I called in today before getting $2,500 worth to make sure it would go through (the card is new, so I wanted to be safe). I go "I am about to make a purchase for $2,500...", when I get cut off by the AMEX rep with "Ohhhhhh, that is a large purchase!" lol



Argh! :D

I did $1,000 in GCs at once several times with my BCF. On the 10th or so transaction, it was declined. I called and all was well. They told me that their AMEX app will actually send you a push notification, thereby avoiding the call. I will try that next time.

The manager at this store said she needed to call to verify that the card was really mine before she would even allow the sale. This was not the authorization code or trying again as the result of a fraud alert. She wanted to verify the address matched my driver's license. I just wish she didn't announce to the CSR multiple times what I was buying, especially since this issuer is known to suspend accounts pending the completion of a FR. :D This was also the second purchase on this account, and fortunately everything went through smoothly. ^

I normally do $1-2k, but I wanted to try $5k just for fun one time. It was a slow day at the store, and the cashier seemed a lot more comfortable after verifying that, yes, the card was mine and matched the address on my license. I was disappointed, however, not to see the "you have reached the maximum" message on my receipt today. :(

The reason I am posting all these top 40 hit songs with lyrics changed to MS words is because Ive gone a bit loopy lately. This is because for right now MS has become my full time (temp) job. Like in Terminator, "it's what he does... It's ALL HE DOES!"

And so yes, I have, as of late, been in CVS nearly every day for two months or so buying five kay and I use many stores but they've come to expect it. Then I hit several more for $999.

My days are spent driving round getting in and out of the car, which has the radio on playing the tunes. I've got "MSer's knee" now too, which happens as a result of getting in and out of ones car in the same motion on the same side too often. When I die and am buried, archeologists will one day dig up the bones of me and know from looking at my left side that I was a MSer. :D

In a related note...If anyone here has ever worked in a restaurant waiting tables etc, then you may recall that around your first week, you were exposed to so much fast paced new information that youd even have dreams about things like rushing between tables or forgetting to bring some lady's drink or dropping a dish... Well, the point of that tidbit is that for me, I have woken up in a cold sweat from a dream about some issue with my TYP card when at CVS or dropping a stack of newly bought gcs in the sewer drain at the store parking lot when walking back to my car. Maybe I should see a MSologist or an OICGCs Again. (OBGYN)

But then I come out of it and breath easy again and turn on the radio to hear some cute tune like this one:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOzdLwvTHA

INGRID MICHAELSON - "The Way I Am"

If your points balances were falling, then MS would catch you.
You need a flight, I'd find an award to match.

Cause I love the way the CVS clerk says good morning.
And you MS with me the way I am.

If you are chilly when in the air conditioned CVS, here take my sweater.
Your head is aching after too many stores, I'll make it better.

Cause I love the way you call me MM
And you MS with me the way I am.

I'd buy you GCs again when you start planning to fly in the air.
Stores sell in batches in case you care

Cause I love MSing with you more than I could ever promise.
And you MS with me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.

I found max efficiency comes from doing 2 stores. First store is 2k + 999, and second store is 3k + 999. So I get the satisfaction of knowing I met the limit, plus an extra 2k :D

I only work 5 days a week, though, so my weekly totals aren't what they could be.

Are you doing multiple cards? Why not just purchase all 5k at once?

No, just one card.

I still feel a bit timid about 5k lol

I can understand that. Me too.

Am I understanding this correctly.......you did 30k VRs in six days on one cc? Also, would you mind telling me how you are keeping it under 3k and 4k?
Yesterday I did my very first transaction, 5k on two cards . Then went to different CVs and tried to do !K, but could not, the first cv ask my DL, therefore the 2nd one knew I already did my limit. Very nicely said come back tomorrow and you will be fine. Very nervous about all of this even though I have been preparing for six months!! Nervous grandma!

Both CVS in my area allow only 1K at a time... Ugh, still takes 5 trips there a month! And AmEx still sucks - Out of 5 transactions this month the charge was declined 3 damn times, had to call the auth. dept. and they would let the charge go through. And they are like, "well, we can't authorize it in advance, but the system will learn the pattern blah blah blah". So damn frustrating.

i would feel weird calling in about a declined charge and be like yea it was for 5k at cvs :p

Why are you not using the amex app on android or ios?

You can authorize at the register if you get a decline.

well, it's not the Amex Amex :)

Fidelity?

Wow, I didn't know so many people even knew about MS. Okay, so now I guess my question is does this work in every state? I have been to 6 CVS trying to by VR and none of them will let me purchase them with my CC. They either tell me up front that they have to be purchased with cash or when I swipe my CSP they inform me it has to be with cash. Also, I tried going to Wal-Mart (a bit out of the way) to load my BB directly. I was told the same thing. It had to be done with cash. I have read almost all of the MS thread and a few other. Do I have something completely wrong or am I just that unlucky?