I have a rather hefty holiday rental to pay (nearly $20.000) but the agency doesn't take credit cards. I've asked my regular bank if I can by a draft from them in that amount, and use the AA card (issued by Scotia Bank) for payment. My bank manager said yes. (I would pay off the AA card/Scotia charge probably the same day).

This sound so good that I'm having a hard time believing it. Has anyone else done this? From the point of view of AA is it legal, or rather, within their policies? I haven't yet read the fine print in the package ~ too excited to concentrate at the moment.

Thanks for any input.

Do you have a $20K credit card limit to start with? Not sure if you can use a credit card in this way, though if the bank allows it then probably is okay. Less likely that this will count towards your purchases for miles. Who knows though..things can slip through, my wife purchased and returned something on the same billing cycle, still got miles credited for the purchase.

Did you ask the bank manager how this transaction would be coded? Cash advance or regular purchase?

Theoretically, the bank can take credit card. Since a bank is not a merchant, the charges they process/accept may be coded with extra fee on your credit card.

I got my 1st Entertainment Book from my local credit union. I asked if I could use cc to pay ($25), they said yes. I didn't give any 2nd thought until I received my credit card statement. IIRC, I was dinged with cash advance on the $25. I was told since the bank is a financial institute and couldn't sell things like a merchant, the transaction was treated as cash advance.

If you are going to pay it off on the very same day, the charge probably won't trigger any interest. However, read through thoroughly the terms of your cc card and pay attention to the transaction fee (if any). To the best of my knowledge, the transaction fees (1-time charge) for cash advance are usually 2%-3%, some with no cap. (Meaning non-capped 3% of $20K = $600.)

If it is a cash advance, it is most likely you won't get any miles from it, in addition to the fee and interest you'll pay. Usually miles are given for purchases only.

you can be sure that somebody is going to pay the merchant fees for that $20,000 charge... and I don't see the bank putting up the $600 or so unless you're an especially good customer. You know the rental agent isn't paying it, so I think most likely the answer is that you will pay it, and, as somebody else says, you may not even get your miles.

Thank you One and All.

I can see that this may not at all work to my, hmm, "advantage", lol! We've been renting an apartment in Cannes for years and it's always bugged me to not be able to pay by cc and get some points (Amex), and naive as I am, I thought hey! maybe now, with the new AA card, it would work for miles!

It's such a lot of money (to me), much thanks to the weak $, and had our stays been at the Carlton or Martinez, we would get some benefit. Oh well, I guess nothing has changed. Botheration!

Thanks for being patient!