Jan 9, 2016, 6:55 pm
Last edit by: ChrisFlyer66
This wiki is to an old thread and is no longer current and is no longer being maintained and/or updated.
Note: the 2015 version of the thread is here: New to Manufactured spending? Start Here(2015)
The 2017 discussion is here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1812407-new-manufactured-spending-start-here-2017-a.html#post27694982
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. High "View Count" and "Replies" are good indicators of active "master threads" on a specific topic.
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
Note: the 2015 version of the thread is here: New to Manufactured spending? Start Here(2015)
The 2017 discussion is here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1812407-new-manufactured-spending-start-here-2017-a.html#post27694982
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. High "View Count" and "Replies" are good indicators of active "master threads" on a specific topic.
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
New to Manufactured Spending? Start Here (2016)
Oct 18, 2016, 9:51 pm
#511
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Iowa City, IA
Posts: 337
Too many variables for anyone here to give you a specific answer when you have provided no specific parameters. You live in the Bay Area then the answer is not likely. You live in Texas or the Midwest? The answer is you could probably have it done in a weekend if your credit limit is high enough.
Oct 19, 2016, 7:06 am
#512
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,207
Bay area in CA has so many people that new methods get shut down quickly after being found, but those methods may last longer in other areas where the stores are either more friendly or there is less fraud abound.
Oct 19, 2016, 5:03 pm
#513
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: AS GOLD, AA EXP, SPG PLAT, Marriott PLAT
Posts: 35
Ideally I would have spent $5.95 per $500 GC and $0.70 per money order worth $495 so about 1% and then fuel was about 20 bucks. So total out of pocket should have been less than $80 but ended up spending about $200 because I was playing around with different GC..wen to target to purchase $200 GC with $5 fee. Went to office depot to buy $200 GC with $6 fee and CVS $200 GC turned out to be vanilla so bought a GC from Fred Meyer with my vanilla GC so paid $5 more for that. I was experimenting but now I know exactly what to do next time
Oct 23, 2016, 12:42 pm
#514
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 483
Summary of how to MS with MO for newbies:
I thought I would share some details because I think it is best if people are prepared when they try to buy MO at WM.
Buy metabank visa gift cards from:
- giftcards.com using TCB portal for 1.25% back which almost covers the fees or (This option looks obvious on your bill so be careful) - Cards must be activated
- Giftcardmall.com has free shipping under $2000 but they take 2 weeks for delivery. (This option looks obvious on your bill so be careful)
- at grocery stores that offer gas rewards or
- at simon malls for lower cost or simonmall.com (call to get pin)
- CVS- Vanilla vgc do not work at WM, only POffice.
- WM sells vgc from Suntrust but you can't buy MO with them at my WM
There are more options but I just named a few. The US Bank master cards work also, but they require the pin inside the package and a different way to swipe at WM so it is easiest to buy metabank visa because the pin is the last 4 digits on the card. Amex gc do not work because they don't have a pin.
My strategy so far with MO:
– At WM, I generally ask for 2 MO for 999.30 to include fee (Total of $2000) and swipe the limit of 4 cards for 500 each with pin and you need to tell the clerk "I'm paying 500 at a time" and then swipe. WM allows 2 MO for $1000 per transaction and $3000 per day. $3000 per day is the limit unless you want your name in their book.
I found a great WM with a Money Center and all the employees are fine splitting the payment by 500 at a time. Some WM’s employees do not allow this even though the registers allow debit card swipes up to 4 times per transaction. If something gets goofed up and you have to swipe 5 times it will not go through, so they need to cancel the transaction and the money should return to your debit cards. If I forget to activate my card or something goes wrong on my end, I say "I must have forgotten my pin and need to cancel the transaction".
I like that the giftcard.com cards have my name on them and I also add the amount in the “Message on Card” field. Some stores like to see you name on the card, but try not to show them you card. Only if asked, I say this is a great way to earn miles and pay for tuition or this is a great way to earn miles while paying bills, if asked and leave it at that. Never say too much and try not to show them your gc or have a bank debit card handy to show them. Only refer to your cards as DEBIT cards, not gift cards. If a store says no, be polite and leave and try again at another store. Stay calm and carry on.
PO cost $1.20 per $500 ($1.60 for $1000 with split payment) vs .70 for $1000 at WM. Grocery stores and other places may let you buy MO with debit also.
Start slow to get the hang of it and maybe just try a $500 MO first at a few WM around you to see which ones are good. I have 2 good WM and 2 bad ones around me. Never buy more than you can afford to float in case you cannot liquidate the gift cards. Always start slow and liquidate fast in case WM or PO stop selling MO.
You can pay your cc bills at a branch bank if they are located around you or do a bank or credit union deposit with the MO. They say not to deposit more then $10,000 per month.
There are other ways to liquidate and some of them have come and gone, such as redbird, bluebird, paypal, amazon payments and many others. I currently use WM bill pay, WM MO, PO MO & Google Wallet.
I am always trying new things because you never know when you will need them, since things always seem to end at some point.
Use Google to search for info, like "Money order flyertalk" or "manufactured spending". Bookmark the pages you want to easily see again.
I thought I would share some details because I think it is best if people are prepared when they try to buy MO at WM.
Buy metabank visa gift cards from:
- giftcards.com using TCB portal for 1.25% back which almost covers the fees or (This option looks obvious on your bill so be careful) - Cards must be activated
- Giftcardmall.com has free shipping under $2000 but they take 2 weeks for delivery. (This option looks obvious on your bill so be careful)
- at grocery stores that offer gas rewards or
- at simon malls for lower cost or simonmall.com (call to get pin)
- CVS- Vanilla vgc do not work at WM, only POffice.
- WM sells vgc from Suntrust but you can't buy MO with them at my WM
There are more options but I just named a few. The US Bank master cards work also, but they require the pin inside the package and a different way to swipe at WM so it is easiest to buy metabank visa because the pin is the last 4 digits on the card. Amex gc do not work because they don't have a pin.
My strategy so far with MO:
– At WM, I generally ask for 2 MO for 999.30 to include fee (Total of $2000) and swipe the limit of 4 cards for 500 each with pin and you need to tell the clerk "I'm paying 500 at a time" and then swipe. WM allows 2 MO for $1000 per transaction and $3000 per day. $3000 per day is the limit unless you want your name in their book.
I found a great WM with a Money Center and all the employees are fine splitting the payment by 500 at a time. Some WM’s employees do not allow this even though the registers allow debit card swipes up to 4 times per transaction. If something gets goofed up and you have to swipe 5 times it will not go through, so they need to cancel the transaction and the money should return to your debit cards. If I forget to activate my card or something goes wrong on my end, I say "I must have forgotten my pin and need to cancel the transaction".
I like that the giftcard.com cards have my name on them and I also add the amount in the “Message on Card” field. Some stores like to see you name on the card, but try not to show them you card. Only if asked, I say this is a great way to earn miles and pay for tuition or this is a great way to earn miles while paying bills, if asked and leave it at that. Never say too much and try not to show them your gc or have a bank debit card handy to show them. Only refer to your cards as DEBIT cards, not gift cards. If a store says no, be polite and leave and try again at another store. Stay calm and carry on.
PO cost $1.20 per $500 ($1.60 for $1000 with split payment) vs .70 for $1000 at WM. Grocery stores and other places may let you buy MO with debit also.
Start slow to get the hang of it and maybe just try a $500 MO first at a few WM around you to see which ones are good. I have 2 good WM and 2 bad ones around me. Never buy more than you can afford to float in case you cannot liquidate the gift cards. Always start slow and liquidate fast in case WM or PO stop selling MO.
You can pay your cc bills at a branch bank if they are located around you or do a bank or credit union deposit with the MO. They say not to deposit more then $10,000 per month.
There are other ways to liquidate and some of them have come and gone, such as redbird, bluebird, paypal, amazon payments and many others. I currently use WM bill pay, WM MO, PO MO & Google Wallet.
I am always trying new things because you never know when you will need them, since things always seem to end at some point.
Use Google to search for info, like "Money order flyertalk" or "manufactured spending". Bookmark the pages you want to easily see again.
Last edited by Travelz; Oct 25, 2016 at 4:53 am
Oct 26, 2016, 1:05 pm
#515
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 59
So, just a dumb question...I don't normally MS aside from some Plastiq payments, but, I've been trying to take advantage of a Citi bonus (2 extra Citi TYP's per dollar on all spend up to 35K bonus points for 6 months). I'm trying to spend the entire $17,500 needed to max it out. I've been putting one $2000-ish charge from CVS and 2 $500-ish charges from Walgreens per month along with some organic spend each month.
What's the chance of them shutting me down over this (18 year relationship with Citi)? I don't do any billpays at all to the account, I always pay it off with my normal bank account.
Thanks!
What's the chance of them shutting me down over this (18 year relationship with Citi)? I don't do any billpays at all to the account, I always pay it off with my normal bank account.
Thanks!
Oct 27, 2016, 2:26 pm
#516
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,303
Doubtful, but anything can happen at any point. I'll say this, if they shut down you, they'll be shutting down a ton of other people as well for your scenario. With regards to that, I'd just get VGC's from GCM through TCB and have the cost of MS paid for, especially without having to go to CVS to a physical store.
Oct 27, 2016, 5:45 pm
#517
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: NY
Posts: 523
Doubtful, but anything can happen at any point. I'll say this, if they shut down you, they'll be shutting down a ton of other people as well for your scenario. With regards to that, I'd just get VGC's from GCM through TCB and have the cost of MS paid for, especially without having to go to CVS to a physical store.
Oct 28, 2016, 7:58 am
#518
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: HOU, IAH
Posts: 194
I always used to have $1-3000/month at CVS back when Vanilla worked to load Bluebird (aahh, the good old days). Never had a question from cc and, like OP, usually mixed in a couple of small items in same transaction as the GC so the amounts were odd. I think if you ramp up new cards slowly with regular purchases the first card cycle, followed by gradually increasing numbers of GCs while still maintaining regular spend, then odds of shutdown are small. Again, everything in moderation makes the MS game fun for everyone.
Oct 28, 2016, 12:11 pm
#519
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: DL DM, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 17
What are some options
Hi everyone,
I need to spend about $8k on my AMEX in the next couple of weeks in order to trigger the MQM bonus. I have $5k sitting in an savings account and I'm wondering what is the best way to run that through my AMEX card so I get credit for that "spend"?
Any suggestions on the cheapest, fastest way to accomplish that?
Thanks in advance!
I need to spend about $8k on my AMEX in the next couple of weeks in order to trigger the MQM bonus. I have $5k sitting in an savings account and I'm wondering what is the best way to run that through my AMEX card so I get credit for that "spend"?
Any suggestions on the cheapest, fastest way to accomplish that?
Thanks in advance!
Oct 29, 2016, 10:26 pm
#521
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,943
I'm ready to open a few new bank accounts for MO. At least one credit union. Will they do a hard pull for each account? Does it matter if checking or savings?
Oct 31, 2016, 8:10 am
#522
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 437
If suntrust and meta gcs can not be used to buy MO at PO, what other gcs in staples and OD can be used to buy MO at PO?
Oct 31, 2016, 11:01 am
#523
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: Ink/Sapphire/Freedom/SPG
Posts: 338
I was getting 200$ Sunrise VGC from BB&B for the recent rebate using my credit card.
The problem i am facing is , i am unaware of how to liquidate these.
The problem i am facing is , i am unaware of how to liquidate these.
Oct 31, 2016, 11:04 am
#524
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: IAD
Programs: All of them to one degree or another
Posts: 447
What have you done/tried so others can chime in via the process of elimination? Or were you just hoping for someone to spoon feed you with lots of circles and arrows?
Oct 31, 2016, 11:19 am
#525
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: Ink/Sapphire/Freedom/SPG
Posts: 338
for now, nothing, wil b able to use the cards only tomorrow once my serve gets limit cleared.
Will surely update here, was looking for pointers yeah.
Will surely update here, was looking for pointers yeah.