Originally Posted by
showmethemonae
Is this an easy way to get started on MS from home? Please let me know if my thinking is in the right direction:
Seems like I can buy a Simon Visa GC online. Pay $504.44. Take said card to Walmart for a $0.70 money order. Deposit MO in bank account. Pay CC. Given 1% back CC (CSR), this is essentially paying $0.14 for 504.44 miles right??
I think you need to relook at your math....You only get the 1% cash back from CSR (or whatever card) if you actually cash in those points instead of using them for travel or transferring to a partner.
In your scenario you are paying $5.14 for a total of 504.44 in URs. This means you have a total cost of $.0102 per UR. This is a horrible MS scheme in the long run. This is fine if you are only trying to meet the min on a new card spend, or there is some promotion above and beyond.
"Purchasing" URs through other means can easily get your cost down to $.005 or lower per point.