> One example was the mint at one point was selling some coin online with free shipping, after receiving the coins you'd just deposit them into your account for zero loss. It looked like a normal purchase to the CC so you got the full points for it.
Presumably the mint was eating the credit card fees on this, so effectively it was a transfer of money from the government to the churner, with the credit card company keeping some amount on the way.
The mint actually wanted to get rid of the dollar coins that they were accumulating storage fees on. Congress decided to make the mint mint way too many dollar coins (and prohibited it from advertising) and nobody wanted them. Once people ordered and deposited them they'd make their way to the Federal Reserve and were no longer the mint's problem.
So yes, a transfer of money from the government to the purchaser, but with a lot more steps.
Don't forget the free shipping. The USPS probably got paid by the mint.
Presumably the mint was eating the credit card fees on this, so effectively it was a transfer of money from the government to the churner, with the credit card company keeping some amount on the way.