There is a SuperCenter in my town, which I’ve tried to avoid like the plague until recently. Walmart’s MoneyCenter has become a goldmine, though, earning me thousands of miles every month. Here are a few ways you can maximize your mile earnings at Walmart:
1. Walmart as a Grocery Store. Some credit card companies code Walmart as a grocery store. I know my Citi AAdvantage does, and while my Amex Business Gold codes Target as a grocery store, I haven’t used it yet at Walmart. If your credit card company does in fact code Walmart as a grocery store, you could be earning up to 6 points per $1 on all of your purchases.
2. Vanilla Reloads. When Walmart starts carrying these (and I’m sure it will be soon, since they’re displayed on VR’s website), you can buy them there and earn 6 points per $1. This is great for those folks who have so far been unable to find VR’s at their local Walgreens or CVS stores.
3. Giftcards. Walmart has Visa, Mastercard, and American Express giftcards that come in $500 increments with a $4.95 fee. Although these are not reload cards, they can still be a good alternative to Vanilla Reload cards, as they can be purchased with a credit card.
According to reports, you can load Visa gift cards onto a American Express Serve, then deposit the funds into your bank account. Practice this in moderation.
4. Reload Bluebird. Bluebird can be reloaded with a point earning debit card, which awards 0.5-1 point per $1 spent.
Buy Money orders. My local Walmart sells Money orders in $1,000 increments for just $0.55. You do have to fill out a form if you’re getting more than $3,000 at my local store. Stay off Walmart’s fraud radar and keep your transactions under $3,000.
That was pretty good stuff, I will feature it tomorrow in my blog!
Thanks! I look forward to reading it.
What do you use to purchase money orders and how do you maximize points when doing so?
I use my Alaska Airline debit card, which earns 0.5 miles/$1. The Skymiles debit card from Suntrust earns 1 point/$1, which is a much better option, but I closed my account before I learned about this deal and now they won’t let me open another one.
I have the same question …
What do you use to purchase money orders and how do you maximize points when doing so?
Reply ↓
Any mile-earning debit card will do (search “banking miles” for a list). The “maximizing” part comes from using the debit card to buy a money order or load Bluebird, then paying off your credit card. You just earned an extra 0.5-1 point per $1 on all your credit card spending!
My local Walmarts dont allow CC or Wmt GC’s for any variable products (which sucks). I imagine once VR get there they will be cash only as well.
Sometimes you can sneak these past a clueless cashier. Last week I bought some at a local grocery store and cashier ignored the message on the register and let me pay with a credit card. My guess is this works best when you’re buying 1 at a time.
Very useful stuff. The tips on money orders was gold.
Glad you found it useful. Thanks for sharing it on your site!
Can you buy money orders at Walmart using a credit card?
Unfortunately, no. What you can do is get a Wells Fargo Prepaid card, fund it with a credit card, then use the WF to buy a money order. That way, you’re still earning 1 point per $1.
Interesting. I might get the WF card for the purpose of adding some credit card spend. You can then cash the money order or deposit into your bank account correct?, or what other ways can you use it?
Yes, you can cash it, deposit it, or use it to pay your rent/mortgage, student loans, etc. You can also use it to load your Bluebird, then use the bill pay feature to pay off your credit card.