American Express Blue Cash Preferred - $150 signup bonus. Are they being shady?

[neo von retorch]

I signed up for the American Express Blue Cash Preferred ($75 annual fee which is negated by 6% cash back on groceries) - just got the $150 bonus.

It's weird how they posted the bonus. It says "Doing business as Wegmans" with my local Wegmans address, and it's listed as the Groceries category. Are they being shady and reducing my grocery spending by $150, which would reduce the effective bonus by $9?!

[Dalmuti]

I would guess not.  I signed up for this card and got my bonus about a month ago.  There was no funny business and the bonus just showed up as a credit on the statement, not as a return or anything referencing groceries.  Of course, just because they didn't scam me doesn't mean they didn't scam you, but I have noticed that several items on this card looked funny when they were "pending" and then looked right once they finalized.  My guess would be that they just temporarily associated the credit with the place because a charge there triggered the requirements being met.

[FarmerPete]

Here is mine from November....Odd.

Doing business as:
DOLLAR TREE

Additional Information: on spend of 1000 Dollars
within 92 days of acquisition
Reference: ########
Category: Merchandise & Supplies - Department Stores

[neo von retorch]

Had you shopped at Dollar Tree? I had shopped at Wegman's, so perhaps like Dalmuti said, it just posts along with the transaction that pushed you over the required minimum spend. I hit my limit somewhere between stopping at Wawa and Redner's Fuel for gas, and a Wegman's stop. So I suppose it makes sense, in a weird way.

[shotgunwilly]

Is it possible that they are listing the purchase that qualified you for the bonus? Ex. If you needed to spend $1000, and a purchase at a Dollar Tree got you over the $1000 threshold, then that's what is listed. Or if it's a first purchase bonus, they may list that store you made that first purchase?

I would say it will just work out to be a credit and no funny business will happen.

[shotgunwilly]

Ah! You posted as I was.  haha