One of the few good things we’ve had going for us in the midst of a devaluation cluster****? Being able to manufacture spend with Simon Mall gift cards. At just $2.95 per $500, they’ve been a cheap and reliable ms tool. Sure, Simon Mall began imposing purchase limits both in store and online, but for the most part all was well.
Reader Tim, who might as well be writing this blog with the number of breaking news items he sends in, just alerted me that Simon Mall has increased gift card fees to $3.95 each.
It’s certainly not on the level of CVS no longer accepting credit cards for Vanilla Reload purchases, but it’s worth noting that Simon Mall gift cards are no longer the cheapest gift cards in town. While a $1 increase doesn’t sound substantial, it adds up if you’re buying large quantities. For example, if you’ve been doing $60,000 in manufactured spending annually, your gift card fees are increasing from $354 to $474.
The new $3.95 fee is on par with what a Giftcardmall Visa gift cards at Safeway will cost you. Factor in Safeway’s gas rewards, credit card category bonuses, and the occasional coupon deal and you may just be better off buying Visa gift cards at Safeway.
These gift cards can still be loaded onto Bluebird. Though I imagine you won’t be able to buy enough to warrant a police escort out of the store. That’s something I highly discourage you from doing anyway.
Since I’ve wrapped up my $82,000 spending challenge along with the other $22,000 I took on shortly after, this doesn’t really affect me. Outside of meeting spending requirements, I like to earn my miles through the Amex gift card/Amex for Target route.
It’s much more convenient and who doesn’t love a trip to Target? With the 1.5% cash back from shopping portals, I’m just about breaking even on this method. To me, shopping portals pulling Amex gift cards was much more devastating than a $1 increase in gift card fees. Free ms is better than cheap ms.
What are your thoughts on Simon Mall increasing their gift card fees? Does this affect your manufactured spending strategy?
I don’t buy enough of these cards to be troubled by the fee uptick, but I do awake sweating in the night wondering why the Ann Arbor Simon Mall has in recent months started a paper copy master list of gift card purchasers and adds a new tick against your name every time you buy another card. I have no idea why. None of the clerks, and they’re different every time, ever knew why either. But somehow I don’t think a new frequent buyer awards program is the corporate goal.
Even with the price increase, it’s still one of the cheapest places around here to get $500 gift cards that the kiosk at Walmart won’t reject. Hoping the Target Redbird cards show up in my area soon!
I didn’t know it’s possible to earn gas rewards for buying Visa gift cards at Safeway. Are you sure?
Yes, some stores post a sign to that effect. YMMV.
They advertise this for retail gift cards and I’m told by someone who buys Visa gc’s regularly that those count as well.
Ariana Arghandewal : The reason simon mall Visa gift card fees went up.. Congrats..
???? Really, is that what you think so ???? Just out of curiosity, what is your IQ Siam?
Thank you Siam/Jake/Ram, I’m humbled. I will now use my powers to lower gas prices and airline fuel surcharges.
YAY, Ariana! Please do that 😀 I wish my powers were as strong as yours 😉
Don’t worry – once I’ve single handedly eliminated ms, I’ll be using this blog as a platform to share my mind control secrets. Who needs ms when you can control the price of airline tickets?
How much do you value one hour of your free time when doing manufactured spending?
I don’t value my free time very much at all, since the alternative to ms would be binge watching reality tv shows. MS is a much more productive use of my time. 🙂
you brought a lot of insights to the game and I want to thank you for that, Happy Holidays to you and your family.
I appreciate that. Happy holidays to you too!
I hope Siam is more right than stupid(unlikely), could you please lower international F award prices too? Cheers!
Oh I’m on it – just as soon as I’m done eliminating gift cards from every store in America.
Disappointed that Simon mall GCs raised their rates but still a better price than others. Our Vons (Safeway) won’t allow credit card purchases of Visa gift cards. Really frustrating.
Also, the Simon Mall in Montebello uses a different bank — they sell a Montebello Mall GC, not a Simon Mall GC that is issued by BB&T bank. Never heard of them before. Would these cards work at Walmart?
I haven’t either. It might be worth buying one in a small denomination ($25) to test it out.
Yes, the Simon Gift Cards from the Shoppes at Montebello work at Walmart. They only sell the maximum gift card value of $250 and only up to $1000 maximum per day.
Ariana and crew: It sounds like these Simon Mall VGC’s are not very easy to liquidate — no go at EvolveMoney, and my area Walmarts flat-out refuse to deal with any use of GC’s for loading Serve (which is what I have), CheckFreeBP, and MO purchases. Do you have a strategy for MS’ing with these cards? Thanks!
AC
I have the $500 cards through Metabank / Blackhawk…
it seems like it may be store dependent. Walmarts that we have visited had no problems with the Simon Mall Visa GCs.
The Macerich malls have increased their gift cards from $3 to $3.95 to match Simon Malls as of February 2, 2015.
hello
can this vgc using online? thank you