Buying Metabank Gift Cards online
 

I just saw this on another forum. Metabank sells MC GC in denominations up to 1,000 with 4.95 fee. And a travel card that you can purchase with a CC up to 1,500 for 6.95. Looks like you can then take out that whole 1500 at an ATM for only 1.50 or purchase a money order. Has anyone bought these. It sounds a bit too good to be true.

https://secure.myprepaidbalance.com/sales/Product/Gift

Sounds a lot like the AAA gift cards. On those they track your purchases and ban you from buying more lol

Dead link.

I just went to the Metabank website and looked around. Indeed, you can buy these with a credit card. I don't think you can withdraw ALL $1500 on the travel card product for $1.50 since no ATM will dispense that amount that I know of. However, a $1000 GIFT CARD for $4.95 looks to a be a great deal. Isn't that better than beans?

I would still buy the staples 200 VGC using my Chase INK Visa to get the 5x UR points and get the 1% back on the Visa Savings Edge but for making my minimum spend for the AA Exec card, this might be worthwhile. It depends if Citi will classify this as a cash advance though.

Its actually buried pretty deep on the metabank website this is the link

I so want to buy one....

That link is also broken, do you need an account to see the sales link?

Go here and click on the links from there:

https://www.metabank.com/personal/cards

But, what I don't understand is how/why people are assuming that you can get a PIN with any of these cards? I don't see that listed anywhere in the "features" or anything.

EDIT: I see where it mentions it now. I'm willing to be the guinnea pig...

And if anyone is planning on buying it looks like the $1K GC is going to be a better bet, 4.95 fee but NO "debit purchase" fee. The travel card has a $0.50 debit fee, if your unloading to BB your looking at adding another $1 to the purchase price bringing your cost per $500 to $2.65 opposed to $2.47 for the GC.

^

But, I'm not willing to be the guinea pig for buying on a US Bank or Citi card. I'd love to know the answers to if they'll be coded as cash advances, but not enough to try.

I did just buy a travel card with a Barclay's card though... we'll see how that goes.

I just bought one.

/guinea pig

Bought with Chase Southwest. 1 card, 1k balance.

No shipping cost btw. To be honest, for people that like to maximize value, obviously AmEx GC through a portal is going to be better. I personally don't do portals, I'd rather pay a bit of money and not have to worry about tracking issues, waiting for payments, liquidating AmEx GC, etc.

So maybe this keeps some life.

I can see how Metabank gets some value. They don't have to split any money with the merchant. With a cheap enough agreement with the postal service it probably pays off a bit for them.

Whats the temp auth say in your pending transactions?

06/16/2014 Pending SIMPLEXES ONLINE SALES $1,004.95

Same for mine on my Barclay's. But, I don't know what it would say if it were going to be a cash advance vs a credit charge.