan has stayed there throughout. Hope that answers your question
#8032
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 253
Lucky Rewards is showing a redemption on my account on August 14 for my CB from purchases made during Q2. Hopefully, it will just be a few days before the check is received.
#8034
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM, SPG Plat
Posts: 885
Regarding the 14 day wait period... if I maxed out my personal GC purchase, do I need to wait 14 days before I can make a business GC purchase?
#8036
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA,UA,BA,SPG,IHG Plat, HH Gold, CC Gold, UR, MR
Posts: 195
TopCashBack: 2.25% on Amex Gift Cards, but changes in fees, BigCrumbs 2%.
anyone know if the 3.95 card fees are counting toward 5k/14 day limit?
#8038
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA,UA,BA,SPG,IHG Plat, HH Gold, CC Gold, UR, MR
Posts: 195
TopCashBack: 2.25% on Amex Gift Cards, but changes in fees, BigCrumbs 2%.
good. thanks. was hoping to get a 2k placed within a week of a 3k.
#8039
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CHICAGO, IL
Programs: Arrival Points, M-Life, Hyatt, ULTIMATE REWARDS, AA, UAL, SOUTHWEST
Posts: 121
BeFrugal CB is now 2.5%
Am I the only one with 2.5% CB on BeFrugal?
The wiki says 2.75%
The wiki says 2.75%