Any creative ways to Use AMEX to Pay a Merchant that only accepts VISA and MC?

[HSS]

I recently bought approx. $3000 in inventory from a wholesaler and they informed me that they only accept Visa and Mastercard.

Does anyone know of any ways that I could put these charges on my AMEX cards to earn the points, through buying VISA gift cards or something to that effect with preferably no fees, but possibly very low fees.

If anyone has any creative "chaps" that they have thought of and would be willing to share I would appreciate it.

I have to pay them soon, so a quick response would be much appreciated. 
Or if anyone knows of any interesting strategies they would rather not post on an open forum, feel free to PM me.

Thanks in advance!!

HSS

[Cholentfresser]

I think visa gift cards have a small fee, but prob. worth it.
many stores sell them.

[HSS]

I think visa gift cards have a small fee, but prob. worth it.
many stores sell them.

Any online linky? I have looked a little and havent found yet... Also have to find a place that will let you buy visa gift cards with AMEX, it seems hard to find.

HSS

[Cholentfresser]

i found this, but there's a $500 limit per card

[HSS]

i found this, but there's a $500 limit per card

i checked that out already and i only found one's that allow to purchase visa and mastercard not AMEX

[Dan]

Buy a Visa/MC GC in a store with coins?

[AsherO]

Buy a Visa/MC GC in a store with coins?

Or (if the vendor is local) pay them directly with coins?

[mordys]

Try giftcards.com.  I've used them to buy Visa cards with an Amex.

[lybbtthl]

I've found very often when people say they don't take AMEX, they really do, they just don't want to because they get charged a higher fee, so in such cases you can catch them off guard and they just swipe the card and it goes through before they realize. this has happened to me many times, I once even told the guy after i already payed "hey, i thought you don't take AMEX!?" he just shrugged his shoulders

[Side incomer]

I've found very often when people say they don't take AMEX, they really do, they just don't want to because they get charged a higher fee, so in such cases you can catch them off guard and they just swipe the card and it goes through before they realize. this has happened to me many times, I once even told the guy after i already payed "hey, i thought you don't take AMEX!?" he just shrugged his shoulders

+1
I usually do this. take things to the register, and when they say: "we don't accept amex", I say: "well, this is what I have, if you don't want I could leave it here", and I'm starting walking away.
I never had a case that they will tell me: "OK, I would make an exception".
I believe they make profit more than 3% so it won't pay for them to lose a customer.

[AsherO]

I never had a case that they will tell me: "OK, I would make an exception".

I think you mean you never had a case where they won't tell you.

[lybbtthl]

+1
I usually do this. take things to the register, and when they say: "we don't accept amex", I say: "well, this is what I have, if you don't want I could leave it here", and I'm starting walking away.
I never had a case that they will tell me: "OK, I would make an exception".
I believe they make profit more than 3% so it won't pay for them to lose a customer.

I've heard of people purposely doing that to stores that don't take any cc under a certain amount

[AsherO]

I've heard of people purposely doing that to stores that don't take any cc under a certain amount

With CC minimums it's different, because they often have a transaction/processing fee as well (say $0.15 or $0.20) besides for the 1.5-3.5% fee, so for a $2 charge their CC processing overhead could be 10% of gross (and eat up their profits on low margin items).

[lybbtthl]

With CC minimums it's different, because they often have a transaction/processing fee as well (say $0.15 or $0.20) besides for the 1.5-3.5% fee, so for a $2 charge their CC processing overhead could be 10% of gross (and eat up their profits on low margin items).

the point i'm saying is, it's not something they can't do, it's something they don't want to do!

and BTW according to m/c, vis and AMEX rules, merchants are not allowed to set minimums!

[regalhome]

I did the opposite
I bought costco gift cards online with my visa to reach my $3000 spend on my sapphire.

[Side incomer]

With CC minimums it's different, because they often have a transaction/processing fee as well (say $0.15 or $0.20) besides for the 1.5-3.5% fee, so for a $2 charge their CC processing overhead could be 10% of gross (and eat up their profits on low margin items).

+1

There is a big difference between them. When denying to accept amex, this means that they are here to squeeze out the most, not that they are looking at their earnings, and they see that they won't profit this way, Just hakol revach. So, I think it's more important for me to make this purchase on amex to meet a spending requirement etc, than for him that he only want to earn another dollar. So I feel comfortable cornering him.

But, for small purchases, it's really not nice to corner them, they really lose from that. And we don't gain from that so much. Not to meet spending requirement, and even not for the stupid 5 points.

[AsherO]

+1

There is a big difference between them. When denying to accept amex, this means that they are here to squeeze out the most, not that they are looking at their earnings, and they see that they won't profit this way, Just hakol revach. So, I think it's more important for me to make this purchase on amex to meet a spending requirement etc, than for him that he only want to earn another dollar. So I feel comfortable cornering him.

But, for small purchases, it's really not nice to corner them, they really lose from that. And we don't gain from that so much. Not to meet spending requirement, and even not for the stupid 5 points.

Your logic is subjective. Objectively speaking he's running a retail operation to pay his bills, you're (hopefully) using a credit card to manage your cash-flow. As your username suggests, credit card signup bonuses is a side income, and not a traditional way of supporting oneself.