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We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.
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Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. This page includes information about the Discover it® Cash Back that is not currently available on Million Mile Secrets and may be out of date.I’m very excited that the US Mint deal is back!
OK, it’s not really. But I happened to find a way to help meet minimum spending requirements (sort of) buying coins with a credit card! And with no fees!
For folks new to our hobby, the US Mint deal was a government program that allowed you to buy dollar coins with a credit card without a fee.
And some people would buy the coins with their credit cards, then haul these heavy coins to deposit in their bank account, earning Big Travel in the process!
I was playing Skee-Ball with friends at Punch Bowl Social here in Austin, when I spotted it. A rare magnificent beast.
I thought, “Surely there must be a fee to use a credit card.”
But as always, I examined the fine print. And there was no fee. Two of my friends had new Discover it® Cash Back that earn $50 after the 1st purchase. They immediately purchased coins at no cost.
I imagined the joy of running my Citi Prestige through the machine to earn 2X Citi ThankYou points for each $1 spent. (Because the machine is in a bar that is likely categorized as a restaurant or entertainment.)
I did try it to find out if it would code as a purchase or cash advance (and to see if I’d earn a category bonus).
Then I thought of rolling all those quarters and figured it probably wasn’t worth my time. Or being known in Austin as “that guy who leaves Punch Bowl Social every day with a huge sack of coins.”
For that reason, I probably won’t be adding this to my 50+ Ways to Earn Miles & Points post.
Although, the experience was a reminder that if you keep your eyes open, you can find unusual ways to earn points. Even if it’s only a few points for fun!
Be on the lookout for hidden ways to earn miles & points for no cost!
In this case, I found a change machine at an arcade that accepted credit cards with no fee. My friends and I earned points towards Big Travel playing Ms. Pac-Man!
Have any of y’all found unexpected ways to earn a few extra points?
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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