RackstrawConcepts! - Card Use Incentives

Jun. 19th, 2009

11:57 am - Card Use Incentives

For years, I've been transferring money to Pay-Pal before spending it. Then I'd use my Pay-Pal debit card as a MasterCard and collect a 1.5% refund credit they give on each purchase.

The advantages were always more obvious on large purchases. When I got my $1000 computer in 2005 or so, I got about $15 back. When I bought my car, Toyota accepted $2000 of the price by credit card so I got $30 back.

This has always worked nicely but I've noticed there's no such refund credited on my recent payments. I guess they stopped doing the %1.5 rewards program. That means there's little point in my keeping funds in Pay-Pal for the time being.

I can go for the incentive on my WaMu (becoming Chase) card but it doesn't seem as rational. They have the picks-up-the-tab thing. They randomly choose a MasterCard payment out of thousands and make that one purchase free to whomever conducted it.

I also have an ING credit & debit card but I don't remember offhand if they have any kind of reward system for using it. Will look that up.

Can anyone recommend a card that does something for the card-holder on each transaction? Note that I don't want to apply for a credit card. I'd like another debit MasterCard or Visa.

Alternatively, does anyone know of a good community to post this question?

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Comments:

From:	mellyjc
Date:	June 19th, 2009 08:08 pm (UTC)

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Actually, I ran through this one on hunch.com. Suggested several such options, I believe with the 1.5% deal through various companies.

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From:	rackstraw
Date:	June 20th, 2009 12:16 am (UTC)

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Will take a look.

Btw, Reapplied for that gas card I wanted, today, and got approved, this time! Looks like it was just an identity verification thing. :-)

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From:	mellyjc
Date:	June 20th, 2009 01:56 am (UTC)

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So did you know Margaret's whatever this time, or did they not ask?

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From:	rackstraw
Date:	June 20th, 2009 02:04 am (UTC)

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They used Dad's name this time, along with things like old addresses. There were also none-of-the-above type options for information that didn't mean anything to me. Perhaps I missed that on the Marjerie Megas question.

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From:	goth_raidr
Date:	June 20th, 2009 01:34 am (UTC)

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The only ones I know of are the American Express that REALLY do something for the customers. There's the one that always gives you a 5% incentive on purchashes, and the American Express Delta Rewards, that offers flight point that can be redeemable on flights and other items. I used to have the Delta Card... but I got tired of own credit cards...

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