cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Gift cards on Amazon with Discover

tag
Anonymous
Not applicable

Gift cards on Amazon with Discover

I enjoy the occasional Subways sandwich and Starbucks. Seeing as how Discover currently has 5% on Amazon coupled with the 2x promo going on, would it be possible to buy gift cards on Amazon and essentially get 10% off my lunch and coffee or is that forbidden/frowned upon?

I realize I should've done this directly through the merchants during the restaurants quarter to be safe, but I seem to have neglected it at the time. Apologies if this topic has been posted already!
Message 1 of 9
8 REPLIES 8
kdm31091
Super Contributor

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover

You can do it just dont go crazy with it. Like IMO dont buy 500 bucks worth.

A small amount should be fine. Its a store gc not a cash equivalent.
Message 2 of 9
yfan
Valued Contributor

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover


@Anonymous wrote:
I enjoy the occasional Subways sandwich and Starbucks. Seeing as how Discover currently has 5% on Amazon coupled with the 2x promo going on, would it be possible to buy gift cards on Amazon and essentially get 10% off my lunch and coffee or is that forbidden/frowned upon?

I realize I should've done this directly through the merchants during the restaurants quarter to be safe, but I seem to have neglected it at the time. Apologies if this topic has been posted already!

Well, I save oodles by bringing lunch from home! Smiley Wink

 

But, this should be fine. These are store gift cards, so are generally not considered cash equivalents. If you are buying gift cards though, and you have some Cashback saved up on your Discover account, look into going through the Discover rewards redemption, where you get at least $5 in extra value on gift cards. $50 Starbucks gift cards cost you $45 in Discover cashback, essentially saving you the same 10% and without you having to actually spend any money out of pocket.

Message 3 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover


@kdm31091 wrote:
You can do it just dont go crazy with it. Like IMO dont buy 500 bucks worth.

A small amount should be fine. Its a store gc not a cash equivalent.

I would say go ahead and buy the full $1500 worth if that's what you want.  Discover has NO idea what you're actually buying from Amazon, and even if they did they wouldn't care, because it's not against their terms to do that.  A transaction at Amazon is a transaction at Amazon.

Message 4 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover


@Anonymous wrote:
I enjoy the occasional Subways sandwich and Starbucks. Seeing as how Discover currently has 5% on Amazon coupled with the 2x promo going on, would it be possible to buy gift cards on Amazon and essentially get 10% off my lunch and coffee or is that forbidden/frowned upon?

I realize I should've done this directly through the merchants during the restaurants quarter to be safe, but I seem to have neglected it at the time. Apologies if this topic has been posted already!

Yes, go ahead and buy it.  You will be fine as how much you buy shouldn't matter.  It is not frowned upon.

Message 5 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover

The only times people get AA for buying gift cards is if they buy Visa, MC or AmEx giftcards. You do that and the card carriers take notice.

 

It's effectively churning.

Message 6 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover


@Anonymous wrote:

The only times people get AA for buying gift cards is if they buy Visa, MC or AmEx giftcards. You do that and the card carriers take notice.

 

It's effectively churning.


I think you have your terms mixed up.  That might be manufactured spending (and even that is very debatable) but certainly not churning.  Churning is when you get a credit card, complete the bonus and then close out the card and apply again for another one when eligible to get the bonus again.  Basically only using the card for bonuses

Message 7 of 9
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover

This is exactly what I plan on doing with my Discover. I'll stock up on movie ticked gift cards, restaurants, etc to max out the 1500. 10% is too good to pass up.
Message 8 of 9
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: Gift cards on Amazon with Discover

Discover won't care - and won't even realize - what is being delivered in your Amazon 'box'. 

 

Generally, unless you are using a government credit card or certain corporate cards, Level 3 data isn't provided.  Level 3 data *does* provide information on the specific items on the invoice, but both the credit card and the vendor have to support it, which isn't common outside of very specific markets. 

 

Level 2 data is more familiar to most folks, and you'll see this sometimes when you go to a hotel and later your check-in/check-out dates and folio number show on your credit card bill.  Also, some gas stations will report Level 2 data (price/gallon), but this isn't as common as it once was.  Like Level 3, Level 2 will only populate when it's supported by both the merchant and the credit card issuer.  When I use my QuickSilver card to pay for a hotel, this data is populated, but when I use my USAA Visa, it isn't

 

Level 1 data is just the bare minimum, and is what most of us see.  This is what Amazon currently supports (as well as most merchants), so there is no "danger" of Discover finding out about your binge on Subway gift cards unless you call them up and tell them.  Smiley Wink

 

 

Message 9 of 9
Advertiser Disclosure: The offers that appear on this site are from third party advertisers from whom FICO receives compensation.