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Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?

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dlister70
Frequent Contributor

Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?

Next quarter the Discover It card has restaurants, so I won't need to have fast food as a category on my Cash+ Visa card.  I figured I'd just switch to having cable and streaming as a category for that quarter.  Then it occurred to me that maybe I could prepay a whole year worth of internet so that I get 5% off for the whole year instead of just that quarter?  I have accidentally paid extra on a Comcast bill before, and it just carried over as a credit on the next bill, but I'm not sure if they'd let me overpay for a whole year.. 

 

Netflix is the only streaming service that I'm using right now, and they seem to only bill per month.  I can't find a way to pre-pay for a whole years worth of Netflix except via redeeming Netflix gift cards, which wouldn't work for the streaming category.  Then I realized that I could have been buying Netflix gift cards from Amazon with my Amazon Visa for 5% back all along.. oops.

 

I wonder how many other situations there are where I'm leaving cash back on the table by not thinking outside of the box?  Smiley Happy



Message 1 of 22
21 REPLIES 21
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?

Comcast will let you pay as far ahead as you want to, I do it all the time to hit SUBs. 

 

I believe it was @Kforce who said that they prepaid each quarter to maximize their cash back from the Cash+  

Message 2 of 22
Remedios
Credit Mentor

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?

Cable, internet and streaming have been extended for another quarter, so you have plenty of time to think about if you want to prepay it or not. 

As long as you make up your mind by end of September, you'll be fine. I'd personally prepay if I was in a position to do so. 

Message 3 of 22
kdm31091
Super Contributor

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?

If you can swing the extra upfront cost, there's nothing wrong with prepaying, although I don't think of it as "leaving cash back on the table" because regardless, you'll get cash back when you pay your bill eventually. I wouldn't want to pay for a year of Internet upfront because what if you end up wanting to switch? What if you find a better deal? Your needs could change, and then you're locked in for a year. You could get a refund but then you'd lose the cash back anyway.

 

Netfix AFAIK only bills month to month, there is no option to pay ahead of time for an entire year. But Netflix is a pretty trivial cost in the grand scheme so we aren't talking about huge cash back anyway.

Message 4 of 22
longtimelurker
Epic Contributor

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?


@kdm31091 wrote:

If you can swing the extra upfront cost, there's nothing wrong with prepaying, although I don't think of it as "leaving cash back on the table" because regardless, you'll get cash back when you pay your bill eventually. 

 

 


I think the OP is saying that they usually use the Fast Food category on Cash + and next quarter they don't need to.   So, if they spend most of the 2000 on fast food, they won't always get the cash back when they pay the bill...

 

I just discovered I have spend $2100 this quarter with one more mobile payment to go, so I messed up!

Message 5 of 22
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?


@kdm31091 wrote:

If you can swing the extra upfront cost, there's nothing wrong with prepaying, although I don't think of it as "leaving cash back on the table" because regardless, you'll get cash back when you pay your bill eventually. I wouldn't want to pay for a year of Internet upfront because what if you end up wanting to switch? What if you find a better deal? Your needs could change, and then you're locked in for a year. You could get a refund but then you'd lose the cash back anyway.

 

Netfix AFAIK only bills month to month, there is no option to pay ahead of time for an entire year. But Netflix is a pretty trivial cost in the grand scheme so we aren't talking about huge cash back anyway.


Comcast has been locking people into 1 year or 2 year contracts anyway to get the best rates — I’m on contract for $89.99 a month until July 2020 for gigabit — and when you cancel service, Comcast issues a prorated refund for any credit balance. 

Message 6 of 22
dlister70
Frequent Contributor

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?


@longtimelurker wrote:

@kdm31091 wrote:

If you can swing the extra upfront cost, there's nothing wrong with prepaying, although I don't think of it as "leaving cash back on the table" because regardless, you'll get cash back when you pay your bill eventually. 

 

 


I think the OP is saying that they usually use the Fast Food category on Cash + and next quarter they don't need to.   So, if they spend most of the 2000 on fast food, they won't always get the cash back when they pay the bill...

 

I just discovered I have spend $2100 this quarter with one more mobile payment to go, so I messed up!


Yes, I guess I wasn't clear on that.  I will only have the cable/streaming as a category for next quarter, and then I will be switching back to fast food.  Although I don't spend $2000 per quarter on fast food (yikes!) I do spend more than the $50/month that my internet is, so it's usually a better category for me.

 

I just figured while I had the cable category, I'd pre-pay a year and then I could do it again next year whenever Discover has their restaurant quarter again.  


I am certainly going to jump ship from Comcast whenever Google fiber comes to town, but otherwise, I'm pretty much stuck with them if I want internet, so I'm not worried about paying ahead.



Message 7 of 22
dlister70
Frequent Contributor

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?


@Anonymous wrote:


Comcast has been locking people into 1 year or 2 year contracts anyway to get the best rates — I’m on contract for $89.99 a month until July 2020 for gigabit — and when you cancel service, Comcast issues a prorated refund for any credit balance. 


Hmm, I wonder if they mail you a check for the credit balance?  Then you'd still keep your cash back and get the refund too!  Smiley Happy  



Message 8 of 22
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?

I recently had an Amex offer for 10% off a cellular bill payment, up to $10 (on $100).

 

My cell bill costs $5 a month less on autopay, so it was already set up on another card. Although I didn't owe anything, I went to T-Mobile's web site and pre-paid $100. The $10 credit generated in a day or two and I have a two month "vacation" from paying my phone bill.

 

And just for fun, since it's on a plan with introductary 0% Plan it Pay It, I split the $100 into 9 payments of $11.12.

 

 

Message 9 of 22
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Pre-pay a year of internet and Netflix on Cash+?


@dlister70 wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:


Comcast has been locking people into 1 year or 2 year contracts anyway to get the best rates — I’m on contract for $89.99 a month until July 2020 for gigabit — and when you cancel service, Comcast issues a prorated refund for any credit balance. 


Hmm, I wonder if they mail you a check for the credit balance?  Then you'd still keep your cash back and get the refund too!  Smiley Happy  


They do mail you a check for the credit balance within 3 weeks. I used to work for them. 

Message 10 of 22
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