Good morning everyone. A few days ago, I wrote Discover Honors ApplePay Gift Card Purchases as “One-Time Courtesy” through 9/17/2015. In that post, I showed a few emails I received from Discover saying that they would provide a “one-time courtesy” for 2 different purchases made on September 17 and 18. I was hoping to see the “one-time courtesy” credits post to my Discover It Credit Card statement in November (which closed on November 6), but that did not happen.
I only received $8.69 as “ApplePay 10% Cash Back Bonus” on my November statement. The rest of my cash back was earned “Everywhere Else.”
After looking at my October statement (not my November statement – it takes a full statement for your cash back to post), I found the $86.90 charge made at an Apple Store and paid for with ApplePay. All my other ApplePay purchases made at Walgreens before and after the Apple Store visit did not earn any ApplePay bonus. I’m dissapointed that Discover did not have the “one-time courtesy” credits post to my November statement and I wonder if they will show up on my December statement either. At this point, I am probably going to hold off using Discover and ApplePay until we learn more about what qualifies and what the new “rules” are for using Discover and ApplePay.
If you have a Discover It Credit Card that has statements closing later in the month, you may see the “one-time courtesy” credits post. My statement closed so close to the announcement that they may not have been included in my November statement.
I’m also confused by how they calculated the $14.11 in “Everything Else” cash back. Assuming those purchases earned 1% cash back, I would have had to spend $1,411 (give or take a few cents). When I add up all my purchases, I get $1482.70, which is $71.70 more than $1,411. The only charges that are close to $71 is $86.90 Apple Store purchase minus $15.95 Audible purchase = $70.95. Not sure how that makes any sense, but Discover has been doing weird things lately.
If you have any other data points, please share them below. Have a great weekend everyone!
DISCOVER Cashback may not always exactly reflect the current statement period’s purchases. There may be some prior cashback that finally posts. And there may be current period cashback due that you might see added later on a future statement.
You’re “disappointed” that DISCOVER didn’t immediately pay you over $100 for buying a few gift cards (plus a few small items you intentionally added in order to trick them into not seeing the gift cards). Clearly, the generous 10% Apple Pay cashback on many various purchases plus the Double cashback later wasn’t enough for you. I have no doubt that you will eventually see your courtesy adjustments. But please don’t have the nerve to suggest that DISCOVER let you down because you didn’t get them immediately.
That’s a good point, Deb. I’m not a huge fan of the way Discover is handling the whole promo and cash back situation. I’ll wait to see what happens with others’ accounts over the next month.
Actually, I think that Grant is exactly right… that is a disappointment. If Discover is going to say that they are going to give the “courtesy adjustment” then why would they hold off and not just go ahead and give it. It’s already kind of a shame that it is taking so long for the whole Apple Pay promotion to pay out on legitimate purchases that aren’t gift cards…. no other credit card company takes over two billing statements to pay out rewards and in this instance, it’s going to be at least three statements before Grant receives the rewards for the purchases… so to me, it is a disappointment on the part of Discover.
Thank you Dan, I want to hear about other people experience getting the “one-time courtesy” credits paid out. Has it taken others a long time to get paid too?
Wonder why you’re so strong in defending discover. They have an amazing promo that some people tried to take advantage of and now we are all realizing didn’t work out, which is fine.
But if you read the message boards, they are actually SCREWING OVER many people who did not buy gift cards at all, just purchases that were “large in size” — leaving the customer the burden of proving that they did not buy gift cards by forcing them to provide a receipt. In that sense I agree that discover has now demonstrated objective evidence of screwing their customers. So since discover has now proven themselves shady, Grant has the right to be as suspicious of them as he wants.
Actually deb sounds like she works for discover. Makes sense now. Congrats Grant you may have Discover employees scouring your blog now ;).
DEB could also be an acronym (Discover Employee Bot) who’s goal is to defend Discover’s decision on not paying out cash back. Am I crazy?
No grant you’re not crazy. You’re a genius ;)
I still think I am crazy…
Glad I stayed away from this. Sounded too good to be true.
It’s too soon to say if you made the right call. Only time will tell
Is the deal even still valid? It was supposed to be until 12/31. I just got my statement. I didn’t buy gift cards, so no courtesy credits, but literally seems like the majority of my purchases were credited to everywhere else, which makes no sense at all, since I started using this as my main way to pay for groceries. I had very few “everywhere else” purchases.
Who knows, Marlene. My only ApplePay purchase that credited was my purchase at an Apple Store. I have no idea what Discover is doing.
So, okay – gift cards don’t work. But there are still many great deals to be had. Prepay your T-Mobile account and save 22%. Shop at any department store or clothing store and save 30% (or would that be 32%) Use the 20% off Bed, Bat,h and Beyond coupons that are always coming and use Apple Pay – would that be 36% off? Not a math major but you get the idea.
Anyone have any other creative ideas to get the most mileage out of this?
Seems like reselling is the way to go if you want to really max out this promo.
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