Barclaycard Rewards (Utilities)

[Anonymous]

Hello, forum.

I learned thanks to this forum that Barclaycard Rewards apparently accepts mobile phone bills and cable bills as "utilities".  I was surprised by that as I had always considered utilities to be more of the essential home needs like water, electric, sewage, gas for heating, etc.  

My question is has anyone tried their home security system monthly bill?  I doubt car and home insurance would fit the bill, but has anyone tried any of those as well?

Thanks in advance.  I'm loving this forum.  Learning so much!  

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure about that one, and if you don't get answer from anyone, might as well just try paying for it and see if it is covered as utility or not, what's have you got to lose?

I saw hulu as cable catagory, i'm going to pay hulu plus with barclay if i'll get 2x rewards

[I_need_720]

I have not tried my home security bill. But I have received 2X points on DirecTV, Sprint, electric bill and my wtaer bill after I called them - you would think that if the merchant shows up as City of X Utilities that would be a no-brainer. However, they promptly corrected the matter.

[barthooper]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Hello, forum.

I learned thanks to this forum that Barclaycard Rewards apparently accepts mobile phone bills and cable bills as "utilities".  I was surprised by that as I had always considered utilities to be more of the essential home needs like water, electric, sewage, gas for heating, etc.  

My question is has anyone tried their home security system monthly bill?  I doubt car and home insurance would fit the bill, but has anyone tried any of those as well?

Thanks in advance.  I'm loving this forum.  Learning so much!  

---

I use mine for mobile/cable and get the 2%. Getting that on insurance would be fantastic!

[EW800]

I am not sure about hone security system, however as others have mentioned, I am getting the 2X for my DirecTV and Verizon Wireless bills, in additional to gas/electric etc.

[grizindabox]

Negative on insurance payments

[barthooper]

---

@grizindabox wrote:

Negative on insurance payments

---

Thanks for the insight. Good to know. I'll just use Quicksilver for auto insurance then.

[skigirl916]

If your home security is through a cable service (mine is through XFinity), it counts. 

[Anonymous]

I apologize in advance if this post is out of line or hijacking the original intent of this thread.

I too would look for ways to put some of my "utilities" on a rewards earning credit card that would do better than the typical 1.5 or 2% or 2x.

After all of my searching and research I was able to line up a system and set of cards that worked for me and gave me the return I was looking for.

I use this method from everything to my car insurance, cell phone, water and power, cable and satellite bills. I try to pay most everything this way that doesn't have a 5x multiplier card attached to its category. As long as the bill takes Credit Cards for payment this works.

Using the Amex Blue Cash card (5% Grocery, Drugstore, Gas after $6500 spend), you can purchase $500 Visa gift cards ($3.95 fee) at your local drugstore. Then you take the VGC and use it to pay your various non-category bills.

So if I am doing my math correctly, you would be earning 4.21%.

I do realize not everyone can apply and get approved for the Amex Blue Cash or complete the $6500 upfront spend, but I have found this a better way for me to go about paying my non-category bills.

Just offering it up to those that may be able to go this route and not have to hassle with trying to find that perfect card to match some of life's more obscure categories.

(Also, if you have a business, the Chase Ink Plus, has a 5% multiplier on most of these cable, phone, satellite services)

[barthooper]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

I apologize in advance if this post is out of line or hijacking the original intent of this thread.

I too would look for ways to put some of my "utilities" on a rewards earning credit card that would do better than the typical 1.5 or 2% or 2x.

After all of my searching and research I was able to line up a system and set of cards that worked for me and gave me the return I was looking for.

I use this method from everything to my car insurance, cell phone, water and power, cable and satellite bills. I try to pay most everything this way that doesn't have a 5x multiplier card attached to its category. As long as the bill takes Credit Cards for payment this works.

Using the Amex Blue Cash card (5% Grocery, Drugstore, Gas after $6500 spend), you can purchase $500 Visa gift cards ($3.95 fee) at your local drugstore. Then you take the VGC and use it to pay your various non-category bills.

So if I am doing my math correctly, you would be earning 4.21%.

I do realize not everyone can apply and get approved for the Amex Blue Cash or complete the $6500 upfront spend, but I have found this a better way for me to go about paying my non-category bills.

Just offering it up to those that may be able to go this route and not have to hassle with trying to find that perfect card to match some of life's more obscure categories.

(Also, if you have a business, the Chase Ink Plus, has a 5% multiplier on most of these cable, phone, satellite services)

---

Forgive my ignorance if I'm wrong, but I thought one form of manufactured spending was buying giftcards in big quantities like this and then using them elsewhere to get the effect of the bonus spend? And that this could result in AA from lenders?