OK, I'm a first time poster... please be kind

I got the 1.9% Discover card for life with 2 purchases per month starting in March 09. I could have gotten the zero % but there was no cap on the Balance Transfer fee and that would have been a lot for me to take on.

Anyway, what is the best AUTOMATED method of making these purchases? Any payments I make will go first to pay off the lowest rate (Balance Transfer) so these 2x month purchases will sit and cost interest so they have to be really small purchases. I read about these 1 cent purchases, but how do I set that up? The CSR told me it had to be real purchases not bill payments. For example: I asked if I could set up to have my Satellite Radio be paid every month as one of my purchases and she said that would not count.

Your opinions please...

The cheapest I know of, (that is legitimate) is $0.49cents short story e-books at Amazon.com.
I'm not sure there is any legitimate that you can buy for 1cent...
Start looking into the discussion groups of reward checking... they are also looking at small item purchases.
As far as automated, there are charities that take automated $1/month donations (using credit cards).

Why are you so lazy? It doesn't take more than 2 minutes to fill up two 1 cent gas purchases.

I've got a 0% for life Citi balance with two purchases, but I have been doing them manually as two one cent donations via paypal (without logging into paypal). What I do is always make the donations when I pay the bill online, which I always do the day it arrives. That way, I know my rate won't be ruined from lack of payment or lack of purchases. Setup calendar reminders if you're worried you will forget. I've heard that the purchases can't be made too close to the end of the period, so be careful.

Google "paypal donate" and look for one that let's you specify the exact amount with no minimum.

If you search, there is a specific thread on this topic. I have an automatic $1 charged to my discover card from American Cancer Society and some other non-profit whose name I found from that thread. $2 a month doesn't accrue much in the way of interest on a $27K balance. Search for "monthly two payments" or some similar keywords. There are many options.

Open wide: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/569524

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/finance/765803

djmpj said:The CSR told me it had to be real purchases not bill payments. For example: I asked if I could set up to have my Satellite Radio be paid every month as one of my purchases and she said that would not count.And how would that not be a purchase? The CSR you spoke to was obviously very uninformed.

But beware, since any purchase will accrue interest at the standard rate, while your payments will be applied to the promo balance.

thok said:dudetheobscure said:leaveblank said:Why are you so lazy? It doesn't take more than 2 minutes to fill up two 1 cent gas purchases.

Fine solution, but at today's prices and high flow rates, you must be very skillful indeed to reliably score just one penny in gas - twice, too.

And what if you live in New Jersey or Oregon?

With the highest state/local tax burden in the country and among the highest cancer rates in the US, New Jerseyans must enjoy suffering. As for Oregonians, well, with no sales tax and the pretty forests and coastline, they shouldn't complain

hooker and blow

MilesHeighway said:hooker and blow

verruckterBaum beat you to it

but nice try

thok said:dudetheobscure said:leaveblank said:Why are you so lazy? It doesn't take more than 2 minutes to fill up two 1 cent gas purchases.

Fine solution, but at today's prices and high flow rates, you must be very skillful indeed to reliably score just one penny in gas - twice, too.

And what if you live in New Jersey or Oregon?

Well, the full-service attendants ought to be even more skilled than the typical driver at getting an exact amount. Just ask them for 1 cent of gas.