Buy Presidential Dollar Coins with CC @ Face Value, Free Shipping
Jun 16, 2009, 4:58 pm
#2431
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: America's Finest City
Posts: 10,936
Mega-easy! I ordered 6/9, they turned up yesterday next day air and Mr. LLM carried them to bank for me today where they accepted the deposit no question, still in the little boxes.
Jun 17, 2009, 8:16 am
#2433
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,638
Dollar Coin Direct Ship F.A.Q.
where do i buy direct ship dollar coins without paying for shipping?
the $1 coins available for purchase at face value with free shipping are available here.
why aren't the most currently available coins listed?
some time, maybe a few months, after the coins are introduced, they usually become available for direct shipping.
what do i have to do to get free shipping?
free shipping is available on qualifying orders of coins listed on the direct ship page. you are allowed to order $5000 of native american coins, and $500 of each presidential issue.
why does it show a $4.95 shipping fee?
keep going until you get to the final screen and place your order. if the order qualifies, shipping and handling should appear as $0. [nb: it has been reported once that the shipping charge might sometimes stay on if your shipping and billing addresses do not match]
what happens if i order more than $5000 n.a. coins or $500 per president?
if you have registered and logged in to your account, your order will probably be canceled automatically. if you have not registered or have not logged in, you may be able to receive repeat orders. some FTers have reported greater success by using different credit cards.
but the website says the limit is "per order" so why can't i just place another "order"?
yes, we know what the website says. in practice, the limits apply per issue, per household. [nb: i am not aware of any data points regarding using the same credit card but shipping to different addresses (i.e., home and office)]
will my coin purchase be counted as a cash advance (and charged a fee)? will i get any points?
no FTer has reported a cash advance fee for buying the coins. the purchases usually appear as "government services" on the credit card statement, and appear to be treated like any other purchase.
this is not the same as amex's recent change to their t&c's to exclude travelers checks and other "cash-equivalent" transactions from point-earning purchases. while it is true that you are buying cash directly from the mint, the mint also sells non-cash and collectibles, and amex has no way of knowing.
how long does it take for the mint to ship my order?
anywhere from 2 days to over a month. the variables are unknown. expect delays any time the mint changes its rules (like when it instituted user accounts) or makes a new line of coins available.
should i register an account with the mint?
the primary advantages of registering are (1) the ability to track your order and (2) your address and billing info are already filled in when you order. but while logged in you are limited to a maximum of $5000 n.a. coins and $500/president.
when i track my order, it says the order is "on hold," "in process," etc. what do these mean?
no one really knows. the only status messages that matter are the ones telling you your order has shipped or has been canceled. sometimes the reason for the cancellation can be inscrutable, such as "line canceled," which can imply that the mint ran out of direct ship rolls for that issue, or has ceased making that issue available for direct shipping.
are the coins circulating or uncirculating
the direct ship coins are circulating.
when i placed my order, the available credit on my card went down by $500/$5000, but i wasn't charged. what happened?
the mint puts an authorization hold on your account for the amount of your order. this is normal. sometimes the hold expires before the mint confirms the charge, which can happen if it takes a long time to ship.
i got my coins yesterday, but i was not charged! woo-hoo! did i just get a stimulus grant?
sometimes the charge gets processed and posted after you get the coins. no one has reported getting coins for free.
how are the coins shipped? what if i'm not home when they come?
according to the mint, all orders of merchandise in excess of $300 are upgraded to expedited shipping, which means they are shipped UPS next-day, signature required. if you order more than $2500, the shipment will come in two boxes (which do not always arrive together) and they are heavy!
are there any issues with depositing my coins at my bank?
some banks/branches allow you to drop off the rolls ($25 each) without breaking them. at least one FTer has reported being required to put an account number on each roll. some banks require the rolls to be broken and either put into a coin counting machine or in coin bags.
the biggest problem is with the bags, which are measured by weight and not by the number of coins. worse, the bags are not opened in front of you, making it difficult to dispute a recount.
the $1 coins available for purchase at face value with free shipping are available here.
why aren't the most currently available coins listed?
some time, maybe a few months, after the coins are introduced, they usually become available for direct shipping.
what do i have to do to get free shipping?
free shipping is available on qualifying orders of coins listed on the direct ship page. you are allowed to order $5000 of native american coins, and $500 of each presidential issue.
why does it show a $4.95 shipping fee?
keep going until you get to the final screen and place your order. if the order qualifies, shipping and handling should appear as $0. [nb: it has been reported once that the shipping charge might sometimes stay on if your shipping and billing addresses do not match]
what happens if i order more than $5000 n.a. coins or $500 per president?
if you have registered and logged in to your account, your order will probably be canceled automatically. if you have not registered or have not logged in, you may be able to receive repeat orders. some FTers have reported greater success by using different credit cards.
but the website says the limit is "per order" so why can't i just place another "order"?
yes, we know what the website says. in practice, the limits apply per issue, per household. [nb: i am not aware of any data points regarding using the same credit card but shipping to different addresses (i.e., home and office)]
will my coin purchase be counted as a cash advance (and charged a fee)? will i get any points?
no FTer has reported a cash advance fee for buying the coins. the purchases usually appear as "government services" on the credit card statement, and appear to be treated like any other purchase.
this is not the same as amex's recent change to their t&c's to exclude travelers checks and other "cash-equivalent" transactions from point-earning purchases. while it is true that you are buying cash directly from the mint, the mint also sells non-cash and collectibles, and amex has no way of knowing.
how long does it take for the mint to ship my order?
anywhere from 2 days to over a month. the variables are unknown. expect delays any time the mint changes its rules (like when it instituted user accounts) or makes a new line of coins available.
should i register an account with the mint?
the primary advantages of registering are (1) the ability to track your order and (2) your address and billing info are already filled in when you order. but while logged in you are limited to a maximum of $5000 n.a. coins and $500/president.
when i track my order, it says the order is "on hold," "in process," etc. what do these mean?
no one really knows. the only status messages that matter are the ones telling you your order has shipped or has been canceled. sometimes the reason for the cancellation can be inscrutable, such as "line canceled," which can imply that the mint ran out of direct ship rolls for that issue, or has ceased making that issue available for direct shipping.
are the coins circulating or uncirculating
the direct ship coins are circulating.
when i placed my order, the available credit on my card went down by $500/$5000, but i wasn't charged. what happened?
the mint puts an authorization hold on your account for the amount of your order. this is normal. sometimes the hold expires before the mint confirms the charge, which can happen if it takes a long time to ship.
i got my coins yesterday, but i was not charged! woo-hoo! did i just get a stimulus grant?
sometimes the charge gets processed and posted after you get the coins. no one has reported getting coins for free.
how are the coins shipped? what if i'm not home when they come?
according to the mint, all orders of merchandise in excess of $300 are upgraded to expedited shipping, which means they are shipped UPS next-day, signature required. if you order more than $2500, the shipment will come in two boxes (which do not always arrive together) and they are heavy!
are there any issues with depositing my coins at my bank?
some banks/branches allow you to drop off the rolls ($25 each) without breaking them. at least one FTer has reported being required to put an account number on each roll. some banks require the rolls to be broken and either put into a coin counting machine or in coin bags.
the biggest problem is with the bags, which are measured by weight and not by the number of coins. worse, the bags are not opened in front of you, making it difficult to dispute a recount.
Last edited by crabbing; Jun 24, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Jun 17, 2009, 8:38 am
#2434
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Titantium Elite
Posts: 144
I've now received 4 orders of NA coins at the max value this month alone - same account. As soon as an order ships, I place the next order. No cancellations at all so far.
Jun 17, 2009, 9:27 am
#2435
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
Please... this has been discussed in several posts in the past. I agree with the reasoning, and it sounds like others agree, too. We don't need to report how much in total each has ordered and received.
Please don't do this people. As noted almost ad nauseum in this thread that can lead to a killed deal.
Suffice it to say that you would get some pretty honest high numbers, a few outright lies, but the real good people (at milking deals) will never tell you the exact number.
Suffice it to say that you would get some pretty honest high numbers, a few outright lies, but the real good people (at milking deals) will never tell you the exact number.
Last edited by buschoi; Jun 17, 2009 at 9:38 am
Jun 17, 2009, 9:34 am
#2436
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
when i track my order, it says the order is "on hold," "in process," etc. what do these mean?
no one really knows. the only status messages that matter are the ones telling you your order has shipped or has been canceled. sometimes the reason for the cancellation can be inscrutable, such as "line canceled," which can imply that the mint ran out of direct ship rolls for that issue, or has ceased making that issue available for direct shipping.
no one really knows. the only status messages that matter are the ones telling you your order has shipped or has been canceled. sometimes the reason for the cancellation can be inscrutable, such as "line canceled," which can imply that the mint ran out of direct ship rolls for that issue, or has ceased making that issue available for direct shipping.
From my observation, I notice that when the Mint has reviewed the order and sent it off to the contractor for packing, the status changes from "on hold" to "in process." So I guess when the status is still "on hold", the Mint is taking its time to verify the order. When it is "in process", it is waiting for the contractor to do the packing and shipment.
This is purely my observation and guess, and I could be wrong.
Jun 17, 2009, 12:46 pm
#2437
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 133
great summary! ^
regarding the cancelling of presidents, looks like it's indeed only isolated problem to presidents. my NAs got shipped today, they were ordered same day as the presidents (which got cancelled).
let the geese fly!
regarding the cancelling of presidents, looks like it's indeed only isolated problem to presidents. my NAs got shipped today, they were ordered same day as the presidents (which got cancelled).
let the geese fly!
Jun 17, 2009, 12:55 pm
#2438
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Des Moines
Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Gold
Posts: 186
Order limit gone for n.a.?
Has anyone else noticed that the former order limit of $5k for the N.A. coins seems to be gone? Has anyone had any luck ordering more than $5k on one order?
Jun 17, 2009, 1:39 pm
#2439
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 1,139
We are doing a good thing
Just wanted to post a suggestion and a few thoughts.
I have used the coins to open fee-free new accounts (generally with a $75 - $100 new account bonus) at numerous banks. Everyone is nice to a new customer; and, when you make subsequent deposits of coins in smaller increments than the first $5,000, they are "relieved". If you have many accounts, you have less chance of irritating the tellers (as opposed to constantly bringing coins into the same bank).
Let's not forget that we are doing an enormous patrotic service here. Maybe that is why the mint is so nice when they cancel an order (giving the hint "feel free to place your order again")
The dollar coins allow the government to reduce costs (dollar coins are better in the long run than paper dollars). The difficulty is in getting common people to deal with a new system, i.e. change (no pun intended). Remember the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin disaster?
When we buy coins, the Mint observes an increase in demand and produces more coins. When we deposit the coins I hope that the coins enter the banking / Federal Reserve system (correct me if I am wrong) rather than going back to the Mint. When the banking system recognizes that is has an enormous quantity of dollar coins, it forces its banks to take more delivery of dollar coins instead of dollar bills and the banks but the same pressure on their retail business customers. More dollar coins get handed out to the common folk.
Gradually, individual customers become more accustomed to dollar coins and eventually dollar coins become more prevalent than paper dollars. While this long process occurs, the Mint keeps producing more coins to keep the process working because of our credit card orders. The government saves more money in the long run than it incurs in the short-term costs of paying the credit card fees and shipping. We get free and upgraded travel as the workhorses of this system (it takes a full suitcase and a backpack to transport $5,000 in dollar coins; hence the term workhorse.
Hopefully, it will last. If the Wall Street Journal does another article like it did with Charter One gift cards, everything will be ruined. All of the other great techiques have ended (emoneymail, C2it, Traveller's Cheques by mail (Hi Beatta), Series I and EE bonds, Valumags, and Charter One Gift Cards) so I guess this one will too - but this one is a little different in that it produces a long-term benefit to the economy.
I have used the coins to open fee-free new accounts (generally with a $75 - $100 new account bonus) at numerous banks. Everyone is nice to a new customer; and, when you make subsequent deposits of coins in smaller increments than the first $5,000, they are "relieved". If you have many accounts, you have less chance of irritating the tellers (as opposed to constantly bringing coins into the same bank).
Let's not forget that we are doing an enormous patrotic service here. Maybe that is why the mint is so nice when they cancel an order (giving the hint "feel free to place your order again")
The dollar coins allow the government to reduce costs (dollar coins are better in the long run than paper dollars). The difficulty is in getting common people to deal with a new system, i.e. change (no pun intended). Remember the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin disaster?
When we buy coins, the Mint observes an increase in demand and produces more coins. When we deposit the coins I hope that the coins enter the banking / Federal Reserve system (correct me if I am wrong) rather than going back to the Mint. When the banking system recognizes that is has an enormous quantity of dollar coins, it forces its banks to take more delivery of dollar coins instead of dollar bills and the banks but the same pressure on their retail business customers. More dollar coins get handed out to the common folk.
Gradually, individual customers become more accustomed to dollar coins and eventually dollar coins become more prevalent than paper dollars. While this long process occurs, the Mint keeps producing more coins to keep the process working because of our credit card orders. The government saves more money in the long run than it incurs in the short-term costs of paying the credit card fees and shipping. We get free and upgraded travel as the workhorses of this system (it takes a full suitcase and a backpack to transport $5,000 in dollar coins; hence the term workhorse.
Hopefully, it will last. If the Wall Street Journal does another article like it did with Charter One gift cards, everything will be ruined. All of the other great techiques have ended (emoneymail, C2it, Traveller's Cheques by mail (Hi Beatta), Series I and EE bonds, Valumags, and Charter One Gift Cards) so I guess this one will too - but this one is a little different in that it produces a long-term benefit to the economy.
Jun 17, 2009, 2:06 pm
#2440
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Maryland
Programs: AA, CO, US, UA, MX , DL - dirt everywhere
Posts: 70
I noticed that yesterday, but will not push my luck. I am more interested in getting a steady stream of smaller orders long-term.
Jun 17, 2009, 2:36 pm
#2441
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Independence, MO USA
Programs: AA LT Gold & Marriott Gold
Posts: 275
I didn't finalize the order but I went to the final stages on ordering 30 NA's The order was ready for purcase and the $4.95 shipping fee disappeared like normal. I wasn't ready for 30 so I cancelled out.
Jun 17, 2009, 2:47 pm
#2442
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 2,026
Get the Amex Hilton HHonors Surpass card, then buy 160 boxes of native coins, and you've got diamond status... looking forward to hearing the first story of that...
Jun 17, 2009, 2:51 pm
#2443
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Hopefully on a plane...
Posts: 6,580
Well I just ordered 20+ Native America boxes.
*edit* the charge HAS hit my credit card as pending...
I will let you know if it gets canceled. If anyone thinks I would be better to keep this under wraps, please let me know.
*edit* the charge HAS hit my credit card as pending...
I will let you know if it gets canceled. If anyone thinks I would be better to keep this under wraps, please let me know.
Last edited by WBurcham; Jun 17, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Jun 17, 2009, 2:56 pm
#2444
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Hopefully on a plane...
Posts: 6,580
Just another note, everyone please notice that the mint has started working to track via cookies:
https://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wc...=10001&userId=XXXXXXXX
Also, tracking of orders is now back if you want to take advantage of that.
https://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wc...=10001&userId=XXXXXXXX
Also, tracking of orders is now back if you want to take advantage of that.
Jun 17, 2009, 3:08 pm
#2445
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: DFW/SEA
Programs: *A Silver, AA Gold + Miles Scattered Everywhere.
Posts: 2,045
Just another note, everyone please notice that the mint has started working to track via cookies:
https://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wc...=10001&userId=XXXXXXXX
Also, tracking of orders is now back if you want to take advantage of that.
https://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wc...=10001&userId=XXXXXXXX
Also, tracking of orders is now back if you want to take advantage of that.
When the banking system recognizes that is has an enormous quantity of dollar coins, it forces its banks to take more delivery of dollar coins instead of dollar bills and the banks but the same pressure on their retail business customers. More dollar coins get handed out to the common folk.
) about customers looking for dollar coins.