Wow, did this ever fly under the FT radar – 3000 Continental miles per $
Apr 23, 2009, 2:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold / Million miler
Posts: 297
Wow, did this ever fly under the FT radar – 3000 Continental miles per $
Perhaps because I’m personally an UNfrequent flyer AND poster (a whopping 80 posts in nine years), I was surprised that this policy change didn’t even rate a single mention on the boards here.
I’m guessing about that “under the radar” statement, because I see that Key Bank…the last bank to let us earn miles (Continental miles to be exact) with a checking/debit card PIN purchase, (as opposed to a “SIGNATURE-based,” CREDIT purchase) just seriously reduced the ratio of dollars-spent-to-miles-earned, to 6 to 1, (“Effective March 20, 2009 - you will earn one [1] mile for every six [$6 USD] in PIN POS Net Purchases”)…..and there wasn’t a single word of complaint from anyone here on FT. I however, cried all day. My OnePass gravy train has crashed.
Up until March 20, (depending on what type of checking account and debit card you had with Key Bank), you earned either .5 or 1 mile per dollar spent, and had a limit of either $1000 or $2000 per day that you could spend on PIN-based-purchases. I was always lucky enough to have the higher limits.
So for the last few years, I simply went to Wal-Mart, bought a couple $999 money orders for 33¢ each, earned 1998 Cont. miles, and then just deposited those M.O.s back into my Key Bank checking account. Lather…rinse…repeat. (Some Wal-Marts charge 46¢ for a money order, the one I went to charged 33¢…hence my math of 3000 Cont. miles for a dollar). The US Post Office also allows money order purchases with a debit card (or cash, you can’t “charge” money orders to a credit card at the Post Office…or anywhere else for that matter). They charge higher fees than Wal-Mart for M.O.s however.
Key Bank has a limit of 80,000 miles per year, so those 80,000 Continental miles a year were costing me about $27 annually….and 40 trips to Wal-Mart. Not quite as good as deal as The Pudding Guy (my hero) received, but still, not too shabby. Ah well...all good things must come to an end.
Even though buying money orders under the new terms is STILL relatively a good deal as far as the miles-to-dollar ratio, the new rules would require far too many trips to Wal-Mart to make it worth my while.
Any thoughts or comments?
I’m guessing about that “under the radar” statement, because I see that Key Bank…the last bank to let us earn miles (Continental miles to be exact) with a checking/debit card PIN purchase, (as opposed to a “SIGNATURE-based,” CREDIT purchase) just seriously reduced the ratio of dollars-spent-to-miles-earned, to 6 to 1, (“Effective March 20, 2009 - you will earn one [1] mile for every six [$6 USD] in PIN POS Net Purchases”)…..and there wasn’t a single word of complaint from anyone here on FT. I however, cried all day. My OnePass gravy train has crashed.
Up until March 20, (depending on what type of checking account and debit card you had with Key Bank), you earned either .5 or 1 mile per dollar spent, and had a limit of either $1000 or $2000 per day that you could spend on PIN-based-purchases. I was always lucky enough to have the higher limits.
So for the last few years, I simply went to Wal-Mart, bought a couple $999 money orders for 33¢ each, earned 1998 Cont. miles, and then just deposited those M.O.s back into my Key Bank checking account. Lather…rinse…repeat. (Some Wal-Marts charge 46¢ for a money order, the one I went to charged 33¢…hence my math of 3000 Cont. miles for a dollar). The US Post Office also allows money order purchases with a debit card (or cash, you can’t “charge” money orders to a credit card at the Post Office…or anywhere else for that matter). They charge higher fees than Wal-Mart for M.O.s however.
Key Bank has a limit of 80,000 miles per year, so those 80,000 Continental miles a year were costing me about $27 annually….and 40 trips to Wal-Mart. Not quite as good as deal as The Pudding Guy (my hero) received, but still, not too shabby. Ah well...all good things must come to an end.
Even though buying money orders under the new terms is STILL relatively a good deal as far as the miles-to-dollar ratio, the new rules would require far too many trips to Wal-Mart to make it worth my while.
Any thoughts or comments?
Last edited by mileage junkie; Sep 16, 2009 at 3:46 am
Apr 23, 2009, 7:22 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644
Apr 23, 2009, 10:31 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 132
I remember a few months ago looking at the terms and conditions of the National City points program and I was pretty sure that only signature based transactions counted so that it was acting as a credit card and not a debit card. I figured that was true at most banks and never really bothered looking around.
I did take a look at the terms and conditions on KeyBanks program and it does say these kinds of transactions should not earn points but then they really don't have any idea what your actually buying anyways.
I did take a look at the terms and conditions on KeyBanks program and it does say these kinds of transactions should not earn points but then they really don't have any idea what your actually buying anyways.
Apr 24, 2009, 9:43 am
#8
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, Hyatt Lifetime Glob, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,272
1. Absolutely brilliant. ^ Do you know how many miles you've accumulated over the years with this method?
2. I wonder if you, personally, are responsibly for this radical change by Key Bank? I recall a thread, not that long ago, with someone claiming to know the person responsible for CO upping the # of miles for a BF reward to Tel Aviv.
2a. Continuing my own train of thought, I wonder if this was well publicized on FT earlier, if the policy would have been changed long ago? $27 for 80,000 miles is an awfully good deal...
2. I wonder if you, personally, are responsibly for this radical change by Key Bank? I recall a thread, not that long ago, with someone claiming to know the person responsible for CO upping the # of miles for a BF reward to Tel Aviv.
2a. Continuing my own train of thought, I wonder if this was well publicized on FT earlier, if the policy would have been changed long ago? $27 for 80,000 miles is an awfully good deal...
Apr 24, 2009, 11:03 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ATL, BHM, DUB, County Wexford
Programs: DL DM, AA ExPlt, Diamond HH, HY, BW, & Titanium Elite Marriott
Posts: 4,863
Perhaps because I’m personally an UNfrequent flyer AND poster (a whopping 80 posts in nine years), I was surprised that this policy change didn’t even rate a single mention on the boards here.
I’m guessing about that “under the radar” statement, because I see that Key Bank…the last bank to let us earn miles (Continental miles to be exact) with a checking/debit card PIN purchase, (as opposed to a “SIGNATURE-based,” CREDIT purchase) just seriously reduced the ratio of dollars-spent-to-miles-earned, to 6 to 1, (“Effective March 20, 2009 - you will earn one [1] mile for every six [$6 USD] in PIN POS Net Purchases”)…..and there wasn’t a single word of complaint from anyone here on FT. I however, cried all day. My OnePass gravy train has crashed.
Up until March 20, (depending on what type of checking account and debit card you had with Key Bank), you earned either .5 or 1 mile per dollar spent, and had a limit of either $1000 or $2000 per day that you could spend on PIN-based-purchases. I was always lucky enough to have the higher limits.
So for the last few years, I simply went to Wal-Mart, bought a couple of $999 money orders for 33¢ each, earned 1998 Cont. miles, and then just deposited those M.O.s back into my Key Bank checking account. Lather…rinse…repeat. (Some Wal-Marts charge 46¢ for a money order, the one I went to charged 33¢…hence my math of 3000 Cont. miles for a dollar). The US Post Office also allows money order purchases with a debit card (or cash, you can’t “charge” money orders to a credit card at the Post Office…or anywhere else for that matter). They charge more than Wal-Mart however.
Key Bank has a limit of 80,000 miles per year, so those 80,000 Continental miles a year were costing me about $27 annually….and 40 trips to Wal-Mart. Not quite as good as deal as The Pudding Guy (my hero) received, but still, not too shabby. Ah well...all good things must come to an end.
Even though buying money orders under the new terms is STILL relatively a good deal as far as the miles-to-dollar ratio, the new rules would require far too many trips to Wal-Mart to make it worth my while.
Any thoughts or comments?
I’m guessing about that “under the radar” statement, because I see that Key Bank…the last bank to let us earn miles (Continental miles to be exact) with a checking/debit card PIN purchase, (as opposed to a “SIGNATURE-based,” CREDIT purchase) just seriously reduced the ratio of dollars-spent-to-miles-earned, to 6 to 1, (“Effective March 20, 2009 - you will earn one [1] mile for every six [$6 USD] in PIN POS Net Purchases”)…..and there wasn’t a single word of complaint from anyone here on FT. I however, cried all day. My OnePass gravy train has crashed.
Up until March 20, (depending on what type of checking account and debit card you had with Key Bank), you earned either .5 or 1 mile per dollar spent, and had a limit of either $1000 or $2000 per day that you could spend on PIN-based-purchases. I was always lucky enough to have the higher limits.
So for the last few years, I simply went to Wal-Mart, bought a couple of $999 money orders for 33¢ each, earned 1998 Cont. miles, and then just deposited those M.O.s back into my Key Bank checking account. Lather…rinse…repeat. (Some Wal-Marts charge 46¢ for a money order, the one I went to charged 33¢…hence my math of 3000 Cont. miles for a dollar). The US Post Office also allows money order purchases with a debit card (or cash, you can’t “charge” money orders to a credit card at the Post Office…or anywhere else for that matter). They charge more than Wal-Mart however.
Key Bank has a limit of 80,000 miles per year, so those 80,000 Continental miles a year were costing me about $27 annually….and 40 trips to Wal-Mart. Not quite as good as deal as The Pudding Guy (my hero) received, but still, not too shabby. Ah well...all good things must come to an end.
Even though buying money orders under the new terms is STILL relatively a good deal as far as the miles-to-dollar ratio, the new rules would require far too many trips to Wal-Mart to make it worth my while.
Any thoughts or comments?
Too make us all jealous?
or
Just sick that we did not get to do any of this?
Apr 24, 2009, 11:24 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite, UA MM Lifetime Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 451
I say kudos to the poster for taking advantage of a great deal. And I thank him for telling us about his experience. Although, this deal may have expired, I'll be more alert to opportunities like this in the future.
These message boards are for sharing and discussing mileage deals. He is under no obligation to give away the secrets to great deals.
These message boards are for sharing and discussing mileage deals. He is under no obligation to give away the secrets to great deals.
Apr 24, 2009, 12:12 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: Hertz PC, Hilton DMD, IHG Spire Amb, Bonvoy Titanium Elite & WoH Globalist
Posts: 8,076
with us would cause a run on the deal and eventual getting plugged-off by the merchant.Thank you OP!
Apr 24, 2009, 12:17 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: Marriott Plat, Southwest A-List Preferred
Posts: 265
still seems worth it to me. doing that once a week is about 25K miles a year, which for someone like myself is quite a bit.
Apr 24, 2009, 12:20 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: CLT
Posts: 7,249
I don't mind Wal-Mart, but I usually have less than stellar experiences when I have to wait at the CS desk for something.
Apr 24, 2009, 12:34 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New Jersey
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, Hyatt Lifetime Glob, Marriott Titanium/Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,272
You know, that's not bad. For $100, you can get 50,000 OP miles. It still might be worth it, depending on how close you live to Walmart (and how tolerant you are of Walmart).
Apr 24, 2009, 12:38 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ATL, BHM, DUB, County Wexford
Programs: DL DM, AA ExPlt, Diamond HH, HY, BW, & Titanium Elite Marriott
Posts: 4,863
I say kudos to the poster for taking advantage of a great deal. And I thank him for telling us about his experience. Although, this deal may have expired, I'll be more alert to opportunities like this in the future.
These message boards are for sharing and discussing mileage deals. He is under no obligation to give away the secrets to great deals.
These message boards are for sharing and discussing mileage deals. He is under no obligation to give away the secrets to great deals.
dang, dang, kick myself, dang