Paze has been all over the blogosphere the last few weeks. First, it launched a promotion offering 10X bonus Ultimate Rewards points when checking out with the digital wallet using most Chase Freedom and Sapphire cards. Then it got even better with an incredible stacking promo for $10 back when spending $10+, with a $100 limit per card. Participating banks include Chase, Citi, Bank of America, Capital One, PNC (and more), so the potential upside is significant depending on how many eligible cards your household has.
Initially, we were all rushing to use these credits on Newegg, an electronics site that sells a wide range of $10 gift cards, so you could use the Paze credits one at a time for what ended up being effectively free money. After ~24 hours, Newegg cut off the ability to buy gift cards using Paze and announced that the 10X bonus Ultimate Rewards points promotion will only be valid on Newegg purchases through June 30th. You can still use Paze for non-gift-card transactions, and Newegg stocks a wide array of office supplies with free shipping, but it’s much less fun than free gift cards.
However, there’s another way to use those Paze credits that may be just as appealing to some of us. Clover is a point-of-sale system used by many restaurants and some retailers. It is also a Paze merchant, and is an eligible way to use those $10 credits, but towards local restaurants as opposed to the national chains that widely sell gift cards
Below, you’ll find a few tips and tools to help you maximize Clover’s potential by using those $10 on $10 Paze credits.
Tips for using Paze with Clover
1) Use a browser, not the app
I’ve seen a lot of frustration over the past couple of days as folks try to use the Clover app alongside Paze. That’s because of one major problem: you can’t use Paze on the Clover app! For some reason, the app only allows you to use Apple Pay, whereas the desktop version only allows Google Pay and Paze.
Even on your mobile device, you should be able to access Paze checkout by using a browser like Safari or Chrome instead of going to the Clover app.
2) Use a tool to find Clover restaurants in your area
Then there’s the problem of finding local restaurants that use Clover. Luckily, when the need arises, there’s a hero ready to do some vibe-coding. A reader on Stephen’s last Paze post pointed us to this helpful map via Award Helper, which shows a healthy sampling of Clover restaurants and links to each restaurant’s menu page. I’ve found a few places on the map that aren’t using Clover any longer, but it seems to be ~95% accurate.
Additionally, the folks who brought you Editmaxxer (on hiatus) and Mealmaxxer have also made a Clover restaurant map. I haven’t compared this one to the Award Helper version, but it certainly has a niftier user interface.
3) Stack Clover purchases with other dining rewards programs
The previously mentioned MealMaxxer is a map tool that pins restaurants available through myriad credit card or dining rewards programs, such as Bilt Dining, Amex Resy credits, inKind, and more.
Mealmaxxer has already added Clover to its list of programs, so it’s easy to find restaurants that not only work for Paze but also potentially earn points through Rakuten or Bilt dining, and/or serve as an outlet for Resy or inKind credits. Theoretically, that would allow you to stack the $10 credit with 10x Ultimate Rewards, Bilt or Amex points through Bilt or Rakuten dining, and earn your normal credit card rewards as well.
It’s fairly easy to search for potential restaurants. In the center of the search bar, choose the programs that you want to stack, then move the toggle to “In all:”
You can also just select “Paze/Clover and browse through the map and see which programs each restaurant is eligible for:
4) Combine $10 gift cards for larger denominations
The most convenient and effective way to use those $10 credits is, of course, to buy gift cards. The hitch here is that most restaurants that use Clover don’t offer gift cards as a menu item. When a restaurant does, you’ll be able to see it immediately on the top menu bar:
Dan’s Deals has a post trying to compile restaurants that sell gift cards via Clover by US city. It’s worth taking a look at to see if there’s anything in your local area. Otherwise, just click through to Mealmaxxer and toggle “Gift Cards” in the menu, then check the “Paze/Clover” box:
If you find one, you’ll probably start with $10 cards but quickly get irritated by all the gift card emails piling up in your inbox. There’s a remedy for that frustration. As Dan notes in the post linked above, Clover allows you to use a previously purchased gift card as payment for a new one:
This means you can take the first $10 card and use it as a partial payment for a new $20 card (to use the Paze credit), then use that $20 card toward a new $30 card, and so on. I personally have been keeping mine primarily in $50 and $100 denominations, simply because I’m used to dealing with and tracking those amounts, and can use them for gifts. However, I’m not aware of an upper limit to the denomination of the card that you can create.
Quick Thoughts
I’ve had great luck with Clover so far. Two of our favorite local restaurants sell gift cards on the platform, so we’ve been able to amass a few hundred bucks of credit that we’ll use for meals that we would have had anyway.
It’s not as easy as it was with Newegg, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if the ability to use Paze for gift card purchases gets curtailed fairly soon. I’d recommend taking a look at one of the maps above ASAP to find out if there are any useful options in your area.
That said, even if Paze does limit the ability to purchase gift cards, being able to get $10 off an order while earning 10X Ultimate Rewards and stacking dining programs should be something many folks can take advantage of until the promo ends in September.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Since I at least theoretically have a zillion $10 Paze credits to use, I followed your advice and looked for participating Clover restaurants in my area. To say the pickings are slim is an understatement. None of them sell gift cards on the platform, and most are undistinguished Mom and Pop restaurants selling $16 burritos. I did find a decent owner-operated bagel shop that I have previously done business with. $10 could certainly get me breakfast there, and would be useful to me. But the guy doesn’t seem to actually accept online orders on Paze. Is there any way to use this in person at the shop? Would it be as simple as asking him to turn on his “Paze machine,” or is this basically hopeless?
I believe most, if not all, of the online restaurant gift cards via Clover are now dead. Are you saying that when you try to make an online order, you get to the checkout screen and see other options, just not Paze?
I’m getting a message that says card declined and try again later. It’s so frustrating
I have one spot in my area that sells Clover GCs. A kind of farm market, so it’s a nice place to have small denominations (their Clover only sells GCs, no food or anything). I was able to get six on a Citi card before it started declining. Then I got six on a Chase card before the same happened. Then I got seven on a different Chase before it seems to have disabled the ability to purchase from my laptop. I get the “Click on all the fire hydrants” prompt. I’m pretty bad at those but still, after like five attempts, and switching to P2, it kept saying that it was unable to complete the transaction. When I try on mobile Chrome browser, I can’t seem to even click the Paze button to start the process. Lemme know if anyone’s found a workaround for a similar issue! Thanks
A quick data point: one of the four restaurants that I have been snowballing with just called me, and I missed the phone call… I have ~$120 for this restaurant. I will call them back soon.
I thought everything was on the Gyft side, but somehow, maybe the restaurant itself can see all activities?
Also, for another restaurant, their Gift Card section suddenly disappeared from their Gyft page, and the gift card I have for them (~$100) also stopped showing in my Gyft account; only the other three are showing.
Checked again, now the “called me but I missed its phone call” restaurant also has its “Gift Card” section on Clover disabled… the section disappeared from the page.
I feel like we all had little information about how this system actually works.
My only fear is that they will deem all those GCs invalid, since the emails we received say, “This gift card has no value unless activated by the issuing merchant and is redeemable for merchandise or services at the issuer’s store.”
More concerning is the possibility that Clover or Gyft deems the whole account invalid, and invalidate all GCs, including the other two restaurants who had no problem so far for me.
Just to self-correct myself: “disappeared from their Gyft page” should be “disappeared from their Clover ordering page,” while Gyft seems to be where they/we store the gift cards.
For the restaurant where I had ~$100 (and whose Gift Card section on Clover disappeared without ever contacting me), their GCs have never shown up in my Gyft account…
Similar here. I snowballed at a place by me on Friday, and as of Monday it has:
1) disabled the gift card tab
2) changed the “order online” page that you would encounter from their actual website (and not the AwardHelper link) to something that isn’t clover when it was on Friday
3) no trace of these cards in Gyft, and
4) I have been refunded for all charges.
The last one is hard to know for sure if it’s the Paze refund or the merchant overriding it and cancelling all of it. However, since the refunds are coming in from very early newegg stuff and I did this Friday, I’m skeptical. They’re closed Monday so I can’t know anything for sure yet.
The good news is that even in the worst case where I have no gift card left, the refund still only took back the 3x dining with my Chase card, and not the 10x, so it still appears tohave been a positive exercise.
I have a feeling a lot of these clover merchants aren’t actually meaning to use all the features on their platform and don’t even realize they’re activated until some locust like me comes along.
This is OP. Yes, same with me: I just checked my bank app, and for that “missing from Gyft” store, all charges have been refunded.
As for the store that called me, I returned the call and spoke with the owner. They said they just wanted to confirm it’s legitimate — “topping up $10 and then using the $10 to buy $20 gift cards looks like money laundering to us” — I explained things, and they are happy to know it is legitimate and said they are happy to see me soon. I also confirmed with them that they have received my money for those GCs, so it is legimately good for those local stores.
I was able to get 6 transactions on my Citi Double card. Unable to see my Chase Freedom Unlimited card in Paze which has same contact info along with my US Bank Altitude Connect which has same email but different phone.
I was able to use the first gift card towards a $20 second gift card but then the 2nd gift card didn’t work towards a $30 and I saw in store only noted. Not sure if that changed within the minutes between purchases somehow.
I got 7 on the Prime Visa, 5 on my CapOne Savor PER RESTAURANT before it started saying somethin about payment decline. I was able to switch cards and add more.
I was able to add 5 gift cards at once to the checkout FYI. It took me a while before I realized I was doing it “wrong”
I should’ve clarified, I could do 7 of one restaurant then was able to do the final 3 at a different restaurant on the same card
Got up to $70, but now it’s throwing this error. Will try again later to reach $100
“Payment could not be processed. Please try again or use a different card.”
Or I get
“Card declined. Check the card details.”
Try switching to a diffferent card. I had 7 transactions on 1 and got the same errors. Then I switched cards and kept on going. On the 3rd card now.
I’m not seeing the option to use a gift card to buy a gift card at the one restaurant in my area? Am I missing something obvious or is it possible it’s not an option at all restaurants? Max City BBQ – https://max-city-bbq-eagle-rock.cloveronline.com/
not an option in all areas, pretty uncommon
AwardHelper also has a great Edit credit map I’ve used a few times https://www.awardhelper.com/csr-hotels
You’re a legend, Tim! Found a restaurant nearby I’d never heard of, but with great reviews. Daisy-chained 5 purchases into a $50 GC which is more than enough for my family of 3 to eat a nice lunch there. Cheers!
Thanks Tim. There is a consortium of about 10 diverse restaurants and cafes in Portland where this is working with the staggered gift card approach. One card applies to any of the consortium. Chefstable.
not sure what issue is but only see my cards not any of P2’s
try using P2’s phone number in the checkout. Should bring up P2 cards.
i still cant get chase cards to show up in Paze though is linked on chase side.
Sadly when I go to purchase the second gift card it is giving me an error and kicking me out.. I have a feeling they are stopping people at one gift card purchase at a time – I’ll try again later..
I occasionally have that happen, but whatever the issue is, it’s not a 1-card limit. I’ve purchased 8-10 back-to-back. If you’re sending them to yourself, try clicking the “buy the card for myself” box. If you’re already doing that, trying sending them to yourself instead.
I was kicked out after 5 transactions on one card then switched to another card on the same site and it allowed some additional transactions.
Hi all, I am not seeing the promo listed by my cards in Paze since yesterday. Including cards that I did not hit the limit on. Anyone else seeing the same? Or feel confident it’s worth trying to purchase anyway?
That’s weird. It’s still showing up for me and P2, and I haven’t heard anyone else with that issue. I’d reach out to Paze before making any more purchases.
Tim, possible data point for you. I added a $100 Newegg gift to cart and now DO see the promotion listed in paze. But I do not see it in Clover or Dunkin when in cart for $10, same for Fanatics. Even if I increase the Dunkin card purchase to $100 it’s absent. Weird.
You’re using the Clover desktop site?
Yes, w/Chrome
I figured it out. I see the promo through clover (desktop) when using Chrome & Paze when logged in my normal browser. But it does not populate when using Chrome Incognito.Something about Incognito causes the issue for me (cookie I assume).