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Check your just for U account for two high-value coupons for Visa gift cards. You can actually turn a profit on this deal!
The Deal
Through August 3, you can get $15 off of two $100 Visa gift cards and $10 off two $50 Visa gift cards by clipping the coupon in your just for U account at Safeway or other Albertsons branded grocery stores. This is a great deal, especially if you have a credit card that gives you rewards at grocery stores. These gift cards can be used like a debit card at other stores which do not give you a category reward on your credit card.
Savings Breakdown
Here’s how the savings break out. Each card has an activation fee. The fee is $5.95 for the $100 card and $4.95 for the $50 card. If you maxed out this deal on your just for U account, you would have $300 to spend, but only have paid $296.80. That’s $3.20 profit right off the bat.
Maximize Your Rewards
Of course I can’t be satisfied with only $3.20 in profit. I’ll also use a credit card that has a rewards category at grocery stores. Right now for us, that’s the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card with 6% cash back on up to $6000 per year in the grocery store category. We generally hit that cap before our cardmember year is up, so I like to mix in other cards, like last quarter when Chase Freedom’s 5x bonus was at grocery stores.
So now the math looks like this: $3.20 from Safeway, plus $17.81 cash back on the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card.
Which Is Better?
Yesterday I wrote about fee-free MasterCard gift cards at Staples, which you can maximize with a card like the Chase Business Ink Cash with 5x rewards at office supply stores. This deal can earn you $3.20 in profit, plus 6% cash back from the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card. So which deal is better?
Personally, I like the Visa deal better just because I can use those at Walmart for money orders instead of cash or checks. The kids’ lunch money will be due, and I’m behind on our pledge at church. Unfortunately, they are low-value cards, and the limit per transaction at Walmart is four cards. It’s easier to purchase money orders with higher value cards like $200s or $500s. However, we don’t have a card with a minimum spend at the moment, so I may stock up on some fee-free MasterCards to use at merchants that don’t have a category bonus.
Check Your Local Store’s Brand
Be sure to clip the coupon to your just for U account and use your number or card at the register to get the discount. If you’re not sure which stores are owned by Albertsons in your area, take a look below. You can find this clickable image here if you scroll to the bottom of the page.
