Whole Foods Gift Card Churning Opportunities
Whole Foods is currently offering a $10 bonus for gift card auto reloads of $100 from January 7, 2013 to March 31, 2013 for your first auto reload to a Whole Foods Gift Card for $100. More in here on their official site.
Whole Foods GC's sell for 91% on Cardpool and Plastic Jungle. Pair that with TopCashBack and you will end up making money. Takes some effort but can be a potential perpetual gift card churn. I analyzed two credit card payouts, bonus only works for AMEX cards. American Express Gold Premier Card (50K bonus right now) Total Payout without TCB = $130 * 91% = $118.30. Total cost = $120 – 118.30 = -$1.70 for 240 MR points. Total Payout with TCB @ 2.5% = $130 *91% + ($118.30 * 2.5% = $2.95) = $121.25 = $1.25 profit and 240 MR points. Total Payout with TCB @ 4% (limited to $1k) = $130 *91% + ($118.30 * 4% = $4.73) = $123.03= $4.73 profit and 240 MR points. American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card ($250 Bonus) Total Payout without TCB = $130 * 91% = $118.30. Total cost = $120 – 118.30 = -$1.70 + (6% * $120) = $5.50 Total Payout with TCB @ 2.5% = $130 *91% + ($118.30 * 2.5% = $2.95) = $121.25 = $1.25 + $7.20 = $8.45 Total Payout with TCB @ 4% (limited to $1k) = $130 *91% + ($118.30 * 4% = $4.73) = $123.03= $4.73 profit + $7.20 = $11.93. Feel free to ask questions or post ideas. Other CC options include AMEX Hilton or AMEX SPG, but I feel the AMEX Gold and Blue Cash are the best options. |
It is a nice method to meet some minimum spending requirement
Thanks for posting it |
I'm spending a lot of money at whole foods these days and I've never bought the gift cards on plastic jungle.. time to do this
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Awesome. Another churning op.
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Am I overlooking something?
Since the $10 is only paid once per AMEX, a "perpetual churn" seems harder to me than implied. You'd have to buy a new gift card and auto-reload three times to get the $5 bonus. You also must spend a little at Whole Foods between every reload. Then sell the card to yourself online. If you get 4% plus 2.5%, you end up buying points at a good rate. If you only get 2.5% plus 2.5%, it doesn't seem as good but the loss isn't bad to meet a threshold. I don't know MR very well and mostly based this on starpoints. Why is MR better? |
Originally Posted by rrgg
(Post 20332742)
Am I overlooking something?
Since the $10 is only paid once per AMEX, a "perpetual churn" seems harder to me than implied. You'd have to buy a new gift card and auto-reload three times to get the $5 bonus. You also must spend a little at Whole Foods between every reload. Then sell the card to yourself online. If you get 4% plus 2.5%, you end up buying points at a good rate. If you only get 2.5% plus 2.5%, it doesn't seem as good but the loss isn't bad to meet a threshold. I don't know MR very well and mostly based this on starpoints. Why is MR better? |
Has anyone verified that online purchases of these giftcards or the auto-reloads are coded as supermarket transactions?
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Originally Posted by romsdeals3
(Post 20332827)
MR is better because 2X on grocery stores which I value at 3 cents. 1 SPG is valued at 2 cents. You might be able to make multiple accounts. I haven't tested it yet. Experiment away guys!
(I've actually been auto-reloading since around last fall to get the $5. The offer has been around, it's just that Whole Foods or AMEX is now promoting it.) |
Originally Posted by rrgg
(Post 20332988)
On my SPG card, the charges appear as Vesta with a category of "communications."
(I've actually been auto-reloading since around last fall to get the $5. The offer has been around, it's just that Whole Foods or AMEX is now promoting it.) |
I don't think you need to buy a giftcard online at a discount. To me it sounds like you get the $10 off your first reload of $100 and once per AMEX card. I have three Amex cards and plan to buy three $5 gift cards at my local WFM. I'll then set up one Amex on each card to autoreload for $100. Thus when I deplete the $5 it will reload $100 and I'll either receive $110 on the card or only be charged $90 and get $100 on the card. No need to do TCB or plastic jungle etc to get the $10.
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Originally Posted by terpfan101
(Post 20334011)
I don't think you need to buy a giftcard online at a discount. To me it sounds like you get the $10 off your first reload of $100 and once per AMEX card. I have three Amex cards and plan to buy three $5 gift cards at my local WFM. I'll then set up one Amex on each card to autoreload for $100. Thus when I deplete the $5 it will reload $100 and I'll either receive $110 on the card or only be charged $90 and get $100 on the card. No need to do TCB or plastic jungle etc to get the $10.
However what you described is a one-time thing. romsdeals3 is trying to continuously load cards and buying and reselling them in order to increase spending. By using TCB you can reduce the expense of doing so. |
Check T&Cs - one bonus per Amex card
From WF site:
Bonuses only apply to the first Whole Foods Market gift card set up for reload with each American Express Card, even if you reload multiple Whole Foods Market gift cards. |
Originally Posted by neophyte
(Post 20334815)
From WF site:
So, limited by a number of Amex accounts you have, though might also work for AUs |
Anyone else have issues setting up a reload account on Whole Foods website? I tried two of my Amex cards and both had authorizations hit my Amex but it gave me an error to check my card info.
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That happened to me when they first switched to Vesta a few months ago. I was told to wait a week and then it worked. Also note that the reload happens the next day or overnight.
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