Earlier this year, I got an Amazon Visa Card. The great thing about it is that everytime you charge something, you get points. After a certain number of points, they send you a gift certificate for Amazon. However, if you buy something from Amazon, the point value of the purchase is tripled. Perhaps there is just too much of a game player in me, but I find it interesting that they chose to use "points" to keep track of your rewards. It's almost as if they are targeting the Gamer Generation. Of course, as a game player, I play to win... so I started to use the card for all my credit card purchases -- I took the automatic payment option whenever I could to have the charges made to the card, maximizing my usage.
Yes, the Powergamer in me is revealed in my purchasing habits..
Naturally I signed up for whatever utility services I that could be paid through credit card. Amongst these was SBC, the local landline company. So I signed up. When you sign up for payment online, you usually have the option of auto bill pay with a credit card or through automatic bank withdrawl.
SBC eBill is my Archnemesis. For some reason it auto pays the bill consistantly late and i always end up with these disconnection notices showing up in my mailbox. Really, really disturbing. Not only that but their automated system sends account info e-mails which do not have a date posted on them, and so they float to the bottom of my mailbox, which is really annoying, since I don't often look at the bottom and I like to keep all my e-mails, so naturally I usually just look at the top.
The only real reason I keep SBC around is because I have a TiVo (Whereart thou my phoneless Tivo?) and because I lease my DSL line from them. However, I've been thinking about cancelling cable TV (everything I watch gets released on DVD eventually, and I find I watch DVDs way more than cable) but I haven't brought myself to do it just yet.
I haven't left a comment in your blog for a long time. I use my Visa pretty often to collect points too. I don't spend enough money for any gift certificates though.