Manufacturing spend on PRG with little time
 

My unlimited BCP is up next week and I am debating about which card to use to manufacture spend with. I am aware there is already a thread about which card to use, goals, etc. but my question comes with regard to the Amex PRG.

My wife signed up for the Amex PRG in Feb when the bonus was 50k. We met the spend and have used it sparingly once GC's could have PIN's April 1 since the BCP was a much better option. I am trying to figure out if I will have enough time to between Oct 1 (bluebird resets) and Feb 5 to meet the 30k spend (2x on groceries obv) to get the extra 15k MR's, while avoiding the annual fee. I'm pretty sure MR's are posted a month in the rear, so if I do 10k in Oct, Nov, Dec will the points post and still avoid the annual fee. I have also read that it is 30k spend per calendar year to get the extra 15k MR's, which would be cutting it pretty close. I don't want to spend 30k, then try to close in Feb and the MR's not post and have to forfeit them.

Thanks for your help.

If you spend 10K each on Oct, Nov and Dec, most likely you will be FR'ed.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...on-merged.html

I just completed 30K spending (almost 20K of it was from grocery store GC purchases) and the 15K bonus posted right away.

If you have a safeway grocery store in the area where you live, they have $10 grocery coupon for visa/mc gift card purchase.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...recurring.html

Manufacturing spend on PRG with little time
 

Someone may have to correct me, but I believe the $30k must be spent by the end of December to get the bonus points.

In order to get the 15K bonus $30K spend threshold must be met during the calendar year, 1/1-12/31, not membership year.

buy $5k in amex gift cards via topcashback. Buy VR for your BB October loads now.

Calendar - agree with Schweizer

I'd like to bump this to get some advice as well, as I in effect have the same question.

I have 30k a month in available Bluebird spots, and I just passed a FR. Would I be safe to go for 10k a month to get the bonus? 1.5 MR per dollar is better than 1.07 UR per dollar by my calculation, and I'd have to go strong to get it.

I've read conflicting reports that you are "safe" for 6 months after a FR as long as you have the credit.

For what it's worth, I don't particularly "value" my relationship with AMEX, but I don't want to do anything too stupid - but I'm not above being aggressive, either. A 45k end of year fiesta would be a good use of value.

Updating my quest for the world: I am fresh off a financial review and have done 18,000 this month on it with 3,000 in previous spending. Given the delay in posting points (Points earned in october will post in December according to AMEXHelp/Chat) - I'd like to finish it this month with 9,000 more. We'll see if I run into the mythical number where you can't spend anymore on a gold card. I plan on cancelling this card at the end of year, and I already passed FR - so I'm not too concerned about another one - and with my first one, nothing about CVS large purchases was brought up (even though that's what triggered it).

My experience is you're good for a year. Why not ramp - there are 9 weeks left in the year.

The safest way to hit high spend fast with APG (IMHO) is the Amex GC. Not the most lucrative at 1x but you are working for the 15k bonus after all, and you get 2% back via TCB or BC. with 9 weeks to go you can do this at least 4 times for $20k. Rest at grocery GC for BB and you're laughing.

I will do some more research - but it seems like liquidating AMEX GC's are a pain - hoping CVS will take them for reloads or slowly AP'ing them out. I've got access to 7 Bluebirds, so liquidating reloads is not so bad.. but 2% on 5k is significant.

Just one final update. I hit 30k spend in 11 days today. Basically 4500 every other or third day at CVS.. Had 6 trips (already had 3k spending from clearing the first promo). Again, this was after FR. I also used the tool everytime to make sure it would approve a $4600 dollar purchase since who knows what "no preset limit" means to them, but at least in this case, it meant 28k. The rumors are true about what you can do on AMEX after a FR..

Not necessarily. If OP is doing that kind of volume with BCP and has not been FR'd, then Amex will probably not FR for moving that spend to PRG, although reports are it's easier to get FR on a charge card than a credit card.

No one except Amex knows whether OP will get a FR or not, but I have done more than that volume with Amex and have not been FR'd, though I built up to it gradually.

If I were OP, I'd buy GC at a grocery store for 2x to get the entire spend. Amex GC would be better ordered with another card that doesn't have a category bonus that can be MS'd. If CVS gives you trouble buying VR with Amex GC, you might have better luck with the personalized cards.

I know one person who was shutdown fairly shortly after passing an FR. I was actually surprised they passed the first one given the circumstances. In general people tend to want to talk about their successes in life and not their failures and that applies here as well. I'd be careful making general assumptions about what is "true." Everything here is YMMV.

I think I mentioned I was shutdown after FR. :) No need to hide my failures. My life is full of them.

But aren't you 'famous' on FT for pushing limits on MS? Maybe it is "everything can break if you try hard enough!"