Bill Pay w/Credit Card Do You or Don't You

[OptimalCS]

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@hutchj wrote:

How many of you do automatic bill pay with a credit card?

I currently started paying my cellphone bill through my Chase Sapphire card because I'm trying to accumulate as many points as possible without doing any added spending. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to pay some of my other bills through my CC as well, such as my car insurance & maybe my car note.

I guess I want to know,

If you do pay your bills through your credit card, why? What benefits are you reaping from it? Are there any downsides?

If you don't pay your bills through your credit card,w why/what's keeping you doing so?

Thanks to anyone who replies.

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Rack up those points and pay in full every month!!

[Open123]

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@hutchj wrote:

Thanks for the prompt and concise explanation.

And just so you know, I was about to PM you to tell you to get back the the Bill Pay thread! 

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No problem, it's fun to earn rewards for paying our bills, since we have to pay them anyway.

Basically, Bluebird has much higher earning potential, but only if you have it available.  In my area, no one sells VR reloads anymore.  And, even for reloadable Visa cards, many merchants are requiring a debit with a pin #, and some even cash.  

Hence, my preference for Serve.  I can load with any CC without fee and earn rewards using it to pay all my utility and other little bills which otherwise would cost a service fee to do so.

[GatorGuy]

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@Open123 wrote:

One second, guys.  LOL

Serve is similar to Bluebird (both are offered by Amex), but with some differences.

1.  Serve can be loaded with a credit card through your PC or smart phone.  

2.  Full featured bill pay, just like any bank account - so, you can bill pay a car note, or rent to your landlord.

However, the limitation with CC loading is $250 per month, and $100 per day.  While it is possible, these limitations will relegate Serve to paying Utilities, student loan payments, and small car note.  With a debit card, you can load up to $1,000 per month.

Bluebird can't be loaded by a CC directly, and requires you to purchase "Vanilla reloads" at a supermarket or drugstore, which can be loaded at a Walmart.  I believe you can load up to $10,000?  Bluebird too has full bill pay and check writing capabilities, which if funded, can literally pay anything from a car loan to a mortgage, while allowing you to not only earn points, but profit from the payments with the right rewards card.

In short, there's no reason to pay a "service charge" to any provider for using a CC.

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Thanks for all the info!

[hutchj]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@hutchj wrote:

Thanks for the prompt and concise explanation.

And just so you know, I was about to PM you to tell you to get back the the Bill Pay thread! 

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No problem, it's fun to earn rewards for paying our bills, since we have to pay them anyway.

Basically, Bluebird has much higher earning potential, but only if you have it available.  In my area, no one sells VR reloads anymore.  And, even for reloadable Visa cards, many merchants are requiring a debit with a pin #, and some even cash.  

Hence, my preference for Serve.  I can load with any CC without fee and earn rewards using it to pay all my utility and other little bills which otherwise would cost a service fee to do so.

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Do you ever get charged cash advance fees for adding a CC as a backup or them pulling money from your CC?

[Open123]

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@hutchj wrote:

Do you ever get charged cash advance fees for adding a CC as a backup or them pulling money from your CC?

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I've used Citi, Chase, US Bank and Discover to load without any cash advance fees, while earning full points and rewards.  For example, recently with Discover's 2% promo, I just loaded $250 on Serve to pay my bills.

Don't use your Amex.  While you won't be assessed a cash advance fee, you won't earn rewards either.  

Eventually, I'll get the Quicksilver to use exclusively with Serve for their 1.5% cashback feature & $100 bonus, which is basically a rebate just to pay the bills that I've got to pay anyway.

For example, chargesmart has a $3.99 fee for paying Utilities and even higher for student loans.  Serve can accomplish all of this for free and allow you to earn a rebate at the same time.

[hutchj]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@hutchj wrote:

Do you ever get charged cash advance fees for adding a CC as a backup or them pulling money from your CC?

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I've used Citi, Chase, US Bank and Discover to load without any cash advance fees, while earning full points and rewards.  For example, recently with Discover's 2% promo, I just loaded $250 on Serve for 2 consecutive months to pay my bills.

Don't use your Amex.  While you won't be assessed a cash advance fee, you won't earn rewards either.  

Eventually, I'll get the Quicksilver to use exclusively with Serve for their 1.5% cashback feature & $100 bonus, which is basically a rebate just to pay the bills that I've got to pay anyway.

For example, chargesmart has a $3.99 fee for paying Utilities and even higher for student loans.  Serve can accomplish all of this for free and allow you to earn a rebate at the same time.

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Perfect. I just saw the warning for the cash advance fee, and I figured I'd ask you because you have experience. I really just want to pay my carnote with it, I'm okay with my student loans coming from my account because I get a discount for it coming out automatically.

[Open123]

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@hutchj wrote:

Perfect. I just saw the warning for the cash advance fee, and I figured I'd ask you because you have experience. I really just want to pay my carnote with it, I'm okay with my student loans coming from my account because I get a discount for it coming out automatically.

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I can't speak for other cards, but I can say definitively there's no cash advance fee for using Citi, US Bank, Chase or Discover.  For the $250, I'd recommend loading it in 3 installments.  Sometimes, I'll use different cards just to mix and match.

[hutchj]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@hutchj wrote:

Perfect. I just saw the warning for the cash advance fee, and I figured I'd ask you because you have experience. I really just want to pay my carnote with it, I'm okay with my student loans coming from my account because I get a discount for it coming out automatically.

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I can't speak for other cards, but I can say definitively there's no cash advance fee for using Citi, US Bank, Chase or Discover.  For the $250, I'd recommend loading it in 3 installments.  Sometimes, I'll use different cards just to mix and match.

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Thanks. I want to use my Chase card. I figure I'll put all my bills on there and then just pay one large bill once everything post.

[USF813]

I auto pay my gym membership and home Internet.

[rushx2112]

Any bill I can pay without paying extra fees through a credit card I do.  Might as well get any cashback that I can!