Not too recently. And that was at Synchrony, not at Barclays or at Chase. The Synchrony matter was long enough ago to where it has now gone away thanks to a more recent statement closing. I’m pretty sure it was not a factor here. Also, I have not disputed anything at all.
Argyll, I appreciate your post. And of course that is exactly what I do each month. Can you provide a source for your post? It’s not clear to me why what I’m doing would be suggestive of “something questionable”, or what that something might be.
shinobi, now I understand why I haven’t heard anything lately about CD’s or Savings rates from you. You are understandably working very hard to maintain these CC accounts. Sounds like your money making CC’s on hitting a “stand still”. It’s probably just a glitch, that you will work out soon. 
But my interest is in your returning to CD management. I have lot’s of $$'s sitting in Grow 2.75%. That’s ok for now, but in a couple months, several old CD accounts will mature. Opps! What to do then?
Hi, pattyb53. Good to see your post. I was concerned.
I’m still as much into CDs as ever. If I see a good deal I jump on it and post about it if I’m able. Thing is:
I’ve not seen any great deals for quite a long while. And Ken’s place . . well . . . it’s akin to a morgue over there! Dead!
I make a lot more, per dollar invested, with my CC pursuits than I do with CDs. Course that is only true when the CC issuers are not shutting me down. Looks as if my future will hold more CDs and fewer CC deals. Sad.
Trust me, if I start to spy good CD deals I will post 'em. But, again, lately no luck whatsoever.
@shinobi I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past (and still do), But I truly wish only the best for you as far as your manufactured spending (or whatever it is) goes. I hate hearing about people getting shut down that have figured out a loophole. Sadly, it’s part of the game and part of what has kept me from doing anything questionable with my accounts. But the upside has always left me curious as well. When this crazy ride eventually ends for you (I hope it doesn’t), I am interested to hear about what you were doing that got you shut down. Shut down stories are some of the most important things people can share to help everyone in the future. Here’s hoping you get your bonus from Discover.
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Having a senior moment and am unable to recall those disagreements. I do appreciate your very kind post. Thanks.
I might be able to shed a ray or two of light. While I never have revealed exactly what I’m doing, there were clues along the way for persons interested. Perhaps the largest single clue came in my “Singapore rules” thread last August. Here is a link to that thread on chance you might have forgotten:
I am pretty sure my recent downfall is related to considerations/restrictions outlined in detail there, some of which might now be operative here in the USA, even if only quietly or informally so far.
Straight up those Singapore rules, were they in place here, would be the death knell for my little side hustle. It could be only my rich imagination, or maybe I’m just short sleep, but I do think I’m hearing a bell tolling way off in the distance.
Finally I want to add, for any genuine MSers (I am a phony - I am not doing conventional MSing) who might be reading this, by no means is it my thought those Singapore rules, brought here, would impact you guys. Period
Q: Shin, are you saying that even were the Singapore rules to hit the USA that conventional MSers would be fine?
Not saying that. I’m saying I do not know what impact there would be, if any, because I do not do conventional MSing and I have not studied the matter at all. I only know for certain those rules would be the absolute end for me. That is all.
Wow!! I read that “Singapore rules” list. You may be a “big time player”, but even little ole me, might be caught up. I only use my Citi Double Cash card. But, I charge everything, & some months I get a pretty nice $$ cash back check. Many of the bills I pay each month might be considered on that list, such as. Insurance bills, large chemical bills for farming, etc.
Just very interesting!! 
Your Citi DoubleCash card is a good rewards card. I have the same card . . . or at least I still did when I checked earlier today.
Most rewards cards specifically deny rewards for purchases which are cash equivalents or which readily can be converted to cash. Those latter, of course, are the lifeblood of any form of MS (manufactured spending).
The difficulty, for CC issuers, comes in attempting to identify which charges to your card might fall into forbidden territory. Specifically, when the issuers seek to use MCCs (merchant category codes) to accomplish such identification, trouble can easily ensue. This is because some MCCs can apply to both allowed and forbidden purchases. And this validates your point, pattyb53. To wit:
While your purchases are legit, they easily might carry MCCs which apply as well to disallowed items.
This leaves the CC issuers in a dilemma. Do they pay rewards on whatever MCC, despite knowing they might be paying on a cash equivalent? Or do they disallow all purchases carrying whatever MCC, knowing they might be denying rewards for purchases which are legit and should be rewarded?
The Singapore rules suggest a possible trend toward the latter approach. When I was denied rewards by NFCU (see up thread) I’m virtually certain it was based on their proprietary use of MCCs, a more stringent approach than other CC issuers back at that time. For you see:
There is absolutely nothing I can do to control the MCC that is assigned to my “purchases”. It’s completely outside my control. And, yes, the MCC for my “purchases” is on that Singapore list. So to the extent that list might be taken up and adopted by CC issuers here, I am instantaneously a dead duck. And there would be nothing whatsoever I could do about it.
Yup, I can’t control the amount of rewards on my purchases, nor the APR, annual fees, or required payments. Geeze, what a world!
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Argyll, I respectfully disagree. Actually you can control the items you mentioned. They all are properties of the CC you choose to make the purchase. Choose a different card and they all can change.
But its MCC is a property of whatever it is one is purchasing. And that MCC is assigned by the CC industry and is therefore outside the control of the purchaser/cardholder. Choose a different card to buy whatever, it will still nevertheless carry the same MCC.
And if that MCC happens to appear on a list of MCCs for which no rewards are paid, then you get no reward . . . regardless the CC you use to make the purchase.
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Argyll you have incorrectly interpreted what I wrote earlier. I said I have no control over MCC assignment. I never said I thought I should have such control. Nor would I ever think such a thing.
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It seemed like you were lamenting not controlling MCCs.
One might as well post: “I have no control over the weather.”
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My guess is you are a stamp reseller! Or maybe you’ve got a bail bond hustle. lol j/k
For your sake, I hope I don’t hear what you are actually doing anytime soon.
No- it’s a property of where you are buying it from, not what you are buying. I buy take-out chicken, tires, a new pair of jeans, a freezer, a visa gift card, and fill my prescription at my local Walmart, and the transactions are all merely “grocery store” purchases on my credit card.
Each card issuer has full discretion over the MCCs that qualify for rewards and bonus rewards from their reward program. That “list” is proprietary to each issuer, so it is affected by the credit card you use. And the list can drill deeper so that individual merchant qualify for different reward tiers, despite having the same MCC.
Well I can only say that, regardless what card I use, or where I go “shopping”, the thing I am “buying” always has the same MCC.
And that same MCC appears on the Singapore list. Sadly. 
Step 1: He’s found a truck stop parking lot near a race track / casino.
Step 2: …
Step 3: Profit!
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Ho boy, here we go. And I have Experian to thank for giving me the heads up:
Experian is now showing the three account closures and an (unrelated) credit line halving at AMEX. The closures indicate accounts were closed by grantor but do not state a reason. Date on this stuff is June sixth, despite it all having gone down two weeks ago.
Thng is, my other credit grantors now (finally) have this information, which is concerning. I have shut down my side hustle completely since being nailed by Chase and Barclays. But May was already a decent month for me, with lots of very large charges prior to the closures. God knows the rewards are rolling in right now, likely for the last time at least with this much money.
Experian is telling me my credit score is as high as ever, so no worries if examination by my remaining credit grantors is merely cursory. But no way can I withstand even a rudimentary “anal exam” of my charges by a human being well trained in the art of detection.
Discover remains my principal concern, with significant dough on the line. I have been padding out my Discover card with as many legitimate charges as I’m able to muster, pushing last month’s hustle activity further down in the stack. But really all I can do is hope for the best and be well prepared for additional account closures.
It was a great money maker while it lasted, but trees do not grow to the sky. If I’m lucky and come through without additional damage, holding on to my cards, I will resume hustle activity in a month or two on a FAR, FAR smaller scale.
For anyone interested, I received “the letter” from both Chase and from Barclays. Chase said:
After careful consideration, we closed your credit card account on XXXXXXX because of rewards misuse on your account.
In addition, Chase provided that same message to me in Spanish, just in case i guess. 
Mr. Barclay put it differently:
We have recently conducted a review of our accounts. Following this review, we regret to advise you that we are unable to maintain an account with you for the following reason:
Your history of account usage
A consumer credit-reporting agency was not used in making this determination.
So there you have it. I was a bad boy and they got me. I just hope nobody else does, now that word finally is getting out.
ETA
BTW, to Chase’s everlasting credit they paid me every dime of my rewards, even following closure of my account. So kudos to Chase. At Barclays the rewards were all cashed in before they shut me down, so no losses there, either.
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shinobi, I don’t what kind of racket you have (had) going but it’s Very Interesting to hear about. At least you admit it!!!
My Citi Double Cash card is ready to pay out if I’m ready $499 cash check. I always wait for $500+ to get a payout. My CDC card is all I have going, but I love getting that free money. 
All cashback is forfeited with Citi, if the account is closed for any reason. There is zero benefit to letting it accumulate beyond what’s required, all it adds is risk. Redeem early, redeem often.
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I can’t imagine any reason my account would be closed. I’ve been around for a goodly amount of years & never had an account closed without my wishing to close the account. But thanks for the thought.