Jan 3, 2019, 1:46 pm
Last edit by: randomperson24
NEW TO MS? It's suggested that new arrivals should do some serious reading for a month of all the posts and wiki to get an understanding of MS before asking common questions.
Note: the 2017 - 2018 version of this thread is here, 2016 version of this thread is here, the 2015 version of the thread is here
Welcome to Manufactured Spending. Marathon Man did not write this message, but he has edited it and anyone can. 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.
3) A glossary wiki for MS located in the thread Glossary, Manufactured Spending Forum
Important Rules
1) MSing is very YMMV. It varies by store, manager, and right down to the cashier working at the moment. Some might argue that MS is like card counting in a casino. It is not illegal but casinos don’t like it. Orhers have said it’s like having a fake ID in college to use just to get into bars where all the fun is. Just because it worked here yesterday doesn’t mean it will get you in today. MS is like being a wood worker constantly using a table saw. Always watch what you are doing—always! Or you will lose something. 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).
6) MSing can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from smallish amounts to meet minimum spend requirements to get a credit card signup bonus, to accumulating huge numbers of points for travel/cashback/etc. Remember too that you will often have expenses such as purchase fees, liquidation fees, and gas.
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 MSers can also read all these threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-spending-719/
Note: the 2017 - 2018 version of this thread is here, 2016 version of this thread is here, the 2015 version of the thread is here
Welcome to Manufactured Spending. Marathon Man did not write this message, but he has edited it and anyone can. 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.
3) A glossary wiki for MS located in the thread Glossary, Manufactured Spending Forum
Important Rules
1) MSing is very YMMV. It varies by store, manager, and right down to the cashier working at the moment. Some might argue that MS is like card counting in a casino. It is not illegal but casinos don’t like it. Orhers have said it’s like having a fake ID in college to use just to get into bars where all the fun is. Just because it worked here yesterday doesn’t mean it will get you in today. MS is like being a wood worker constantly using a table saw. Always watch what you are doing—always! Or you will lose something. 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).
6) MSing can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from smallish amounts to meet minimum spend requirements to get a credit card signup bonus, to accumulating huge numbers of points for travel/cashback/etc. Remember too that you will often have expenses such as purchase fees, liquidation fees, and gas.
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 MSers can also read all these threads:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manuf...-spending-719/
New to Manufactured Spending? Start here (2019-2024)
Mar 26, 2024, 5:30 am
#856
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 340
Thanks so much for this resource! Trying to get the lay of the land on how to liquidate VGCs/MGCs. I've read through a few of the "master threads" but I don't want to get tunnel vision. Nobody tell me your secret honeypots, I'm only interested in the well-known angles for now. So my question is:
Other than organic spending/paying bills, weird crypto stuff, or different refund trickery, it seems like there are 5 popular ways to liquidate (and none of them always works). What am I missing?
I tried searching this forum for "master thread" and didn't notice any others.
Other than organic spending/paying bills, weird crypto stuff, or different refund trickery, it seems like there are 5 popular ways to liquidate (and none of them always works). What am I missing?
- money order
- Discover
- Bluebird
- Serve
- One
I tried searching this forum for "master thread" and didn't notice any others.
Mar 26, 2024, 8:30 am
#857
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 154
Mar 26, 2024, 6:22 pm
#858
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 340
Mar 26, 2024, 7:39 pm
#859
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 154
Mar 29, 2024, 8:09 am
#860
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 154
Has anyone tried the following techniques?
Thinking about how to liquidate GCs. I was wondering whether anyone had tried the following methods:
- This (search prepaid, I assume they mean reloadable but idk)
- Load this using this
- Load this with GC (I see that you can do it with cash)
- Kid debit questions: Has anyone tried using a) this or b) google pay to load this? I'm not sure whether this is possible but a random site suggested that it was. There was a reddit post last year about loading GL with GC directly, but I think this was not scalable.
Last edited by TyrannicalDuncery; Mar 29, 2024 at 10:55 am
Mar 31, 2024, 3:41 pm
#861
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
Thinking about how to liquidate GCs. I was wondering whether anyone had tried the following methods:
- This (search prepaid, I assume they mean reloadable but idk)
- Load this using this
- Load this with GC (I see that you can do it with cash)
- Kid debit questions: Has anyone tried using a) this or b) google pay to load this? I'm not sure whether this is possible but a random site suggested that it was. There was a reddit post last year about loading GL with GC directly, but I think this was not scalable.
And just for fun, any cash deposit costs $1. And that is for the green stuff.
IOWs, until someone shows me otherwise, Cash App is worthless for MS
Apr 1, 2024, 4:23 pm
#863
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: AZ
Posts: 187
Thinking about how to liquidate GCs. I was wondering whether anyone had tried the following methods:
- This (search prepaid, I assume they mean reloadable but idk)
- Load this using this
- Load this with GC (I see that you can do it with cash)
- Kid debit questions: Has anyone tried using a) this or b) google pay to load this? I'm not sure whether this is possible but a random site suggested that it was. There was a reddit post last year about loading GL with GC directly, but I think this was not scalable.
Apr 2, 2024, 2:02 pm
#864
Join Date: Oct 2023
Posts: 275
Don't know about all the other links which were crazy, but in regards to the Cash App, I have yet to figure out how to get a GC to link with it.
And just for fun, any cash deposit costs $1. And that is for the green stuff.
IOWs, until someone shows me otherwise, Cash App is worthless for MS
And just for fun, any cash deposit costs $1. And that is for the green stuff.
IOWs, until someone shows me otherwise, Cash App is worthless for MS
Apr 2, 2024, 2:13 pm
#865
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 154
Thanks SailorJoe! Makes sense. That makes me think of a few more questions, no pressure to answer. Not gonna touch #3. 
- Do you find that there are benefits of Serve Visa vs Serve Amex? Am I correct that the ones available now all have unwaivable monthly fees (unless you live in certain states or do the zero balance thing)?
- For the CVS/Safeway/Rite Aid thing:
- is this via the offers/boosts? Is this a good reference?
- If so, am I correct that I need the Cash App card for some or all of those?
- If yes, do you know how the Cash App card relates to Chex and EWS? Like does Cash App report to EWS, and does it check EWS or Chex when you apply for the card?
- If so, am I correct that I need the Cash App card for some or all of those?
- It sounds like the card spends from my Cash App balance, so I load the balance first and then spend on the card, correct?
- is this via the offers/boosts? Is this a good reference?
- You said that you can't load cash app with GC at WM; can you load cash app with GC elsewhere/online? (I assume not.)
Last edited by TyrannicalDuncery; Apr 2, 2024 at 2:26 pm
Apr 2, 2024, 5:05 pm
#866
Join Date: Oct 2023
Posts: 275
Thanks SailorJoe! Makes sense. That makes me think of a few more questions, no pressure to answer. Not gonna touch #3.
- Do you find that there are benefits of Serve Visa vs Serve Amex? Am I correct that the ones available now all have unwaivable monthly fees (unless you live in certain states or do the zero balance thing)?
Monthly fees are easy to avoid. If your balance is Zero on fee day, they waive it automatically. This still works for me at least ;-)
- For the CVS/Safeway/Rite Aid thing:
- is this via the offers/boosts? Is this a good reference?
- If so, am I correct that I need the Cash App card for some or all of those?
- If yes, do you know how the Cash App card relates to Chex and EWS? Like does Cash App report to EWS, and does it check EWS or Chex when you apply for the card?
- If so, am I correct that I need the Cash App card for some or all of those?
- It sounds like the card spends from my Cash App balance, so I load the balance first and then spend on the card, correct?
- is this via the offers/boosts? Is this a good reference?
Loading Cash App is easy, it pulls from a debit card of your choice, which is instant.
Nope. No good for that part of MS. Plenty of other options for that.
Last edited by SailorJoe; Apr 2, 2024 at 5:07 pm Reason: updated answer
Apr 2, 2024, 5:52 pm
#867
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 154
BB Visa vs Amex noob library (WIP)
Is there any advantage to BB Visa vs Amex? I saw a little bit of info on the BB master thread, I will catalog links I find here. A lot of this information is old. I'll go back and tag it with dates. Hopefully make another one for Serve. Even if I'm wrong, it will be bait to get experts to comment and tell me how I'm wrong LOL.
Let me know if it's bad to post this, either because it's like disinfo since I'm dumb or it's spilling the tea if I'm smart.
SailorJoe said that they use ca$h to get $$$ off; does that work with Amex?
Let me know if it's bad to post this, either because it's like disinfo since I'm dumb or it's spilling the tea if I'm smart.
SailorJoe said that they use ca$h to get $$$ off; does that work with Amex?
- Visa easier to drain: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33043772-post1301.html
- Somebody thinks they can load something on Amex not Visa: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33145565-post1384.html
- Somebody else implying that maybe: https://flyertalk.com/forum/33135398-post1376.html
- Something not loading on Amex, maybe they mean it might work on Visa but I don't think so https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33145857-post1385.html
- Someone thinks there are different swipe limits sometimes https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34074779-post1718.html
- Someone thinks that Visa can pay bills and Amex can't: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35092457-post1899.html
- Somone thinks that Visa allows PIN debit transactions, someone thinks that Amex deposits process faster https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34104360-post1728.html
- Some people get approved/banned for one and not the other
Apr 2, 2024, 6:16 pm
#868
Join Date: Dec 2023
Posts: 12
Is there any advantage to BB Visa vs Amex? I saw a little bit of info on the BB master thread, I will catalog links I find here. A lot of this information is old. I'll go back and tag it with dates. Hopefully make another one for Serve. Even if I'm wrong, it will be bait to get experts to comment and tell me how I'm wrong LOL.
Let me know if it's bad to post this, either because it's like disinfo since I'm dumb or it's spilling the tea if I'm smart.
SailorJoe said that they use ca$h to get $$$ off; does that work with Amex?
Let me know if it's bad to post this, either because it's like disinfo since I'm dumb or it's spilling the tea if I'm smart.
SailorJoe said that they use ca$h to get $$$ off; does that work with Amex?
- Visa easier to drain: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33043772-post1301.html
- Somebody thinks they can load something on Amex not Visa: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33145565-post1384.html
- Somebody else implying that maybe: https://flyertalk.com/forum/33135398-post1376.html
- Something not loading on Amex, maybe they mean it might work on Visa but I don't think so https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33145857-post1385.html
- Someone thinks there are different swipe limits sometimes https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34074779-post1718.html
- Someone thinks that Visa can pay bills and Amex can't: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35092457-post1899.html
- Somone thinks that Visa allows PIN debit transactions, someone thinks that Amex deposits process faster https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34104360-post1728.html
- Some people get approved/banned for one and not the other
Apr 2, 2024, 7:06 pm
#869
Join Date: Jun 2023
Posts: 154
A big acronym you'll see in this forum is YMMV - your mileage may vary - which is why there's so many seemingly wishy washy answers. A big part of it is trial and error; the best way to know what will work for you will just be picking a method, trying it out and seeing what happens. Start small, don't make a fuss, if it's not working just try to complete the transaction with cash or a real debit card and try again another day so you don't burn the location, and if does work, boom you've got it.
I've done a good amount of reading on the master thread on what has tended to work/not work, and what people try when it doesn't. Planning to start small with ONE and BB and a few other organic-ish exit options. (Don't want the Chex hit for Disco yet and I'm not adult enough to avoid the Serve fee.) I have some VGCs with tiny balances left to test with. But like I said, I'm not sure which BB to start with.
Apr 3, 2024, 7:41 am
#870
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,442
Thanks, yeah that makes sense. I was trying to think which BB to get, but maybe I should get both? Or is it better to start with one in case I get shut down and then move to the other? What do you think?
I've done a good amount of reading on the master thread on what has tended to work/not work, and what people try when it doesn't. Planning to start small with ONE and BB and a few other organic-ish exit options. (Don't want the Chex hit for Disco yet and I'm not adult enough to avoid the Serve fee.) I have some VGCs with tiny balances left to test with. But like I said, I'm not sure which BB to start with.
I've done a good amount of reading on the master thread on what has tended to work/not work, and what people try when it doesn't. Planning to start small with ONE and BB and a few other organic-ish exit options. (Don't want the Chex hit for Disco yet and I'm not adult enough to avoid the Serve fee.) I have some VGCs with tiny balances left to test with. But like I said, I'm not sure which BB to start with.
BB Visa is easier to bill pay off of. BB Amex in general does not allow Amex cards to be loaded into their system for payment whereas BB Visa does. In fact BB Amex can be a PIA when doing credit card BP in general. Serve is also better at paying CCs.
I am going to have to ask SailorJoe more about using the CashApp. I have yet to figure out how to load Go without a big fee but if he is saying that I could use BB Visa to load to CashApp to load to Go, that may be a solution to my fee dilemma. Go will only charge $1 to load from CashApp.
Need to figure this out.
As a final warning , be careful about overdoing Amex Serve or BB (uncertain about Visa variant.) Once banned, it appears to be for life
.