Using gift card (specifically HD) to shift spending forward
Jan 17, 2011 | 3:12 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 102
Using gift card (specifically HD) to shift spending forward
I need to hit a certain spend on a card in the very near future and am wondering, in addition to the Mint thing, if I can buy high dollar gift cards (Home Depot, for example) that I'm going to need anyway (in the future) to shift my spending forward?
Any idea if something like this will work?
This is an Amex card, I'm trying to use it to buy 500 dollar Home Depot gift cards to hit a certain spend level in the next few weeks.
Thx!
Any idea if something like this will work?
This is an Amex card, I'm trying to use it to buy 500 dollar Home Depot gift cards to hit a certain spend level in the next few weeks.
Thx!
Jan 17, 2011 | 5:23 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2010
Location: WAS
Programs: Lotz
Posts: 1,542
Actually many giftcards (including HD) sell for about face value- sometimes over- on fleabay because a lot of buyers get % back on purchases. They also have no expiration.
I may use this since this has been my hesitation at applying for the SWA business & personal cards (16credit plus $500 giftcards) with $5K spend in 90 days requirement each. (I'm scared of coining Chase and I hate to pay the $150 each BT fee).
I may use this since this has been my hesitation at applying for the SWA business & personal cards (16credit plus $500 giftcards) with $5K spend in 90 days requirement each. (I'm scared of coining Chase and I hate to pay the $150 each BT fee).
Jan 17, 2011 | 5:43 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Northern California
Programs: Inf Elite CO, lifetime AA Platinum
Posts: 1,937
Jan 17, 2011 | 6:06 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: WN, DL, UA, AA, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 1,303
No issue with that. But why not buy Amex, Visa or Master Card gift cards through Cashback Site or something similar? That way you will have a regular credit card that you can use for anything and earn a little extra money through the purchase? Or you can buy a generic card at a local grocery store (like Safeway) that you can later turn in to almost anything. I just turned in some Walgreen's cards for Shell gas cards. These cards are becoming quite fungible.
Do you know of good/low fee Visa/MC gift cards?
Jan 17, 2011 | 7:13 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Programs: Hilton Gold, SPG & IHG Plat, & every airline program that I can join
Posts: 2,279
If you are using a Hilton Amex for the gift card purchase, be sure to buy them at a grocery or drug store so you get the 6 points per dollar. I buy Ebay gift cards at the grocery and then go to Giftcards.com thru Big Crumbs and simply buy more ebay gift cards at face and get the 36% of the seller fee back in rebates, almost $2 per $50 card, or 4% on your money. Rinse, lather and repeat.
Jan 17, 2011 | 7:45 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 102
It's one of those "spend 25K in 3 months; get more SPG points" promos on the Amex card. I might hit it with my normal expenses, but I don't want to worry about it; so I need a fallback position if I can't get the spend "normally" and through orders from the Mint.
Is there any "normal" Visa/MC/Amex gift card that I can buy with no (or almost no) transaction fees that will work like this? I only pick HD because I know I can spend it in the future, but, even better would be Visa/MC/Amex card (and, best of all would be one that I can take in for cash!).
Please, feel free to point me in another direction!
Is there any "normal" Visa/MC/Amex gift card that I can buy with no (or almost no) transaction fees that will work like this? I only pick HD because I know I can spend it in the future, but, even better would be Visa/MC/Amex card (and, best of all would be one that I can take in for cash!).
Please, feel free to point me in another direction!
Jan 17, 2011 | 8:10 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin TX
Programs: HH Dia, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 442
It's one of those "spend 25K in 3 months; get more SPG points" promos on the Amex card. I might hit it with my normal expenses, but I don't want to worry about it; so I need a fallback position if I can't get the spend "normally" and through orders from the Mint.
Is there any "normal" Visa/MC/Amex gift card that I can buy with no (or almost no) transaction fees that will work like this? I only pick HD because I know I can spend it in the future, but, even better would be Visa/MC/Amex card (and, best of all would be one that I can take in for cash!).
Please, feel free to point me in another direction!
Is there any "normal" Visa/MC/Amex gift card that I can buy with no (or almost no) transaction fees that will work like this? I only pick HD because I know I can spend it in the future, but, even better would be Visa/MC/Amex card (and, best of all would be one that I can take in for cash!).
Please, feel free to point me in another direction!
NOTE: AMEX GC no longer work for Mint purchases but will work fine almost anywhere AMEX is accepted.
Jan 17, 2011 | 8:18 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 102
Will buying the Amex giftcard with an Amex CC get me points (or will they realize what I'm doing and prevent me from doing it)?
Is there a way to "cash advance" against the gift card (obviously, besides the mint)?
Is there a way to "cash advance" against the gift card (obviously, besides the mint)?
You can order AMEX GC online at americanexpress.com/gift. You can use the code: EMSVC2 to avoid the purchase fees. There is also a 90 day free shipping trial. If you click through bigcrumbs, as others have mentioned, you can get 1.6% cashback.
NOTE: AMEX GC no longer work for Mint purchases but will work fine almost anywhere AMEX is accepted.
NOTE: AMEX GC no longer work for Mint purchases but will work fine almost anywhere AMEX is accepted.
Jan 17, 2011 | 8:30 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Austin TX
Programs: HH Dia, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 442
Since the Mint no longer works, I'm unaware of an easy "cash advance" with these GC's. They should work to pull spending forward just fine though.
Jan 18, 2011 | 3:04 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA, AA, SPG, HH, PC, Hyatt
Posts: 15
EBAY gift cards via giftcards.com
I've looked through the giftcards.com website, but I didn't find anything about EBAY gift cards. Can you please post the link?
Sorry if I missed something obvious.
Quote:
If you are using a Hilton Amex for the gift card purchase, be sure to buy them at a grocery or drug store so you get the 6 points per dollar. I buy Ebay gift cards at the grocery and then go to Giftcards.com thru Big Crumbs and simply buy more ebay gift cards at face and get the 36% of the seller fee back in rebates, almost $2 per $50 card, or 4% on your money. Rinse, lather and repeat.
Sorry if I missed something obvious.
Quote:
If you are using a Hilton Amex for the gift card purchase, be sure to buy them at a grocery or drug store so you get the 6 points per dollar. I buy Ebay gift cards at the grocery and then go to Giftcards.com thru Big Crumbs and simply buy more ebay gift cards at face and get the 36% of the seller fee back in rebates, almost $2 per $50 card, or 4% on your money. Rinse, lather and repeat.
Jan 19, 2011 | 9:39 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,774
I've looked through the giftcards.com website, but I didn't find anything about EBAY gift cards. Can you please post the link?
Sorry if I missed something obvious.
Quote:
If you are using a Hilton Amex for the gift card purchase, be sure to buy them at a grocery or drug store so you get the 6 points per dollar. I buy Ebay gift cards at the grocery and then go to Giftcards.com thru Big Crumbs and simply buy more ebay gift cards at face and get the 36% of the seller fee back in rebates, almost $2 per $50 card, or 4% on your money. Rinse, lather and repeat.
Sorry if I missed something obvious.
Quote:
If you are using a Hilton Amex for the gift card purchase, be sure to buy them at a grocery or drug store so you get the 6 points per dollar. I buy Ebay gift cards at the grocery and then go to Giftcards.com thru Big Crumbs and simply buy more ebay gift cards at face and get the 36% of the seller fee back in rebates, almost $2 per $50 card, or 4% on your money. Rinse, lather and repeat.
Yeah it was something obvious. She buys them at the grocery store.
Jan 20, 2011 | 2:24 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,062
Jan 20, 2011 | 6:13 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 102
Sorry, I should have been more clear. It was a new customer (only, AFAIK) bonus. I'm moving my business from the US Air card to SPG, and just recently signed up with them. IIRC, the promo was 10K miles for the first purchase, and then 15K if you spend 15K in the next 6 months.