An Interesting Targeted Credit Card Offer

Bank Of America sent me a targeted offer today for using my Alaska Airlines credit card:

Spend $2,500 in select categories: book, toy, electronic, sporting goods and department stores and receive $50 back on a future purchase of Alaska Airlines travel. It’s also interesting to see that Bank of America listed the MCC codes in the terms and conditions (bolding mine)

*To be eligible for this offer, your account must be open with charging privileges and you must activate this offer by December 31, 2014. You will receive a $50 flight discount code on future travel if from the date you activate this offer through December 31, 2014, you make purchases of $2,500 or more at merchants which are assigned one of the following specified merchant category codes (“MCC”): Department Stores (5311), Electronics Stores (5732), Computer Software Stores (5734), Hobby, Toy and Game Shops (5945), Book Stores (5942), Sporting Goods Stores (5941) and Sports Apparel, Riding Apparel Stores (5655), each an “eligible purchase” for this offer. Please note that this list does not include MCC(s) commonly assigned to large discount retailers that are often referred to as “big box” stores or “superstores”. Although we do not determine which MCC a merchant chooses to classify itself, merchants are generally classified based upon their primary line of business. Purchases made at merchants that do not process transactions under these codes, credits, returns, adjustments, purchases of cash equivalents, fees, interest charges and fraudulent transactions will not qualify. We reserve the right to verify eligibility of all transactions. If your account is converted to a different rewards program or to a card without a rewards program during the offer timeframe, the offer is no longer valid. Allow up to 12 weeks from the end of the promotion for the $50 flight discount code to appear in your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ online account. You must use ‘My Account’ to access the $50 flight discount code at www.alaskaair.com/myaccount. The discount code can only be used on Alaska Airlines flights and is not valid on partner airlines. The $50 flight discount code expires on 12/31/15.

I’m guessing Bank of America is covering all their bases with this disclaimer:

The value of this reward may constitute taxable income to you. You may be issued an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 (or other appropriate form) that reflects the value of such reward. Please consult your tax advisor, as neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide tax advice.

I think this offer is pretty unique and $50 is quite attractive, however, I don’t travel enough or fly on Alaska Airlines to be able to capitalize on this one. Bank of America made this one quite attractive with all of those categories to manufacture spend, especially the book stores if you pop into a college Barnes and Noble to fill an American Express Campus Edition card or buy some gift cards.