Previously, State Farm auto insurance customers were out of luck if their semi-annual premium payment was over $500, which is the largest denomination Visa debit card available for purchase through the Gene Grawe Fund. State Farm limited a customer to only one payment method for the full amount of the premium amount due. Some GGF members have had to revert to quarterly premium payments to keep the payment amounts below the $500 debit card limit. But, if you wanted to pay every 6 months you were out of luck trying to route those premium payments through the Gene Grawe Fund to earn tuition rewards for your student or school.

Recently, we discovered that the State Farm Insurance website now allows you to split a semi-annual auto insurance premium payment in half by paying half now and the remaining half in 30-60 days at no additional cost to you in fees. By the way, their website states that State Farm has eliminated all payment fees.

This means that if your semi-annual auto insurance premium has risen above the maximum GGF Visa denomination of $500, but is still $1,000 or less, you can split the full payment into half now on one GGF Visa and the other half a month later on a different GGF Visa. Potentially, up to $500 on one Visa now and up to $500 later on a second Visa. This could add up to an additional $2,000 a year in gift card purchases to your student’s Gene Grawe Fund account!  Plus, you have the added benefit of easing the premium pain with two smaller payments a month or two apart.

It’s a win-win for you, your student, and the Gene Grawe Fund. Actually, anyone who wants to support the Gene Grawe Fund could do this. That’s mom, dad, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and so one. If you no longer have a student in the Quincy Catholic school system, then just designate one of the five schools to receive your earnings when you purchase your debit cards at the Gene Grawe Fund office. That’s money your school can use for whatever they need.

NOTE: This premium splitting may or may not apply to payments made in-person or by phone in your agent’s office. If someone discovers that you can make two payments through your local agent, please send us an email with the particulars. Also, this may or may not apply to quarterly or annual premium payments. If you have knowledge about this please email us. Same question applies about non-escrowed homeowners insurance, renters insurance, boat insurance, life insurance, business insurance, and any other State Farm insurance products. Let us know what you know and we’ll add it to this tip.