Jan 25, 2015, 12:48 am
Last edit by: XP1
Please read the wiki before posting a question.
UPDATE: 08/21/2015
Lucky Rewards: 1% Personal;2% Business
TopCashBack: 1.5% Personal; 2.25% business (11/10 only)
BeFrugal: 2.25% personal & business
Simply Best Coupons: 1.5% personal & business
Ebates: 1%
USAA 1% Personal; 2% Business
For other cash back or airline portals, check here: http://www.cashbackmonitor.com/Cashb...erican+express
Public Service Announcement: Do NOT use fee-free codes or free shipping codes if you want portal cashback / miles. CB/Miles will post and then be clawed back.
As of 1/29 most portals have added new terms that denominations over $2000 are not eligible for cashback.
As of 8/21/15 many portals have added new terms that denominations over $200 are not eligible for cashback. As smart as we all are we have no idea if this will be enforced on PERSONALIZED (Keyword: Personalized) orders. It has been CONFIRMED that they will NOT pay out on non-personalized orders.
FAQ
Will it post as a cash advance (CA)?
Citi AA Visa/Amex posted as purchase (7/2015)
Citi Dividend Amex posted as purchase (01/09/2016)
Citi Double Cash posted as purchase (7/8/2015, 8/11/2015)
Citi Exec posted as purchase
Citi HHonors posted as purchase (2/17/15, 5/4/15)
Citi Prestige posted as purchase (5/20/15)
Citi Thank You Premier posted as purchase (7/2015)
Cards from Chase, BoA, FIA, Barclay, AMEX, CapitalOne, US Bank, Discover, HSBC, etc., have posted as purchase. PNC Visa Cashbuilder - posts as purchase but does not earn CC rewards
Note: Some issuers (Discover, US Bank, etc.) will decline the authorization if it exceeds your CA limit. This does NOT mean it will post as CA. It simply means you need to lower the purchase amount below your CA limit for authorization, but it ultimately posts as a purchase.
How do I set PIN on AMEX Gift Cards and use as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc.
You cannot set PIN or use them as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc. You can only use them as credit where AMEX is accepted.
How do I cash out AMEX Gift Cards?
Use manufactured spend techniques (buy Visa/MC GCs, AFT, etc.) or normal spend where AMEX is accepted.
Why buy AMEX Gift Cards then?
To reduce the cost of manufactured spend, to mask your manufactured spend (i.e unusual high spend at Target or CVS), earn additional cash back on spend, or meet minimum spend targets faster.
Next day shipping that isn't?
The next day shipping is from when they ship the cards to UPS, which can be as long as 10 days from the order submission if you order personalized cards (more recently this has been under a week). For next day shipping, you are notified late night (once your card finishes processing, see above) and the package arrive that same morning before 10:30AM in your area.
What is with the charge disappearing from my credit card?
Once the order is placed you will see a pending charge on your CC account. Quite often once the card ships this pending is removed but does not show as a charge. Don't panic (or celebrate) it will show up as a charge within a day or so.
Personalized GCs?
Either Biz or Personal GCs can be personalized with your name. This helps when shaky cashiers who demand to see your card are prevalent. These take approximately 4 biz days to arrive compared to the non personalized which arrives as quickly as the next day.
UPS Tracking?
If you logged in to your AMEX account when placing the order you can get tracking info by logging in to your AMEX account and clicking on cards > gift cards > order history > order details. Unfortunately tracking information may not appear until well after your order has shipped so it's best to sign up for UPS My Choice http://www.ups.com/mychoice/ to get faster tracking info and reroute your package if needed. Since UPS may drop your package off at the door if you're not home, it will be useful to know when your package will arrive.
Do I have to sign for the package?
Rule of thumb, YMMV:
- Non-personalized orders $4k or less will just be left at your door.
- Non-personalized orders $5k or greater must be signed for in person. These cannot be routed to a UPS store or customer center for pickup. UPS will attempt a delivery 3 consecutive business days. If you are not available to sign for the package, it will be returned to Amex.
- Personalized orders of any amount will just be left at your door. These orders can be routed to a UPS store or customer center for pickup.
The portal terms indicate that coupon codes will invalidate cash back. Is this true?
Yes (as of July 2014)
What are the purchase limits? (Updated June 2015)
Regular
100K personal every 14 days (Portals still state 10K personal every 14 days, however confirmations by FT'ers suggest this is not enforced).
100K business every 14 days
Personalized/Custom
5K personal per order
75K business per order
Portal Limits
Most CB portals state that they only payout out on cards worth $2,000 or less. In other words, if you buy a $3,000 card you will not get cash back from the portals (per their terms). You may buy multiple $2,000 cards in a single order and be fine. Several people have reported success buying up to $2999 per card, but YMMV.
Do declined orders count toward the purchase limits?
YMMV
Do fees and shipping count toward the purchase limits?
No
Why was my purchase declined by AMEX?
There are several possibilities:
- Your billing address does not match 100% with what the credit card company has on file. This could be anything from apt/suite/condo # on the wrong line to zip code requiring 9 digits instead of 5. If your first purchase does not go through, call your bank or login to your acct to verify that this matches what you used.
- You have gone over the $10k every 14 day limit on personal gift card purchase. (This limit may no longer apply as of April 2015)
- Even if you are sure the first two are correct as you have ordered before on that card and it's been more than 14 days, you might still get declined. No one has any idea why.
- You placed a business order and you don't really have a business (at some point AMEX does a background check for a valid business) or you have exceeded the 14 day limit for business orders.
- You don't have enough longevity ordering AMEX gift cards. Some have noticed a much higher decline rate the first year (2013) even with all information correct, compared to two years later, 2015, if ordering regularly (several orders monthly). (added 7/5/15)
My order was declined but my credit card still shows a pending authorization. How long until this falls off and my credit line is freed up?
I typically takes 1 week for the pending authorization to fall off after a declined order.
Can I order from the business side using a personal card? Or does it need to be a business card?
You can use whatever credit card you want to pay for business or personal orders. About the only restriction is you can't use an AMEX GC to buy another AMEX GC.
How long will it take the portal to track my order and confirm the pending cash back or points?
For non-Cartera portals (TCB, BC, Befrugal, etc) your order will usually track within a day or two.
For Cartera portals (Barclay Reward Boost, Lucky Rewards, USAA, Alaska, Delta) it will take 3-4 weeks to track.
My orders are not tracking. How can I maximize the chances the portal will track my order properly?
Use a browser you do not normally use (Chrome, Firefox, Opera), reset all browser settings to defaults, clear all browser cookies, disable all browser add-ons, and close/re-start your browser before navigating to the portal and placing your order. Do NOT use promotional coupon codes. The vast majority of tracking issues result from use of coupon codes, a bad browser cookie, improperly configured browser settings, or add-ons that interfere with cookie tracking.
Can I load Serve/RB/BB with an AGC?
No. AGCs process as credit. They do not function like a VGC w/debit.
Why am I getting 1.5% instead of 2.25%?
Be sure you're clicking through and buying the business version. The consumer one pays 1.5%.
This thread is a continuation of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...s-etc-648.html
UPDATE: 08/21/2015
Lucky Rewards: 1% Personal;
TopCashBack: 1.5% Personal; 2.25% business (11/10 only)
BeFrugal: 2.25% personal & business
Simply Best Coupons: 1.5% personal & business
Ebates: 1%
USAA 1% Personal; 2% Business
For other cash back or airline portals, check here: http://www.cashbackmonitor.com/Cashb...erican+express
Public Service Announcement: Do NOT use fee-free codes or free shipping codes if you want portal cashback / miles. CB/Miles will post and then be clawed back.
As of 1/29 most portals have added new terms that denominations over $2000 are not eligible for cashback.
As of 8/21/15 many portals have added new terms that denominations over $200 are not eligible for cashback. As smart as we all are we have no idea if this will be enforced on PERSONALIZED (Keyword: Personalized) orders. It has been CONFIRMED that they will NOT pay out on non-personalized orders.
FAQ
Will it post as a cash advance (CA)?
Citi AA Visa/Amex posted as purchase (7/2015)
Citi Dividend Amex posted as purchase (01/09/2016)
Citi Double Cash posted as purchase (7/8/2015, 8/11/2015)
Citi Exec posted as purchase
Citi HHonors posted as purchase (2/17/15, 5/4/15)
Citi Prestige posted as purchase (5/20/15)
Citi Thank You Premier posted as purchase (7/2015)
Cards from Chase, BoA, FIA, Barclay, AMEX, CapitalOne, US Bank, Discover, HSBC, etc., have posted as purchase. PNC Visa Cashbuilder - posts as purchase but does not earn CC rewards
Note: Some issuers (Discover, US Bank, etc.) will decline the authorization if it exceeds your CA limit. This does NOT mean it will post as CA. It simply means you need to lower the purchase amount below your CA limit for authorization, but it ultimately posts as a purchase.
How do I set PIN on AMEX Gift Cards and use as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc.
You cannot set PIN or use them as debit to load Bluebird, buy MOs, etc. You can only use them as credit where AMEX is accepted.
How do I cash out AMEX Gift Cards?
Use manufactured spend techniques (buy Visa/MC GCs, AFT, etc.) or normal spend where AMEX is accepted.
Why buy AMEX Gift Cards then?
To reduce the cost of manufactured spend, to mask your manufactured spend (i.e unusual high spend at Target or CVS), earn additional cash back on spend, or meet minimum spend targets faster.
Next day shipping that isn't?
The next day shipping is from when they ship the cards to UPS, which can be as long as 10 days from the order submission if you order personalized cards (more recently this has been under a week). For next day shipping, you are notified late night (once your card finishes processing, see above) and the package arrive that same morning before 10:30AM in your area.
What is with the charge disappearing from my credit card?
Once the order is placed you will see a pending charge on your CC account. Quite often once the card ships this pending is removed but does not show as a charge. Don't panic (or celebrate) it will show up as a charge within a day or so.
Personalized GCs?
Either Biz or Personal GCs can be personalized with your name. This helps when shaky cashiers who demand to see your card are prevalent. These take approximately 4 biz days to arrive compared to the non personalized which arrives as quickly as the next day.
UPS Tracking?
If you logged in to your AMEX account when placing the order you can get tracking info by logging in to your AMEX account and clicking on cards > gift cards > order history > order details. Unfortunately tracking information may not appear until well after your order has shipped so it's best to sign up for UPS My Choice http://www.ups.com/mychoice/ to get faster tracking info and reroute your package if needed. Since UPS may drop your package off at the door if you're not home, it will be useful to know when your package will arrive.
Do I have to sign for the package?
Rule of thumb, YMMV:
- Non-personalized orders $4k or less will just be left at your door.
- Non-personalized orders $5k or greater must be signed for in person. These cannot be routed to a UPS store or customer center for pickup. UPS will attempt a delivery 3 consecutive business days. If you are not available to sign for the package, it will be returned to Amex.
- Personalized orders of any amount will just be left at your door. These orders can be routed to a UPS store or customer center for pickup.
The portal terms indicate that coupon codes will invalidate cash back. Is this true?
Yes (as of July 2014)
What are the purchase limits? (Updated June 2015)
Regular
100K personal every 14 days (Portals still state 10K personal every 14 days, however confirmations by FT'ers suggest this is not enforced).
100K business every 14 days
Personalized/Custom
5K personal per order
75K business per order
Portal Limits
Most CB portals state that they only payout out on cards worth $2,000 or less. In other words, if you buy a $3,000 card you will not get cash back from the portals (per their terms). You may buy multiple $2,000 cards in a single order and be fine. Several people have reported success buying up to $2999 per card, but YMMV.
Do declined orders count toward the purchase limits?
YMMV
Do fees and shipping count toward the purchase limits?
No
Why was my purchase declined by AMEX?
There are several possibilities:
- Your billing address does not match 100% with what the credit card company has on file. This could be anything from apt/suite/condo # on the wrong line to zip code requiring 9 digits instead of 5. If your first purchase does not go through, call your bank or login to your acct to verify that this matches what you used.
- You have gone over the $10k every 14 day limit on personal gift card purchase. (This limit may no longer apply as of April 2015)
- Even if you are sure the first two are correct as you have ordered before on that card and it's been more than 14 days, you might still get declined. No one has any idea why.
- You placed a business order and you don't really have a business (at some point AMEX does a background check for a valid business) or you have exceeded the 14 day limit for business orders.
- You don't have enough longevity ordering AMEX gift cards. Some have noticed a much higher decline rate the first year (2013) even with all information correct, compared to two years later, 2015, if ordering regularly (several orders monthly). (added 7/5/15)
My order was declined but my credit card still shows a pending authorization. How long until this falls off and my credit line is freed up?
I typically takes 1 week for the pending authorization to fall off after a declined order.
Can I order from the business side using a personal card? Or does it need to be a business card?
You can use whatever credit card you want to pay for business or personal orders. About the only restriction is you can't use an AMEX GC to buy another AMEX GC.
How long will it take the portal to track my order and confirm the pending cash back or points?
For non-Cartera portals (TCB, BC, Befrugal, etc) your order will usually track within a day or two.
For Cartera portals (Barclay Reward Boost, Lucky Rewards, USAA, Alaska, Delta) it will take 3-4 weeks to track.
My orders are not tracking. How can I maximize the chances the portal will track my order properly?
Use a browser you do not normally use (Chrome, Firefox, Opera), reset all browser settings to defaults, clear all browser cookies, disable all browser add-ons, and close/re-start your browser before navigating to the portal and placing your order. Do NOT use promotional coupon codes. The vast majority of tracking issues result from use of coupon codes, a bad browser cookie, improperly configured browser settings, or add-ons that interfere with cookie tracking.
Can I load Serve/RB/BB with an AGC?
No. AGCs process as credit. They do not function like a VGC w/debit.
Why am I getting 1.5% instead of 2.25%?
Be sure you're clicking through and buying the business version. The consumer one pays 1.5%.
This thread is a continuation of http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...s-etc-648.html
Cashback on Amex GC through TopCashBack, BigCrumbs, etc. (2015)
Mar 12, 2015, 2:28 pm
#841
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
Amex corporate really needs to inform those who review orders to ignore any discrepancy with people's middle initials that may appear on cc info, but happens to not be on the order information. NEWS FLASH to AMEX order reviewers: The Amex online forms to order Amex GCs don't have a field for a middle initial anymore so stop denying orders based on middle initials! Even if someone's credit card they're using to buy gift cards has the initial of their middle name they can't input that on the Amex order forms because there's no field for it.
Stop using that excuse as to why an order was denied. Finally, one of the Amex reps admitted the reviewers are making mistakes and routinely deny orders for no good reasons. Of course, many of us know they tend to deny a certain percentage that are perfectly good orders, where order info exactly matches everything, possibly to show Amex they are scrutinizing orders. If they don't have a quota to deny some orders they sure act like it.
Stop using that excuse as to why an order was denied. Finally, one of the Amex reps admitted the reviewers are making mistakes and routinely deny orders for no good reasons. Of course, many of us know they tend to deny a certain percentage that are perfectly good orders, where order info exactly matches everything, possibly to show Amex they are scrutinizing orders. If they don't have a quota to deny some orders they sure act like it.
Mar 13, 2015, 7:16 am
#842
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
Amex corporate really needs to inform those who review orders to ignore any discrepancy with people's middle initials that may appear on cc info, but happens to not be on the order information. NEWS FLASH to AMEX order reviewers: The Amex online forms to order Amex GCs don't have a field for a middle initial anymore so stop denying orders based on middle initials! Even if someone's credit card they're using to buy gift cards has the initial of their middle name they can't input that on the Amex order forms because there's no field for it.
Stop using that excuse as to why an order was denied. Finally, one of the Amex reps admitted the reviewers are making mistakes and routinely deny orders for no good reasons. Of course, many of us know they tend to deny a certain percentage that are perfectly good orders, where order info exactly matches everything, possibly to show Amex they are scrutinizing orders. If they don't have a quota to deny some orders they sure act like it.
Stop using that excuse as to why an order was denied. Finally, one of the Amex reps admitted the reviewers are making mistakes and routinely deny orders for no good reasons. Of course, many of us know they tend to deny a certain percentage that are perfectly good orders, where order info exactly matches everything, possibly to show Amex they are scrutinizing orders. If they don't have a quota to deny some orders they sure act like it.
Mar 13, 2015, 9:55 am
#843
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: All of them!
Posts: 322
It seems this is now posting as a cash advance with Discover, and not just showing up as one initially. Just got my statement and a transaction that posted on 3/3 was considered a cash advance, and I was charged interest and fees. A transaction from 2/24 posted normally as a purchase.
Mar 13, 2015, 10:03 am
#844
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, DL Diamond 1MM, Hyatt Platinum, SPG Gold, Hilton Diamond, AMEX 2015 Centurion
Posts: 323
It seems this is now posting as a cash advance with Discover, and not just showing up as one initially. Just got my statement and a transaction that posted on 3/3 was considered a cash advance, and I was charged interest and fees. A transaction from 2/24 posted normally as a purchase.
Mar 13, 2015, 10:13 am
#845
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 825
Did you get your next statement yet?
Mar 13, 2015, 10:20 am
#846
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: All of them!
Posts: 322
I have another order pending that I placed this Wednesday 3/11, after I made my pre-statement payment in full but before I saw the statement, that shipped on 3/12, so I'll wait to see what happens with that, and then call Discover and see if they will waive the CA fee and interest.
Mar 13, 2015, 2:35 pm
#847
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Midwest
Programs: AA LT Gold 1MM ,Hyatt Explorist,Marriott Platinum,HHonors Diamond
Posts: 364
Mar 13, 2015, 3:04 pm
#848
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 3,509
My AGC order that I made last week shows up on my CC statement. I am not sure why yours is screwed up. Approximately how many business days since the shipment day have you let elapsed? Getting the cards and cashing them out doesn't mean much. If I have next day delivery and as soon as I get my AGCs, I rush to Target and dump them all to Redbird can all be done within a few hours the next day. It takes several business days for it to post on your CC.
Mar 15, 2015, 12:08 am
#850
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Programs: Hilton Gold, SPG & IHG Plat, & every airline program that I can join
Posts: 2,279
Did AMEX ever come up with an online way to register a gift card for online use, or do we still need to call offshore to link it to my address? Every Google search brings up 4-8 year old info.
Cheers
JudyJFLA
Cheers
JudyJFLA
Mar 15, 2015, 3:00 am
#851
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LAX
Posts: 54
As of a month ago I had to call in to register and asked about registering online. Was told calling is the only way.
Mar 15, 2015, 6:57 am
#852
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,112
I bought some gift cards back in early February, and the weird thing was that I could not use any of them (4 cards) online unless I used my address (my billing address for my credit card, as I had the gift cards sent to a different address). I never called in to register my address, and this was the very first time I've ever bought these gift cards. Does anyone know if this is normal?
Mar 15, 2015, 2:25 pm
#853
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Programs: Hilton Gold, SPG & IHG Plat, & every airline program that I can join
Posts: 2,279
BTW, Amex Rep said they don't register them online for security.
Cheers!
JudyJFLA
Last edited by JudyJFLA; Mar 15, 2015 at 4:40 pm
Mar 16, 2015, 7:03 am
#854
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: S.E. Pennsylvania
Programs: SPG, SW Air, AA, all of'em!
Posts: 239
Thanks, I had a great phone rep who did 6 on one call, but they still did not work on Giftcards.com. Was hoping to buy 3 $500 cards at a time, but it did not like any number card that I entered. I would pay the $1.99 shipping a card to not have to go to WM!! Any other $500 VGC's online that will take a AGC for purchase? I found Gift Card mall, runs $2.53 more for $500 card than WM with shipping But same thing, invalid card number when AGC entered. GiftCard.com which is gift card lab only takes Visa and Mastercard. Looks like WM it will have to be...
BTW, Amex Rep said they don't register them online for security.
Cheers!
JudyJFLA
BTW, Amex Rep said they don't register them online for security.
Cheers!
JudyJFLA
Mar 16, 2015, 8:21 am
#855
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 466
LOL, I'm pretty sure this isn't news to Judy. In fact, she could probably teach YOU a thing or two...