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Plastiq for rent, tuition, utilities, etc.(2018 onwards)

Old Jan 1, 2018, 10:40 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: ericdabbs
Updated Dec-2023 (Plastiq Policy URL links do not work when clicked directly from FT. Copy links to address bar to view)
Visa Card Policy
https://support.plastiq.com/s/article/Visa-Card-Policy

American Express Card Policy
https://support.plastiq.com/s/article/American-Express-Card-Policy

Summary of Supported Payments by Card Brand
https://support.plastiq.com/s/article/supported-payments-by-card-brand

Official word from Plastiq regarding Visa Business cards that was asked which was previously thought it applied to only Visa Personal cards
Plastiq is unable to support mortgage payments on any Visa credit cards. This is an industry-wide mandate that affects all third-party bill payment services. Please note that mortgage payments are also unsupported for credit cards issued by U.S. Bank or Capital One and AMEX.

Plastiq Fees:
Standard Plastiq card payment processing fee is 2.9%. This puts most of the credit cards out of the reward range. Plastiq turns itself into a niche position to earn new card bonus or status threshold. Some CCs may still work.
It makes most of the reward programs not profitable. Use Plastiq to meet welcome bonus spending requirement or to meet certain spend requirements to reach elite status or for large spend bonus. Also take advantage of Plastiq referrals and promotions.


Delivery Fees (The Plastiq Ch. 11 restructure now added some delivery fees):
ACH/EFT/Electronic $0.99
Paper Check $1.49
Wire Transfer: Domestic/International $8.99/$39

This is the thread for 2018 and forward. The previous discussion can be found here.
Updated Nov-2018: A lot of the personal Visa CCs can't be used at Plastiq. Some will be treated as cash advance and won't receive any rewards. Only Capital One personal Visa CCs are not affected. Business Visa CCs are still good. The best CCs are Mastercard and Discover. AmEx CCs can still be used, but not on many of the payment types. Chase personal Visa cards are limited to the cash advance limit (typically 20% of CL). The details are listed as below:

Plastiq Referrals:
Standard Referral: When you refer your friend to Plastiq, after your friend charges $500 or more, your friend will get $500 ($0?) FFDs (fee free dollar) and you'll receive $1,000 ($100) FFDs to spend.

All personal prepaid Gift Cards (GCs) are disallowed. Not sure what "business" gift card can be used.

Successful Credit Cards Used (Posted as Purchase, Visa info outdated)
Note that Plastiq no longer accepts American Express for any transactions as of 2/10/23.
Amex Blue Business Plus
Amex Open SPG Business
AMEX SPG (non-business)
AMEX Delta business
AMEX business platinum and business gold (Canadian)
BofA - Amtrak World MC
BofA - Business Advantage Travel Rewards MC
BofA - Virgin Atlantic MC
Barclaycard Aviator Red/Silver MC
Barclaycard Arrival World MC
Chase Ink Cash Visa
Chase Ink Plus Visa
Chase Ink Preferred Visa
Chase Hyatt Visa (x2)
Chase BA Visa
Chase United MileagePlus Explorer
Chase United MileagePlus Club
Chase Sapphire Preferred (should give 2x, similar to CSR -- probably expired as of 6/5/17)
Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x, coded as travel -- this appears to have expired as of 6/5/17)
Citi Prestige MC
Citi Premier MC
Citi AT&T Access More MC (3x for rent category, misc. government services)
Citi AA Platinum MC
FIA Fidelity Mastercard
US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa

Successful Payees:
AAA (Socal, Santa Ana) insurance: Electronic payment: Processed 5/21 (Sunday), Complete 5/23, Arrived-Posted 5/26
ACS: took about 2 weeks to post
BMW Financial: Processed 10/13, Sent 10/14, Arrived-Posted 10/19
Caliber Home Loans: Processed 12/09, Sent 12/11, Arrived-Posted 12/18
Cedent mortgage
Chase Mortgage (sends check): 2 week turnaround
Citi Mortgage: Electronic - less than 1 week turnaround as of May 2017
Citizen's Auto Finance - Around 1 week.
CRA Personal Tax & GST/HST remittances
Firstmark Services (student loan, electronically remitted)
Fidelity Bank (Mortgage) https://www.fidelitybank.com/ks/Home.aspx
Flagstar Bank (Mortgage), electronic payment, posts in 2-3 days.
George Mason University: Over a week and a half.
Infiniti Financial: Processed 10/13, Sent 10/14, Arrived-Posted 10/21
Lexus Financial. Processed 3/9/16, Posted 3/14/19
Morgan Stanley Home Loans: Processed 01/14, Sent 01/15, Arrived-Posted 01/21
NA Shade & Associates LLC
National Grid Electric MA: 1 week turnaround
National Grid Gas MA: 3 week turnaround, sends physical check
Nationstar Mortgage, electionic payment, post in 2-3 days.
New York Community Bank (NYCB) Mortgage: check mailed by Plastiq 4/27, posted 5/1.
NewRez Mortgage, Sent 9/20 Arrived 9/30
"NJ City" Tax: Processed 01/21, Sent 01/22, Arrived-Posted 02/01
Penfed Mortgage: 1 week turnaround
PennyMac Mortgage: 1-1.5wk turnaround
SCE (So Cal Edison)
SoCal gas
TCF Mortgage: 1.5 week turnaround
TD Bank Mortgage (EFT)
Toyota Financial
Wawanesa USA Insurance
Wells Fargo Mortgage: Processed 10/8, Sent 10/9, Arrived-Posted 10/16
Wells Fargo Mortgage: Processed 8/6, Sent 8/9, Posted 8/16

Restrictions:
New VISA payments are not being accepted for mortgages.
*Visa Gift Card by Blackhawk does not seem to be working
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Plastiq for rent, tuition, utilities, etc.(2018 onwards)

Old Jan 15, 2019, 1:42 pm
  #436  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: Ink/Sapphire/Freedom/SPG
Posts: 338
Originally Posted by Gasolin
So my chat issue was a browser issue, I switched to the phone and could get the chat. They apparently fixed the category to Rent/Real Estate and then it worked.
Can they do that? I was trying to pay my cobra payment & it wont take.
rocky_nnc is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2019, 2:46 pm
  #437  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
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Posts: 775
Originally Posted by rocky_nnc
Can they do that? I was trying to pay my cobra payment & it wont take.
Well I put something and she updated it. But maybe the fix was something else, I don't know. But Cobra is healthcare, I was paying rent.
Gasolin is offline  
Old Jan 15, 2019, 3:47 pm
  #438  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Programs: Ink/Sapphire/Freedom/SPG
Posts: 338
Originally Posted by Gasolin
Well I put something and she updated it. But maybe the fix was something else, I don't know. But Cobra is healthcare, I was paying rent.
thanks, need to call Bofa convert my visa to master.
rocky_nnc is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 2:15 pm
  #439  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 524
Doesn't say in wiki so I will ask directly - what Plastiq alternatives are there for paying a mortgage with a Visa CC? I am okay paying up to 3%. Thanks.
FrequentFlyer9000 is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2019, 2:29 pm
  #440  
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: EWR/PHL/BWI
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Originally Posted by FrequentFlyer9000
Doesn't say in wiki so I will ask directly - what Plastiq alternatives are there for paying a mortgage with a Visa CC? I am okay paying up to 3%. Thanks.
You can pay your spouse or family member with Paypal and it charges about 3% fee. You can also use Venmo to send money. The fee is also about 3%.
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Old Jan 22, 2019, 7:55 am
  #441  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 524
Originally Posted by RedSun
You can pay your spouse or family member with Paypal and it charges about 3% fee. You can also use Venmo to send money. The fee is also about 3%.
Thanks, yeah I have done this in the past but was hoping one of the bill payment sites was still running like in the past (ChargeSmart, Plastiq, etc.) that charged only 2.2-2.5%. Thanks tho.
FrequentFlyer9000 is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2019, 12:17 pm
  #442  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MCI
Posts: 698
Ugh, still angry that they nerfed CIP 3x through Plastiq last year (some dude bought a Tesla with CIP through plastiq and blogged it allover the news I heard was a huge red flag....). I can organically spend alot as I pay back my student loans but now looks pretty dead.

Someone said CIP 3x may still be back but not sure if that's likely.
ginmqi is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2019, 12:34 pm
  #443  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Left Coast
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Posts: 1,352
He bought a Tesla and charged it to his CIP so he could get the UR from the purchase. That's not really 'news' but it did make the news.
weezl is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2019, 2:29 pm
  #444  
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by FrequentFlyer9000
Thanks, yeah I have done this in the past but was hoping one of the bill payment sites was still running like in the past (ChargeSmart, Plastiq, etc.) that charged only 2.2-2.5%. Thanks tho.
Have you looked into using your Visa to buy MCs that you use on Plastiq?

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30373410-post387.html

Supposedly there's only a 1% fee on debit card payments (per old posts), but I'm not sure if it's current. If you buy, say, $500 MC gift cards with a $5.95 activation fee and you can get a debit card fee from Plastiq well under 2%, then you'd be under 3% net. It would depend on how low the current debit card fee at Plastiq is as to how low your net fee (with both Plastiq and the gift card activation fee) would go. Also, some MC gift cards may have slightly lower activation fees; I just used the $5.95 for $500 example because that's what I've paid for gift cards I bought at my local Ralphs here in SoCal.
sdsearch is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2019, 5:52 pm
  #445  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,435
Hi,
My landlord management company recently sent out a notice about accepting e-payments for the first time. She included their address and a bank account number. She said a few other tenants are already paying via their bank's bill pay portal, but the tenant's bank mails a physical check to the landlord's address.. So I asked her about accepting e-transfers like Plastiq and similar services, and she said this:

"I’m not sure if they can send electronically since we are not a national vendor like the big retailers or credit card companies"

So my question is this: Assume I use Plastiq to try to pay them electronically, and something goes wrong. Even though I have the landlord's account number, say the e-transfer fails. Is my credit card still charged only upon a successful transfer?? Can I set up Plastiq so that sending a written check becomes a backup plan in case my landlord's account does not allow the e-payment to come in?


I understand that Plastiq allows me to choose a paper check or an e-transfer.
cheaptom is offline  
Old Jan 22, 2019, 8:33 pm
  #446  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,644
Originally Posted by sdsearch
Supposedly there's only a 1% fee on debit card payments (per old posts), but I'm not sure if it's current..
All of my trials of various MGCs have been charged the regular credit card fee on Plastiq. Just to let you know.
geclub1 is offline  
Old Jan 26, 2019, 4:49 pm
  #447  
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 81
I paid rent using Amex Platinum card and the transaction is posted as business services. Will that be counted towards MSR? Thank You
San_K is offline  
Old Jan 27, 2019, 11:56 am
  #448  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 524
Originally Posted by sdsearch
Have you looked into using your Visa to buy MCs that you use on Plastiq?

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30373410-post387.html

Supposedly there's only a 1% fee on debit card payments (per old posts), but I'm not sure if it's current. If you buy, say, $500 MC gift cards with a $5.95 activation fee and you can get a debit card fee from Plastiq well under 2%, then you'd be under 3% net. It would depend on how low the current debit card fee at Plastiq is as to how low your net fee (with both Plastiq and the gift card activation fee) would go. Also, some MC gift cards may have slightly lower activation fees; I just used the $5.95 for $500 example because that's what I've paid for gift cards I bought at my local Ralphs here in SoCal.
Thank you!
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 8:22 am
  #449  
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by FrequentFlyer9000
Thank you!
But also see geclub1's post above.

You'd have to find unusually low activation fees on MC gift cards to get below 3% total if you're going to get charged the full 2.5% with Plastiq.
sdsearch is offline  
Old Jan 31, 2019, 1:22 pm
  #450  
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 2
Question Chase World of Hyatt Charges me as a quasi-cash transaction

Weird thing happens to me. In order to get the new account bonus, I pay to my landlord (a person, not a merchant) the rent for a month using my World of Hyatt CC. As the Plastiq and all the DP said, it firstly charges me the CA limit then post as a normal purchase. Two days later, the check is sent, this transaction is posted as a "Sale" with a category "Personal" with the point exact the same amount it should be if this is a normal goods or service purchase. The CA limit also returns to full.
Then the weird thing happens. It is my first time to pay through Plastiq, so I sent an SM to Chase to double check the post is doing the right thing I want it to. But the SM told me that transaction is categorized as a "Quasi-Cash Transaction", which will be the similar interest rate or terms as Cash Advance, and will not be regarded into my spending requirement for the new account bonus.

It is weird, since the post record there is a sale with the point, according to World of Hyatt term, this activity must not be a cash-like transaction (All cash-like transaction will not get any points), meanwhile, my CA limit also returns to full. If the "Quasi Cash Transaction" does not appear anywhere, it is very dangerous. Since Chase won't tell you they charge the cash advance fee to a transaction, which is not shown as a cash-like transaction (but it is).
So how to explain the contradiction between the post and Chase SM? Or Chase is totally mistaken by how the purchase is done? Do I have any chances to change the category to the one which is regarded as spending to finish the open card mission? The only point makes me different may be that I pay to a person, not a merchant.

Last edited by LLKA; Jan 31, 2019 at 3:11 pm
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