Paying Dues with Gift Cards PSA

[Unclelude]

Thought I'd share some savings I found nice.

We just bought direct in October. We opened 2x chase sapphire preferred cards to get the 80k bonus points per card.

That card has a pay yourself deal going thru April paying 1.25 per point at grocery stores. So, for example we bought $800 in gift cards, but it only cost us $600 in points... Then we got another ~$75 in gas coupons

The worst part was the biggest card they had was $50... So lots of cards to enter, but worth $275 to me. You also need the points available to apply them for the increased credit... Anyway some nice savings potential!

Good Luck - Happy New Year!

 

[Spartan86]

Nice deal! You may combine your cards up to $1000 per card at:
https://www.disneygiftcard.com/

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

The other thing to know about the Chase Sapphire Reserve is that you get a $300 travel credit once a year for each card. You can pay you dues with your gift cards, but leave $300 unpaid. Then you pay the remaining $300 with your CSR, and Chase will credit your account with $300.

 

[RebelScum]

I buy Disney gift cards at BJs. Normally, they are 3% less. However, after Thanksgiving for several years, they are 4% off. I also use my AMEX card, which gives me 1% back in points. So, I end up getting them for 95%. I use those to pay annual dues. Also, this past summer they had the same deal, and I used it to renew my annual passes.

 

[VLee]

The other thing to know about the Chase Sapphire Reserve is that you get a $300 travel credit once a year for each card. You can pay you dues with your gift cards, but leave $300 unpaid. Then you pay the remaining $300 with your CSR, and Chase will credit your account with $300.

Wow! This is nice to know. So, if I understand correctly, the CSR card can be used to pay membership dues directly (after using gift cards for the biggest part). ... and then, Chase will credit your credit card?? Wish I had known this last week, lol when I used gift cards to pay the whole balance.

 

[TexasChick123]

I buy Disney gift cards at BJs. Normally, they are 3% less. However, after Thanksgiving for several years, they are 4% off. I also use my AMEX card, which gives me 1% back in points. So, I end up getting them for 95%. I use those to pay annual dues. Also, this past summer they had the same deal, and I used it to renew my annual passes.

This is almost exactly what I do. I use my Chase Freedom card to buy the GCs from BJs which were 6% off after Thanksgiving, AND I was able to buy them in $500 increments. I get 1.5% cash back on my Chase Freedom. I end up getting almost 7.5% off when it’s all said and done which is a lot.

 

[herrmannpt]

I looked up the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Looks like it has a $550 annual fee. Ouch!!! Won’t be worth it for me.

 

[TexasChick123]

It used to be $450. Once you got the $300 in travel credits, it really knocked it down to $150. It is high, but with 3x rewards on dining and travel, it pays for itself for us. I haven’t paid for a plane ticket in years at this point.

 

[amcnj]

FYI Chase Freedom currently has wholsesale clubs in their Jan-Mar rotating three month 5% category. So you could buy Disney gift cards at Bj’s at their current 4% off rate (479.99 for a $500 card) with the Chase Freedom and get an additional 5% back from Chase on the 479.99. I believe it came out to about 8.8% off the $500 overall.

The rotating categories have a limit of $1500 in purchases, so three $500 cards at 479.99 will bring you within about $60 of that limit.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

It used to be $450. Once you got the $300 in travel credits, it really knocked it down to $150. It is high, but with 3x rewards on dining and travel, it pays for itself for us. I haven’t paid for a plane ticket in years at this point.

They have delayed the price increase for current cardholders due to the pandemic. At least they did for me.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Wow! This is nice to know. So, if I understand correctly, the CSR card can be used to pay membership dues directly (after using gift cards for the biggest part). ... and then, Chase will credit your credit card?? Wish I had known this last week, lol when I used gift cards to pay the whole balance.

That is correct. I wish I had known it, too. I paid the final $16 with CSR just to test it, and Chase promptly refunded the charge. Next year I'll go for $300.

 

[TexasChick123]

They have delayed the price increase for current cardholders due to the pandemic. At least they did for me.

Dang it! I didn't know they could increase the annual fee and make us pay if we already had the card. I just got charged the $450 for my fee, so it looks like I will be calling them next year to argue about it when they try to charge me $550. Ugh!

 

[ChipNdale8887]

Thought I'd share some savings I found nice.

We just bought direct in October. We opened 2x chase sapphire preferred cards to get the 80k bonus points per card.

That card has a pay yourself deal going thru April paying 1.25 per point at grocery stores. So, for example we bought $800 in gift cards, but it only cost us $600 in points... Then we got another ~$75 in gas coupons

The worst part was the biggest card they had was $50... So lots of cards to enter, but worth $275 to me. You also need the points available to apply them for the increased credit... Anyway some nice savings potential!

Good Luck - Happy New Year!

Just becareful everyone if you are using the Disney Gift Card website to combine cards the website shuts down this month. So make sure you have all your money on a physical gift card other wise it will be lost.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Just becareful everyone if you are using the Disney Gift Card website to combine cards the website shuts down this month. So make sure you have all your money on a physical gift card other wise it will be lost.

The website is not exactly shutting down. But you are correct that you need to have your cards on a physical card. They are doing a system change. When it is over, you can log in with your main Disney login (the same one that works with DVC). At that point, you can re-enter your gift cards.

 

[ChipNdale8887]

The website is not exactly shutting down. But you are correct that you need to have your cards on a physical card. They are doing a system change. When it is over, you can log in with your main Disney login (the same one that works with DVC). At that point, you can re-enter your gift cards.

Your right I misspoke. Its just getting incorporated into your MDE account I believe. I think there relaunching it so people don't have multiple accounts different from their MDE account. I hope it works better, when we were down there over Christmas I had to reenter my gift card every time to pay for mobile orders, it would never same it.

 

[bp2412]

FYI Chase Freedom currently has wholsesale clubs in their Jan-Mar rotating three month 5% category. So you could buy Disney gift cards at Bj’s at their current 4% off rate (479.99 for a $500 card) with the Chase Freedom and get an additional 5% back from Chase on the 479.99. I believe it came out to about 8.8% off the $500 overall.

The rotating categories have a limit of $1500 in purchases, so three $500 cards at 479.99 will bring you within about $60 of that limit.

Does anyone know if Costco does this as well or just BJs? We're Costco members but we always get the same handful of things each time and don't check out the store much since it is always packed, just get in and get out as quickly as we can.

 

[Sandisw]

Does anyone know if Costco does this as well or just BJs? We're Costco members but we always get the same handful of things each time and don't check out the store much since it is always packed, just get in and get out as quickly as we can.

My Costco does not have Disney gift cards. I check every week. Not sure if any other ones do.

 

[bp2412]

My Costco does not have Disney gift cards. I check every week. Not sure if any other ones do.

Thank you Sandi. Maybe Costco doesn't offer at all, oh well, it would have been a nice pairing with my Chase Freedom this quarter as mentioned earlier.

 

[CarolynFH]

when we were down there over Christmas I had to reenter my gift card every time to pay for mobile orders, it would never same it.

Many people have complained about this, but I'm not sure Disney is going to change it - it's probably easier to have mobile order link automatically to the CC you have on file in MDE for ADRs, etc. The workaround is to save the GC number in a note on your phone, so that all you have to do is copy and paste it each time you place a mobile order.

 

[disneykins]

Has the gift card website stopped selling gift cards due to the changeover? I bought one on Monday but tried again today and it wont let me buy one? I was able to buy merch today though, so I think it might just be gift cards.