Credit Card Rewards - Card Churning

[JSH]

Originally Posted by freebeard

So what you're saying is....

If the merchant doesn't offer a discount for cash, then I am subsidizing their valiant struggle against
Amazon?

Yes, customers that pay with cash subsidize those that pay with credit cards unless the merchant offers a cash discount or a credit card surcharge.

Originally Posted by freebeard

If the reward is exposure to deep-vein thrombosis, and hotels? I'm good, thnaks.

So you don't like to travel. How about cold hard cash?

Originally Posted by freebeard

I appreciate your peace of mind even though you [JSH] don't reciprocate.

I'm happy for you if you like paying with cash and that gives you peace of mind. I simply don't understand it - as cash causes me frustration not peace of mind.

[freebeard]

So you don't like to travel. How about cold hard cash?

At the expense of others? A dog-eat-dog, Devil take the hindmost world?

I'd like to travel. I'd see Vienna, and the Ajanta Ellora Caves. But not in a pressurized tube at high speed. More like the aeromodeller2

The Aeromodeller2 is a design for a zero-emission, autonomous, nomad hydrogen-based airship that will never land.

The ship regenerates its fuel, creating hydrogen from wind power and the rain on its skin.
When it depletes its energy reserves, the ship drops anchor and rests, in order to replenish its energy in a renewable way.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

At the expense of others? A dog-eat-dog, Devil take the hindmost world?

I'd like to travel. I'd see Vienna, and the Ajanta Ellora Caves. But not in a pressurized tube at high speed. More like the aeromodeller2

SA is always talking about the free money. He doesn't recommend breaking laws, but he does recommend playing the game that's presented to us.

When asked why he previously identified as black, he said because he can, and he likes being on the winning team.

Taking advantage of free money doesn't affect others throwing it away.

[freebeard]

I guess if you don't it all reverts to shadowy figures in the middle.

[jakobnev]

My biggest problem would be spending $6000 in three months.

[Piotrsko]

I want to know how someone pays amazon purchases in cash....AFAIK, they don't have a physical accounting department with an office somewhere, and no method for prepaying an account and nobody offers a cash discount.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by jakobnev

My biggest problem would be spending $6000 in three months.

That can be a problem. It is important to know your normal monthly spending and when big lump sum payments are due. I specifically timed this card so that 3 months overlapped when my insurance is due for the year (Auto, House, Motorcycle, RV, Earthquake, Medevac, and Umbrella. That is about $2000 extra for February. I also know I would be ordering the solar components for my ambulance to RV conversion. That will be about $10K but I only bought the solar panels so far for $2,000.

In the USA we can pay almost anything by credit car too which helps. For example I can pay all my utilities with a credit card without a surcharge; natural gas, electricity, garbage pick-up, internet, cell phone, etc. Is that possible in Sweden?

Of course there are offers with lower spending requirements. This Chase card is $600 (if you cash out - $750 if used for travel) to spend $4,000 in 3 months.



The Delta card my parents did was 70,000 miles after spending only $2,000 over 6 months.

There is something else key in this offer. Almost every card offers a big sign-up boost over the normal deal once or twice a year. Only sign up for the cards with that boost to maximize the rewards. I would feel foolish to have signed up and wasted a churn for only 40K miles. The Sapphire card above offers 80,000 points as their reward boost.

[freebeard]

I want to know how someone pays amazon purchases in cash

Let me know if you find out.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

I want to know how someone pays amazon purchases in cash....AFAIK, they don't have a physical accounting department with an office somewhere, and no method for prepaying an account and nobody offers a cash discount.

In short - you don't - at least not directly.

People without a credit or debit card have to buy an Amazon gift card with cash at a store.

The other option is to buy a prepaid credit card but those are usually loaded with fees. (Fee to buy the card, fee to load the card, monthly fee, atm fee, etc)

[redpoint5]

I used to be able to buy Amex cash cards with my credit card. That's a way to fulfill the spending requirement yet actually spend the money over a longer period of time.