joeaseer

You can easily max out your grocery store CC's and then it becomes useful to use a 2% card at Simon. It can also be a time when there's no current promotion with VGC's. It's pretty simple to get 4k worth of VGC's and go to two WM's and that's an extra $45 in profit after fee's with a 2% card. If you can get that done in 2 hours that's a bit over 20 dollars an hour for your time spent. It's actually safe to open up 10 bank accounts a year, of course you want to open ones that only do soft pulls. And this is mainly why Simon is so popular, if you have 10 bank accounts (get a bank bonus for each) and add 1k to 5 of them and 2k to 5 of them, then you can add 15k a month in MO's. Of course go at your own speed, this is a hobby I don't think it should be turned into a part time job.

Or open a business account and deposit more MO's like 7-8k a month. Also don't use a bank you value for ton's of MO's. And don't use a bank connected to your favorite CC's for ton's of MO's.

Safe to open bank account source: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/how-m...onus-purposes/

tsmith12

I hear ya but for me the convenience of making one trip to get $9.5k is far better than $1k-$2k at grocery stores and additional points. Also, from what I've seen, grocery store cards are much more susceptible to fraud and the only time I buy at grocery stores is when I know I can liquidate the cards the same day, usually within an hour or two. SM cards are more secure and I'm in no rush to liquidate them.

carlitos

Correct, my Simon Mall in the Middle Of Nowhere Mid West is a blast every time I go (usually once every two weeks).

hiima

OC as in Orange County? If so, you're in for a fun time, getting vgc at Simon anyway. They'll let you split 5 CC, probably even more. I think I asked what the max was one time and they just said 10, out of convenience. Liquidating, not so fun here.

carlitos

Wow, the manager, I really admire how he takes care of each transaction then. The Simon mall in the city where I live, has a super nice girl from Monday to Friday and an amazing boy working the weekends and they both have my cell phone in case they need to call me because something was wrong with the transaction. There, I can split a transaction with 3 or 4 cards while chatting with them (I could do the max if I wanted) on a 3 X $500 VGC, but I have a rule of always staying below four digits on each CC when buying GCs. And after that, you name it, 12 to 15 Wallys around with and without Money Centers. Of course, the one by the lake in the outskirts where I live has CSRs with 10 years seniority which allow me to swipe twice and pay $0.68 fee in cash every time, and have been doing so for the last five years. So still not worried about liquidating in South Cali.

So now that I am stationed in OC for the time being (M-F Morning), I just buy Simons while shopping at Nike and Adidas and yes, slowly discovering how things work on a state with heavy hitters. Still, a fun thing to do to see there face when you tell them you just want one or two VGCs for $500 each, LOL.

hiima

It's that he works the morning shift on the weekdays mostly. There are a coupe other employees, but their shifts differ. AFAIK, there isn't a guy who's in training right now. There's a young girl who is/was in training recently.

radonc1

Regretfully, I do not have a supermarket in my area that allows me to buy VGCs with a CC And I have tried many markets in my area. They all want cash only.
So I am stuck using SM which is actually very convenient and is easy enough that even my wife will buy them and cash out at WM.

But I see your point. If there were supermarkets around me that sold $500 VGCs with a CC, I would seriously consider using them.

redtop43

I've bought GC's in PA, MD, NJ, CT, NV, and FL - at least - and I've never met a CSR who didn't treat me extremely well.

I once was visiting Las Vegas and I told the CSR I'd be coming in every day for 4 days. On the last day he called me around noon to tell me their system was down and that he'd call me when it came back up, as he didn't want me to waste a trip.

I'm on a first-name basis not only with the CSR's but with the managers at my "local" SM.

I actually have a very good relationship with (almost) all the CSR's at my local Wally too. Given where I live, it would probably be even better if I could chat with them en Espanol.

carlitos

Wow, "En Spanish?" Men I would do great at your Wally, LOL. My Wally's CSRs are English Only (Middle of Nowhere Mid West), but the level of seniority and the stories they tell me about some people returning the weirdest stuff and trying to brake all Wally rules while doing it (SCAM on returns), seem to make me one of their easiest customers when it comes to how quickly my transaction goes. I usually try to chat with them, as we laugh about things happening around the area.

Now, when it comes to Simon Malls outside of where I live, I usually get weird looks because I only ask for 1, 2 or max 3 x $500 VGCs. Not that I worry about it, as I have been to Simon Malls all over the country while traveling.

carlitos

I do not mix and match.
I use Simon for all signing bonuses (min threshold to get them) and I throw in my Amex BBP 2XMR when splitting the transaction.
I use Supermarkets for my OBCs 5% cash back on up to $50K a year.
No need for more as it is a hobby not a day job/way of living

barrytuneup

thanks for the post but Amex cards are basicallu useless for ms

ChuckMango

IME there are avenues for amex cards like spg

DjRocket

Same issue here. Did it eventually count for you or is it safe to say at this point Simon purchases are not tracked for the 15K free night on the AM#X HH card?

Travelz

I had the same issue and then I ordered from Simon online and it worked last month.

DjRocket

Ugh why can't AM3X make it easy to earn free nights, I thought they were customer friendly : ) Might as well buy from giftcardmall and earn 1% back, through befrugal I suppose. Thanks for the DP.