This thread is supposed to quickly summarize the methods for getting cash from a BT. This is the method I have been using in order of the quickest methods:

(Edit: I'm also trying to get a thread started for when you must pay the BT back to avoid finance charges (exact period from when applied, or by payment due date), and if you can use statement date movements to extend the BT period: See here)

1) If you haven't received 0% checks you can use yet, call and try for direct deposit to checking.

2) If the checks are coming, verify terms and use them. Always make sure when writing it to yourself it is not a cash advance, or at least at the BT terms. Make sure you get the CSR's name and number you spoke to in case they should mislead you so you can rectify the situation.

3) If no checks are coming, request a 0% check be issued to you. Always call from a home phone for this request becuase it does influence the options the CSR's have for checks.

4) If you cannot use the check in your own name, such as with AMEX, ask if you can write it to a friend, have them DEPOSIT it, not cash it, then they can write you a check. You can even write the check to another person who is a joint account holder with you, as long as it is too another person. AMEX has told me this is a fine practice with them. DO NOT WRITE THE CHECK PAYABLE TO THE BANK AND WRITE DOWN YOUR ACCOUNT NUMBER (THIS WILL BE A CASH ADVANCE) (Make sure you call AMEX and tell them a you wrote a big check to a person and to clear it on your first BT check. Otherwise, until they get your signature on file, they will call you for authorization and deny the check if they can't contact you). Read point 4 above carefully so you don't mess up with AMEX and get cash advance or get your check voided!!!

5) If you cannot use the checks in any way to a person and cannot direct deposit to checking, send the BT money to accounts that you already have 0% no fee checks for so that you can immediately go to the bank with them when your card receives the funds. Make sure your checks are still valid. When transferring money to another card, first send to cards with no fees for BT that already have a high utilization on them so that you do not have a credit balance, which can annoy credit companies. When the money gets in, take it right back out with your checks.

6) Open a HELOC with a 16 digit card that is attached to it. Then, you can either draw from that account a few days in advance, and BT into it to avoid large credit balances, or just BT into it and request the credit balance or access it with a check if you have some for that account. This looks like a very good way to request large BT amounts and avoid lengthy delays and fraud investigations! (Thanks Kanosh)

When transferring to a savings account from your checking account, make sure to wait until the check has cleared before putting in a request to transfer the money.

These are my tactics, if I have missed any please advise and I will update the list. This should help those newbies starting the AOR game.

EDIT: Below is a detailed list of how I got the BT money from each card I applied for. If others post thier results or confirm mine, I will update this post. This is my data from my personal June 4th, 2007 AOR.

Discover More – Had to call in and request BT checks. They mailed them to me within 5 business days and I wrote it out to myself.

BoA Plat. Plus MC – Had them direct deposit into my checking over the phone. Took 3 business days to get the funds.

Citi AT&T Platinum Card – Never received welcome package with BT checks. Called in and had them mail me a check payable to me for deposit to checking. Took 5 business days to get. (Debited credit account immediately and you cannot cancel these checks once they are issued).

Citi Home Rebate Card - Never received welcome package with BT checks. Called in and had them mail me a check payable to me for deposit to checking. Took 5 business days to get. (Debited credit account immediately and you cannot cancel these checks once they are issued).

Barclays National Parks – Used included BT checks to make out to myself and deposit to checking. There was one check that came with the card, then I called in and asked for three more to be mailed to me for possible future use (watch expiration dates).

Chase VW Platnium – Used single BT check to deposit to checking. The check came with the card.

HSBC GM Flex Card – Used a BT check I got in the welcome package. These checks came seperate from the card in the welcome package about 5 days later.

RBS Kroger 1.2.3 – Used a BT check I got in the welcome package. These checks came seperate from the card about 5 days later.

GE Money Rewards Card – Note: This card had a straight 3% fee, but I did it anyway to help my slim credit history and make a little profit. Sent BT directly to my no fee BoA card which already a utilization from my BoA Bt on it, causing the entire balance to be paid off on BoA card. . Took 4 days to get $ on BoA card. Then called BoA and had them do another direct deposit over the phone to my checking, took 3 days to get to my checking from BoA.

PNC Bank Personal Platinum – Used single included BT check to deposit into checking. They included one check with the card and I called in for more. (When I applied for this card, I called in and they gave me a special capped BT fee promo, so try calling them.).

Citi Professional – After waiting two weeks for welcome package checks, called in and had them mail a check already made out and payable to me. Took 5 business days to get.

Advanta Business Rewards – Called in and did direct deposit over the phone to a personal checking account. Be careful of the checks they send you, most are at Cash Advance rate.

Citi Business Thank You – Actually received this welcome package and used a BT check. The welcome package came about 9 days after I received the card (Citi is very slow with welcome packages, I recommend calling and getting a filled out check that will come in 5-7 business days, (they tell you 7-9). Do not get the blank ones, b/c they are processed through the same place as the welcome package checks and take almost 30 days to get here!)

Chase Platinum Business Visa – Used single included BT check to deposit to checking. Check came with card. Called in and requested/got more mailed to me via expidited shipping.

Chase GM Business - Used single included BT check to deposit to checking. Check came with card.

National City Visa – Called in and had them mail a check to me payable in my name. I never received any BT checks without asking for them made out to my name from National City.

AMEX In: Chicago – Online CLI from 3.6k to 24.9k. Called in and requested BT checks be sent in mail. Took one week to get check booklet of 4 checks. Made check out to girlfriend for her to deposit to her account. Then she wrote me a check. (Note: AMEX will always call first about the first big check on a new account to verify. They denied my first check as they couldn’t reach me by the end of the business day about verifying my first check to another person. Therefore, make sure you call AMEX and tell them you are writing a large check to another person to prevent this. Once they have your signature on file, this shouldn’t be a problem anymore they said.)

AMEX In: NYC – Called in CLI from 2.3 to 10.3 (all I asked for). Had them mail me BT checks, took a week to get. Wrote check to girlfriend for deposit, she then wrote one back to me.

WAMU ESPN Card – Used included BT checks for deposit. These checks came in the welcome package within one week after receiving the card.

RBS Platinum – I’m actually not using this card as it only came with a 1k limit, but it did include BT checks in the welcome package which came 4 days after the card.

Most of my ideas for this page came from here. However, I think this single page should be a little more concise. Hope it helps and thanks to the others for posting thier experiences.

MikeR397 said:This thread is supposed to quickly summarize the methods for getting cash from a BT. This is the method I have been using in order of the quickest methods:

1) If you haven't received 0% checks you can use yet, call and try for direct deposit to checking.

2) If the checks are coming, verify terms and use them. Always make sure when writing it to yourself it is not a cash advance, or at least at the BT terms. Make sure you get the CSR's name and number you spoke to in case they should mislead you so you can rectify the situation.

3) If no checks are coming, request a 0% check be issued to you. Always call from a home phone for this request becuase it does influence the options the CSR's have for checks.

4) If you cannot use the check in your own name, such as with AMEX, ask if you can write it to a friend, have them DEPOSIT it, not cash it, then they can write you a check. AMEX has told me this is a fine practice with them.

5) If you cannot use the checks in any way to a person and cannot direct deposit to checking, send the BT money to accounts that you already have 0% no fee checks for so that you can immediately go to the bank with them when your card receives the funds. Make sure your checks are still valid. When transferring money to another card, first send to cards with no fees for BT that already have a high utilization on them so that you do not have a credit balance, which can annoy credit companies. When the money gets in, take it right back out with your checks.

6) Open a HELOC. Draw from that account, then BT into it. (Thanks Kanosh)

When transferring to a savings account from your checking account, make sure to wait until the check has cleared before putting in a request to transfer the money.

These are my tactics, if I have missed any please advise and I will update the list. This should help those newbies starting the AoR game.
Edit by Moderator: Thank you for your participation. Please note that there is also discussion about this topic Here.

When I BTd off my Premier Pass they wouldn't do it to my Checking Account or send me a check so I just transfered it to a card that had no balance on it and called them up to send me a check. 3 weeks later no check, they called me again like 5 times to confirm that I wanted a check sent to me. In the end it worked.

rainman01 said:Just found out that Citibank credit cards have an ONLINE option to request for a credit balance refund. As others have suggested in another thread, it is possible to BT from a CC that requires transfer to another credit card to BT to a Citibank credit card. Has anyone tried this? I'm wondering how long it takes to get the credit refund and also what is the largest refund they would issue without raising flags? Thanks!

I requested a refund of a $24K overpayment on my wife's Citi Professional card with a $4K line on 7/7. This was the response:

"We are currently conducting a review of your account and will contact you with the results of our investigation as soon as it is completed.
We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this matter for you. You should receive a response on your refund within 30 days."

I was not happy about such a large overpayment on a $4K line, but was forced to push it when my Discover 0% for life 'transfer by' date was expiring shortly after I paid off and consolidated another Discover line. I had no other place to send the BT to and this was the only available Citi card. It probably didn't help matters that Discover sent separate payments of $15970 and $8030. I was hoping the fact that we actually use this card regularly (for restaurants) would make it less of a problem. I've got my fingers crossed and will report back the result.

lhendricks92 said:barefool said:I didn't see anything about Principal Bank on your summary, so I'll add my $0.02. I called them to request BT checks, but they've stopped sending any out. They offered to put the money straight into my checking account. It's not electronic, they're mailing my bank a check with my name/account number on it. I don't know if that's policy, or because I have a small, hometown bank. BoA did a direct deposit with no problems, so it may just be policy.

Principal sent me blank BT checks about 6 weeks after my application. I didn't request them.

I'm seconding barefool's experience. I called PRICIPAL (1-877-875-8078) to request a BT yesterday (Sunday) and they said they "no longer send checks". Since I don't want to wait 6 weeks for checks per lhendricks92's experience, I had them send $9600 (69% utilization) to my existing Citi Platinum Dividend Select card for eventual credit balance refund.

r0man said:rainman01 said:Just found out that Citibank credit cards have an ONLINE option to request for a credit balance refund. As others have suggested in another thread, it is possible to BT from a CC that requires transfer to another credit card to BT to a Citibank credit card. Has anyone tried this? I'm wondering how long it takes to get the credit refund and also what is the largest refund they would issue without raising flags? Thanks!

To follow up on my earlier post, I got the $22K check (on $4K line) from citibank 1 month after I requested the refund. Details here.

And props to you for pointing someone to the information!

*I'm not just saying that because I started that thread! LOL!*

bas2000 said:Blue123 said:Have you read The first message from OP? Check items 5) and 6). There are some other ways to get your BT money out from CC issuer.



Yes, I read the OP. Barclays Business won't send me a BT check. #5 is great if you have a CC with 0% no fee checks but all of my new ones seem to charge anywhere from $50 to $99 or uncapped 3% which is uggg.

#6, I don't want to open a HELOC and I don't think my credit report can take anymore abuse. When I'm finished, I should have about $120k riding on 0%.

CheersSend it to a 0 balance Citi card of yours. request credit balance refund. problem solved

jackcrawfish said:Send it to a 0 balance Citi card of yours. request credit balance refund. problem solved

I did a BT from Discover Card to one of my AMEX cards a few years ago.

AMEX didn't like it and sent me a letter saying if I didn't it again, they would close my accounts...

mellotune said:If I do a BT from a card with no balance to my 0% AMEX. Then can I go back to the first card and ask them to send me a check for the credit balance? This is the only thing I can think of now... Thanks.Yes, you can do this. I would try to send it to a card with as big of a balance as possible though b/c if you create a large credit balance, sometimes the funds are held for week or two for a fraud investigation (akin to money laundering concerns). Its not that big of a deal, and has been done often here as a last resort, but it is not ideal. Some issuers, like Citi even have a "request credit refund button online" and you don't have to call for it. Usually takes them a week to mail you a check. I would be especially wary about sending a BT that is larger than the Credit Line on the card without a balance.

Also, what AMEX card is this with the BT promo? Is it a new card, or an old one that they sent you this offer for?