Author Topic: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?  (Read 6944 times)

washlawyer

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Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« on: February 04, 2016, 08:01:14 AM »
The Amazon Chase Visa gives you 3% cash back on Amazon purchases, that can be applied to future Amazon purchases.  I buy a lot on Amazon so this makes sense for me.  It just occurred to me that I could also buy gift cards on Amazon -- say, to Starbucks -- and effectively get 3% cash back on purchases elsewhere as well.  Has anyone else done this?  Any flaws with this approach?

DaveR

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2016, 12:56:28 PM »
Read the fine print and make sure gift cards aren't excluded. They often are.
Since gift cards are sold by "ACI Gift Cards Inc., an Amazon company" and not "Amazon.com" they might not count.

NotJen

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2016, 01:30:48 PM »
I don't see where gift cards are excluded (Amazon.com gift cards are specifically included), so it will probably work - try one and see.  As long as the charge goes through as Amazon (which I'm fairly certain from previous experience it will), you should get 3%.  I don't do this because this card already gives 2% on restaurant purchases (among other things), and the extra 1% isn't worth it to me to pre-buy gift cards to a few select places I actually go.

Also - I never apply my points to future Amazon purchases, I just redeem for statement credit.  Why?  Because I don't want to miss out on earning that 3% on the future purchase.

washlawyer

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2016, 01:59:34 PM »
Also - I never apply my points to future Amazon purchases, I just redeem for statement credit.  Why?  Because I don't want to miss out on earning that 3% on the future purchase.

Doh!  Thanks for pointing that out!  I'll start doing that.

NoStacheOhio

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2016, 02:14:11 PM »
Slight left turn, but I started buying some gift cards (pet store, home depot, planned purchases) at the grocery store with my 6% back AmEx card.

The Money Monk

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2016, 10:12:18 AM »
The Amazon Chase Visa gives you 3% cash back on Amazon purchases, that can be applied to future Amazon purchases.  I buy a lot on Amazon so this makes sense for me.  It just occurred to me that I could also buy gift cards on Amazon -- say, to Starbucks -- and effectively get 3% cash back on purchases elsewhere as well.  Has anyone else done this?  Any flaws with this approach?

I don't think there are any flaws to the approach, except for only getting 3% :)

I have the barclay sallie may mastercard which gives me 5% back at amazon.

I also have the American Express Blue Cash preferred which gives me 6% back at grocery stores, which also usually sell gift cards :)

kpd905

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2016, 09:24:45 AM »
This will work, but ironically, the Chase Amazon card is not the best card for Amazon purchases, as others have stated.  You can use the Amex Blue Cash Preferred to get 6% on Amazon gift cards at grocery stores.  You can also use Chase Freedom to load up on gift cards when they offer 5% back on Amazon purchases (up to $1500).

daverobev

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2016, 12:40:13 PM »
Slight left turn, but I started buying some gift cards (pet store, home depot, planned purchases) at the grocery store with my 6% back AmEx card.

This is the right answer.

Um, also, the Sallie Mae Barclaycard used to be 5% at Amazon... I think it may have changed though.

washlawyer

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2016, 09:00:22 AM »
This will work, but ironically, the Chase Amazon card is not the best card for Amazon purchases, as others have stated.  You can use the Amex Blue Cash Preferred to get 6% on Amazon gift cards at grocery stores.  You can also use Chase Freedom to load up on gift cards when they offer 5% back on Amazon purchases (up to $1500).

Interesting.  Thanks!  I'm new to this, so appreciate all the help I can get.  :)

Nate R

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2016, 09:05:26 AM »
I love the Amazon Chase card because it's easy. 1% on everything, 3% on Amazon purchases, and 2% on select things like fuel, groceries, etc. Never thought about using for discounted gift cards.

The nice thing is no waiting for a certain amount of points to build up, and I can choose when to use them. They can be applied to the card balance itself OR Amazon purchases.

For me, that's been awesome. No tracking, no hassles. We do 90% of our spending on that card, and then get some "free" money every month from it.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2016, 09:30:04 AM »

Also - I never apply my points to future Amazon purchases, I just redeem for statement credit.  Why?  Because I don't want to miss out on earning that 3% on the future purchase.

They make it seem so convenient, but seriously- no one should ever redeem their points on amazon!  There is no advantage to not redeeming them as a statement credit instead.

Vanguards and Lentils

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2016, 10:02:17 AM »

Also - I never apply my points to future Amazon purchases, I just redeem for statement credit.  Why?  Because I don't want to miss out on earning that 3% on the future purchase.

They make it seem so convenient, but seriously- no one should ever redeem their points on amazon!  There is no advantage to not redeeming them as a statement credit instead.

Yup, this. One is getting cold hard cash, the other could lead to bad purchases ("I'm getting this item for free!").

Also for anyone with Amazon prime, you might get the Amazon store card which gives 5% back as monthly statement credit

dandarc

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2016, 10:09:57 AM »
For the gift card idea - depends what stores you are looking at, but you can do way better than 3%.  Just bought a Subway card for 15.9% off + the 2% cash back I get on my card, for example.  Starbucks is running at 18% off right now.

Gift Card Granny does a pretty good job of aggregating the info.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2016, 11:43:19 AM »

Yup, this. One is getting cold hard cash, the other could lead to bad purchases ("I'm getting this item for free!").



That wasn't what I was getting at- you could still get the item for "free" (by way of a statement credit); but then also earn the 3% back on it.  But if you use the credit at amazon, then you don't get the percent back because you didn't use the credit card.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2016, 11:49:09 AM »

Also - I never apply my points to future Amazon purchases, I just redeem for statement credit.  Why?  Because I don't want to miss out on earning that 3% on the future purchase.

They make it seem so convenient, but seriously- no one should ever redeem their points on amazon!  There is no advantage to not redeeming them as a statement credit instead.

Yup, this. One is getting cold hard cash, the other could lead to bad purchases ("I'm getting this item for free!").

Also for anyone with Amazon prime, you might get the Amazon store card which gives 5% back as monthly statement credit

What is this?

Vanguards and Lentils

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #15 on: February 08, 2016, 12:14:35 PM »
You can just google "amazon store card" and it should be the first result (from a somewhat shady-looking website). IIRC, I saw a link to apply while browsing amazon that offered $40 off my first purchase. Besides that, it's a card that can only be used on amazon, if you have prime, and gives 5% back.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2016, 12:27:24 PM »
You can just google "amazon store card" and it should be the first result (from a somewhat shady-looking website). IIRC, I saw a link to apply while browsing amazon that offered $40 off my first purchase. Besides that, it's a card that can only be used on amazon, if you have prime, and gives 5% back.

Wow. Thank you. I had never heard of/seen that. Craziness. That seems like a way better card than the Amazon Chase Visa!

washlawyer

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #17 on: February 10, 2016, 11:44:53 AM »
For the gift card idea - depends what stores you are looking at, but you can do way better than 3%.  Just bought a Subway card for 15.9% off + the 2% cash back I get on my card, for example.  Starbucks is running at 18% off right now.

Gift Card Granny does a pretty good job of aggregating the info.

I just bought a gift card via Gift Card Granny (retailer was Save Ya), and two days later I still don't have the egiftcode.  Their website says they do "short fraud reviews."  That doesn't really explain why I purchased a gift card and have to wait days to receive it.  Hoping it's not a scam.

NoStacheOhio

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #18 on: February 10, 2016, 01:22:20 PM »
I just bought a gift card via Gift Card Granny (retailer was Save Ya), and two days later I still don't have the egiftcode.  Their website says they do "short fraud reviews."  That doesn't really explain why I purchased a gift card and have to wait days to receive it.  Hoping it's not a scam.

I've sold cards to SaveYa, and they were good to deal with. Have you tried contacting customer service?

washlawyer

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Re: Amazon Chase Visa -- 3% cash back, purchase gift cards?
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2016, 06:12:56 AM »
I just bought a gift card via Gift Card Granny (retailer was Save Ya), and two days later I still don't have the egiftcode.  Their website says they do "short fraud reviews."  That doesn't really explain why I purchased a gift card and have to wait days to receive it.  Hoping it's not a scam.

I've sold cards to SaveYa, and they were good to deal with. Have you tried contacting customer service?

I will today.  Made the egiftcode purchase on Monday and still haven't received it.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!