Why I just got the Ebates Visa Signature Card

With my Wells Fargo 5% about to end in a couple of months, I needed to figure out my next manufactured spending card.  I realize more people have heard about a Dillard’s American Express card (yes, that exists) than this Ebates Visa signature card, but this card is actually great for resellers like myself.  However, the best thing about this card is that it gives an additional 3% cash back if you shop through the Ebates portal.  And guess who is on the portal… American Express gift cards.  It’s a fairly stable cashback at 1%, but they will sometimes give 2% if you shop through their mobile site.  That means you can now buy AMEX gift cards for a 4%-5% discount.  You no longer have to wait for other portals like Topcashback or Befrugal to jump to 2% to get the same discount using your Arrival/SPG/FIA AMEX/Citi Double Cashback card.  This can be your “while I’m waiting for 2% portal” card to use.

Applying for the card

I have actually been an Ebates member for probably 15 years now.  I was already logged on to Ebates before clicking on this link.  It gave me a pre-approval ID.  I then used that to apply for the card and was instantly APPROVED!  However, the credit limit was only $2,000, which was too low for even a $3K American Express gift card.  I then called their phone number at 1-855-697-4555 and was transferred to an underwriter, who asked me how much I wanted.  This is where I made the mistake of only asking it to be increased to 10K.  I should have asked for 20K or higher and maybe we could negotiate down.  Anyway, he read me a disclosure about reporting of income.  I told him my income, and after a 2-3 minute hold, the moment of truth came back.  He told me I was approved for 10K.  I was both happy and mad at myself for not asking for more.  If you do get this card, make sure you ask for more.  I’m pretty confident I can ask for more down the line if need be.  Anyway, this should be a fun card to play with.