I don't take any precautions either, aside from not carrying all my cards on me at once.
A few false charges have gone through with chase and they refund them immediately.

3/17/2013 10:11:18 PM

Got denied a reload purchase at CVS today. Cashier claimed they were cash and debit only and have been that way since January. Guess I'll check the other cvs near me tomorrow. Luckily only have $500 left and plenty of time.

3/18/2013 2:36:46 PM

Chase actually declined the last transaction b/c they thought it was fraud, luckily I was able to clear that up with a single text.
I usually get my reloads from rite aid.

3/19/2013 11:33:45 AM

backup CVS is still good. Sign on top of the rack at that one has always said "cash or credit only for prepaid products" and "cash only for prepaid debit products" so maybe the cashier wasn't sure what I was buying. Finished off the minimum spend on the Ink and finished maxing out the $1500 on drugstores for Freedom this quarter. Now to decide what to go for next...

3/19/2013 12:13:11 PM

Sweet. Just got my amex business gold, may go for the citi aa business next.

3/19/2013 12:24:19 PM

From what I've been reading the past few months many reload card retail carriers are no longer accepting CC payment of reloads for that specific purpose.

3/19/2013 12:55:14 PM

Same here, but Walgreens is the only place where I've seen this enforced 100%.

3/19/2013 1:06:10 PM

Okay I've done

1) Southwest
2) Amex Premier Rewards
3) My NFL Card

What one should I do next? I'm not a big fan of flying.

3/19/2013 4:12:55 PM

I told you last page, Chase Sapphire.

3/19/2013 4:48:29 PM

Application is in review

3/20/2013 4:43:00 PM

^^was denied

3/25/2013 11:28:18 PM

Call them up and tell them to give it to you.
Mention the perks of the card but not the bonus.
My chase bonuses just hit for the ink and freedom.
55,893 Points available
7,550 Points available

3/26/2013 10:55:11 AM

yeah, think the recon line is 888-245-0625. If you already have a Chase card, you may be able to transfer part of the credit line to the sapphire as a last resort.

Ink spending bonus probably won't show til after the statement closes middle of next month but currently have a little over 23k points after the Freedom bonus and spending on the Freedom and Ink. Debating on going for the Sapphire bonus or just letting things settle for a little while but I'm sure my reload luck will run out if I wait too long. oh the woes of chasing signup bonuses.

3/26/2013 11:27:03 AM

Yeah, just got denied for another chase buy my GOLD DELTA SKYMILES® BUSINESS CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS OPEN was approved.

3/26/2013 1:24:12 PM

AmEx sent me something to join Inspirato. It looks like a terrible deal.

3/26/2013 2:28:07 PM

Yeah, I ignore everything mailed to me except lounge passes.

3/26/2013 2:47:01 PM

oh poop. Got bored and went ahead and applied for the Sapphire and got the lovely "requires further review" thread. Suppose I'll hit up the recon line. Probably didn't like all my recent inquiries.

hmm...called the application status number and said it was approved. Weird...

Looks like it was approved that fast. Also had them rush deliver the card for 1-2 business day delivery. Love Chase customer support.

3/26/2013 3:31:34 PM

Quote :

"you may be able to transfer part of the credit line to the sapphire as a last resort"

that's what they did - i assume I'm still eligible for the bonus correct?

3/26/2013 6:57:31 PM

Just got two new cards:

Citi AAdvantage Signature Visa
and
British Airways Signature Visa

I've been getting the AAdvantage offers for a while (35k mile promo) but ignoring them, but they just cranked that up to a 60k bonus promo, which is enough to cover my Wife and I going to Peru in the fall. And I got the BA card because I can use BA flight points for domestic airline travel in south america (and avoid HUGE price gouging they charge for paid fares on non-citizens).

I'm going to pump and dump both cards, as AA is merging with USAirways, and I have much better standing with US, and British Airways is basically worthless except for the South American loophole.

I was going to use the Bluebird + Vanilla Reload trick to hit the spending threshold, but instead I'm going to be able to pay my parents taxes (they are self-employed) and get reimbursed from them, which will cover both cards and then some.

So in the span of two weeks I should be able to funnel two promo cards, and get ~$3500 in free airfare. Thank god for tax season!

3/26/2013 8:16:54 PM

Yeah, I almost want to change my deductions so I start owing more.
Good call with the parents though.

Quote :

"i assume I'm still eligible for the bonus correct?"

Yes

3/27/2013 9:56:15 AM

I just finished spending the $1k on the Amex Gold. How long until the points show up?

Can someone link to something explaining the reload trick?

3/27/2013 10:56:09 AM

Does the Barclays NFL $400 cashback only let you buy NFL merchandise?

3/27/2013 11:18:49 AM

Did you even bother looking at their rewards page?

"Pay with Points
Redeem your Points to pay for all or a portion of a recent purchase."

^^ It should hit next statement. Some of the nice companies credit you as soon as you hit the spending requirements (barclay), and then others wait several days until after you get your statement (usbank)

Basically with reloads, you buy prepaid cards using your credit card and then essentially launder the money by using cards at atms or using walmart bluebird to write checks.
The hardest part is finding a drug store who will let you buy prepaid cards with your cc.

I much prefer using amazon payments vs dealing with prepaid cards.

[Edited on March 27, 2013 at 2:19 PM. Reason : ]

3/27/2013 2:18:25 PM

Quote :

"I much prefer using amazon payments"

Sorry for the newbness, but how does that work?

3/27/2013 2:46:06 PM

Basically you can use your credit card to pay someone any amount up to $1000 a month with no fee whatsoever. The payee can then withdraw the money to their bank account for no fee.

3/27/2013 2:49:12 PM

Received the Chase Sapphire Preferred today. Definitely a solid feeling card with the metal strip.

Looks like Bluebird is now FDIC insured

Quote :

"Now Accepting Tax Refunds and Government Payments You can now direct deposit government payments such as tax refunds, U.S. military and government paychecks, and social security benefits, in addition to your salary direct deposit, into your Bluebird Account. To set up direct deposit, log in to your Bluebird Account and click on "deposit money", then select "set up direct deposit" and follow the instructions. Added Security with FDIC Insurance The funds in your Bluebird Account are now FDIC insured*, providing you with added peace of mind. To learn more about FDIC insurance for Bluebird visit bluebird.com/FDIC. Bluebird Checks Protect you from Overdraft Introducing Bluebird Checks with no overdraft or stop payment fees. You can now write worry-free checks for things you need, such as rent, doctor's visit, or a school fundraiser. And because you must pre-authorize the check before you write it, you know the check will be covered when cashed. Plus, you never have to spend time balancing your checkbook, as funds are immediately deducted from your Account. Watch a quick video to learn more bluebird.com/bluebird-checks. Checkbook fees may apply. Add Funds Up To $100,000 For increased flexibility, we have removed Direct Deposit monthly account limits so you can now add funds by Direct Deposit or by mailing checks to American Express up to $100,000 per calendar year. "

3/28/2013 2:23:28 PM

Yeah, I miss feeling baller when using the the Sapphire

3/28/2013 2:49:06 PM

I'm getting comments on that thing all the time. Pretty cool. Too bad I'm only gonna use it for the next couple months

3/28/2013 3:13:44 PM

Okay - I've done the sapphire - now what do you recommend?

3/28/2013 5:29:13 PM

The Barclay's NFL card mentioned a few pages back was pretty amazing... Ended up being 41% cash back after you spend $1000 ($400 in credit +1%). The redemption is a bit confusing at first... you can get statement credit on purchases of $25 or more. It gives you a couple options for redemption either "partial" meaning $25 off a $36.08 purchase or you can spend $37 worth of points to cover the whole thing. I ended up doing all partials.

I too am looking for a new card... thinking I may have to finally start playing the miles game.

3/29/2013 9:28:04 AM

Quote :

"Does the Barclays NFL $400 cashback only let you buy NFL merchandise?"

There was a glitch with their latest offer that prevents the option for a statement credit to show on the rewards page.

I sent them a secure message after logging in, requesting that my points be applied towards my statement balance, and it was done a few days later. You just have to make sure you wait until your statement hits before making the request, as it cannot be done on "pending" transactions (anything that hasn't shown up on a statement).

3/29/2013 9:53:09 AM

^^^ The citi thank you premier card used to have a good sign up bonus.
If you can spend 5K in 3 months then the chase ink would be a good choice.

3/29/2013 11:26:09 AM

Oh, how I wish they'd resurrect the Premier "5 pts on everything for 6 months" promo I milked a few times about 1 year ago.

Although they probably learned their lesson.

3/29/2013 11:59:18 AM

considering a business card...though i wasn't really planning on using it for my business

just wondering if there's a business card worth having due to exceptional points or bonuses

3/30/2013 11:11:24 AM

Yeah, like six of them

3/31/2013 1:02:41 AM

Called citi to cancel their thank you premier and they practically begged me to keep it.
Eventually they agreed to cancel it and even moved my credit line over to one of my other non fee cards.

4/5/2013 10:06:07 AM

^^ suggestions? offers are changing all the time...just curious whether or not there's an especially awesome one right now

4/5/2013 10:15:56 AM

Sold 53k Membership Rewards points to some guy named Bruce The Flight Hunter (no joke) for $690

4/5/2013 1:03:53 PM

^^ Just got these two last week

The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN
GOLD DELTA SKYMILES® BUSINESS CREDIT CARD FROM AMERICAN EXPRESS OPEN

4/5/2013 1:47:34 PM

Decided to give amazon payments a try to finish the minimum spend on the Sapphire since I already had the accounts set up. Site says it can take 5-7 business days to transfer from amazon to an external account but the entire process from sending the initial payment to transferring it to Bluebird took less than 24hrs.

4/9/2013 8:42:31 AM

^^^Where

^^What kind of bonus did you get. I need a new CC.

4/9/2013 9:37:27 AM

^google Bruce The Flight Hunter and send him an e-mail. He's legit.

4/9/2013 10:05:44 AM

75K pts and 30K miles
Amazon payments usually hit my account in four days.
Keep in mind you're essentially just getting a cash advance for free from your credit card, so I don't really mind having the money in limbo, plus it's free, and much less time consuming than bluebird.

4/9/2013 12:10:09 PM

^Do you have a link for these bonuses, or was it just on there main website?

[Edited on April 9, 2013 at 12:38 PM. Reason : ]

4/9/2013 12:37:57 PM

The AMEX Delta one was off their website.

4/9/2013 12:41:05 PM

IT asks for a federal tax id, I assume you have to own a business to do it?

4/9/2013 1:04:32 PM

Yes. I stated above they were both business cards.

4/9/2013 1:13:11 PM

I'm just gonna casually mention here that a sole proprietorship would simply use an individual's SSN as a tax ID.

4/9/2013 1:40:21 PM

Quote :

"plus it's free, and much less time consuming than bluebird."

Only bad thing is the $1k/month limit on transfers from an account. Granted I'm only doing about that much using the VR's. Initially transferred $500 yesterday and just tried another $500 and got "We are unable to complete your transaction until further review. It can take up to 24 hours to complete this transaction. We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause."

4/9/2013 1:50:15 PM

^^ Yeah, I always use my ss #
Careful, might want to vary those amounts a little. I never clear exactly $1,000

4/9/2013 2:27:39 PM