Discover rolled out one of the most incredible promotions recently. The Apple Pay 10%-20% Cashback [1] was such a ridiculous offer, I immediately switched from an Android phone to an iPhone.
In addition to the new phone, I picked up a new Discover it card during my $4,420 Credit Card Application Spree [2] to double the Apple Pay cashback.
Before we discuss maximizing the offer, here’s an overview of the promotion from Discover it $100 Sign Up Bonus & Apple Pay 10%-20% Cashback [1] a few weeks ago in case you missed it:
How to Get Your 10%-20% Cashback
- Pay with your Discover card using Apple Pay from September 16 until the end of the year.
- Automatically earn an extra 10% Cashback Bonus on up to $10,000 of in-store purchases.
- If you enrolled in the Discover it 10% Double Cashback [3] promotion, the Apple Pay offer should double.
- Discover it Miles, Miles and Escape cardmembers will earn an extra 10 miles per dollar on up to $10,000 of in-store purchases.
If you missed out on enrolling in the double cash back in June, you can still pick up the double promotion with a new Discover card (and you get a $100 bonus). I canceled one of my old Discover cards to do this:
How to Get Your $100 Sign Up Bonus and Double Cashback Offer
- Open a new Discover it card via referral [4] to get a $50 sign up bonus.
- Make your first purchase within 3 months of being approved.
- Earn a $50 cashback bonus.
- The sign up bonus should be doubled.
Maximizing the Discover Apple Pay Promotion
Once you have the right card and the right phone, it’s time to maximize the promotion!
Where to Apple Pay. You can use Apple Pay at these stores [5]. I think I’ll print a list of these stores and put it in my wallet.
Where else to Apple Pay with NFC. It sounds like even if a store isn’t listed in the Apple Pay directory, but they accept NFC payments, you can use Apple Pay! This Slickdeals [6] thread show an example of the NFC logo with a link to finding NFC contactless locations [7]. This opens up many more stores!
Coordinate with Vacation. Walt Disney World is on the list! Thanks for the perfect timing Discover. As you know, we’re planning a trip [8] there this month. If you are also planning a Disney trip before the end of the year, this promo should help you get 20% off of all your purchases there. I’m hoping that the restaurants we eat at accept Apple Pay and are coded as Disney transactions.
Selling on Amazon. Obviously, this is a huge promotion for anyone who is planning to make money selling on Amazon this holiday season [9]. I can easily purchase thousands of dollars in inventory, although it’s a pain to make all the purchases in store!
Twice the bonus with multiple Discover cards. If you have two Discover cards, yes you can get twice the bonus. The offer is on purchases up to $10,000 for each Discover card!
Combine spouses on one Apple Pay account. Despite the $2,000 incentive, my husband wasn’t ready to ditch his Android phone. However, after I max out my card, I’m going to add his card to my phone. We each have 2 Discover cards so it sounds like 4 x $2,000 might just be possible…
Stack with 4th quarter bonuses. The 5% Rotating Cash Rewards [10] for 4th quarter are clothing stores, department stores and Amazon.com [11]. Amazon won’t work, but there should be multiple clothing stores and department stores that will work for stacking. You could earn 30% cash back at the stackable locations. Doctor of credit is keeping a list here [12] (although I’m not sure if that list also includes the NFC locations).
Are gift cards eligible? The terms and conditions excludes gift cards. To see if they are actually excluding those purchases, I’m following this Frequent Miler [13] thread closely to see what happens with gift card purchases.
Skip in-app purchases. Apple Pay offers in-app purchases. Don’t get confused, these are not eligible for the promotion.
Eligible iPhone devices. The Apple Pay compatible devices are iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 6, and 6 plus. In addition, Apple Watches can also be paired with those phones or an iPhone 5, 5c, or 5s.
Cheap iPhone with SERO. We’re still holding onto our cheap Sprint SERO Premium [14] plan from 2008. Hopefully, for long term readers who have been reading My Dollar Plan for more than seven years, you also have the old SERO plan. If so, you can pick up a new iPhone 6 for $99 if you have an upgrade to redeem.
Are you planning to maximize the Discover Apple Pay promotion?