revisiting old posts, updates: plastiq, wings, scotiabank amex gold

just wanted to quickly post to update on a few of my previous posts:

1. paying taxes with your credit card via plastiq.com. i did this back in april, and everything went through. as you may recall, they charge an additional 2% surcharge to make up for the fees. however, after doing the math, since i'd be given a cash rebate of 2% on the purchase price and the additional surcharge, i ended up saving $0.42 on my taxes. i was a bit worried when my notice of assessment revealed a balance still owing, so i registered for a canada revenue agency (CRA) account to investigate. as it turns out, my taxes were paid to the CRA on the same date as i paid them. i have no balance owing. and it turned out to be regular purchase as opposed to a cash advance. so plastiq.com works as advertised. i'll use it again next time.
2. buying products and getting them free using a mail-in-rebate. this time, it was for the quantum dish soap. i bought the product for around $6. and they rebated both the taxes and the postage. received the check $7.32 today. 
3. i did not end up doing the yyj-yvr-sea-yvr run for "aeroplan's earn your wings" contest. at 3.23c/mile and a full day's worth of travel, it didn't seem to be worthwhile to me. plus, as mentioned in previous posts, if you can't actually redeem the mile itself because of lack of seats, then the actual value of the mile approaches zero.
4. applying for and using the scotiabank american express gold card. as per my previous post, i did indeed keep using my 2% MBNA cash back card for most of my everyday purchases. for gas, grocery, dining, and entertainment, i signed up for the scotia bank card for 4% travel rewards. the card works like a charm and indeed rewards me for what i should be rewarded for. no troubles there. however, the application process was frustrating and repetitive.

• they wanted proof of income, so i had to fax in my pay stub. i've had that happen before, so that's fine
• they wanted proof of my identity, so i had to go into the branch to meet with a banking representative (not just an ordinary teller) so that i could sign some forms. i had to go in during specific work hours for this. they also wanted me to provide proof of address and employment, and so they suggested that i bring my pay stub in again. i take that as evidence that their departments don't talk to one another, which is never a good sign.
• they wouldn't let me have online access to my account initially as i was not a scotia customer. however, when i came back at a later time to submit a voided check for pre-authorized debit, without batting an eye, the teller simply created a customer card and login for me. so for now i'm a happy customer.