Gift cards to use towards payment when amex not allowed?

Hi all,

I hope someone can give me some advice. My TA bigbox will not take my amex. I even escalated it to a supervisor who said absolutely not. Is there any way around this? They said I can't pay HAL directly since I booked with them, which I can understand, but I keep thinking there must be a work around on this. The only idea I have is buying gift cards with the amex, but does a carnival card work towards payment? The TA supervisor was very unhelpful with ideas, which I can also understand due to the company cutting ties with

amex. Thoughts?

Even in the unlikely event you would be able to purchase VISA gift cards with your AMEX--unlikely as most gift card vendors only accept cash or debit for their purchase--you would not gain any of the advantages of paying by AMEX since that type of non-retail transaction will almost certainly be excluded from the incentive programs attached to your card. No way to have the charge classified as "travel".

I think you will just have to bite the bullet and pay with a debit card if you have no VISA card. Your cautionary tale will hopefully help others who will see it: because even though it has been nearly a year since said big box stopped accepting AMEX--which was preceded by nearly two years' warning that it was eventually forthcoming--there are probably many who had travel booked prior to that time and have yet to realize they must come up with an alternative when final payment is due.

Hi all,

 

I hope someone can give me some advice. My TA bigbox will not take my amex. I even escalated it to a supervisor who said absolutely not. Is there any way around this? They said I can't pay HAL directly since I booked with them, which I can understand, but I keep thinking there must be a work around on this. The only idea I have is buying gift cards with the amex, but does a carnival card work towards payment? The TA supervisor was very unhelpful with ideas, which I can also understand due to the company cutting ties with

amex. Thoughts?

You cannot use Carnival gift cards to make payments to Holland America. I know, I tried.

I ran into the same problems. You are, unfortunately, out of luck. If you buy gift cards, you lose any travel benefits or insurances, but would earn points per dollar (but not at travel value)

In addition, a heads up, I tried paying there with pre-paid Visa cards (rebates from various products) and while they were accepted online, they did not credit. I discovered after the fact; and after I had thrown out the gift cards.

If you cancel, the funds are returned to the card used, so you also could end up with cards you don't want.

Also, they don't take MasterCard. (That surprised me because usually MC goes hand in hand with Visa acceptance)

Reading what everyone has told you -- maybe you should consider changing your booking to another travel agency?

Will your bigbox one charge you a cancellation fee?

Thanks so much for the help. I have another card and some time to work it out, I just kept thinking there must be a work around and wanted to use the card to get a bonus for the large purchase. Thank you for the confirmation that this isn't possible.

CC is Great!

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There is an AMEX offer current to spend $500 on a HAL booking and get $100 back. Several have reported purchases of onboard credit or shore excursions actually qualifying. There is a long thread about it on this board you might want to read.

There is an AMEX offer current to spend $500 on a HAL booking and get $100 back. Several have reported purchases of onboard credit or shore excursions actually qualifying. There is a long thread about it on this board you might want to read.

The Amex offer expired April 14th.

I had same problem as the OP. The big box TA had a disagreement with Amex and switched every member over to their VISA card. On the phone they did take Mastercard for my HAL payment.

I thought if you had the big box AmEx you automatically received the big box Visa? That card has 3 percent back on travel. Wouldn't it be best to use that one?

I thought if you had the big box AmEx you automatically received the big box Visa? That card has 3 percent back on travel. Wouldn't it be best to use that one?

I have a different Amex card which didn't convert that I wanted to use, but you are right in that the 3% is a great incentive to use the card.

Reading what everyone has told you -- maybe you should consider changing your booking to another travel agency?

Will your bigbox one charge you a cancellation fee?

This Big Box travel agency offers approximately 8% of the fare in OBC which is an enticing incentive.

Perhaps you could use an AMEX check? It would be just like paying with AMEX, but in check form. Call AMEX and ask if you can get a check to use on your account.

Will your bigbox one charge you a cancellation fee?

They do not charge a cancellation fee. Just a general note. Not specific to this OP and her question.

Also, they don't take MasterCard. (That surprised me because usually MC goes hand in hand with Visa acceptance)

I don't know which Big Box you are referring to, but mine does take MasterCard. In fact, the Big Box's own credit card is a MasterCard.

They do not charge a cancellation fee. Just a general note. Not specific to this OP and her question.

Actually, it was relevant to the OP and her questions, which is how can she use her AmEx card. Certainly, the issue of a cancellation fee should she transfer TA's in order to use her AmEx card is relevant.

I don't know which Big Box you are referring to, but mine does take MasterCard. In fact, the Big Box's own credit card is a MasterCard.

The big box that takes visa offers much better travel/cruise incentives than the one that takes mastercard. However, both of these cards do give a 3% rebate on cruise spending. The Big Box that takes only visa also offers 8% OBC so you book through them and use their visa card and you've just got an 11% discount.

This Big Box travel agency offers approximately 8% of the fare in OBC which is an enticing incentive.

If this is the Big Box that begins with a "C" then you need to look at your travel incentives carefully as booking OBC is not the same as it used to be: some lines you get a Big Box cash card and some lines you get OBC. They lost my business with the cash card incentive.

Actually, it was relevant to the OP and her questions, which is how can she use her AmEx card. Certainly, the issue of a cancellation fee should she transfer TA's in order to use her AmEx card is relevant.

She said she was using a different card; she just wanted to know if she was seeing all the possibilities to use her AMEX.

The big box that takes visa offers much better travel/cruise incentives than the one that takes mastercard. However, both of these cards do give a 3% rebate on cruise spending. The Big Box that takes only visa also offers 8% OBC so you book through them and use their visa card and you've just got an 11% discount.

That is definitely an incentive worth looking into. I'm still debating whether the 3% rebate is worth giving up using my AA miles card. International business class is expensive.

If this is the Big Box that begins with a "C" then you need to look at your travel incentives carefully as booking OBC is not the same as it used to be: some lines you get a Big Box cash card and some lines you get OBC. They lost my business with the cash card incentive.

That wouldn't matter to us. Money is money.

That wouldn't matter to us. Money is money.

If I shopped there a lot then the cash card would be of benefit because I could draw down against it. Because I don't, I switched over to a place where I can get hotel points that I can use for a cruise or hotel. I realize that everyone has different priorities --- just wanted to make others aware that the OBC is not always an option like it was in the past.

If I shopped there a lot then the cash card would be of benefit because I could draw down against it. Because I don't, I switched over to a place where I can get hotel points that I can use for a cruise or hotel. I realize that everyone has different priorities --- just wanted to make others aware that the OBC is not always an option like it was in the past.

That was a good idea.

We do visit the Big Box quite frequently so it's fine with us.

We appreciate the cash back feature of their card, we're just not into points.

That wouldn't matter to us. Money is money.

But it really isn't the same. And this is what bothers me about 3% back cards: 3% on $5,000 is only $150. Not much. If you can't do better than $150 in OBC's, one should try another TA.

OTOH, a purchase with, for instance, a FF card, of $5,000 is $5,000 in points or miles. That 5,000 miles could make the difference between someone who only needs that amount more to get a business class ticket and being forced to go economy class. Or, between shelling out money for economy class and using miles.

I guess it depends on what kind of points card one has and whether the measly 3% is worth the costs of a hotel room, a plane ticket, or whatever. I am facing a similar decision re a lengthy cruise, and I just am not convinced how much of the cost I want to pay with my 3% cash back card. Maybe just the deposit.

Also, they don't take MasterCard. (That surprised me because usually MC goes hand in hand with Visa acceptance)

Except in Canada where they take MasterCard NOT visa! Go figure

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