Alliant Credit Cards No Longer Earn Rewards with Plastiq

Multiple readers report Alliant credit cards no longer earn rewards when used on Plastiq. Apparently, Alliant has coded them internally not to earn rewards. Far as I can tell from reader’s reports, the charge goes through without any cash advance fees, just it doesn’t earn rewards.

Interestingly, Plastiq in their latest update of this page (updated 9 days ago) has Alliant pegged as a cash advance and no rewards. Regardless, I assume no one will use Alliant cards anymore. A lot of people liked to use the Alliant Visa Signature card which earns 2.5% on all purchases regularly and 3% during the first year. That’s no longer possible.

To recap the current state of Plastiq:

  • All Mastercard and Discover cards work fine and earn rewards.
  • Amex works on select charges and earns rewards.
  • Visa business cards work fine and earn rewards.
  • Visa personal cards from Capital One and Wells Fargo work fine and earn rewards.
  • Visa personal cards from Chase work fine with no fees and earns rewards as well, but it initially posts as a cash advance and you are thus limited to your cash advance limit on the charge.
  • Mastercard gift cards work fine.
  • Visa gift cards generally don’t work on Plastiq.
  • Amex gift cards don’t work due to address verification fail, according to reader Dave.

We’ll update our main Plastiq review with this Alliant change.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

46 Comments
newest
oldest most voted

Mimi
Mimi (@guest_764469)
May 29, 2019 10:34

When the Alliant+GW hack died, that was a big loss to easy CB, I had no reason to keep it and pay AF. Signed up again with DiscMiles with $50 bonus for first purchase to have another 3% card going.

Millennial Outrage
Millennial Outrage (@guest_764464)
May 29, 2019 10:24

 Chuck I’ve never once had an issue with MCGC (US Bank, Metabank, Vanilla, etc.). I ran through something like $50k of them in the last year.

Dave
Dave (@guest_764158)
May 28, 2019 17:29

FYI, Amex gift cards don’t work. There’s no way to set a billing address, so the card fails validation when adding it to plastiq.

Frank
Frank (@guest_764101)
May 28, 2019 16:01

That might be a hit to Plastiq — 3% (even 2.5%) CB made paying rent with Alliant worth it. Now I don’t have a card to do that. Easily millions of payments cut off

elegua
elegua (@guest_764145)
May 28, 2019 17:11

Get a Discover Miles and get 3% CB for $0 AF, no issues with Rent, Bills or Mortgage’s payments.

Pointz
Pointz (@guest_764177)
May 28, 2019 17:43

All that work for 0.5%? Or am I missing something?

Bill
Bill (@guest_764412)
May 29, 2019 05:34

Heck, I’d take .5% for paying something I’d have to pay anyway. Paying rent/mortgage and sending Discover the “check” instead is not a lot of effort.
I would love more than .5%, but something is better than nothing.

86
86 (@guest_764082)
May 28, 2019 15:17

We can’t use Alliant cards on Plastiq. We’re told we can’t earn cashback for gift card purchases of any kind. They upped the AF from $59 to $99.

Sounds like a keeper.

Phill
Phill (@guest_764040)
May 28, 2019 13:59

Where is this information coming from (I see no sources). I just spoke with a cards services rep who spoke with an Alliant CSR and was told that I would receive the 3X for my PQ payment which posted 5-25-19. I had them notate my account also stating an Alliant rep confirmed this just in case I’m going to need a manual adjustment. I guess now the question is going forward how will this pan out.

David Wodka
David Wodka (@guest_764011)
May 28, 2019 13:06

Thanks for the post. I had my alliant card on recurring payment – including one that processed this past week. I asked through the live chat for this payment to be canceled and they did.

Will be switching to Paypal MC to take advantage of the 1% fee promo for the next 3 months

Phill
Phill (@guest_764020)
May 28, 2019 13:31

You do know the 1% fee promo is only for NEW payees

Ann
Ann (@guest_764038)
May 28, 2019 13:55

That’s not what the quoted terms sound like to me – just newly scheduled payments, no mention of never-before-used payee being required.

Phill
Phill (@guest_764043)
May 28, 2019 14:03

That promotion died.

Ann
Ann (@guest_764058)
May 28, 2019 14:27

Different promotion.

Ann
Ann (@guest_764037)
May 28, 2019 13:53

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/plastiq-promotion-for-1-5-fee-on-mastercard-payments-1-discount/
The newest reply has the details on the new promotion:

“Three (3) payments must be scheduled before 11:59 PM EST on May 31, 2019, as a series. The last payment must be processed by 11:59 p.m. EST on August 31, 2019. You are permitted to schedule as many payments as you like, but this promotion discount will only apply to the first three payments within the series. This promotion will not apply to any payments you’ve scheduled prior to the start of this promotion. Editing, altering or rescheduling any of the scheduled payments in the series will forfeit the promotional fee discount.”

Phill
Phill (@guest_764042)
May 28, 2019 14:03

Update 5/7/19: Plastiq has clarified that, “if a Plastiq customer was quoted the 1.5% promotional Plastiq fee on the payment review page and then submitted the payment successfully, we will honor that promotional pricing – as long as it was in compliance with our terms of service. This includes future scheduled or recurring payments that saw the promotional fee upon payment submission. Please note that future scheduled payments will lose promotional pricing if they are edited.”

Ann
Ann (@guest_764057)
May 28, 2019 14:25

The reply I’m talking about came over a week after that update, and has different terms (the accidental short-term thing you pasted the update about was not limited to 3 payments), so I think it was a new targeted offer. IDK.

elegua
elegua (@guest_764003)
May 28, 2019 12:48

Time for me to close this card, only have two Plastiq scheduled payments charges ($1400 total) a month so time to apply for a Discover Miles and get 3% CB for $0 AF, with the new $99 AF and this its time to move on.

SamSamSam123
SamSamSam123 (@guest_764004)
May 28, 2019 12:51

Plus 1

Dave
Dave (@guest_764071)
May 28, 2019 14:57

Just get Penfed credit union power cash Visa signature credit card…

Frank
Frank (@guest_764103)
May 28, 2019 16:05

Why? 2% CB isn’t enough for a 2.5% fee

SamSamSam123
SamSamSam123 (@guest_763995)
May 28, 2019 12:29

Anyone knows which date it became effective ?

Dave
Dave (@guest_763986)
May 28, 2019 12:18

Maybe i am not seeing the bigger picture here, why would anyone want to get the Alliant Credit Union signature Visa credit card that imposes a $99 annual fee just to get 2.5% cash back on everything, yes there is no foreign transaction fees, but you have to spend $3,960 just to break even of the annual fee.

Instead just get the Penfed Credit Union Power Cash Visa Signature credit card and get 2% cash back on everything without the annual fee, also Penfed doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fees!

Phill
Phill (@guest_763998)
May 28, 2019 12:37

PP 2% Mastercard also has no foreign transaction fees.

Dave
Dave (@guest_764010)
May 28, 2019 13:06

True, but at least with Penfed Credit Union Power Cash Visa signature credit card you can use it at Costco!

Unless you’re lucky enough to get the Vantage West Credit Union Connect Visa signature credit card!!!

Otherwise the Infirst Federal Credit Union Visa Rewards credit card would be a great Costco credit card!!

Mj
Mj (@guest_764014)
May 28, 2019 13:13

TIAA rewards visa also earns 2% at Costco

Mark
Mark (@guest_764036)
May 28, 2019 13:50

I use Apple Pay with the US Bank Altitude Reserve card for 4.5% back at Costco. Tires, milk, eggs, diapers, steak, furniture…. not a bad deal. Yes, there’s a $400 Annual fee, but with the $325 travel credit, its not too bad.

Dave
Dave (@guest_764130)
May 28, 2019 16:52

See that credit card you mentioned U.S. Bank Altitude Infinite Visa isn’t too bad, the cash back benefits are more flexible i.e. 4.5% on mobile pay, and the $75 annual fee is much better than the $99 annual fee with 2.5% Alliant credit union credit card .

Then again the Penfed credit union Pathfinder Amex credit card and the Penfed credit union power cash Visa signature credit card isn’t too bad either….

Mark
Mark (@guest_764250)
May 28, 2019 19:20

I think in order to get the 2% on the penfed card you have to actually have served in the military which I did not do. I could be wrong.

Dave
Dave (@guest_764261)
May 28, 2019 19:33

For Penfed credit union no military affiliation is required.

In order to get the 2% cash back on Penfed credit union power cash Visa signature credit card, and 4x for traveling on the Penfed credit union Pathfinder Amex credit card you must open a Honors Checking account and do 2 of the following easy criteria:

Either maintain $500 in your checking account

Or get a direct deposit with a total of $500 a month

As long as you do the aforementioned above, you’ll get the 2% cash back on Penfed credit union power cash Visa signature credit card, and 4x for traveling on the Penfed credit union Pathfinder Amex credit card.

Bill
Bill (@guest_764413)
May 29, 2019 05:42

Nope, PenFed was initially for military and DoD, but with several recent acquisitions, no such connection is required. The Power Cash Visa is becoming my general purpose card. For Plastiq, MC’s seem to work best most often.

RabbMD
RabbMD (@guest_764012)
May 28, 2019 13:10

Or just move an IRA with $100,000 in low cost index ETFs to BOA and get a 2.625% card… Of course the BOA Visas no longer work with plastiq mortgages.

midas89
midas89 (@guest_764033)
May 28, 2019 13:43

RabbMD, doesn’t the Bank of America Premium Rewards Card charge a $95 annual fee? As I understand it, if one has the above card and then $100K+ of their money at B of A (or Merrill), they’d get 1.5% cash back + a 75% bonus, which would equal 2.625% total cash back. But again, there is that $95 annual fee to deal with.

Halamadrid
Halamadrid (@guest_764090)
May 28, 2019 15:34

But the BofA Premium Rewards also comes with a $100 travel credit which is easy to use effectively eliminating the annual fee and you even come out a bit ahead.

Dave
Dave (@guest_764123)
May 28, 2019 16:47

But Penfed credit union Pathfinder amex credit card gives you 4x or 3.4% cash back on all traveling no annual fees no foreign transaction fees, $100 TSA checkout reimbursement.

I am not oppose to an annual fee, however if there js a credit card with comparable cash back and benefits without an annual fee, I’ll choose the latter.

Victor
Victor (@guest_764387)
May 29, 2019 00:07

The $95 fee card comes with a $100 airline credit. This Premium Rewards Card also earns 2% (+75% bonus) on travel and dining. There’s also a 0-fee Travel Rewards Visa that also earns 1.5% (+75%) bonus everywhere.

Frank
Frank (@guest_764104)
May 28, 2019 16:07

Well first year it’s 3% which means .5% spread on Plastiq (rent jumps how much you can spend).