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)
Jan 29, 2015, 6:23 pm
#286
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 404
Agreed. I think they're going to keep milking more and more $ out of us until we decide its not worth it anymore. 2k isn't a total deal breaker, but I would say amex probably will enforce it since they've gotten a lot tighter about these things over the last 6 months (no more codes, etc)
Jan 29, 2015, 6:52 pm
#288
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 404
Jan 29, 2015, 7:06 pm
#289
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 427
I didn't have any of that stuff running. However, when I confirmed my order, the final screen where the payment is actually processed, the browser timed out. I even got the "If you were sending a payment, do not click retry or it will be duplicate" or something like that. But I got the order confirmation from AMEX a couple minutes later, so I know the order went through. BF in general has been working for me; I actually bought some stuff from BB and WM recently.
Jan 29, 2015, 8:04 pm
#290
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 10
Agreed. I think they're going to keep milking more and more $ out of us until we decide its not worth it anymore. 2k isn't a total deal breaker, but I would say amex probably will enforce it since they've gotten a lot tighter about these things over the last 6 months (no more codes, etc)
Jan 30, 2015, 12:21 am
#293
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 93
BigCrumbs has had some account breaches. It's offline right now but I would suggest people change their passwords to protect their earnings when it comes back up.
I started a separate thread about it.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-password.html
I started a separate thread about it.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-password.html
Jan 30, 2015, 8:42 am
#294
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Pretty sure that was just added today. I noticed TCB has similar new terms added which wasn't there yesterday (comparing to google's cache of the page).
As far as whether it will be enforced, I'd say very likely. There used to be a $500 denomination limit for CB. This was sometimes enforced for denied claims, but the restriction eventually went away. Seeing it re-appear doesn't bode well for the future.
As far as whether it will be enforced, I'd say very likely. There used to be a $500 denomination limit for CB. This was sometimes enforced for denied claims, but the restriction eventually went away. Seeing it re-appear doesn't bode well for the future.
Jan 30, 2015, 1:16 pm
#296
Used to be garyjr316
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX or SBA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, Gold Passport, Hilton HHonors, Marriott
Posts: 800
Jan 31, 2015, 8:53 am
#300
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: LAX, SNA
Posts: 359
Has anyone noticed that TCB orders are taking longer to track than before? My prior orders were tracked within a few hours, but the last one didn't track until the next day. My current order from Friday still hasn't tracked yet.