No more AMEX points on gift card purchases according to doctorofcredit.com
Jul 23, 2019, 11:27 am
#1
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No more AMEX points on gift card purchases according to doctorofcredit.com
Gift cards are now in excluded from points earning. A bummer because a couple of times a year, my local supermarket sells gift cards for their market (Gelson's) at a discount, and I usually buy $1k worth.
When I checked how my last purchase of gift cards show on the statement, looked the same as regular purchases, But that was in April, maybe they have updated the coding.
When I checked how my last purchase of gift cards show on the statement, looked the same as regular purchases, But that was in April, maybe they have updated the coding.
Jul 23, 2019, 11:47 am
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Jul 23, 2019, 12:15 pm
#3
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Now as in today and not as of a year ago.
here are the T&Cs, which according to doctor of credit, has new language.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...card/36195-9-0
here are the T&Cs, which according to doctor of credit, has new language.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...card/36195-9-0
Jul 23, 2019, 12:16 pm
#4
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Now as in today and not as of a year ago.
here are the T&Cs, which according to doctor of credit, has new language. I have not verified his assertion.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...card/36195-9-0
here are the T&Cs, which according to doctor of credit, has new language. I have not verified his assertion.
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...card/36195-9-0
Jul 23, 2019, 1:06 pm
#5
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This language was already in the terms of the personal Gold card by October 2018. It may have been there earlier, but not quoted verbatim here. I buy gift cards at Whole Foods every week, and the full amount of the transaction earns 4 points.
Jul 23, 2019, 4:25 pm
#6
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No more AMEX points on gift card purchases according to doctorofcredit.com
According to the doctorofcredit.com, it looks like AMEX is banning bonus points if gift card are involved in the purchase transaction.
From their site:
On various Amex cards, the gift card exclusion shows even for earning ordinary points. It’s not showing on all cards explicitly for ordinary points, but does on some; here are a couple of examples: Blue Business Plus card (link), Gold card (link) Blue Cash Everyday (link). All cards show the gift card exclusion for the bonuses, and many cards show it for ordinary purchases as well.
From their site:
On various Amex cards, the gift card exclusion shows even for earning ordinary points. It’s not showing on all cards explicitly for ordinary points, but does on some; here are a couple of examples: Blue Business Plus card (link), Gold card (link) Blue Cash Everyday (link). All cards show the gift card exclusion for the bonuses, and many cards show it for ordinary purchases as well.
Last edited by mia; Jul 24, 2019 at 6:45 am Reason: Remove broken link
Jul 23, 2019, 6:33 pm
#7
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To be clear, the quoted article only mentions that the T&Cs for certain AMEX products exclude bonus points for gift cards. There are no data points provided as far as gift card purchases actually being excluded from bonus points and this is explicitly noted in the article.
Also, direct link to article: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ameri...arning-points/
Also, direct link to article: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ameri...arning-points/
Jul 24, 2019, 6:44 am
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I have merged in a few posts from another thread discussing this blog article. Scroll back to review. Spoiler: the language in the terms is not new, and (to now) not enforced.
Jul 24, 2019, 2:31 pm
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Especially if you buy something else with a gift certificate at a merchant, I don't see how they can code out the gift certificates to exclude them?
Jul 25, 2019, 1:43 pm
#12
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I got a mailer for a delta amex card a couple weeks ago, hadn't decided to apply but have a little time left to do so. 70k after $4k spend in 3 months. I used to buy GCs at the grocery(Kroger family) store to liquidate at WM on MOs with no problem in the past, that was over a year ago. I'm not sure I want to apply for this delta card now.
Anyone seeing how the cards are being coded when purchased at the grocery stores?
Anyone seeing how the cards are being coded when purchased at the grocery stores?
Jul 27, 2019, 10:32 pm
#13
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I got a mailer for a delta amex card a couple weeks ago, hadn't decided to apply but have a little time left to do so. 70k after $4k spend in 3 months. I used to buy GCs at the grocery(Kroger family) store to liquidate at WM on MOs with no problem in the past, that was over a year ago. I'm not sure I want to apply for this delta card now.
Anyone seeing how the cards are being coded when purchased at the grocery stores?
Anyone seeing how the cards are being coded when purchased at the grocery stores?
A better question is which grocery retailers send AMEX the itemized list so it can do something with it? I suspect that number is fairly small.
Jul 28, 2019, 10:31 am
#14
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Most POS systems at grocery stores do not send the credit card terminal (AMEX) the itemized receipt. It shows up a single transaction for the total basket. The entire transaction is coded based on the type of retailer. Does the retailer even want to share that type of information with AMEX? Probably not.
A better question is which grocery retailers send AMEX the itemized list so it can do something with it? I suspect that number is fairly small.
A better question is which grocery retailers send AMEX the itemized list so it can do something with it? I suspect that number is fairly small.
Jul 28, 2019, 12:17 pm
#15
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Most supermarkets run loyalty programs to collect data on what customers buy. Hard to imagine they would give this proprietary information to AmEx.