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agilenano · 4 years ago

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Agilenano - News: 11 ways to meet credit card bonus minimum spending requirement

s Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information. Many travel credit cards feature excellent bonuses for new cardholders. However, you generally need to spend a particular amount on your new card within a specific period to earn the bonus. And, the amount of spending required to earn some bonuses may be more than you would generally spend. As such, a question I get frequently is, “How do I hit the minimum requirement if I don’t normally spend that much on credit cards?” After all, you don’t want to make unnecessary or extravagant purchases. So, today I’ll discuss 11 ways to satisfy the minimum spending requirements on a new card. Get the latest points, miles and travel news by signing up for TPG’s free daily newsletter. In This Post Important considerations (Photo by Orli Friedman/The Points Guy) Before I introduce ways to meet a minimum spending threshold on a new card and earn a bonus, it’s important to address three critical points. First, note that paying the card’s annual fee usually does not count toward the required minimum spend amount. Second, make sure to read the fine print regarding eligibility for the sign-up bonus or welcome offer. Some cards restrict sign-up bonuses to those who have never had the card before or to those who haven’t opened or closed a card within the card family within a particular amount of time. And other cards exclude certain types of purchases from counting toward the required minimum spend. Finally, understand that the period for meeting the minimum spending requirement begins when you are approved for the card, not when you receive the card in the mail. For certain issuers, you can request expedited delivery of your card. And some issuers may provide a virtual number upon approval so you can start using the credit line immediately. But, generally, you’ll have to wait a week or more to receive your card. Related: The best elevated credit card offers to sign up for this month Pay your rent or mortgage Paying your rent or mortgage could help you earn the sign-up bonus, and it could even be worth paying a fee to do so. (Photo by Rawpixel/Unsplash) The first method to consider utilizing is to pay your rent or mortgage using your new card. You may be able to find a landlord, apartment complex or bank that will allow you to pay your rent or mortgage by credit card without a fee. But this is relatively rare. However, you could use a service like Plastiq. Plastiq currently charges a 2.85% fee for the privilege of using a card to pay bills you usually wouldn’t be able to pay with a card. So, it usually only makes sense to use this service to meet a minimum spending requirement or to earn a card perk that requires a high spending threshold. Related: 13 expenses that you should not put on your credit card Pre-paying insurance, utilities or other regular expenses You can prepay some expenses to help reach your minimum spending requirements. (Photo by Cavan Images/Getty Images) Another way to boost your spending is to prepay certain expenses. Many utility, phone and insurance companies will bill you monthly but allow you to overpay. So, you might be able to add an extra $100 to your utility bill payment for the first three months of card membership. Or, you could prepay three or even six months of insurance to ensure you’re reaching the amount needed to earn the sign-up bonus. Another option would be to pay an annual or biannual bill early. If you’re struggling to hit a spending requirement, it could make sense to look ahead and see what bills are coming due soon. Likewise, it could make sense to prepay other recurring expenses in your life. However, before doing so, make sure you’ll still be able to pay your card’s statement balance in full. Related: 9 things you didn’t know you could pay for with a credit card Offer to pick up the tab when dining out with friends Dinner with friends can help you reach your minimum spending requirement. (Photo by Dan Gold/Unsplash) An easy way to generate “free” spending is when you’re dining out with a large group. Even though I’ve sung the praises of travel credit cards, many of my friends and family members still use cash or even debit cards when we’re at a restaurant. I’ve also run into situations where the waiter or waitress is unwilling to split a check. So, one option is to offer to put the entire meal on your card. You can then have your friends or family give you cash or send funds via an online service like PayPal or Venmo. Because you receive the funds to cover their portion of the bill, your only actual out-of-pocket expense is your meal. Of course, you may not want the hassle of chasing down any less-than-reliable friends who don’t pay immediately. But if you can manage that wrinkle, group meals can help you meet minimum spending requirements. An excellent tool for easily splitting the bill is an app called Tab. It allows you to split and itemize a bill. And it even divides up the taxes and tip based on what each person ordered. Once you have the app installed, you can take a picture of the itemized receipt and break up the bill as needed. Related: The best credit cards for dining out, taking out and ordering in Donate to charity If I need help meeting a minimum spending bonus, I usually donate to one of my favorite charities. (Photo by Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images) Although many people tend to give cash or write checks to their favorite charities, it’s usually possible to make a donation using a points-earning credit card. Some credit cards even provide category spending bonuses on charitable donations. If you’re looking to finish off a minimum spend, donating to your favorite charity is a great way to do so. Related: How you can donate your points and miles to charity Pay your taxes Tax payments are an easy way to meet minimum spending requirements on a new card. (Photo by Natee Meepian/EyeEm/Getty Images) Tax season is upon us. Luckily, you may be able to pay your taxes with a credit card. For property and state taxes, you can use ACI Payments, Inc. as a third-party service. And you can check the IRS list of tax payment service providers to consider your options when paying federal taxes. However, be sure to consider the fees associated with each method. These fees may negate the value of any points you earn. But, in some cases, it can be worth it. This year I’ll likely use PayUSAtax, an IRS-approved payment provider, to pay my federal taxes with a credit card. This provider charges a 1.96% fee for using credit cards. But, that fee is well below the return you’ll get when working on a welcome bonus. Even for ongoing points earning, you may find it worthwhile to pay taxes with a credit card. Related: Guide to paying taxes with your credit card Pay for tuition Tuition at any level can be a considerable expense. (Photo by Nathan Dumlao/Unsplash) Tuition for daycare, private school and university can be expensive. But, paying those bills with your new credit card can be an excellent way to hit your minimum spending requirement quickly. When it comes to paying tuition with a credit card, you’ll usually face one of three scenarios: Tuition cannot be paid with a credit card at all Tuition can be paid with a credit card with no fee Tuition can be paid with a credit card with a fee You’re out of luck with the first category unless you can use Plastiq. And with the second category, it’s an easy choice to pay tuition with a credit card since you’ll earn rewards. Meanwhile, with the third category, it’s once again up to you to crunch the numbers and determine if paying a fee makes sense. If you have no other feasible way to hit the minimum spend threshold, incurring a fee to pay for tuition with a credit card will likely be worthwhile. If you’ve already graduated but still have student loans, you also could use a service like Plastiq to make your student loan payments with a credit card. Once again, make sure that the bonus you’re earning is worth the extra fee. Related: Best credit cards for college students Use plastiq to pay bills Even if your landlord, university, daycare, gym or utility company doesn’t accept credit cards, you may still be able to pay for these expenses using a service like Plastiq. Of course, remember to check that the fees you’ll pay are worth the reward. Related: Your vendor doesn’t accept credit cards — what now? Purchase points or miles Buying points and miles can allow you to unlock fantastic redemptions. (Photo by JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images) Here at The Points Guy, we usually don’t recommend purchasing points or miles unless you have a planned redemption in mind. But purchasing points or miles with a credit card can be an excellent way to hit a minimum spending threshold, especially if you’ll be able to use these points soon. If you plan on going this route, it’s best to wait for a bonus points promotion. It’s also best to purchase points after you’ve already found the award space you need for a trip. That way, you have a good idea of the value you’re getting and are less exposed to the risk of an award chart devaluation. Related: When does it make sense to buy points and miles? Put a down payment on a new car You may be able to use a credit card to pay for part of a new car. (Photo by alexfan32/Shutterstock) If you’re in the market for a new car, consider using a credit card for your car purchase. You may not be able to charge the entire purchase to your card, but you could still get a sizable chunk of your minimum spend out of the way with a down payment. Many dealerships will let you put $2,000 to $5,000 on a card, but it’s best to confirm a final deal with the salesperson before discussing that possibility. Of course, this is only a good idea if you were already planning on purchasing a car. Related: Can you buy a car with a credit card? Here’s what you need to know to drive a hard bargain Get reimbursed for business expenses If you work at a bakery, your employer may be willing to reimburse some urgent grocery expenses. (Photo by gpointstudio/Shutterstock) It’s best to get a small business credit card to keep your personal and business expenses separate. But, if you’re in a pinch and have a limited-time window to meet the minimum spending requirements on a new credit card, it could be worth using a personal credit card for business expenses and getting reimbursed. Check with your employer to see if it’s possible to use your personal card for business expenses. But be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. After all, it can take a while to get reimbursed. So, you may need to pay the balance on your card before the reimbursement from your company hits your bank account. Related: 5 ways you might be eligible for a business credit card without realizing it Ask friends and family for help Your family may have some expenses they’re willing to let you pay for with your new card. (Photo by Mark Edward Atkinson/Getty Images) If you’re out of ideas when it comes to meeting the minimum spending requirements on your new card, you could enlist the help of trusted family or friends. For example, when TPG contributor Ethan Steinberg was in college, he would pay monthly bills for his parents using his cards. And, they’d Venmo money to him immediately after he paid their bills. However, I only recommend paying the bills of people you trust. After all, you’ll ultimately be on the hook if they decide not to reimburse you. Related: How TPG staffers helped family members choose a credit card Bottom line You can use one or more of the tips discussed above to earn the full bonus on a new card, even if you don’t usually spend enough. However, make sure you have enough funds in your bank account to pay off the statement balance in full each month. After all, paying interest or late fees will effectively decrease the value of any bonus you earn. Additional reporting by Nick Ewen and Ethan Steinberg. Featured photo by WAYHOME studio/Shutterstock. #S-cc #CreditCards

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/11-ways-to-meet-credit-card-bonus-minimum-spending-requirement

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laurelkrugerr · 4 years ago

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The Secret to Sustainable Growth Is Identifying Trends Ahead of Time

August 12, 2020 6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Entrepreneurs have to walk a tightrope. Every day, we focus on keeping customers happy and making sure our businesses are running smoothly. (I share daily tips in my newsletter on my website.) But we have to balance that daily grind with looking ahead. Envisioning what customers may need in the future — most times before they even know what they’ll need — is the secret to sustainable growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left thousands of businesses across industries struggling. No one can be sure how and when the economy will rebound, and more than 100,000 small businesses have closed forever, according to The Washington Post. It is now more vital than ever for founders to be flexible, ready to pivot, more daring and a bit more visionary.

I recently heard about SimplePractice’s story of product vision. Howard Spector’s foresight is one reason the electronic health record (EHR) platform is experiencing a growth surge during the pandemic. Spector, the cofounder and CEO of SimplePractice, studied to become a therapist when he saw the existing EHR systems on the market were complicated, incomplete and poorly designed. He built SimplePractice to combine the solutions practitioners need, such as scheduling, documentation, billing and client communication, in a single, beautifully designed and affordable platform.

Related: Technology as the Way Forward: The New Normal

Telehealth was on Spector’s radar, but demand was low. He and his team revisited it periodically. A couple of years ago, they started to see more standalone telehealth apps coming out and decided to add it to the platform. “I realized we should get out in front of this, so we prioritized it on our roadmap,” says Spector. “If we didn’t, we’d be suffering right now.”

SimplePractice encouraged its customers to use the video-enabled feature to ensure continuity of care for patients in rural areas or for patients who couldn’t get to an appointment because of traffic, storms and the like. About a quarter of SimplePractice’s clients took advantage of the service SimplePractice — until the pandemic.

Since then, almost 90 percent of customers have adopted telehealth. SimplePractice customers went from using five million telehealth minutes per month in January to 144 million in April. “We’ve also seen a massive spike in new customers beginning in March, and we believe it was primarily driven because we had telehealth integrated into our platform,” explains Spector.

SimplePractice continues to amp up the offering and has recently added a waiting room and screen-sharing capabilities. “Our work is never done,” he continues. “We’re always looking ahead at what’s next, what features our customers are asking for, and what features our customers need. We’ve intentionally created a very entrepreneurial culture that honors the individual’s ability to be adaptable and creatively problem solve.”

The lesson here is to learn how to spot industry trends and invest time and energy into these trends, even if it’s just to test them.

Related: Telemedicine is Laying the Roadmap for Healthcare’s Future

Bringing disruptive models to new industries

Visionary founders sometimes get the idea for their businesses by applying the thinking of disruptive companies in other industries to their fields, which is especially true in economies of despair. Think 2008-’09, when Uber adopted the taxi model and paired it with tech. Or when Venmo took PayPal’s approach and made it more user-friendly and mobile-centric. That adoptive tack is paying off for the founders of Jurny, a smart tech solution in the hospitality industry, and Vooks, a streaming platform for animated children’s books.

Watching how companies like Airbnb, Uber and Postmates used technology to enable shifts to on-demand services inspired Jurny cofounder and CEO Luca Zambello to explore bringing that business model to hospitality, an industry that has been slow to adopt new technology. While interviewing the two on my Entrepreneur podcast recently, I learned how Zambello and his cofounder developed a technology that helps hotel and multi-family building owners increase efficiency and profitability on vacant units while streamlining operations to give guests a simple way to plan and enjoy their stay with limited interaction.

For property owners, Jurny acts as an end-to-end managed service that includes interior design, sourcing and installation, marketing agency, cleaning management, customer support and security. Guests use the Jurny app to find available units, choose dates, book their stay, check-in, check-out and access everything they need during their stay.

Both founders are frequent travelers who loved the idea of being able to go from booking to check-in in seconds without having to wait or interact with anyone. That contact-minimizing solution has been ideal for people traveling during the pandemic, and Jurny’s revenue has been four times higher than the industry average. The company’s tech-first experience enables them to address social distancing measures and reduce potential contact points. The lesson here is that you don’t need to create a revolutionary new business model to disrupt an industry. Disruption can be copied from other spaces. Find industries that are outdated and apply a proven model to that industry.

The timing has also been great for Vooks. CEO Marshall Bex, former creative director for Nike, got the idea for a Netflix-style platform for children’s books after noticing his daughter didn’t like reading but enjoyed watching videos. Bex and his three cofounders — including Shannon Bex, a multi-platinum recording artist (Danity Kane) and TV personality (Making the Band and So You Think You Can Dance) — launched Vooks about two years ago as the world’s first streaming platform bringing storybooks to life through animation.

Related: Hotel Experiences Are Going to Be Completely Different: Ritesh Agarwal

Vooks quickly gained fans from educators to celebrities — a recent shout-out came from Michelle Obama. Since the pandemic started, it has really taken off. Vooks has seen record monthly growth in subscribers and daily users. It now has about one million registered users across 175 countries. Educators at 95 percent of elementary schools in the U.S. and Canada are using Vooks. The lesson here is to look for problems that people in your current sphere of influence are having. This takes the ability to be observant and skill to create solutions to existing problems.

While all of these companies have had their growth accelerate unexpectedly over the last several months, it’s a good bet to assume they will continue to succeed. Their founders have proven they can quickly respond to changing circumstances and spot opportunities, and the loyalty their products have gained with customers isn’t likely to end when the pandemic does. The new normal for entrepreneurs is there is no normal. You must stay agile and pivot as needed.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/the-secret-to-sustainable-growth-is-identifying-trends-ahead-of-time/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-secret-to-sustainable-growth-is.html

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riichardwilson · 4 years ago

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The Secret to Sustainable Growth Is Identifying Trends Ahead of Time

August 12, 2020 6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Related: Technology as the Way Forward: The New Normal

The lesson here is to learn how to spot industry trends and invest time and energy into these trends, even if it’s just to test them.

Related: Telemedicine is Laying the Roadmap for Healthcare’s Future

Bringing disruptive models to new industries

Related: Hotel Experiences Are Going to Be Completely Different: Ritesh Agarwal

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/the-secret-to-sustainable-growth-is-identifying-trends-ahead-of-time/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/626317624626855936

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scpie · 4 years ago

Text

The Secret to Sustainable Growth Is Identifying Trends Ahead of Time

August 12, 2020 6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Related: Technology as the Way Forward: The New Normal

The lesson here is to learn how to spot industry trends and invest time and energy into these trends, even if it’s just to test them.

Related: Telemedicine is Laying the Roadmap for Healthcare’s Future

Bringing disruptive models to new industries

Related: Hotel Experiences Are Going to Be Completely Different: Ritesh Agarwal

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/the-secret-to-sustainable-growth-is-identifying-trends-ahead-of-time/

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gracemolteniisnothome · 5 years ago

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A Year of Quiet, aka Lessons in Isolation

First and foremost, I want to emphasis staying informed, and taking your health and the health of others seriously. Period.

I have the luxury of working in the news (which, admittedly, can get exhausting), and a science reporter as my sibling, who has been on the coronavirus beat for over 2 months. I trust her and her concerns. I am also lucky to have a handful of friends who work on infectious disease research and response for the CDC—I trust them and their concerns. That access to information doesn’t raise my anxiety so much as make me feel informed and prepared. However, I fully recognize how dire and scary this all feels. Frankly, it feels that way because the reach and reality of this pandemic is indeed scary.

My office moved quickly last week to setting us up to work from home, and for that I am deeply grateful. I spent most of the weekend indoors, save a few runs and some fresh air, and a quick stop at my local cafe for coffee-to go (support your neighbors and tip well, y’all.) As Americans, it’s been a while since social solidarity was asked, let alone required of us. I can’t remember a moment in my lifetime that felt as dire in regards to personal responsibility.But, we can find a new normal in balancing being isolated and practicing social distancing, while also staying sane and staving off the stir crazy. I think it is possible to be diligent about self-isolating, and vigilant in our social distancing, and still find ways to connect, to support, to find joy, even if that means remotely.

Strangely, I feel more prepared for self-isolation than I ever have in my life, and I realized this weekend that my year of quiet in rural Japan taught me a lot about how to manage limited social contact and a uniquely singular life. I figured there’s no time like a pandemic to share a few things that kept me sane:

Remember that internet is the friend of the curious and the enemy of the anxious.

What a time to be alive! There is more access to real time information than ever before. This is gift, and at times, a trap. Know when to unplug, and definitely know when to stop checking Twitter. Delete some apps off of your phone (Instagram, Facebook, Hinge, etc) for the weekend and enjoy reclaiming some of your mental space. (Plus coronavirus-inspired pick-up lines are eye-roll worthy at best.) When I would find myself deep into Instagram scrolls with no end in sight, that was usually time to delete the app for a week or so to break the habit.

Set your expectations.

Consider this a marathon, and not a sprint, and adjust your mindset accordingly. We should be thinking of this in months, not weeks. It’s helpful to consider this in the long haul and not just a temporary inconvenience.

Go for walks, long ones when time allows, particularly if you can avoid crowded areas.

I usually ended my day with a sunset walk through the rice fields near my apartment and it was a regular time to reset and get some fresh air that now I often miss. I certainly take for granted how nice a short stint in the sun can be. Don’t forget to look up at the sky or take some picture of flowers if it pleases you. Send them to friends who are self-isolating in colder climates (looking at you, Chicago.)

Create some structure

Outside of being able to live abroad, my teaching schedule allowed me to reclaim many of my daylight hours (something I had little of in my previous job.) I don’t consider myself a particularly disciplined person, but I wanted to make the most of this time. An easy thing I tried to adhere to was doing 3 things every day: something creative, something educational, and something active. The categories were purposefully broad – physical, for example, could be anything from a run to stretching while watching Netflix – and it helped to have daily, achievable goals.

But also, allow yourself some rest

WFH and self isolation are certainly not the same thing as a vacation. However, especially with the world feeling like it’s ending, it’s ok to not need to be productive (after remote-office hours, of course.) Lean into binging tv shows, taking long baths or reading books, diving back into the world of Sims. It’s ok to seek out comfort right now, because…

Isolation can be painful!

Loneliness is real. And if you’re the kind of person who needs to share physical space with people, this adjustment may be particularly uncomfortable. But it doesn’t last forever, and in 2020 there are so many ways to stay connect and close to the folks you care about. On that note…

If you’re feeling panicky, anxious, stressed - talk about it!

Reach out to people you trust and share where you’re at. If you need support, now is as good a time as any to ask for it. For alternatives, consider starting a journal, recording voice memos, making videos, if only for yourself, to talk through those thoughts and stop them from occupying precious brain space. Speaking of videos…

Send your friends dance videos, or schedule a GoogleHang and have solo dance parties, together.

When I lived in Japan there were some nights that my beloved apartment felt not just sparse, but empty; in those times that I felt particularly distanced from my friends and life back in the US, I started sending these dance videos to select folks on Instagram. It was silly (still is tbh) and yet very much helped to keep me sane and connected to people I love. Dancing around my apartment was a good way to save me from my melancholy self, and now is kind of a necessity during quarantine times, to shake off some of that excess energy and loosen up some of the stir crazy. Another great option is tuning into groups like Dance Church, who have taken their weekly gathering online and available for streaming.

On the topic of GoogleHangouts…

Throw some on your calendar! Make it weekly, make it daily, make them random. I am convinced that my Groupchat of high school pals played a large part in me tolerating the weight of isolation as a foreigner; WhatsApp with and Instagram messenger acted as lifelines when it came to feeling connection with my people back home.

Not sure where to start? Host a quarantine happy hour where everyone calls in at the same time with their beverage of choice! Start a Netflix viewing party! Make a free account on Tabletopia and play board games against your friends remotely! Start an online bookclub! If you’re musically inclined, go live on Instagram and let folks tune in! It’s no stand-in for IRL social time, but I can say after moving around a number of times, it’s actually pretty incredible how many ways there are to hangout from afar.

Revisit your internal project list.

What is something you haven’t been able to get to in your regular life because of daily commitments like work? Reading the stack of books by your bed? Baking the best bread humanly possible? Learning another language? Having a project (or 5) to chip away at during my time abroad helped me to feel productive and take pride in accomplishing something. There’s so many great online (often free) resources for learning new things. I like to rely on Skillshare for prompts, but recently have purchased a few classes through Moment to learn more about mobile filmmaking. That being said, I’d also be careful not to fall into the trap of turning everything into work. Don’t put more pressure on yourself than needed right now. If there’s room to chip away at personal projects, be they anything from self portraits or cross-stitch, take the time to find some pleasure in creating. Oh yeah, and do update your damn website (me, to me.)

An additional list of thoughts in no particular order:

Make a collaborative playlists

Check in on your freelance friends (help them out financially if and when you can, promote their work, buy their merch, shoot them a Venmo, a PayPal, a CashApp.)

Deep clean your place!

Consume podcasts like it’s your job.

Finally clear the open tabs on your browser window (wishful thinking)

Do your taxes! Annoying, but hey, if you’ve got the time.

StoryCorps! If you’re already cooped up with folks - family or roommates or partners– take the time to get to know them in a way you usually don’t

Send snail mail!

Participate in Instagram challenges or prompts

I’m a fan of #DrawThisInYourStyle for illustration projects, but I really like @rockthatmuseumgirl’s idea of posting art we’ve seen and tagging them #throwbackmuseum since so many art institutions and public spaces are closed right now.

On a community note…

Donate to food banks! Blood banks! Buy local gift cards to use later or see if your favorite spots are doing pickup or to-go options! Support your neighborhood any way you can, while staying safe, and more than anything, be kind. As a wise art director reminded us on Instagram this week: “everyone is fighting their own battles. be mindful & grateful for what you have”

Ok, enough rambling from me. Till next time, y’all

#coronavirus #self-isolation #social distancing #solitude #creativity #advice #travel-abroad #travel-blog

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dyernews · 6 years ago

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Square Cash Card Review (2019)

Have you ever owned something for years before one day you suddenly discovered a super useful function you never knew it had? That’s essentially what happened to me with Square Cash. Despite downloading the app long ago, I apparently didn’t keep up with its growing power and ability to save me money — that was until about a year ago.

Since then I’ve made up for lost time, saving a dollar with every Starbucks reload I make and more. That’s why I want to tell you all about the Cash app and, more specifically, the Cash Card.

What is Square Cash and What is Cash Cash?

Square Cash App

Square Cash (or just “Cash” as it’s commonly referred to) is mostly known for being a P2P money app akin to PayPal, Venmo, or Apple Pay Cash. When you download Cash and sign-up for the service, you can link a bank account in order to fund your account. You can also choose to add money to your account using a credit card, but there is a 3% fee for this option. With that out of the way, you can quickly and easily send money to friends using the app.

When you open Cash, you’ll notice a simple interface, allowing you to enter a dollar amount and elect to either request that amount of money from one of your contacts or send it to them. You can also tap the clock icon in the upper right to view and/or search your transaction history. Then, in the upper left corner, tapping the avatar icon will allow you to adjust your settings, view your balances, and cash out your money. Sending money back to your linked account with a slight delay (about two days) is free, while an instant transfer will cost you a 1.5% fee.

Bitcoin

Although the main function of Cash may not sound like anything special, the app has also been adding some other features worth talking about. For one, the app has begun introducing the ability for users to buy and sell Bitcoin. Using the app, you can select how much Bitcoin you’d like to buy in USD and view your current balance, which will fluctuate based on the current $BTC pricing. Notably, you can also set up a wallet to withdraw your Bitcoin, although you will need to scan your photo ID before this option will be available to you.

By the way, while other apps like Robinhood have been expanding their crypto rosters, don’t expect the same from Square Cash. CEO Jack Dorsey has been outspoken about his support for Bitcoin and only Bitcoin, directly telling fans he doesn’t intend to add other assets to the app.

Of course, the other feature that makes Square Cash unique — and the reason I felt it the app was deserving of a review — is their Cash Card.

Cash Card

In an effort to stand out from the pack, Square started rolling out their Cash Card — a physical Visa debit card that allows users to make purchases using their Cash funds. Adding to the offering’s appeal, these cards feature a sleek all-black design on the front, security chip, Visa Debit logo, and the laser-printed signature. Yes, Cash actually prints the signature you give them onto the card. But, before you get any wise ideas, they do say they review the “signatures” before they go to print.

As promised, these cards can be used anywhere Visa is accepted. You can also add your card to Apple Pay and utilize it that way as well. Finally, there’s another neat feature of the Cash Card we’ll cover in the next section.

Is Square Cash a Scam? Before we dive more into the Cash Card, I wanted to address something that I’ve seen a bit of on the YouTube video review I did of Square. A few adamant commenters have alleged that the Cash app is a scam that’s caused them to lose money. Although I can’t speak to their experience (or know for sure if these are even legitimate comments), I have to refute this notion.

First of all, Square is a publicly traded company with a strong reputation in the FinTech space and their products are utilized by small businesses across the country. Therefore I’d find it hard to believe they’d sacrifice that by creating an app to scam everyday users out of their cash. Plus, for the record, I haven’t encountered any issues with the app in the several years that I’ve been a user.

With all of that said, there are precautions you should take when using this or any personal finance app. For one, when sending money via Cash, make sure you trust the person you’re sending money to. Personally I suspect some of the people calling the app itself a scam have merely just fallen victim to shady folks. Additionally be sure to protect your Cash account as you would any bank account by utilizing strong passwords and other security features.

Last but not least, if you don’t feel comfortable using a peer to peer payments app or other finance tools where linking a bank account is necessary, it’s ok to skip them. While Cash and other FinTech ventures are far from “scams,” they may be susceptible to the same breaches that many retailers, banks, and others are. Luckily (to my knowledge) no such troubles have plagued Cash but it’s always a good idea to be vigilant in order to protect yourself.

Using the Square Cash Card

Now I’ll admit that, while I’ve found Cash to be convenient for sending money to friends and that it has become my preferred method for doing so, I hardly felt the need to obtain a Cash Card. After all, why wouldn’t I just transfer my balance back to my account and spend it like I normally would? Sure, the card’s cool design did give me some pause in writing the idea off entirely, but I eventually forgot about it and went on with my life.

That was until I learned about the Boost function the Cash Card offered. As it turns out, this feature allows you to save up to 10% at select restaurants, including Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, and Dominos. Needless to say, this piece of information changed everything.

Soon after learning of the Boost feature, I finally requested my Cash Card through the app. To do so, all I needed was to offer up my address and provide my signature for the aforementioned style element. Within a few days’ time, my card had arrived and was ready to activate.

Activation Anyone who’s ever received a new credit or debit card is surely familiar with the automated voice systems often employed in the activation process. This is where the Cash Card is very different; instead of placing a call to one of those 800 numbers, you’ll simply open up the Cash app and scan the QR code on the envelope your card came in to activate it. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be ready to check out the Boost function.

Boost — AKA The Star Feature

Just in case you didn’t already garner my age from the title of this column, I’ll make it clear that I’m not exactly what the kids would call “young” anymore. Perhaps that’s why I didn’t find the process of enabling Cash Card Boosts to be super intuitive at first. But, after a few tries and misses, I finally discovered that tapping the balance that appears in the upper middle part of your screen will not only show you a digital version of your Cash Card but also allow you to add Boosts.

As I mentioned, there are several different Boost options you can choose from — with “choose from” being a key phrase. Unlike apps like Dosh that allow you to take advantage of any current offer without opting in, Cash Card Boosts can only be selected one at a time. Although you can scroll through the different options and swap Boosts as much as you want before using them, once you’ve taken advantage of an offer, it will be locked onto your card for a day.

Something else that’s interesting about Boosts is that the various offers take on different forms. For example, while Boosts at restaurants like Taco Bell or stores like Whole Foods give you a percentage off of your total, others will give you a flat dollar amount instead. Additionally one of the current Cash Card Boosts entitles you to $1 off at “any coffee shop.” Personally this particular Boost is my favorite as I discovered I was able to reload my Starbucks card using my Cash Card. Reloading just $10 through the app, this amounts to a 10% discount — even better than the 4% I’d get from my Uber Visa.

As I alluded to, I’ve now had the chance to try out the Boost feature multiple times but my first experience with it was at a Chick-fil-A. Seconds after the transaction was complete, I got an alert from the app informing me that my 10% Boost had been applied and that only $14.67 was deducted from my balance as a result. Woohoo! The experience is similar when I reload my Starbucks card through the coffee chain’s app via Apple Pay, as I soon received a notification that I was only charged $9 for my $10 reload.

In the time since I first started using the Cash Card, I have noticed a few changes to Boosts — mostly for the better. For example, while there used to be a 5% at Whole Foods Boost, currently that figure sits at 10%. Additionally the relatively new Dominos option allows me to double dip with Bumped so I’m earning 10% off and 5% in stock whenever I order pizza. Ultimately, although I’d love to see a variety of offers and have rotating Boosts, I’m also perfectly happy with the current line-up and excited to try my next offer.

Final Thoughts on Square Cash and Cash Card

At the end of day, apps like PayPal, Venmo, and Cash all have similar functions even if they each have their own perks and quirks. That said, Square Cash‘s Cash Card really makes them stand out in my eyes — especially with the Boost feature. To that point, what really impresses me about the Cash Card’s Boosts is that they’re all for places I could actually see myself shopping at. Moreover, in nearly each case, the percentage offered from the Boost bests what I’d earn from any of my credit cards.

With all that considered, I’d honestly have to say it’s worth getting your own Square Cash Card just for the Boost offers. Of course, the cool card design means it will look pretty snazzy in your wallet as well. All in all, I guess Square’s gamble on creating physical cards for their digital platform has proven perfect for pulling old folks like me into their app.

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