Two Pillars of Manufactured Spend for the Lazy: Amazon Payments and AMEX Serve

Before we delve deeper into murkier and darker waters of manufactured spend, let’s make sure we have covered the basics.

The two easiest ways to make sure you can meet the credit card bonus spend requirements or even make a few bucks on the side, are Amazon Payments and AMEX Serve. There is nothing easier than these two methods right now, and if you are still putting them off, you’re losing out. I am somewhat conflicted about giving up Bluebird — just because you can’t write checks with Serve, but the extra monthly $2,000-3,000 credit and debit card load options coupled with the ability to load gift cards at Walmart makes it worthwhile IMHO.

So once again: here is what you should do if you haven’t done it already. And no, it does not get any easier than this.

1. Open 2 or 3 Amazon Payment accounts. Check this post once again:

Manufactured Spend for Lazy Travelers: Amazon Payments Updated

If you don’t do much manufactured spend except Amazon Payments, consider using American Express gift cards to send your money via AP as explained in this post and earn additional points or cashback on top.

Manufactured Spend: Amazon Payments Enhancements

And by the way, if you do decide to go down Barclaycard Mall route, don’t forget to get an extra thousand points offered here. Hey, 10 travel bucks are 10 travel bucks. Make sure to do your shopping by May 11.

2.  Open Amex Serve account or if you already have Bluebird, change it to Serve. Make sure you don’t have any money in your BB account first, then call. Check this post for details.

Manufactured Spend: BB or Not BB?

Here are a few numbers to keep you entertained.

If you are super lazy conservative, then open just two Amazon Payments accounts.  Even if you don’t even use any additional tricks, you will still be able to “process” $2,000 a month. If you open Serve even without Isis, that will make it $3,000 a month. Now, that means you will be able to take care of meeting most spend requirements from now on (until Amazon says enough is enough).

If you throw caution to the wind and grab four Amazon Payment accounts (and get Serve via Isis, too), then you are up to $5,500 a month. Now if you do play with gift cards, you will end up earning some cashback or/and extra points to the tally as well. The most wonderful thing is you haven’t stepped out of the comfort of your home or office yet. As you can probably tell, I am not a fan of Walmarts. I’m among 5% of those Americans who don’t have them in their backyard.

My next post will be about one MS opportunity very few people are talking about. I mean, some do, but only when they need to make another sales pitch. It’s an unconventional way to make a few hundred thousand extra points a year, even though it’s not for everyone. I will talk more in details about it in the coming emails, so sign up for my newsletter. You might find it worth your click.