That is nice.

Has anybody tried to use USAA ACH transfer to fulfill direct deposit requirement?

Thanks jtaft and splittin aces. I'm going to setup a $5 direct deposit.

The expiration at chase.com/miles still shows this offer valid through Mar 31, 2010. I know this has been extended in the past...does everyone expect the offer to get extended again?

Hope so, for Mileathon sake.

To bypass the fee, it says I need to make 5 debit card purchases every month. Does it matter whether the purchase is a debit or credit type?

For my business debit card, the transaction has to be the credit type. Probably the same for the personal card.

It is my understanding that these must be purchases using your pin. 5 debit purchases per month with your pin number.

It's actually the other way around. The five purchases need to be of the credit type.

It is actually the exact opposite

You need 5 purchases per month WITHOUT a pin. Process them as CREDIT transactions NOT debit.

Any recommended ways for meeting the 5 purchase minimum easily? Just stop at the gas station everyday and get a 1/10th of a gallon of gas?

using it at the gas pump is probably one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do it. I just buy things with it that I would be buying anyway, gas, groceries, etc.

grocery store, buy a gum, walk outside, go back in buy a second gum...

I just pulled out my account information and on my account summary it reads...

"Chase Checking
Avoid a monthly service fee:
Set up monthly electronic deposit of your paycheck, retirement, or social security income OR have 5 or more DEBIT card purchases post each statement period, OR Link to a qualifying checking account"

I have been doing 5 gas transactions using a pin. However, one month, I only had 4 pin transactions and I was charged 12.00. I would check the information on your account summary titled "welcome to a better banking experience"

I go to the hardware store and buy 5 nuts for $.06 each. They never have a problem with ringing them up separately.

They must be pinless purchases. It should say so somewhere around there that they have to be credit.

Reason being is that the business does not get charged a fee if you use debit but if you use your DEBIT card as Credit then they do get charged a fee. Hence why it is 5 PINLESS DEBIT card purchases as credit.