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.
#9151
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: PDX/AUS
Programs: AA-UA-AS IHG-SPG-Carlson
Posts: 4,562
nice !
I bought $2100 from TCB some months ago,
they paid out fine (eventually)... IIRC it was even 3%.
maybe I will do more
I bought $2100 from TCB some months ago,
they paid out fine (eventually)... IIRC it was even 3%.
maybe I will do more
#9152
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 80
FYI, I just got an email from TCB saying there's a limited time offer on AGCs for 2.25%. Ends tonight. Check your inbox.
Just pulled the trigger and ordered some.
Just pulled the trigger and ordered some.
#9153
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: AA Plat, UA Gold, AS MVP Gold, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, US
Posts: 956
Hmm weird error. Whenever i try to add cards to my cart, the card total goes down to $0 and when I click check out, I get an error. "The order total cannot exceed $0".
Anyone?
Anyone?
#9154
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: SPG,AA Executive, Hilton Honors, Chase UR, BA
Posts: 4
I know I am asking some statrup question...Can someone tell me, how to liquidate amex gift cards?
#9157
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 342
Edit - cashbackmonitor.com has email alerts for cashback percentage threshold. Thanks to whomever added that!
Last edited by sybloc; Oct 23, 2014 at 9:09 am
#9158
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 69
Originally Posted by zozeppelin View Post
Anyone still having the " time out due to lack of activity or a connectivity issue" errors?
Always using AMEX cards.
For me 1k cards see to go through fine but 3k cards don't - regardless of total. Tried both Firefox and Chrome.
As we know the form requirements change when going above 1k.
Wondering if AMEX is blocking portal + higher dollar cards to get better margins.
Got that error last night. I did not call it in, because I still wanted the cashback since I was not sure I would get the cashback. Tried another purchase today and it did not go through. =(
Anyone still having the " time out due to lack of activity or a connectivity issue" errors?
Always using AMEX cards.
For me 1k cards see to go through fine but 3k cards don't - regardless of total. Tried both Firefox and Chrome.
As we know the form requirements change when going above 1k.
Wondering if AMEX is blocking portal + higher dollar cards to get better margins.
Got that error last night. I did not call it in, because I still wanted the cashback since I was not sure I would get the cashback. Tried another purchase today and it did not go through. =(
Last edited by MountainManDuy; Oct 22, 2014 at 9:46 pm Reason: Forgot the quote
#9159
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 343
(I posted my experiences on 09/30 in this thread.)
#9160
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 245
Originally Posted by zozeppelin View Post
Anyone still having the " time out due to lack of activity or a connectivity issue" errors?
Always using AMEX cards.
For me 1k cards see to go through fine but 3k cards don't - regardless of total. Tried both Firefox and Chrome.
As we know the form requirements change when going above 1k.
Wondering if AMEX is blocking portal + higher dollar cards to get better margins.
Got that error last night. I did not call it in, because I still wanted the cashback since I was not sure I would get the cashback. Tried another purchase today and it did not go through. =(
Anyone still having the " time out due to lack of activity or a connectivity issue" errors?
Always using AMEX cards.
For me 1k cards see to go through fine but 3k cards don't - regardless of total. Tried both Firefox and Chrome.
As we know the form requirements change when going above 1k.
Wondering if AMEX is blocking portal + higher dollar cards to get better margins.
Got that error last night. I did not call it in, because I still wanted the cashback since I was not sure I would get the cashback. Tried another purchase today and it did not go through. =(
#9161
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 9
I put in 10 orders yesterday and all of them tracked @ TCB 2.25%. However I have not received approval emails for 9 of them.
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
#9162
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Coconut Creek, FL
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum-2 MM Starwood Plat,Delta DM
Posts: 975
I put in 10 orders yesterday and all of them tracked @ TCB 2.25%. However I have not received approval emails for 9 of them.
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
#9163
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 119
I put in 10 orders yesterday and all of them tracked @ TCB 2.25%. However I have not received approval emails for 9 of them.
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
#9165
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 342
I put in 10 orders yesterday and all of them tracked @ TCB 2.25%. However I have not received approval emails for 9 of them.
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
Historically, my orders are approved within 12hrs at the latest .. and I have successfully ordered over $1MM worth of AGCs over the past couple of years.
has anyone else seen a delay?
At one point I remember seeing AGC activity on TCB up near 1700%
Or were you just wanting to brag?