Using the Target Amex card to run up spend

UPDATE 1/12/2016: The American Express for Target card has been discontinued

The American Express for Target card that I wrote about yesterday is hardly revolutionary.  Compared to the generic American Express Prepaid cards, the Target Amex has higher ATM fees and much stricter limits (for example, the card may only be used within the U.S.).  Compared to the new Bluebird card, the Target Amex doesn’t compare at all.  It doesn’t have bill pay, you can’t move money out to your bank account, and there are no plans to allow check writing.  However, the Target Amex has one awesome feature that the others don’t have: you can load this card in-store with a credit card.

To get your own American Express for Target card, please see my post “How to get the American Express for Target card.”

Fees and Limits

The Target Amex card has the following fees and limits:

• $3 per reload in-store
• $3 per ATM withdrawal after the first free withdrawal each month.  Note that ATM owner fees apply as well.
• Number of cards: Each person is allowed up to two cards.  Only one may be purchased in a day.
• Maximum load: Per rolling 30 days, $2500 per card / $5K for two cards (can do $3K to one card and $2K to another, for example)
• ATM withdrawals: Limited to $400 per day

Running up spend

There are many reasons you may want to run up spend on a credit card.  Here are a few examples:

• Meet credit card minimum spend requirements.  Many credit card sign up offers require high spend to receive the full value of the offer.  For example, the Ink Bold and Ink Plus currently require $5K of spend in 3 months in order to get the full 50K bonus.
• Achieve high-spend bonuses.  Some cards offer bonus points when you reach certain thresholds of spend.  Other cards offer airline or hotel elite status.  Personally, I use “manufactured spend” tricks with the Delta Reserve and Delta Platinum cards in order to achieve high level elite status on Delta each year (see “Mileage running, from home“).
• Maximize promotions.  Some cards target cardholders with temporary incentives (such as extra points) to use their cards more.

Whatever your reason for wanting to run up spend, the Target Amex can be a nice addition to your tool chest.  It’s not free (like Amazon Payments), and it’s not a game changer (like Vanilla reload cards), but it’s pretty good.  Here are two approaches to using the card to run up spend…

Straight-Up Approach

The simplest way to use the Target Amex to run up spend is as follows:

1. Use your credit card to pay for each reload.  Load the maximum allowed $1000 each time in order to make the $3 load fee as small of a percentage as possible.
2. Find the lowest cost ATMs around and unload the card $400 at a time.  Some people have been lucky enough to find free ATMs at their local credit unions.  Some have reported finding 99 cent ATMs inside MacDonald’s.  Others have settled on the still inexpensive ATM’s in Costco ($1.25 per withdrawal).

If you load and withdraw $2000 per month, and use Costco ATMs at $1.25 per use, your total costs will come to $24.25, or 1.21%.  If you don’t count the value of your time into the equation, this can be a very reasonable price to pay to get points!

Indirect Approach

There are many variations of the indirect approach.  The basic idea is to get extra points or cash back when buying bank gift cards and then use those bank gift cards to load your Target Amex.  For this post, I’ll focus on a simple cash-back strategy for buying Amex gift cards at a discount:

Buying Amex gift cards at a discount

The idea is to go through the online portal BigCrumbs to buy American Express gift cards and receive 1.4% cash back.  Here’s how:

1. Sign up for BigCrumbs.  (If you would like to contribute to Frequent Miler, please consider using this referral link — I’ll earn a small bonus each time you get cash back).
2. Search BigCrumbs for “American Express”.  You’ll find two options: American Express Gift Cards – Business, and American Express Gift Cards – Personal.  Click through either one.
3. Order gift cards for yourself.  Except when special promotions are going on, each card has a $3.95 fee, so your best value is to buy one $3000 card at a time.  You will also be charged $8.95 for 2nd Day shipping.
4. Pay with your credit card.  Note: do not do this with Citibank cards since it has been reported that Citi treats these purchases as cash advances!  In my experience, both Chase and American Express treat these as regular purchases.  If you’re unsure about your bank, consider buying a small denomination card first to test the waters.

In total, your fees will come to $12.90 or .43%.  From BigCrumbs, you should get back 1.4% of $3000, which is $42.  After subtracting out the fees, you still gain $29.10 which is a .97% profit!

Liquidating Amex gift cards

Now that you have Amex gift cards that you effectively got at a discount, you can liquidate them by using them to load Target Amex cards and then withdraw the money from ATMs.  By going through this indirect approach, your total fees for running up spend will come down to a miniscule .24%!

Scale up

With the options shown above, you can easily “manufacture” $2000 spend per month.  Yes, you could go to $2500, but then you wouldn’t be perfectly optimizing the fees since you would have to do a $500 load each month.

One easy way to scale up beyond $2000, is to get a second card.  That way, you can go up to $5000 spend per month.  Further, if you have a partner you can work with, they could get two cards as well.  A couple could manufacture $10,000 in spend per month!

Warnings

I’ve cautioned heavily before against doing exactly what I wrote about above.  With either the regular Amex Prepaid cards or the Bluebird card, I think it would be a mistake to abuse them by using them just for loading and unloading.  Amex counts on you using these cards for real credit card transactions.  If you don’t, they have the ability to close your accounts.  Just as concerning, loading and unloading cards looks like money laundering.  So, you do run some risk of being investigated (even though there’s nothing illegal about the procedure I wrote about).

Everyone needs to use their own judgment about the level of risk they’re willing to incur.  In the case of Target Amex cards, my guess is that the fees are just high enough to put us in the clear.  What I mean is that Amex and Target probably don’t lose money (at least, not much) when we load and unload cards as described in this post.  If true, then they would have little or no incentive to spend resources on monitoring how we use these cards.  I can’t stress enough, though, that this is just my educated guess.  Use your own judgment about how (or whether) to proceed.

See also

• How to get the American Express for Target card
• The 5X everywhere backup plan

Chase's 5/24 Rule: With most Chase credit cards, Chase will not approve your application if you have opened 5 or more cards with any bank in the past 24 months. To determine your 5/24 status, see: 3 Easy Ways to Count Your 5/24 Status. The easiest option is to track all of your cards for free with Travel Freely.

Chase 5/24 semantics ("Subject to" vs. "Count towards"): Most Chase cards are subject to the 5/24 rule. That means the rule is enforced in making approval decisions. In other words, you probably won't get approved if your credit report shows that you opened 5 or more cards in the past 24 months. Meanwhile, most business cards (such as those from Chase, Amex, Barclaycard, BOA, Citi, US Bank, and Wells Fargo) are not reported on your personal credit report. These cards do not count towards 5/24. Example: Chase Ink Business Preferred is subject to 5/24, so you likely won't get approved if over 5/24. If you do get approved, it won't count towards 5/24 since it won't appear as an account on your credit report.

Amex credit and charge card limits: If you apply for a new Amex credit card, you may get turned down if you already have 5 or more Amex credit cards; or 10 or more Pay Over Time (AKA charge) cards. Both personal and business cards are counted together towards these limits. Authorized user cards are not counted. See also: Which Amex Cards are Charge Cards vs. Credit Cards?

Applying for Business Credit Cards Yes, you have a business: In order to sign up for a business credit card, you must have a business. That said, it's common for people to have businesses without realizing it. If you sell items at a yard sale, or on eBay, for example, then you have a business. Similar examples include: consulting, writing (e.g. blog authorship, planning your first novel, etc.), handyman services, owning rental property, renting on airbnb, driving for Uber or Lyft, etc. In any of these cases, your business is considered a Sole Proprietorship unless you form a corporation of some sort. When you apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor, you can use your own name as your business name, use your own address and phone as the business' address and phone, and your social security number as the business' Tax ID / EIN. Alternatively, you can get a proper Tax ID / EIN from the IRS for free, in about a minute, through this website. Is it OK to use business cards for personal expenses? Anecdotally, almost everyone I know uses business cards for personal expenses. That said, the terms in most business card applications state that you should use the card only for business use. Also, some consumer credit card protections do not apply to business cards. My advice: don't use the card for personal expenses if you're not comfortable doing so.

Manufacturing Spend Caution: Many, many things can go wrong when manufacturing spend. If you suddenly increase credit card spend, your accounts may get shut down. If you cycle your balance often (e.g. spend to your limit, pay the bill, repeat) within a billing cycle, your accounts may get shut down. If you repeatedly pay your credit card bill from an anonymous bill payment source, your accounts may get shut down. If you buy lots of gift cards you may lose money due to gift card fraud, theft, loss, or simply mishandling those gift cards (e.g. maybe you thought you already used a gift card and tossed it into your “used” bin). If you rely on only one method to liquidate gift cards, you may be stuck unable to pay your credit card bill when that method gets shut down. In other words, don’t try this at home unless you know what you’re doing, and you understand and accept the risks..

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are super valuable and super flexible. At the most basic level, points can be redeemed for cash or merchandise, but you'll only get one cent per point value that way. A better option is to use points for travel. When points are used to book travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal, points are worth 1.25 cents each with premium cards (Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred, for example) or 1.5 cents each with the ultra-premium Sapphire Reserve card. Another great option is to transfer points from a premium or ultra-premium card to an airline or hotel program when high value awards are available (see this post for details). If your points are tied to a no-fee "cash back" Ultimate Rewards card, then first move those points to a premium or ultra-premium card before redeeming them in order to get better value.

Amex Membership Rewards points can be incredibly valuable if you know how to use them. In general, if you use Membership Rewards points to pay for merchandise or travel, you won't get good value from your points. One exception is with the Business Platinum card where you'll get a 35% point rebate when using points to book certain flights. This gives you approximately 1.5 cents per point value, which is pretty good. Another exception is with the Business Gold Card where you'll get a 25% point rebate when using points to book certain flights. This gives you approximately 1.33 cents per point value. If you don't have either card, then your best bet is to transfer points to airline miles in order to book high value awards. More details can be found here: Amex Membership Rewards Complete Guide.

Marriott points can be redeemed for free night awards, travel packages, airline miles, or experiences. 5th Night Free Awards: When redeeming points for free nights, the 5th night within a single reservation is free. Airline miles: Points can be converted to airline miles at a rate of 3 points to 1 mile. With many programs, a bonus is added on when you transfer 60,000 points at a time, such that 60,000 points transfers to 25,000 miles. Also, you'll get a 10% bonus when transferring points to United Airlines. Everything you need to know about Marriott's rewards program, Bonvoy, can be found here: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide

Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by the same guy who showed you how to fly round trip to Africa (DC to Senegal) for 50,000 points, how to book business class to Europe for 80,000 miles roundtrip, and more. You can find John’s website and award booking service here: theflyingmustache.com/awardbooking. -Greg The Frequent Miler

Amex Application Tips Safe to Apply: Amex is the safest bank for trying your luck at earning a new welcome bonus offer. They don’t usually issue a hard pull when denying your application, and if you already have an Amex card, they won't usually issue a hard pull when approved for another one. Plus, they’ll now warn you during the application process if you’re not eligible for the bonus. Lifetime Rule: If you've ever had the same card before, you are most likely prohibited from earning a welcome bonus offer for the card if you apply now. Fortunately you'll be warned during the application process if this is the case. Amex is known to "forget" that you've had a card after about 7 years. 90 Day Rule: You can get at most two credit cards within 90 days. This rule does not apply to Pay Over Time (charge) cards. 5 credit card max: Amex usually won't approve applications for new credit cards if you already have 5 or more Amex credit cards or 10 or more charge cards. Better Offers: You may be able to get a better offer than the best available public offer. Details here. Hard inquiries combine into 1 when approved same day Check application status here. If denied, call reconsideration: 877-399-3083 (new accountholders); 866-314-0237 (current accountholders)

Chase Application Tips Shut-Down Caution: Signing up for new Chase cards can lead to Chase reviewing your accounts. This may lead to Chase shutting down all of your accounts if you appear to be a credit risk. See this post for details and recommendations: Why Chase shutdowns have increased and how to avoid them. 5/24 Rule: With most Chase cards, you won't get approved if your credit report shows 5 or more cards opened in the past 24 months. Details here. 24/48 Month Rule: With most Chase cards, you can get the same card and bonus again 24 months after having received the bonus as long as you no longer have the card open. With Sapphire cards, you must wait 48 months. No wait is required for Chase Ink cards. 30 Day Rule: It is tough to get approved for more than 2 Chase cards within 30 days Get Same Card Again: You can get the same exact card and again if you first cancel the older card and follow the 24/48 month rule. Ink cards are OK to get again without cancelling previous card if you apply with a new business. Better Offers: You may be able to get a better offer than the best available public offer. Details here. Hard inquiries combine into 1 when approved same day (not always true when mixing business and personal) Call (888) 338-2586 to check your application status If denied, call reconsideration here:1-888-270-2127 for both personal and business cards

Citi Application Tips 48 Month Rule: With most Citi cards, you have to wait 48 months after receiving a bonus for the same exact card. Velocity Rules: Max 1 personal card per 8 days. Max 2 personal cards per 65 days. Max 1 business card per 95 days. Get Same Card Again: Citi allows getting same card again (even if card is still open) as long as you follow the 24 or 48 month rules and velocity rules (above). Hard inquiries DO NOT combine into 1 when approved same day Check application status here. If denied, call reconsideration here:800-695-5171 (personal); 800-763-9795 (business) If reconsideration # doesn’t work, try the Citi Credit Card Executive Office: 423-477-6858

Bank of America Application Tips 3/12 or 7/12 Rule: You won't be approved if you have opened 3 or more accounts, with any bank, in the past 12 months. For those with Bank of America deposit accounts, the rule changes to 7+ accounts. 2/3/4 Rule: Max 2 consumer cards per rolling 2 months, 3 per rolling 12 months, and 4 per rolling 24 months. 5 card limit: You will not get approved for a new consumer card if you already have 5 consumer BOA cards open Get Same Card Again: With some BOA cards, must wait 24 months after either opening or cancelling, depending upon the card. Hard inquiries are usually combined into 1 when initiated within 30 days but there have been reports of TransUnion not combining. Click here to check your application status If denied, call reconsideration here: (800) 732-9194 (8am-7pm ET Mon-Fri); 800-481-8277 (business cards);

Barclays Application Tips Get Same Card Again: Must wait at least 6 months after cancelling previous card (with some accounts Barclays requires waiting 24 months). Hard inquiries are combined into 1 when approved same day. Most inquiries issued through TransUnion. Consumer: Click here to check your application status Business cards: Click here If denied, call reconsideration here: 866-710-2688

Capital One Application Tips Velocity Limit on consumer cards: Existing or previous cardholders are not eligible for the same card if they have received a new cardmember bonus for the same product within the last 48 months. Hard inquiries usually get issued through all 3 credit bureaus To check application status, call (800) 903-9177 or (877) 277-5901 If denied, call reconsideration here: (800) 625-7866

Discover Application Tips 2 card limit: You can have a maximum of 2 Discover cards. 12 month rule: Must wait just over 12 months after previous card was opened before applying for another Discover card. Get Same Card Again: No known rules against getting same card & bonus again. Click here to check your application status If denied, call reconsideration here: 888-676-3695

TD Bank Application Tips Get Same Card Again: Yes? Very little is known, but it appears to work in some cases. Hard inquiries are combined into 1 when approved same day. Call (888) 561-8861 to check your application status

US Bank Application Tips Get Same Card Again: Depends on the product. For example, with the Altitude Reserve card you cannot get the bonus again. The terms state "The bonus is not available to Cardmembers who currently have, or had, a U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite account." Hard inquiries may be combined into 1 when approved same day. Call (800) 947-1444 to check your application status. If denied, call reconsideration here: 800-947-1444 or 800-685-7680

Wells Fargo Application Tips Bank first: Wells Fargo usually requires having a bank account open before you can apply for a credit card. 16 month rule: Limit of one signup bonus per 16 months Get Same Card Again: No known rules against getting same card & bonus again. Hard inquiries are combined into 1 when approved same day. Check application status here. If denied, call reconsideration here: 1-866-412-5956 (consumer) or 1-800-231-9244 (business)

Under certain circumstances consumer Visa cards don't work with Plastiq. The following payments are fine: Rent (residential rent, HOA fees, and commercial rent) Taxes & government fees Utilities (electricity, cable, internet, and telecom) Tuition (including daycare and camp) Payments outside of the above list are subject to the following limitations: Payments using personal Visa cards issued by Chase are subject to a limit of 20% of your credit limit. Payments using personal Visa cards from other issuers (other than Capital One or Wells Fargo) will code as a cash advance. That means you’d incur cash advance fees and wouldn’t earn any credit card rewards. The following types of Visa cards are not affected by these changes: Capital One personal Visa cards, Wells Fargo personal Visa cards, Visa business credit cards, Visa corporate, debit and prepaid gift cards.

In order to meet minimum spend requirements, people often look for options to increase spend in ways that result in getting their money back. These techniques are referred to as "manufacturing spend". American Express has terms in their welcome offers that exclude some manufactured spend techniques from counting towards the minimum spend requirements for the welcome bonus offer. For example, most new cardmember bonuses have terms like this: Eligible purchases to meet the Threshold Amount do NOT include fees or interest charges, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, purchases of gift cards, person-to-person payments, or purchases of other cash equivalents. That said, many techniques for meeting minimum spend are perfectly fine. Here are some techniques that are safe for meeting Amex minimum spend requirements (click each link for more information): Pay Bills Pay Federal Taxes Loan money with Kiva Buy and sell merchandise

We have added this to our running list of Black Friday deals, which will be constantly updated through Cyber Monday with a mix of gift card deals, merchandise deals, and travel deals. Check back often.

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