Updated Disney Gift Card Deals and More

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We've had success combining cash back offers from places like RetailMeNot with purchases from Target. They often have 2% cash back offers, but I recently got 5%, making the total savings with my Red Card 10%.

I always keep an eye out for Best Buy gift card deals (seem to happen once or twice a year) at 10%.

As others have mentioned, reading the first posts on this board will give an overview of tons of different offers/options.

It is important to point out that any gift card purchases using a portal are YMMV as they are officially excluded even though they do go through many times.

 

[RivShore]

Currently I buy Disney Gift Cards from Target and get 5% off when using my Red Card. I need a lot each year. Does anyone know anywhere that currently offers more than 5% and also let's you buy a decent amount?

If you want to keep it simple, BJ's + a 2% (or more) cash back cc. That gets you 6% off, no muss no fuss plus the occasional additional discounts noted above. (You would have to do the math on how long it would take to cover the membership fee if you don't already have one.)

 

[shosh1530]

It is important to point out that any gift card purchases using a portal are YMMV as they are officially excluded even though they do go through many times.

Thanks for adding that! I knew gift cards were excluded at some places when using cash back apps/sites, but didn't realize they were at Target as well. I'm still learning.

 

[veginaz]

Find a grocery store that accepts Amex and also sells Disney gift cards. Then you can use the Amex Blue Cash Preferred for up to 6% back on up to $6000 of spend per year. It does have a $95 annual fee, though, negating some of the benefit. If you bought $6k of gift cards and nothing else, you effectively get 4.4% back, which means this only is a reasonable choice if you might also use the card for other shopping.

@JoshF if you use the Amex at a grocery store that offers fuel points you can up your savings significantly. Kroger branded stores often do 4x point on gift cards. So you buy a $250 Disney card and earn 1000 points. 1000 pts gets you $1.00 off per gallon up to 35 gallons. Not factoring in the annual fee thats a 20% savings. (20 gallons of gas would be a 14% savings)

 

[MIChessGuy]

In october Tripadvisor had 10% back I believe on that Target Circle promotion where we saved on Disney World tickets (The exact details I'm now foggy on). Either way I "completed" my trip a few weeks ago and both Rakuten and TopCashBack were tracking which made me very happy. I used both of them for a total of three tickets. I go to check TCB yesterday and the status went to declined and I opened up a ticket. Then I went to check Rakuten and it seems to have disappeared from my purchases. Anyone else in a similar boat?

I used that deal for a park hopper ticket for my Feb 2024 solo trip. My recollection is that TCB offered 8.8%, but it didn't work for me. I inquired about it but all that got me was a long discourse on how TCB interacts with various merchants and it has to be a certain kind of purchase, and some aren't a certain kind of purchase, blah blah. Rather disappointing. Admittedly I am not good at most of the stuff discussed here so at least some of this is my fault. After a full year of buying stuff through these various click-through sites, I end up with 43 cents or some such, heh.

 

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@JoshF if you use the Amex at a grocery store that offers fuel points you can up your savings significantly. Kroger branded stores often do 4x point on gift cards. So you buy a $250 Disney card and earn 1000 points. 1000 pts gets you $1.00 off per gallon up to 35 gallons. Not factoring in the annual fee thats a 20% savings. (20 gallons of gas would be a 14% savings)

I think it is important to point out that buying gift cards with an Amex Blue Card is very YMMV as the official Amex terms state the following (I italicized and bolded the key terms):

"Basic Card Members will earn a reward of 6% cash back on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year (then 1%) at supermarkets located in the U.S.

Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, purchases of other cash equivalents., gift cards, person-to-person transactions, or any portion of a purchase that is covered by Reward Dollars at point of sale."

So yes, if you start doing a significant amount of purchases of gift cards at grocery stores and the Amex RAT team notices, they can decline the 6% or claw back money you have earned. (And yes, Amex can get level 3 data of what you purchase if they want.)

 

[gottalovepluto]

So yes, if you start doing a significant amount of purchases of gift cards at grocery stores and the Amex RAT team notices, they can decline the 6% or claw back money you have earned. (And yes, Amex can get level 3 data of what you purchase if they want.)

And an Amex clawback can be months or even a year+ later. They'll take your rewards accounts negative. We've even seen them send a bill when the account is closed.

Counting on money back from Amex purchasing is rather like playing with fire. A little bit is most likely fine but make a habit of it and you could get burned.

 

[veginaz]

I think it is important to point out that buying gift cards with an Amex Blue Card is very YMMV as the official Amex terms state the following (I italicized and bolded the key terms):

"Basic Card Members will earn a reward of 6% cash back on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year (then 1%) at supermarkets located in the U.S.

Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, purchases of other cash equivalents., gift cards, person-to-person transactions, or any portion of a purchase that is covered by Reward Dollars at point of sale."

So yes, if you start doing a significant amount of purchases of gift cards at grocery stores and the Amex RAT team notices, they can decline the 6% or claw back money you have earned. (And yes, Amex can get level 3 data of what you purchase if they want.)

Interesting. I had never seen or heard of this happening before, thanks for the heads up.

 

[veginaz]

One of my Chase cards has 5% back at Smiths groceries (Kroger) up to $4.50.