The Best Way To Hit Minimum Debit and Credit Transaction Requirements
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In the past, hitting minimum debit and credit transaction requirements was easy. You'd simply buy a few Amazon gift cards and be on your way.
Since then, the minimum has gone up from $0.15 to $0.50 to now $1. It's not a big increase, but it's still an increase. Not to mention clicking through Amazon's checkout 10-15 times a month and then applying the gift cards to your account, takes a while!
Fortunately, there's an even easier way to hit your debit and credit transaction requirements and it takes significantly less time!
The Answer to Minimum Transaction Requirements
The answer to your transaction woes is: Square Cash.
With Square Cash, you're able to send a minimum of $1 to anyone using Cash for free with a valid debit card (sorry no gift cards). And what's particularly nice about Square Cash is that you can make 10-15 transactions within just a minute or two. It's that fast!
You can even send money with a credit card on Square Cash, however, there is a 3% transaction fee for those.
Risks of Using Square Cash
As with every type of manufactured spending, there are risks. Here are the risks of using Square Cash manufacture minimum credit and debit card transactions:
- Square Cash Could Shut You Down
If you use Square Cash regularly to send money to friends and family, you may get shut down if you start MSing with it. - Your Banks Might Catch On
Most banks put the minimum transaction requirements in place, because they want you to use your card day to day on more expensive purchases. If they see you're only doing $1 purchases 10-15 times a month, they may not like that. - Your Transactions May Get Bundled Into One
I've heard some banks will combine multiple transactions within a certain time period from the same retailer into one transaction, which means you would have to spread out your transactions. - Credit Cards May Charge a Cash Advance Fee
If you're using Square Cash to hit a minimum spending requirement, make sure you set your cash advance line to $0 or as close as you can to $0.
I've been using Square Cash to hit these spending requirements for well over a year now and I have yet to have any of the above happen to me. However, it's important to be aware of the risks.
Notes About Using Square Cash
- You Need a Friend
You can't sign up for two Square Cash accounts unfortunately, so you will need a trustworthy friend or family member to send money back and forth to. - Certain Debit Cards Have Limits
I have one debit card that I can only send a max of $200 through Square Cash and another that I can only make 3 transactions per day with. In my experience, the best way to learn your limits is to try to push the envelope. 🙂 - It Takes One Business Day to Cash Out
"Cashing" out is free on Square Cash, but it does take a business day to get the money back into your account. - Using Square Cash May Work As a "Direct Deposit"
I have one card that Square Cash shows up as a DD, which helps me meet that requirement in addition to the transaction requirement. - No Hard Inquiry
You don't need to worry about getting another inquiry on your credit report!
Conclusion
Like any manufactured spending method, Square Cash isn't perfect, but in my experience it is pretty close! I can usually knock out all of my monthly minimum transactions in a matter of minutes (across a few days, because of my debit card limits) and I can do it whenever I have free time via my phone.
If you sign-up with my link, you also get a free $10 sign-up bonus after sending $50 to someone with Square Cash.
