How Different Credit Card companies handle MS ?
 

I just learned, for a fact, that Chase monitors large purchases at CVS and declines the transaction until I call. Then they specifically asked if I purchased a gift card. This isn't new, as there are lots of posts about how strict Chase is with MS.
But I'm looking for other posts or info about how close does Citi, Barclay, and Amex monitor this? Do they care or shut you down if you buy too many gift cards, etc?

Hi, what did they do if you say yes you bought gift card at CVS, will they still let the charge go through? thanks

I was first declined and had to call fraud dept. In my case, I told him the truth: "I made a purchase at CVS that included my prescriptions, a bunch of birthday cards, and yes a large gift card."

He eventually approved the sale, but warned me that gift card purchases from certain stores will trigger fraud warnings/declines. I think that if I said, "Yeah, I was trying to buy a $500 GC" then he would have declined it. Just a hunch.

That was an isolated incident about a month ago. Since then, I read all the Flyertalk posts bout "Chase cancelled my account because of gift cards" (there are many cases!), so I've stopped MSing. Thus my question here today to ask if other banks are as strict.

You won't like the answer to your question.

Honestly, all banks treat it the same: if they catch you at it, and if they're in the mood to punish you, they will crush you like a bug. Accounts closed, points clawed back, blacklisted for years. They ALL follow this pattern. The only variables are: 1) will they notice what you're doing? and, 2) how much will they tolerate before they crush you like a bug?

There's no way to know either of those things. If you give them reasons to scrutinize your activity carefully, and/or if you give them a reason to crush you, they surely will. Unfortunately there's no way to know where the line is - you only know what their level of interest and their tolerance is until after you've crossed it. If you read the threads about the smackdowns, everyone who got crushed can look back and see things that they did to cross the line. Everything is great and everything is easy until one day when it's not. But you can only see that line after you have stepped over it and are looking back at it - you won't know that you've crossed it until it's too late.

Do you feel lucky? (/Clint Eastwood)

Ha! Thanks, that was very helpful and it makes sense.

I am aware of the many Flyertalk posts/forums about Chase crushing people. But I haven't seen the Forums devoted to Citi and Amex crushing them, so I figured they were perhaps more lenient. (Or I just didn't find the right forum, LOL)

Here is what I think, they don't care. I think on this forum we hear half truths and what the OP wants us to hear. I always feel there is more to the story when a hammer hits.

Ive been doing this a long time, to the tune of 100s of $1000s a year and I have yet to be contacted, inquired, shutdown due to MS activities. The only questions I got, were early on at my bank, as to why I am depositing all these money orders.

In response to your specific Chase statement .. I have spent over half of $110K at GCM/GC on my Chase Southwest this year. If this doesn't spell MS activities, what does. Ive never heard a peep from Chase and I have my CP for 2018.

Nope, Citi just crushed and clawed back. I can assure you they aren't more lenient. In fact at least chase lets u keep your points. I think there have been a lot suing citi recently due to their draconian practices. There have been plenty of reports on Amex and Platinum so you can do the math on that one.

Report back when you are doing Ms.

Ha. You have no idea the amount I do. I guess Im just lucky.

Also, you mentioned Amex Platinum claw backs. Most of that fiasco was due to a link that was not intended for everyone. I used a legit Platinum link and MSd all my min spend on it, and had no issues whatsoever.

Well, I'm skeptical too about believing all these posts, but sometimes you do have to believe and be careful. I read how strict Chase was, for example. I bought a gift card, and I got flagged immediately, first time right out of the gate. So I for one DO believe those posts as true. Or at least half true like you said! :)

That's not necessarily true. Since pharmacies were a bonus category this quarter for the Freedom, I bought a $500 VGC at Walgreens one day, and 2x$500 VGCs at CVS the next day, and Chase didn't bat an eye. Maxed out my 5x points for Q2 in 2 days. I never had a fraud alert or anything.

If anything, Chase is known to be one of the more lenient banks when it comes to MS.

Wait, was this a new card and this was your first purchase after activation?

No no. It was an existing card that I put thousands on over the last 2 years, including larger purchases. I meant it was my first time buying a GC at CVS.

I did the same thing with my Freedom. Maxed the 5x drugstore category.in less than 6 days.No problems at all.

yes, i feel like the challenge is not liquidating the gc, but what to do with the mo's afterwards.

i also maxed out the q2 category, but over the span of 2 months because i was paranoid about spending so much on a new account. no problems so far, and all my purchases have been at cvs and walgreens.