can't you get Circuit City gift card and then order something online that's a few $ more than the gc. Then cancel the order and they refund the full amount to your cc? that's what i've heard...

A headup for you guys: I required two $50 gas cards for the first time and what I got is an opened envelop! the gift cards are gone! The guy stole them probably knows thankyou network and the "Thankyou" print on the envelop make it impossible for me to get gift cards. I think I'll wait for 250k points and change for an air ticket with my name on it!

CoffeeEater said:SweetCash said:CoffeeEater said:Freakazoid said:As foto said, stay away from the Gas cards because then you're just losing that 5% back. Insted use it on something you wouldn't get Cash Back on or only get 1% back.

If you try to sell the other cards, you'd be hard-pressed to get over $0.95 per dollar. Gas is a necessity. Buying crap on Amazon or whatever is not. The Target gift card isn't bad. They have groceries and other necessities and you don't get 5% back there. But you're passing on gas cards because of the 5% discount, then buying junk on Amazon?
What you consider "crap" and "junk" on Amazon might be worth more than gas to other people. Don't forget that Amazon is the number one retailer for books, it has a gigantic customer base and sells virtually everything you might want to buy.

Books aren't necessities. I'm talking 'bout gas & groceries, broseph. I know you like to cuddle up with the Hardy Boys under your covers, but we live in the real world, pal! I need to gas up my Corolla to get to my two jobs to put food on the table for my wife and kids. I need gas and groceries...not Hardy Boy novels!
Oh, and gas is a necessity?! Did it ever occur to you that some of us live in cities that have a good public transportation system?
In any case, if in your "real world" it's so hard for you to understand the concept that not everybody necessarily shares your system of values, then it's a sad world.
BTW, trolling won't get you anywhere.

makeinu said:How about the student loan rebate?

Does anyone know how that works? I suspect that citi might just cut you a check to pay another financial institution. In this case, it may be possible to use it to pay credit card bills from other providers, or other kinds of non-student "loans".

Can anyone say exactly what citi sends you if you request a student loan rebate?

I haven't done this myself, but I believe you have to pick a lender that they have on their list. I'm not sure how comprehensive this list is, nor do I know if you can say request a check for Chase, and pay a credit card you have with Chase instead of a student loan you have with Chase. I'm also not sure of the legal consequences of doing so.

I've redeemed twice for the student loan rebate, once about a year ago and again recently. My loans are all Direct Loans, so they're financed through the US Dept of Education. A year ago when they sent me the rebate the check was made out to (imagine my name is John Smith and I live on TwoWay Street):

US Dept of Education
John Smith
TwoWay Street
Anytown, USA 12345

I took that check straight to the bank and deposited it, no problem. However, I just redeemed again recently and received my check a few days ago. This time, the check was just made out to:

US Dept of Education

No account number (even though the thank you rep asked me for it), nothing. I went ahead and actually sent this one towards my student loan, but next time I'll probably just tell them the name of my local bank so I can deposit it into my savings account (my student loan interest rates are less than what I can earn at Presidential/ING/etc, so no need to pay them down).

My house was built in 1950, so I go through those Home Depot cards faster than I can earn them. Thanks for the trick to get Amazon.com gift certificates. Those will come in handy too. I don't bother with the gas cards. The local chains are almost always cheaper on gas. Since Shell took over all the Texaco stations, they jacked up their prices a good 5 cents or more than everyone else.

For those who get gas cards and waste their 5%, why not get a citi dividend platinum? It offers the same rewards, but you can just get a check rather than having to get giftcards.

tulsastorm said:My house was built in 1950, so I go through those Home Depot cards faster than I can earn them. I don't bother with the gas cards. The local chains are almost always cheaper on gas. Since Shell took over all the Texaco stations, they jacked up their prices a good 5 cents or more than everyone else.

I'm in exactly the same situation (complete with 1950 house and cheaper local gas stations). I also get the Home Depot GC's. Just wish they had Lowes as well.

horizon6 said:return222 said:probably gas card or HomeDepot since I know I will spend some $ there eventually.

aarp site says members can get hd gcs online at 4% off face value ... have not done this yet ... probably can pay for them with a card that give you points/cash-back/etc ... so if you or someone you know is a member of eligible of aarp -aarp fee is about 12usd/yr ... might be useful for some people ... get some more thankyou points from the hd gc purchase and use your thankyou points somewhere else you cannot get gc at a discount

Thanks for that AARP tip, have passed it along to sister/BIL who own an apartment complex and are always hitting HD for some little thing (it's in between their house and apartments -- going somewhere else for lower price would be canceled by fuel cost).

a little off topic but if you bank at citi they just introduced on-line e-savings account with initial rate of 4.5 percent no miniimum balance or monthly fee but you must have a citbank checking account