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[No longer working]Free Air Miles

[No longer working]Free Air Miles

Old Jan 14, 2012, 8:51 pm
  #1  
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[No longer working]Free Air Miles

Step 1) Go to Safeway
Step 2) Buy a bunch of Fee Free Visa GC's with Air Miles card, and CC for best results
Step 3) Wait for miles to post.
Step 4) Spend the GC or use 'cash advance' function in a POS machine
Step 5) Repeat.

Worked for me.
The one I went to was in Richmond.
My boss wanted my receipt so I gave it to him, so no receipt this time. Sorry FT!

Last edited by AA_EXP09; Jan 14, 2012 at 8:53 pm Reason: Location
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Old Jan 14, 2012, 9:14 pm
  #2  
 
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Isn't this the same as buying the Amex cards via Bigcrumbs with a promo code? At least that way we also get an $80 rebate on the $5K charge plus the miles.

Cheers!

JudyJFLA
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Old Jan 14, 2012, 9:26 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by JudyJFLA
Isn't this the same as buying the Amex cards via Bigcrumbs with a promo code? At least that way we also get an $80 rebate on the $5K charge plus the miles.

Cheers!

JudyJFLA
No, this is buying the miles in store at Safeway.
Then, this way, I can get 5% back on my CC (MBNA), and I also get 1 mile for every $20 that I spend there.
(I hate how there is a limit on the 5%.......)
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Old Jan 14, 2012, 10:17 pm
  #4  
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This will work in many grocery stores and has been reported numerous times. It's still a good idea!
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Old Jan 14, 2012, 10:20 pm
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And you don't lose any money in any fees associated with cash advances or card activation?
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Old Jan 14, 2012, 10:29 pm
  #6  
 
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yeah the fees.. what's up with those? I would simply want to buy the cards, cash them out at an ATM, then deposit back into my account and pay my bill
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Old Jan 14, 2012, 10:41 pm
  #7  
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Originally Posted by zoobtoob
And you don't lose any money in any fees associated with cash advances or card activation?
Originally Posted by RobertNC
yeah the fees.. what's up with those? I would simply want to buy the cards, cash them out at an ATM, then deposit back into my account and pay my bill
It says in the pic fee free, and I was only charged $50 each.
The POS statement when I hit 'cash advance' charges 0% merchant discount, and my boss adds the value of the cash advance to my paycheck.
My last paycheck was $35,716.88
(32,500 was from putting gift cards into the POS machine!)
I bought $7500 worth of these.
Now to wait for my AMEX FR.....
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Old Jan 14, 2012, 10:53 pm
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Originally Posted by AA_EXP09
It says in the pic fee free, and I was only charged $50 each.
The POS statement when I hit 'cash advance' charges 0% merchant discount, and my boss adds the value of the cash advance to my paycheck.
My last paycheck was $35,716.88
(32,500 was from putting gift cards into the POS machine!)
I bought $7500 worth of these.
Now to wait for my AMEX FR.....
Sorry, but what is "POS machine"? Do you work at Safeway?
Also, i've never seen "fee free" visa GC. What does it look like?

Thanks,
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Old Jan 15, 2012, 1:05 am
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by AA_EXP09
my boss adds the value of the cash advance to my paycheck.
My last paycheck was $35,716.88
And how is it going to look on your income tax?
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Old Jan 15, 2012, 1:26 am
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Originally Posted by zoobtoob
And how is it going to look on your income tax?
It looks like a big loser (but might be considered reimbursement, unless the boss wanted to knock this off as a deduction)
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Old Jan 15, 2012, 4:17 am
  #11  
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Wink

Erm ... POS is Point Of Sale, meaning a cash register or similar checkout device. I've always thought that an owner of such a machine - or an employee thereof - could abuse the heck out of it but guess what? There are numerous red flags that this sort of activity would raise with the issuing bank, the card processor and the IRS, not to mention the accounting department of the merchant. I can't imagine that you know how much trouble you're asking for by trying to look like a money launderer

Is there any way an average consumer could get a merchant to process GC's this way (cash advance)? I would love to try it if I could but something tells me it wouldn't go well. Especially if I was processing $35,000 per pay period
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Old Jan 15, 2012, 8:41 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by leftpinky
It looks like a big loser (but might be considered reimbursement, unless the boss wanted to knock this off as a deduction)
He does consider it reimbursement, as I have paid the company an amount of money, and am just receiving it back.
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Old Jan 15, 2012, 8:44 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by god_forbids
Erm ... POS is Point Of Sale, meaning a cash register or similar checkout device. I've always thought that an owner of such a machine - or an employee thereof - could abuse the heck out of it but guess what? There are numerous red flags that this sort of activity would raise with the issuing bank, the card processor and the IRS, not to mention the accounting department of the merchant. I can't imagine that you know how much trouble you're asking for by trying to look like a money launderer

Is there any way an average consumer could get a merchant to process GC's this way (cash advance)? I would love to try it if I could but something tells me it wouldn't go well. Especially if I was processing $35,000 per pay period

Well, I did buy the GCs, and I signed every single receipt that came out, authorizing it.
I will admit after putting $250 into the machine for the 50th time, the bank stopped it, but after showing some signatures and that the owner of the POS machine agreed to it, then they let it continue, for the next 80 cards.
My real net salary for that period was $3216.88.
So, I didn't process $35k of cards.
I only processed $32k.
My boss wants my receipts for these cards now for accounting, so I think that it should be OK.

Last edited by AA_EXP09; Jan 15, 2012 at 8:49 am
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Old Jan 15, 2012, 8:48 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by tomy77
Sorry, but what is "POS machine"? Do you work at Safeway?
Also, i've never seen "fee free" visa GC. What does it look like?

Thanks,
They are the yellow ones.
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Old Jan 15, 2012, 8:54 am
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by AA_EXP09
Well, I did buy the GCs, and I signed every single receipt that came out, authorizing it.
I will admit after putting $250 into the machine for the 50th time, the bank stopped it, but after showing some signatures and that the owner of the POS machine agreed to it, then they let it continue, for the next 80 cards.
My real net salary for that period was $3216.88.
So, I didn't process $35k of cards.
I only processed $32k.
My boss wants my receipts for these cards now for accounting, so I think that it should be OK.
What POS machine are you feeding these into? Where is it? Some store, a bank? Your own company's?
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