# Bonus for paying with stimulus check? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228 "2008-06-17T17:36:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228/1 "2008-06-17T17:36:49Z")
I heard a while ago about some grocery stores offering 10% discounts on store gift cards bought with the IRS stimulus check. I’ve also heard, in the past, about casinos that will give you a bonus for, say, cashing your paycheck there. Are there any other good offers like this I should be aware of? I will actually be in Vegas in about a month. I’m looking for most bang for my buck, either for something I’m going to spend money on anyway, or that is readily fungible. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228/2 "2008-06-17T17:41:44Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] I heard a while ago about some grocery stores offering 10% discounts on store gift cards bought with the IRS stimulus check. I’ve also heard, in the past, about casinos that will give you a bonus for, say, cashing your paycheck there. Are there any other good offers like this I should be aware of? I will actually be in Vegas in about a month. I’m looking for most bang for my buck, either for something I’m going to spend money on anyway, or that is readily fungible. [/QUOTE] The “bonus” with the casinos I’ve been to (which are a few) is that you get an opportunity to spin a wheel for free with a chance to win some kind of jackpot. I don’t know if you need to be a local to do that, though. I’m not good enough with my money to be handed my paycheck in a wad of cash while standing in the middle of a casino. I’d never make it out of there. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228/3 "2008-06-17T18:31:45Z")
As far as local stores, Sears and KMart will let you buy a gift card with a 10% bonus. I think that Fry’s has a similar program but you’ll have to go out to Oxnard. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228/4 "2008-06-17T19:23:10Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] Are there any other good offers like this I should be aware of? I will actually be in Vegas in about a month. I’m looking for most bang for my buck, either for something I’m going to spend money on anyway, or that is readily fungible. [/QUOTE] You may want to [read this article](http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/758593/are_you_loading_your_stimulus_money.html?cat=3) ([or this one](http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/06/beware-of-stimu.html)) before turning your check into a gift card just to obtain a ten percent bonus. It may not be a good idea if you don’t read the fine print for the particular gift card you have in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228/5 "2008-06-17T19:25:05Z")
Uh… how do you prove you’re using your stimulus check? Are you supposed to sign it over to them? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228/6 "2008-06-17T19:46:56Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Uh… how do you prove you’re using your stimulus check? Are you supposed to sign it over to them? [/QUOTE] I always assumed that’s the idea. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonus-for-paying-with-stimulus-check/453228/7 "2008-06-17T20:48:49Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster] You may want to [read this article](http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/758593/are_you_loading_your_stimulus_money.html?cat=3) ([or this one](http://redtape.msnbc.com/2008/06/beware-of-stimu.html)) before turning your check into a gift card just to obtain a ten percent bonus. It may not be a good idea if you don’t read the fine print for the particular gift card you have in mind. [/QUOTE] Those are good cautions, but I’m not worried. I’m only planning on buying a card for something that I would use regularly and would go through quickly, like groceries, or that I could turn back into cash (like, I thought, Casino bonuses). I have the financial discipline to not overspend, and to make sure that I use the card up rapidly. The bankruptcy risk is a consideration, but is overshadowed by the “inactive account” charges. If I have to use my card in a few months to avoid it getting lost/depleted/whatever, the risk that the issuing company will go bankrupt in that time is slight.