Money Orders for Miles
 

I've been doing it since I found FT, and am wondering how many of you are buying money orders for miles with miles producing credit cards?

I have 2 sources at present for 500 miles its either $1.49 or $1.75.

I don't over use it, maybe 5,000 miles a month, when I'm driving by one of my stores. The best was a grocery store that took Am EX for the double Delta miles.

So anybody else want to fess up???

hey thanks for the tip...never gave it any real consideration, but now that i'm debating the idea of getting a new AMEX...it may just be worth it...

Can you further elaborate how you use Amex for money orders? Do you use the PIN to withdraw cash first, then purchase money order or what?

Where are you able to get money orders that aren't counted as cash advances (and thus not earn miles)? I thought Amex counted money orders as a cash advance.

Don't leave us hanging.

May I suggest that posting the details of such a deal here would be a very bad idea? It would cause excessive use of it, which, in turn, would kill the deal. No one would benifit from such a post, and the poster would lose the deal.

Given that the OP is paying almost 3 cent per mile, I'm not sure that it's that good a deal worth protecting.

Mike

Edited to add: Oops, I'll just blame this one on my calculator. It's $.003 per mile.

Try your math again
 

It's $.003 per mile. I'm surprised at the responses to this thread. Go to your LOCAL stores that sell MOs and ask, or buy a candy bar and Try It. And it does not have to be a Am EX. My LOCAL store that took Am EX stopped it, but I still have 2 stores that take MC and Visa and treat it as a purchase, and have for the last 3 years. I'll ask again, anybody want to fess up??? ;)

Think small and think consistent.

I believe things like this SHOULD work for all, and yet I do tend to agree with PGary these days. Every time I have ever done any gift card or deal like this, the more people who know of it, the worse it gets. Not because too many people know about it, but rather, too many people who know about it don't follow the tips and tricks that make it work the right way! (too often, FTers don't know the difference and they point fingers at the wrong people in the wrong way when the chips fall) The sad solution to this problem has been to (A) keep such deals hush hush, (B) to be mean to each other in posts, and (C) to muck it all up anyway because one or two people in here or on the sidelines get way too greedy and screw it all up anyway.

How? Well, someone could do this gig with such agressiveness, that their actions trigger a patterns seen by internal management of whatever bank or CC that is being utilized. As well, some don't just do it for miles, but actualy to figure out and implement workable ways to commit monetary fraud and get away with it! This thereby destroys all things associated with these programs for those of us who would rather use FT as a way to SHARE GREAT IDEAS ON TRAVEL AND MILES!

Too bad.
Now I have been an agressive gift card and mile churning user in my forum lifetime, but I am also always giving ideas on how we should all cooperate or stay under the radras of these marketing or money managers at banks, while still actively participating in all these gigs. Some misunderstand my efforts and some do not. I am not saying I am the best at it or the only one who thinks that way, but again, I feel that if these deals SHOULD be for everyone in here--and I think they should--then it is in everyone's best interest to find the best way to do them and then share it and maintain it.

therefore, if you have a way that works and you feel compelled to share it, tell the whole story and dont just be cool and hip by saying "I got a great thing but no one else can see it! ha ha ha"

Fessing up, by the way, is something that many may do privately until there's proof this thing actually works. I have been looking but have not really found any store that will (A) take Amex for money orders (B) give out money orders bigger than $500 without a huge fee, except one or two but they dont take Amex (C) treat this as a purchase.

This is why people BUY the gift cards first, and then cash them out, but they have a fee too. So I guess it is up to YOU to tell US ALL the details, mate!

go for it... together we will all make sure all others in here use it wisely, that is, if you really wanna give up this little secret for us to also benefit from!

And thanks for that if you do, and if it works.
I have to say, though, I have my doubts. Proove me wrong, Ingy, and you will be the winner in my book!

;)MM

I loved flipping savings bonds and big stacks of CO GC, never had to leave the comfort of my home. But driving around buying small MOs for a fee, getting them to the bank, worrying about whether they will be charged as purchase or cash advance -- seems like way too much work for me! LOL.

But I would like to hear where they accept credit cards for MOs. Gift cards, maybe, but money orders? Those are clearly cash or cash equivalents.

Are these convenience stores or grocey stores, if you don't mind sharing?

yeha... Please share.

Thanks

safeway charges it as cash advance, they only accept debit cards, NOT CC's.

I inquired at several US Post Offices when buying stamps and MOs a while back. They accepted credit cards for services, products, stamps and postage but not for money orders.

No store is going to deliberately accept credit cards for money orders because they're out the merchant fee. You may find some stores where the clerk will ring it up as such, but this is a procedures/training issue.

Flipping large numbers/amounts of money orders could also get you flagged for money laundering.

Interesting post pgary... Is your website that selective in posting such mileage earning opportunities?

Please tell me that the camaraderie I have come to love about FT has not deteriorated because of a few new members asking about "error" fares. :(

Hopefully this remains a "sharing" community. ;)