Mar 28, 2014, 10:58 am
Last edit by: MasterCharge
Welcome to Manufactured Spending. If you are new here, please spend some time reading before posting. Most likely your questions have already been answered multiple times. Consider deals that you share. These threads are searchable by Google. A volatile deal may be worth holding close to the vest.
Hints
1) On FT, topics are heavily consolidated. Sometimes the title of the thread and first few posts may not properly reflect the broad range of discussion inside the thread. Be sure to visit any thread relating to the product or service you want to learn more about because you might be surprised by how in depth the discussion really is. Example: This thread... I know, the first few posts are confusing.
2) Use Google to search FT. It works a lot better than the built-in search.
Important Rules
1) MSing is very YMMV. It varies by store, manager, and right down to the cashier working at the moment. That being said, always be nice and courteous in the face of rejection. The biggest secret for success is to lay low so you can try again.
2) DO NOT spend more than you can afford. START WITH SMALL AMOUNTS TO TEST THE WATER! As an example.. don't start with a $5000 purchase of VGCs if you can't afford to float that much! Instead, buy one and try it, and scale up once you are comfortable with a new method. It's easy to lose track, or get robbed, when you are handling so much money. Getting a refund is NOT always possible.
3) DO NOT ask employees, cashiers, customer service representatives, etc... about how to MS, or about things you read on this forum. The information you read here are very specific, unknown, legal uses of products or services. Most employees, cashiers, and even managers do not know about them. At best you'll get bad information. At worst you'll create a lot of unnecessary misunderstanding.
4) It bears repeating that there are no guarantees. you could easily buy $10,000 in gift cards or some other instrument, only to discover that your method for liquidating them vanishes the very next day. MS is not "normal" financial activity ("normal" being defined by the banks), and thus is often perceived as "suspicious" even if it is "legal."
5) never underestimate the risk of criminal activity. gift cards can easily be stolen, loaded onto a compromised account, loaded in a debit card skimmer, or even fraudulent (e.g., an already used card put back on the rack).
If you have a question that does not seem to fit anywhere, or you have not found an appropriate place for it, post it here.
a helpful note from seat17D about some of the inherent risks of MS:
Take what you read with a grain of salt. No law enforcement agency cares if you are loading 5k to a bluebird per month unless you are loading your money from illegal activities like crack sales. Even at that point they only care about your crack sales, not your bluebird load.
Nobody is going to ask you "why are you loading your bluebird" or "where did you get the money you want to load on your bluebird" when you go to walmart.
Hints
1) On FT, topics are heavily consolidated. Sometimes the title of the thread and first few posts may not properly reflect the broad range of discussion inside the thread. Be sure to visit any thread relating to the product or service you want to learn more about because you might be surprised by how in depth the discussion really is. Example: This thread... I know, the first few posts are confusing.
2) Use Google to search FT. It works a lot better than the built-in search.
Important Rules
1) MSing is very YMMV. It varies by store, manager, and right down to the cashier working at the moment. That being said, always be nice and courteous in the face of rejection. The biggest secret for success is to lay low so you can try again.
2) DO NOT spend more than you can afford. START WITH SMALL AMOUNTS TO TEST THE WATER! As an example.. don't start with a $5000 purchase of VGCs if you can't afford to float that much! Instead, buy one and try it, and scale up once you are comfortable with a new method. It's easy to lose track, or get robbed, when you are handling so much money. Getting a refund is NOT always possible.
3) DO NOT ask employees, cashiers, customer service representatives, etc... about how to MS, or about things you read on this forum. The information you read here are very specific, unknown, legal uses of products or services. Most employees, cashiers, and even managers do not know about them. At best you'll get bad information. At worst you'll create a lot of unnecessary misunderstanding.
4) It bears repeating that there are no guarantees. you could easily buy $10,000 in gift cards or some other instrument, only to discover that your method for liquidating them vanishes the very next day. MS is not "normal" financial activity ("normal" being defined by the banks), and thus is often perceived as "suspicious" even if it is "legal."
5) never underestimate the risk of criminal activity. gift cards can easily be stolen, loaded onto a compromised account, loaded in a debit card skimmer, or even fraudulent (e.g., an already used card put back on the rack).
If you have a question that does not seem to fit anywhere, or you have not found an appropriate place for it, post it here.
a helpful note from seat17D about some of the inherent risks of MS:
I will speak to only the impacts and actions that have been taken (or threatened) to me personally over the years
1. Account closure - always got my money back. Moderate frequency. Little to no long-term impact UNLESS my wife was the first one to find out when her card was declined in public setting
2. Blacklisted by an FI - lower frequency. Short- to medium term impact. Eventually the FI's greed heals all wounds.
3. Blacklisted by a governmental agency -- lower frequency. Variable long-term impact as governmental agencies never actually forget, they just don't take action (see below)
4. Banned from a retail establishment -- threatened, but never actually banned. Mostly just pointed discussion from a misguided manager. Low-medium frequency.
5. Banned from an online establishment -- lower frequency, generally lower impact. Generally permanent, at least for me so far.
6. Cashback forfeited or clawed back -- generally happened to me as part of a credit card shut down. so far only forfeits and not clawbacks, but they are possible
And then there are the things law enforcement can and has done
1. Executed a warrant to subpoena my banking and other financial records without my knowledge
2. Contacted my FIs to inquire as the nature of my financial relationship
3. Frozen the portion of my assets that were currently involved in the activity they were investigating
4. Visited my home -- when I was not there -- to "interview" my spouse, etc. regarding their knowledge and involvement ... and to attempt to obtain additional documentation not already obtained by the subpoenas
5. Threatened to seize my assets. Not just the ones frozen. Not just those I currently possessed. But all assets they deemed as ever having been part of the criminal activity. (Think every GC, MO, etc. you have purchased over the past 3-5 years)
6. Threatened one or more felony charges. (Consider having to explain THAT to your wife or boss.)
And that all was for something that was completely legal, once the 'splaining was done.
Of course once LEO opens a criminal investigation, it never actually closes unless they take you to court and fail. So even though I was cleared of the charges, the original case file is out there ready to be dusted off.
In the end, my biggest concern is the extent to which something will permanently impact my marriage or ability to enter into financial contracts (felony charges would be one example). Fortunately once the initial shock of LEO's investigation wore away, both my marriage and financial relationships were intact. Very thankful both she and a few key FI's stood by me.
When you MS, you are running with scissors.
1. Account closure - always got my money back. Moderate frequency. Little to no long-term impact UNLESS my wife was the first one to find out when her card was declined in public setting
2. Blacklisted by an FI - lower frequency. Short- to medium term impact. Eventually the FI's greed heals all wounds.
3. Blacklisted by a governmental agency -- lower frequency. Variable long-term impact as governmental agencies never actually forget, they just don't take action (see below)
4. Banned from a retail establishment -- threatened, but never actually banned. Mostly just pointed discussion from a misguided manager. Low-medium frequency.
5. Banned from an online establishment -- lower frequency, generally lower impact. Generally permanent, at least for me so far.
6. Cashback forfeited or clawed back -- generally happened to me as part of a credit card shut down. so far only forfeits and not clawbacks, but they are possible
And then there are the things law enforcement can and has done
1. Executed a warrant to subpoena my banking and other financial records without my knowledge
2. Contacted my FIs to inquire as the nature of my financial relationship
3. Frozen the portion of my assets that were currently involved in the activity they were investigating
4. Visited my home -- when I was not there -- to "interview" my spouse, etc. regarding their knowledge and involvement ... and to attempt to obtain additional documentation not already obtained by the subpoenas
5. Threatened to seize my assets. Not just the ones frozen. Not just those I currently possessed. But all assets they deemed as ever having been part of the criminal activity. (Think every GC, MO, etc. you have purchased over the past 3-5 years)
6. Threatened one or more felony charges. (Consider having to explain THAT to your wife or boss.)
And that all was for something that was completely legal, once the 'splaining was done.
Of course once LEO opens a criminal investigation, it never actually closes unless they take you to court and fail. So even though I was cleared of the charges, the original case file is out there ready to be dusted off.
In the end, my biggest concern is the extent to which something will permanently impact my marriage or ability to enter into financial contracts (felony charges would be one example). Fortunately once the initial shock of LEO's investigation wore away, both my marriage and financial relationships were intact. Very thankful both she and a few key FI's stood by me.
When you MS, you are running with scissors.
Nobody is going to ask you "why are you loading your bluebird" or "where did you get the money you want to load on your bluebird" when you go to walmart.
New to Manufactured Spending? Start Here.
Sep 9, 2014, 9:13 pm
#991
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ABQ
Programs: WN, UA, AA
Posts: 46
How much you do you spend on Amazon per year? Go to office sups store and get amazon GCs for that amount. ,
Sep 9, 2014, 9:24 pm
#992
Suspended
Join Date: May 2014
Location: ILG/PHL
Programs: Amex Plat, AA Gold, SPG Gold, Hyatt Gold, HHonors Gold, Carlson Gold
Posts: 1,075
Sep 9, 2014, 11:14 pm
#993
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 19
I would like to get the 5 point bonus, but I went to my local Staples and the largest denomination Gift Card was for $200.00 and it cost $5.95. For $2k manufactured spend it would cost nearly $50.00. I might be wrong, but that seems a bit expensive.
Also, from reading the forums, my impression is that Walmart doesn't willingly accept Gift cards as payment for Money Orders. Isn't there pages of posts of experience of hiding gift cards, swapping with real debit card at the point of sale. Am I wrong about this?
Unless I'm wrong, these things considered, it doesn't seem so "Easy!" as you say.
I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
Sep 9, 2014, 11:25 pm
#994
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 19
Is there someway I can easily cash out the Amex gift cards?
Is there an advantage of buying the Amex gift cards that is better than buying Visa Vanilla Gift cards at my local CVS?
Sep 10, 2014, 12:03 am
#995
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ONT
Programs: AGR, UA, AA
Posts: 476
Thanks for your reply but...
I would like to get the 5 point bonus, but I went to my local Staples and the largest denomination Gift Card was for $200.00 and it cost $5.95. For $2k manufactured spend it would cost nearly $50.00. I might be wrong, but that seems a bit expensive.
Also, from reading the forums, my impression is that Walmart doesn't willingly accept Gift cards as payment for Money Orders. Isn't there pages of posts of experience of hiding gift cards, swapping with real debit card at the point of sale. Am I wrong about this?
Unless I'm wrong, these things considered, it doesn't seem so "Easy!" as you say.
I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
I would like to get the 5 point bonus, but I went to my local Staples and the largest denomination Gift Card was for $200.00 and it cost $5.95. For $2k manufactured spend it would cost nearly $50.00. I might be wrong, but that seems a bit expensive.
Also, from reading the forums, my impression is that Walmart doesn't willingly accept Gift cards as payment for Money Orders. Isn't there pages of posts of experience of hiding gift cards, swapping with real debit card at the point of sale. Am I wrong about this?
Unless I'm wrong, these things considered, it doesn't seem so "Easy!" as you say.
I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
For Amex again read the thread - most people are using cashback portals, of which there are way too many but some are more popular than others. You would then use that Amex gift card at CVS to buy vanillas, thus increasing your percentage back with some additional effort.
Sep 10, 2014, 12:15 am
#996
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
Thanks for your reply but...
I would like to get the 5 point bonus, but I went to my local Staples and the largest denomination Gift Card was for $200.00 and it cost $5.95. For $2k manufactured spend it would cost nearly $50.00. I might be wrong, but that seems a bit expensive.
Also, from reading the forums, my impression is that Walmart doesn't willingly accept Gift cards as payment for Money Orders. Isn't there pages of posts of experience of hiding gift cards, swapping with real debit card at the point of sale. Am I wrong about this?
Unless I'm wrong, these things considered, it doesn't seem so "Easy!" as you say.
I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
I would like to get the 5 point bonus, but I went to my local Staples and the largest denomination Gift Card was for $200.00 and it cost $5.95. For $2k manufactured spend it would cost nearly $50.00. I might be wrong, but that seems a bit expensive.
Also, from reading the forums, my impression is that Walmart doesn't willingly accept Gift cards as payment for Money Orders. Isn't there pages of posts of experience of hiding gift cards, swapping with real debit card at the point of sale. Am I wrong about this?
Unless I'm wrong, these things considered, it doesn't seem so "Easy!" as you say.
I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
Sep 10, 2014, 12:45 am
#997
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 19
To load the VGC's to SERVE, the chances seem slim for the alternative methods as described in the following quote from the Serve wiki:
"Loads at Walmart have been confirmed with debit cards. Self checkout does not work for loading Serve. Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards."
"Debit loading at Family Dollar appears to be limited to $500 per day per store total (not per person or per account). Whoever gets there first gets the load for the day."
Again, I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
Sep 10, 2014, 12:58 am
#998
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 407
Serve loads just fine at walmart kates, and cashiers if they allow it. The chance that someone will give you a location is close to zero, unless its already well known in which case you can find it in this forums, but I give you props for trying.
Sep 10, 2014, 1:05 am
#999
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 19
I'm happy you are reading the forums, however there is a thread on kiosks at Walmart. Find a kiosk there and try loading (a few at a time please until you get the hang of it). Staples/Walmart (and there is also the online ordering method which is detailed in the wiki on that thread) is the easiest way to earn points, up to $50k/spending a year.
For Amex again read the thread - most people are using cashback portals, of which there are way too many but some are more popular than others. You would then use that Amex gift card at CVS to buy vanillas, thus increasing your percentage back with some additional effort.
For Amex again read the thread - most people are using cashback portals, of which there are way too many but some are more popular than others. You would then use that Amex gift card at CVS to buy vanillas, thus increasing your percentage back with some additional effort.
Sep 10, 2014, 2:49 am
#1000
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
To load the VGC's to SERVE, the chances seem slim for the alternative methods as described in the following quote from the Serve wiki:
"Loads at Walmart have been confirmed with debit cards. Self checkout does not work for loading Serve. Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards."
"Debit loading at Family Dollar appears to be limited to $500 per day per store total (not per person or per account). Whoever gets there first gets the load for the day."
Again, I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
Sep 10, 2014, 6:46 am
#1001
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 3,688
First, please don't beat me up for starting this thread. I appreciate this Forum and I have spent at least eight hours reading so far, but there is so much information to comb through and I have so little time to get this done. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I've been busy traveling most the Summer using the free Southwest miles I accumulated earlier this year with help from BlueBird and Vanilla Reloads.
UNFORTUNATELY, the Manufacture Spend game changes so quickly!
I hope you will be kind and help me out.
So....
- I have my first CHASE INK BOLD card and I need to meet $5K minimum spend within next 14 days to receive the 60K bonus points.
- I have new AMEX SERVE which I plan to add on-line limit of $1K ($200 x 5 days)
- I have Amazon Payments which I can spend on-line another $1K.
- I purchased a $500.00 Vanilla Visa Gift Card. I'm not sure yet how I will cash this out.
Could I get advice how to manufacture another $2.5K in spend?
I'm located in the Los Angeles area.
UNFORTUNATELY, the Manufacture Spend game changes so quickly!
I hope you will be kind and help me out.
So....
- I have my first CHASE INK BOLD card and I need to meet $5K minimum spend within next 14 days to receive the 60K bonus points.
- I have new AMEX SERVE which I plan to add on-line limit of $1K ($200 x 5 days)
- I have Amazon Payments which I can spend on-line another $1K.
- I purchased a $500.00 Vanilla Visa Gift Card. I'm not sure yet how I will cash this out.
Could I get advice how to manufacture another $2.5K in spend?
I'm located in the Los Angeles area.
some salient points mentioned in Chase's new terms and conditions:
Chase has made it very clear that you could lose your points or be shut down for:
Signing-up for cards just to earn the bonus, then cancelling
Using cards solely to buy gift cards or other methods of “manufactured spending”
Repeatedly signing-up for cards just to earn the bonus or points.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
best to know what you're getting into so you'll not be surprised if they forfeit your earned rewards if they suspect you're abusing the card.
If you're going to use it for legit biz spend, you have no need to worry about all the changes.
Sep 10, 2014, 7:58 am
#1002
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 572
delete
Last edited by Zgirl; Sep 10, 2014 at 8:38 am
Sep 10, 2014, 8:07 am
#1003
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 429
If you buy a $200 Visa GC at Staples you pay $206.95 and your reward is 5% which is $10.34 from Chase. Another $2.07 from Visa Edge. So your expense is 194.54 for one $200 GC.
You need to buy 25 GCs each $200
$5000 in GCs cost you $5,173.75
you get cash back from Chase 258.68
you get 1% from Visa Edge $51.73
5,173.75 minus 258.68 minus 51.73 = $4,863.34
You'll get your miles PLUS you made some profit!
$200 GCs from Staples work at WM. Load BB, do $800 MOs (they allow only 4 swipes so 4 GCs are a $800 MO plus 70 cents fee)
Sounds difficult but it's easy! :
Edited: Your Staples GCs have a fee of only $5.95??
You need to buy 25 GCs each $200
$5000 in GCs cost you $5,173.75
you get cash back from Chase 258.68
you get 1% from Visa Edge $51.73
5,173.75 minus 258.68 minus 51.73 = $4,863.34
You'll get your miles PLUS you made some profit!
$200 GCs from Staples work at WM. Load BB, do $800 MOs (they allow only 4 swipes so 4 GCs are a $800 MO plus 70 cents fee)
Sounds difficult but it's easy! :
Edited: Your Staples GCs have a fee of only $5.95??
Sep 10, 2014, 12:39 pm
#1004
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463
According to the SERVE wiki, VGC's cannot be loaded to SERVE on-line.
To load the VGC's to SERVE, the chances seem slim for the alternative methods as described in the following quote from the Serve wiki:
"Loads at Walmart have been confirmed with debit cards. Self checkout does not work for loading Serve. Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards."
"Debit loading at Family Dollar appears to be limited to $500 per day per store total (not per person or per account). Whoever gets there first gets the load for the day."
Again, I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
To load the VGC's to SERVE, the chances seem slim for the alternative methods as described in the following quote from the Serve wiki:
"Loads at Walmart have been confirmed with debit cards. Self checkout does not work for loading Serve. Many Walmart stores are enforcing a rule against the use of gift cards when loading, even though the register and the MCE do not enforce. Do not make your prepaid debit cards visible. Show them a bank debit card if asked. Otherwise, you may be asked by management to never visit the MC again to load with gift cards."
"Debit loading at Family Dollar appears to be limited to $500 per day per store total (not per person or per account). Whoever gets there first gets the load for the day."
Again, I posted here looking for possibly easier solutions.
Maybe someone knows of any places in Los Angeles area such as grocery store that would accepts Gift Cards for Money Orders or cash back?
"I guess you need to spend more then 8 hours reading... It is widely known that staples, office max only have $200 VGC, so for each $200 VGC you purchase you get 1K points. The VGC can be loaded onto your Serve card or chased out into money orders.. "
Sep 10, 2014, 12:41 pm
#1005
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHX & AGP
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 11,463