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Manufactured Spend (MS)

The practice of generating credit card spend on items you can liquidate for cash to earn bonus points.

Full definition

Manufactured spend (MS) is earning points through transactions designed to be cash-equivalent. Examples: buying gift cards from grocery stores (earning high category multipliers), cashing out Visa gift cards via money orders, paying taxes with credit cards.

MS is legal but banks increasingly dislike it — they can shut down accounts if they detect patterns. Not recommended unless you understand the risks.

Related terms

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A one-time bonus of points awarded for opening a credit card and meeting the minimum spend...Churning
The practice of opening, earning the bonus on, and sometimes closing credit cards in rapid...

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