Also see: 

• It Lives! 3X ThankYou Points on Plastiq Payments With Citi AT&T Access More Card

Thanks to readers Frank, Amar, and Ken for sharing experiences with their Citi AT&T Access More cards only earning 1X points for mortgage payments via Plastiq this month.

My statement just closed, too. And I can confirm: I only got 1X for last month’s mortgage payment. 😿

As of now, you can only use MasterCard cards to make mortgage payments through Plastiq. But you can still use any credit card to make rent or HOA payments.

So are there any good options left for paying mortgages through Plastiq? Or is it just… dead? 

What could be worth it for Plastiq mortgage payments?

Losing this one stings. This was basically the last way to earn rewards for paying your mortgage with a credit card. The 3X was sweet because Plastiq’s fee is 2.5%. So getting 3X back meant you still came out ever-so-slightly ahead.

At 1X, it’s not a wash any more, but a losing proposition. Unless you have big award plans for the points you earn. Or you’re close to having enough points and decide to make the payment to secure the award. In either case, it could still be worth it.

I took a look and which MasterCard cards might be worthwhile. Here’s what I came up with.

1. Citi retention offers

Citi mainly issues MasterCards across their offerings. That includes ThankYou and American Airlines co-branded cards. (Barclaycard also issues MasterCards for their Arrival Plus and American Airlines cards.)

At 1X, Citi cards aren’t a good option. But they can be if you get a retention offer for bonus points or statement credits.

I rang up ol’ Citi and asked them to check each of my cards (I have 6 currently). Here’s what I got:

American Airlines card:

• $95 credit after spending $1,000 in 3 months
• 7,500 miles after spending $1,000 in 3 months (picked this one)
• $50 credit after spending $50 in 1 month

For a $1,000 Plastiq payment, I’ll pay a $25 fee. But I’ll earn 7,500 American miles, which I value at $150 (2 cents each). Making a Plastiq payment is a no-brainer to trigger this bonus.

Prestige:

• $50 credit for each of the next 7 billing cycles after spending $1,500 during each cycle (picked this one)
• $200 credit after spending $4,000 in 3 months
• 5,000 Citi ThankYou points after spending $3,000 in 6 months

Interesting. Seven $50 statement credits add up to $350. Seven $1,500 Plastiq payments add up to ~$263 in fees. I still come out ahead by ~$88, plus I’ll earn ~11,000 Citi ThankYou points for the spending at the 1X rate. Not great but better than a sharp stick in the eye.

The second option would cost $100 to send $4,000 of payments through Plastiq – I’d come out ahead by $100, plus earn 4,000 Citi ThankYou points. Best option for less spend.

The third option would cost $75 to send $3,000 of payments through Plastiq. And I value 5,000 Citi ThankYou points for around $100. So, no to this one.

All in all, I’ll come out ahead. So I’ll use my Prestige card for the next 7 months – which will be 7 months I don’t have to worry about what I’ll use for mortgage payments. Anything can happen in the next 7 months. So this is enough to hold me over with Plastiq for a pretty good while. I’m pretty please with the offer – call Citi and see what they have for you.

2. Get a new MasterCard and earn a sign-up bonus

• Link: Find a travel rewards card (filter by issuer for MasterCard)

Hey, earn a sign-up bonus. Some MasterCards with nice bonuses include:

• Barclaycard Arrival Plus – 40,000 Arrival miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days (worth $420 in travel)
• Citi ThankYou Premier – 50,000 Citi ThankYou points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening (can not get this if you’ve opened or closed another Citi ThankYou card in the last 24 months)
• Citi American Airlines Platinum – 50,000 American Airlines miles after making $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening

Depending on how much your mortgage payment is, you can make a few months of payments and just eat the 2.5% Plastiq fee. But you’ll earn a bonus worth – at a minimum – $400. And potentially much more, depending how you redeem them.

It’s not a permanent solution, but a stop-gap until something better comes along. Fingers crossed something will!

3. Use a 2% cashback card and eat the other .5% of the fee

• Citi Double Cash
• Barclaycard Arrival Plus
• Capital One Venture (if you still have the MasterCard version – currently issued as a Visa)

Bottom line

• Link: Sign up for Plastiq
• Link: Find a travel rewards card (filter by issuer for MasterCard)

Welp, another option is gone. As of this month, Citi AT&T Access More cards – the last good option for making mortgage payments through Plastiq stopped earning 3X points (now it’s just 1X). Bummer, man.

I found solace by calling Citi and asking for retention offers. Just call the number on the back of your card. I’ll use my Citi Prestige card for mortgage payments for the next 7 months. When I spend $1,500 for the next 7 months, I’ll get a $50 credit each month – and 1X points on the spending. And will net ~$88 and ~11,000 Citi ThankYou points.

And finally, get a new MasterCard and earn a nice sign-up bonus.

None of these are long-term solutions. But they’ll ease the sting a little. And hopefully, something else comes along. Good deals come and go. Still, I’m sad to see this one gone. Hoping another one will pop up soon.

If you’ve been making mortgage payments through Plastiq, what’s your backup plan? 

* If you liked this post, consider signing up to receive free blog posts in an RSS reader and you’ll never miss an update!