topic Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger? in Credit Cards

best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 18:10:17 GMT

i have several cards (two usaa 5% gas, discover it, chase freedom, possibly more) that have 5% on gas... i am interested to know, if i can use my 5% cards to get gift cards for kroger or publix... i have amex blue cash everyday, i use about $200 a month in groceries, but a lot of times publix will do spend $50 in groceries get $10 off a $50 gas card, and i've been doing that, and paying with amex blue cash everyday (getting 3% points for groceries), but i wonder if i can find any gas stations that sell kroger or publix gift cards, or would it be better for me to be buying a visa gift card at a gas station and recieve 5% points, but have a fee to pay for the visa activation...

basically, i want 5% on groceries, i was wanting sallie mae, but was doing some sellying/buying of my home, and was paying on 2 mortgages at the time, and was declined for that, and now it's no longer.

is 3% the best that i can do... it seems wasteful to me to be having all these 5% gas cards, and i have a hybrid, and spend about $40 a month in gas, so it's all available to be used, but i dont know if its worth it to buy and pay the fee at gas stations for visa cards instead, to use those at grocery stores, or if gas stations sell grocery gift cards like grocery stores sell gas gift cards.

this is my first post, but i've been reading on these forums for a very long time.

i have about 40 credit cards, about every one that you could name except the travel ones, (i'm a hermit and not interested). my score ranges between 750-840 depending on how many churnings i've done. i just went thru a cycle of applying and being approved for 8 new cards the past 2 months, so my inquiries are way up right now, so i'm about 750 credit score at the moment.

maybe there's a card out there that i'm not aware of for groceries (i am aware of the 6% blue cash, but i dont spend enough to make it cohesive i dont think), but since i have so many free no annual fee, and no limit that im aware of on the 5% gas cards, seems to me, maybe i could put them to good use, and as well, maybe pay my utilities as well with the prepaid visas from gas stations, what's the best way to get those and pay the least fee? i think my credit limits on the 2 usaa cards for the 5% gas is $10,000 each, and plus i just got the new 2.5% off everything card for having the bank account with them.

i just really really really want to put my 5% gas cards to use, they are sitting in the drawer collecting dust (since i get the publix $50 gas deal at least once a month, it's plenty to cover my gas expenses for the month), so if i could somehow get visa cards or grocery cards using my 5% gas credit cards instead, i will be essentially getting 5% off everything, except my mortgage and utilities (cant pay mortgage with credit card), and currently using the usaa 2.5% on everything for utilities.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 18:50:22 GMT

With $200 a month grocecy spend, the difference between using your existing 3% card and a putative 5% is pretty small (< $50 a year) so there is the question of how much effort it's worth. (Assuming the BCE really gives 3% at your store!)

I don't know how common grocery store gift cards are going to be, I might look in 7/11 first as they often code as gas, but I haven't seen a huge variety of cards there, especially for other grocery stores

Depending on where you are, it might be relatively easy to find a gas station that sells Visa cards you can buy with a credit card, with the fee, assuming you buy $500 ones, you will be getting a little under 4% back, which is less than $25 a year over your BCE. So if you find such a gas station quickly, good, otherwise the gas cost outweighs the benefit!.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

medicgrrl — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 18:53:58 GMT

How are you getting 5% from Chase Freedom and Discover?

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:04:44 GMT

How are you getting 5% from Chase Freedom and Discover?

rotating categories.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

medicgrrl — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:06:30 GMT

I thought it was restaurant's for both plus movie theaters on Chase

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:21:18 GMT

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

‎07-03-2017 11:50 AM

---------------------------------------------------------------------

gosh, i cant figure out how to quote who im replying to, so i will just paste. this is reply to longtime lurker

well, i was just thinking i was wasting the gas cards at 5% sitting in my drawer, and so i figure, i may as well get the visa gift cards with them and use them for not only at publix and kroger for groceries, but since im spending at publix for the gas cards as well when they do the deals, so i would also be purchasing my gas (by way of gift cards at publix), which is another $40 a month, and if i could use the visa gift cards to pay utilities with, i would be getting the increased percentage there as well, rather than the flat 2.5% with my usaa credit card. i was just thinking, rather than carrying all these credit cards with me, if i could buy a visa gift card at the gas station, using the 5% usaa credit card, i could just pay for everything with that.. but what would the fee be like? i live in east tennessee, near knoxville, so we have pilot, raceway, weigels, and then the free standing shell, exxon stations. i think the biggest place is like the travel centers like in pilot and raceway, i've seen gift cards in there for stores and etc, but i dont think i've seen for kroger or publix, and so i was thinking the visa gift card is the way to go... so what is the best way to do that, is the fee less the higher amount of money you buy? like if i buy a $1000 visa gift card, what fee would that have? and you're saying i would be netting 4% after the fee, did i understand correctly? if so, if i pay my utilities, and get the gas cards and groceries at publix at 4%, it relieves me of that feeling of getting ripped off of not getting 5% off gas with my other credit cards, due to me buying the $50 gas cards at publix because they give you $10 off (that's 20% so i cant pass that deal up, so for over a year i've been getting my gas cards from publix with this recurring deal.. but, only getting 3% back on the blue cash everyday). but if i do what you're saying, that would be getting 4 % instead and not only that, i could also use that to pay utilities with as well (my gas and electric and water and trash all accept credit cards with no fee, so i could pay them in advance a big chunk before that changes!!! i've been expecting them to add a fee, but it's been no fee for 3 years now, but i'm tempted to prepay for a year if i can save 4% off by using prepaid visa's

so i know i've been rambling, but so in essence, are you saying the fee is just 1% then? (for the visa gift cards), which denomination? sorry, i'm really a pro at churning credit cards, and wheeling and dealing with coupons and deals, and using my cards for rotating categories, etc, but when it comes to prepaid gift cards, i just never did it, because i'm so tight i didnt want to pay the fee, but if it's only 1% it would be worth it. i know it's just a small amount of difference per year, but i could buy like $1000 at a time, and just keep that card in my wallet and use it for everything!! (if i would be netting 4%) the only time there's a higher card than 4% would be rotating categories, and i dont really use those except the grocery one. i dont travel, i dont shop much, i have waaaaaayyyyy too much stuff as it is, and so basically, i just use the essentials, gas for my car, utilities, groceries, mortgage. period. if i want clothes, i go to goodwill, and again, i'd use the prepaid visa for that too if i'd be netting 4%

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:22:49 GMT

I thought it was restaurant's for both plus movie theaters on Chase

when they have the 5% category for gas, i buy gas gift cards. i have about $3000 in gas gift cards in my drawer. same with groceries. when chase has the 5% for groceries, i go get $700 in publix, $600 in kroger, and $200 in aldi, and its a done deal.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:27:08 GMT

ps. why wouldnt blue cash give 3% at the grocery store, did they change it?or you mean when its used at walmart, costco, target, etc? i dont shop those places. i only shop kroger, publix and aldi... due to couponing deals... im an extreme couponer, i get all my food at 90% off with stacked coupon deals at publix, and at kroger, and if i dont have coupons for certain items, i pick those up at aldi... which blue cash has always given be 3% at all of those, unless they've changed it recently and im behind.. if so, please tell me... sometimes i think i shoud go back to paper statements, due to it MAKES me look at my statement.. i think i havent read my credit card statements in so long (except just to recognize that there arent any fraud charges on there)

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

medicgrrl — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:32:12 GMT

Ok, I thought you meant you were currently receiving 5% cash back with those 2

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:58:07 GMT

@missjenniferd1 wrote:
ps. why wouldnt blue cash give 3% at the grocery store, did they change it?or you mean when its used at walmart, costco, target, etc? i dont shop those places. i only shop kroger, publix and aldi... due to couponing deals... im an extreme couponer, i get all my food at 90% off with stacked coupon deals at publix, and at kroger, and if i dont have coupons for certain items, i pick those up at aldi... which blue cash has always given be 3% at all of those, unless they've changed it recently and im behind.. if so, please tell me... sometimes i think i shoud go back to paper statements, due to it MAKES me look at my statement.. i think i havent read my credit card statements in so long (except just to recognize that there arent any fraud charges on there)

Yes, it didn't change, just meant if you were using stores Amex codes as grocery, and it sounds like you are.

You can also check on sites like giftcardgranny, currently that have Publix and Kroger gift cards at 2% off. If you have a 2% or 1.5% general card, buying these gift cards with those cards will (slightly) beat using the Blue Cash Everyday.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:46:28 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@missjenniferd1 wrote:
ps. why wouldnt blue cash give 3% at the grocery store, did they change it?or you mean when its used at walmart, costco, target, etc? i dont shop those places. i only shop kroger, publix and aldi... due to couponing deals... im an extreme couponer, i get all my food at 90% off with stacked coupon deals at publix, and at kroger, and if i dont have coupons for certain items, i pick those up at aldi... which blue cash has always given be 3% at all of those, unless they've changed it recently and im behind.. if so, please tell me... sometimes i think i shoud go back to paper statements, due to it MAKES me look at my statement.. i think i havent read my credit card statements in so long (except just to recognize that there arent any fraud charges on there)
Yes, it didn't change, just meant if you were using stores Amex codes as grocery, and it sounds like you are.

You can also check on sites like giftcardgranny, currently that have Publix and Kroger gift cards at 2% off. If you have a 2% or 1.5% general card, buying these gift cards with those cards will (slightly) beat using the Blue Cash Everyday.

I figured out how to quote the post im replying to yayyy!!

I have the new 2.5% on everything from usaa... So if i used that i could get 4.5%! Is "raise" reputable to buy from for the sellers of the publix gift cards? If youve ever heard of people using it.

Thanks for your help, by the way, i appreciate it.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:53:37 GMT

@missjenniferd1 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@missjenniferd1 wrote:
ps. why wouldnt blue cash give 3% at the grocery store, did they change it?or you mean when its used at walmart, costco, target, etc? i dont shop those places. i only shop kroger, publix and aldi... due to couponing deals... im an extreme couponer, i get all my food at 90% off with stacked coupon deals at publix, and at kroger, and if i dont have coupons for certain items, i pick those up at aldi... which blue cash has always given be 3% at all of those, unless they've changed it recently and im behind.. if so, please tell me... sometimes i think i shoud go back to paper statements, due to it MAKES me look at my statement.. i think i havent read my credit card statements in so long (except just to recognize that there arent any fraud charges on there)
Yes, it didn't change, just meant if you were using stores Amex codes as grocery, and it sounds like you are.

You can also check on sites like giftcardgranny, currently that have Publix and Kroger gift cards at 2% off. If you have a 2% or 1.5% general card, buying these gift cards with those cards will (slightly) beat using the Blue Cash Everyday.
I figured out how to quote the post im replying to yayyy!!
I have the new 2.5% on everything from usaa... So if i used that i could get 4.5%! Is "raise" reputable to buy from for the sellers of the publix gift cards? If youve ever heard of people using it.
Thanks for your help, by the way, i appreciate it.

A little under 4.5, but close! (If you buy $100 gift at 2%, you pay $98, and on that $98 the cc gives you $2.45) So you end up saving, 4.45%, which is close enough to 4.5% and better than 3%). Raise is fine

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:59:40 GMT

@medicgrrl wrote:
Ok, I thought you meant you were currently receiving 5% cash back with those 2

No, sorry, didnt mean to mislead you. But if i wanted to buy gas right now, the usaa cards i have offer 5% anytime with i think 6000 spend cap. And i habe 2 of them... Thats why im so interested in using those to either buy grocery cards with or visa cards with, but i have to find a gas station that sells publix or kroger cards, or just buy a visa card and pay the fee. I never thought it was worth it cuz of the fee but maybe its worth it after all since i would be getting ,5% to begin with. Im gonna have to start going inside the gas stations and checking out the fees for these. I think ive been missing out for about 10 years now because i was to stubborn to pay the fee but i always thought the fee negated my earnings. Im going to have to look into this. I mean i have looked at $100 gift cards and the fee was $5 or 5%, so you lose all your earnings, but the other commenter said i could end up with 4%, meaning only a 1% fee, so im sure it must be for much higher denominations, but im ok with that if i can net 4% cuz i could use the visa gift cards to pay my utilities as well. Getting 4% instead of 2.5%(the new usaa card 2.5% on everything), could really add up to a nice bonus for me at the end of the year. Even if its only a difference of $100 a year, it would be worth it to me. Im 45 years old and ive been churning credit card deals, bank accounts, sign on bonuses, otating categories, flat-rate cards for 20-25 years, and i really thought i had the best thing going, but i think i can still improve just a bit more by using my 5% gas cards instead of leaving them sit in the drawer.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 21:09:30 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@missjenniferd1 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@missjenniferd1 wrote:
ps. why wouldnt blue cash give 3% at the grocery store, did they change it?or you mean when its used at walmart, costco, target, etc? i dont shop those places. i only shop kroger, publix and aldi... due to couponing deals... im an extreme couponer, i get all my food at 90% off with stacked coupon deals at publix, and at kroger, and if i dont have coupons for certain items, i pick those up at aldi... which blue cash has always given be 3% at all of those, unless they've changed it recently and im behind.. if so, please tell me... sometimes i think i shoud go back to paper statements, due to it MAKES me look at my statement.. i think i havent read my credit card statements in so long (except just to recognize that there arent any fraud charges on there)
Yes, it didn't change, just meant if you were using stores Amex codes as grocery, and it sounds like you are.

You can also check on sites like giftcardgranny, currently that have Publix and Kroger gift cards at 2% off. If you have a 2% or 1.5% general card, buying these gift cards with those cards will (slightly) beat using the Blue Cash Everyday.
I figured out how to quote the post im replying to yayyy!!
I have the new 2.5% on everything from usaa... So if i used that i could get 4.5%! Is "raise" reputable to buy from for the sellers of the publix gift cards? If youve ever heard of people using it.
Thanks for your help, by the way, i appreciate it.

A little under 4.5, but close! (If you buy $100 gift at 2%, you pay $98, and on that $98 the cc gives you $2.45) So you end up saving, 4.45%, which is close enough to 4.5% and better than 3%). Raise is fine

Awesome!!! Thanks for doing the math for me! And im one who "gets it" when it comes to doing math, but its still nice having someone else do it for me!

So what about just buying visa gift cards with my 2 usaa 5% gas cards, whats the fee on those in order to get 4%?

Because on the publix and kroger gift cards, theyre such small denominations!! I guess i could just buy all of them.

What im really upset about is that i read all these people having multiple chase freedoms, so i applied for a second one and they said i could only have ONE!!!! instead they approved me for a sapphire card, so i did my spend and got my $550 but i still want a second freedom, cuz i think that would do me for the year for gas and groceries. I called them after i paid off the sapphire card and asked to swap it to a freedom, they said YOU JUST GOT THIS CARD LAST MONTH! lol!!!! They said its not elugible to pc yet, and maybe after its been a year... I want it changed prior to the 5% grocery category though, which i think is march. I also habe slate but i did a bal xfer on that one for the next 15 months i think, so i dont want to change that one.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

medicgrrl — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 21:11:47 GMT

Maybe I'm looking at this backwards, but if you're looking to buy a Visa card with your gas cards (that you purchased for 20%off) and paying up to 5% for the Visa, then aren't you really netting a savings of 15% on your groceries and utilities?

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 21:24:19 GMT

@medicgrrl wrote:
Maybe I'm looking at this backwards, but if you're looking to buy a Visa card with your gas cards (that you purchased for 20%off) and paying up to 5% for the Visa, then aren't you really netting a savings of 15% on your groceries and utilities?
__---------------------------------------------------------
Im not sure why its putting my reply next to your quote?

@Missjenniferd wrote:
As far as i know, i would not be allowed to use the actual gas gift cards to buy visa gift cards.. what im actually trying to do is use my 5% rewards credit cards, to buy gift cards to publix or kroger, or visa gift cards to use at publix or kroger. If i was allowed to use the shell gas cards to buy visa cards that would be phenominal, but no place around here would let you use gift cards to buy gift cards.
I have usaa credit cards that give 5% cash back, and want to use those to get groceries pay utilities, and whatnot, rather than having all these 5% cards that i never ever use. Its a huge waste, not to mention the hard pulls because of them last year, but now i have a hybrid and spend half the gas that i used to. Id gladly trade 5% gas for 5% groceries and utilities!!!

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

fltireguy — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 21:37:42 GMT

With your monthly spending on groceries, you might be better off with the blue cash preferred at 6% on groceries. Even though it has the fee.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

missjenniferd1 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 21:45:08 GMT

@fltireguy wrote:
With your monthly spending on groceries, you might be better off with the blue cash preferred at 6% on groceries. Even though it has the fee.

I had that card before when my gas spending was doubled before i got my hybrid, cuz i bought the gas cards at the grocery, but id rather just use my 5% cards without the fee instead of the 6% card with the fee... If i can figure out how much i lose with the fee for buying visa gift cards with my 5% gas reward cards I dont know the fee charge, so cant figure it up

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 21:52:47 GMT

@fltireguy wrote:
With your monthly spending on groceries, you might be better off with the blue cash preferred at 6% on groceries. Even though it has the fee.

Not with the increase in AF. At $95, the breakeven over the BCE is 95/0.03 = $3,117 which is about $264 a month. So only if ~$200 means more than that would it make sense.

Re: best way to use 5% gas card in order to buy groceries at publix and kroger?

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 21:54:17 GMT

@missjenniferd1 wrote:

What im really upset about is that i read all these people having multiple chase freedoms, so i applied for a second one and they said i could only have ONE!!!! instead they approved me for a sapphire card, so i did my spend and got my $550 but i still want a second freedom, cuz i think that would do me for the year for gas and groceries. I called them after i paid off the sapphire card and asked to swap it to a freedom, they said YOU JUST GOT THIS CARD LAST MONTH! lol!!!! They said its not elugible to pc yet, and maybe after its been a year... I want it changed prior to the 5% grocery category though, which i think is march. I also habe slate but i did a bal xfer on that one for the next 15 months i think, so i dont want to change that one.

Right, AFAIK they have never allowed you to APPLY for a second, the multiple ones you see are all through PC. And in some cases, you will be told you have to wait a year