Tag Archives: redeem miles

Low Cost Redeem

New on Points.com: Redeem for Low Balance Offers!

Posted on 05. Oct, 2011 by .

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Low Cost RedeemWe are excited to announce our newest addition to the Points.com suite of products and services: Low Balance Offers. Points.com users can now redeem small amounts of points/miles for products, subscriptions and services. Redemption offers start from as low as 500 points/miles. Low Balance Offers are a great way to make the most of your small loyalty program balances.

We’ll be adding new offers all the time, but to start, you can redeem for services/ discounts/ subscriptions from these popular retailers:

•    Ancestry.com
•    GameFly
•    Halloween Express
•    LifeLock
•    New Balance
•    Norton
•    PrintRunner
•    SugarSync
•    TypePad
•    yola
•    ZoneAlarm

To learn more, visit this page.

Happy redeeming!

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On the Lookout for Sales

To Redeem or Not to Redeem – That is the Question (Final Tip #4 – Be on the Lookout for Sales)

Posted on 17. Jun, 2011 by .

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On the Lookout for Sales

Welcome to the fourth post in our redeem series!

Now that you’ve set your sights on a redemption goal, created a plan for redeeming, and done your homework, we have one last, quick tip.

Tip #4: Be on the Lookout for Sales

Before taking the redeem plunge, be sure to double-check for sales. Airlines and hotels often host “fire sales” which could make it worth buying the ticket or paying for the hotel stay rather than redeeming because of the extra-low price. Plus, you’ll be receiving the same number of points for less money! Same goes for merchandise – if you find your reward goal item on sale, it might make financial sense to take advantage of the sale and save your points or miles for another day.

Now we know if you’re reading this blog, you’re probably already a super savvy loyalty rewards member so we’d love to hear your tips and tricks on effectively redeeming your points and miles! You can post them below in the comments.

We hope you found our four-part redemption series helpful!

The Points.com Team

Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/TALUDA

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Explode your loyalty program balance

June 2011 Promo Round Up

Posted on 14. Jun, 2011 by .

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Explode your loyalty program balance

Explode your loyalty program balance

Need to boost your loyalty program balance? Check out our list of June promotions!

Full disclosure: The promotions listed below are with Points.com partners, or on our site.

Buy, Gift or Transfer:

  • ENDING SOON: Buy or gift Frontier EarlyReturns miles and get a 50% bonus! Now till 15 Jun 2011.

Earn on Points.com:

What have we missed? Add any great promotions you’ve come across in the comments below.

Happy earning!

Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/ryencx

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Research your Redemptions Options

To Redeem or Not to Redeem – That is the Question (Tip #3 – Research your Options)

Posted on 10. Jun, 2011 by .

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Research your Redemptions Options

Welcome to the third post in our series about redeeming! You can read the first two posts in this series here and here. For our third tip about redeeming we’d like to talk about researching your redemption options.

Tip # 3: Research your Options

When your balance starts approaching a reasonable size, you have a redemption goal in mind, and you’ve created a plan, it’s time to start researching your options. Loyalty programs are more flexible than ever before, and there’s often more than one way to reach your award goal if you’re willing to do a little legwork. Here are a few of our tips for looking into your redemption options:

1. Watch for promotions & consider spending some $:

Many loyalty programs offer sales on their awards on occasion, so rather than having to redeem 2,300 miles for that camera you’ve had your eye on, you might be able to get it for 1,900. Another option that is offered by programs (like AIR MILES in Canada) is Cash + Points (or miles). Several programs will now allow you to redeem a lower number of points/miles in addition to a small amount of money to get your award faster. Just be sure to go back to your planning list and take a look at your math to make sure you’re still getting good value for your points/miles.

2. Consider buying points/miles: 

Depending on how close you are to your award, topping up your account by buying the points/miles you need can sometimes make sense (full disclosure: Points.com provides this service for many loyalty programs). Buying the points or miles you need is a particularly good solution when you need your reward by a certain time. When contemplating a miles purchase, keep an eye out for promotions. Airlines and hotels sometimes offer bonuses for buying their currency, which can make topping up your account a lot more cost effective. For a selection of Buy promotions, check out our monthly promo round up series. To determine if it makes sense to buy, simply re-calculate the cost per mile based on how many miles you’ll receive through the promotion, and then compare that to the cost of your award.

3. Get creative:

On Points.com you can exchange points and miles from other programs into the program you’d like to redeem from. Exchanging can be a great option when you have points/miles spread across several programs.

As a member of Points.com, you can also trade your loyalty currency with other users to reach your redemption goal.  Have a ton of Acme Air miles but need more Airline X miles?  There may be another person out there who would be willing to trade their Airline X miles for your Acme Air miles. Making a trade can be less expensive than a buy transaction, but it’s a good idea to do the math and see if it will work for you.  For most airlines, the lowest per mile price to purchase additional miles is $0.025, while most participating airlines allow trades at the cost of only a penny per mile (plus the transaction fee).

Do you have any other suggestions on what you should consider before redeeming your points/miles? Any tips on great redemption options? We’d love to hear from you!

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Pondering Redemption

To Redeem or Not to Redeem – That is the Question (Tip #1)

Posted on 27. May, 2011 by .

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Pondering Redemption

Pondering Redemption:

Among loyalty reward junkies, there is an age old question: when’s the right time to redeem your hard-earned points and miles? Here at Points.com we’re often asked to provide advice on the best time to redeem, and although there may be no scientific answer, we do have a few tips that we’re happy to share. In fact, we have so many tips we’re going to share one every Friday for the next few weeks!

Tip #1: Choose a redemption goal

One of the first steps you should take as an active loyalty program member is to choose a redemption goal. Having a clear goal in mind will allow you to plan your redemption to ensure you get the most bang for your loyalty buck.

When choosing an award, take into consideration what you’d like to get out of it. Would you like to indulge by embarking on an unplanned trip or getting something wouldn’t normally pay for, like a gift card for a shopping spree? Or would you rather save money by redeeming for something that you would have purchased anyway, like a much-needed household appliance or a flight to visit your family?

To get started, head over to your reward program’s website and take a good look at your options. We’ve listed a few popular options below:

  • Award flights & upgrades: In a recent survey of our users, we found that almost 40% of all loyalty program members would most like to redeem their points/miles for an award flight. Seat upgrades have also become a popular reward choice for frequent flyers looking to treat themselves.
  • Free hotel stays & room upgrades: Free nights at your favorite hotel can take a big chunk out of your vacation budget.
  • Merchandise: Points and miles can sometimes be redeemed for merchandise such as cameras, vacuum cleaners or even toothbrushes!
  • Donations to your favorite charities: Many loyalty programs are now offering ways to donate your points/miles to charities. We wrote a post a few months ago about how you can donate your miles to provide relief after the Japan earthquake. Check in on your loyalty program’s site to see if this is an option for you.
  • Gift cards: Another option that’s available on Points.com is redeeming your points and miles for gift cards from retailers such as Amazon.com, Best Buy and Macy’s.
  • Services and subscriptions: Some programs will allow you to redeem your points/miles for services or subscriptions to magazines or newspapers (full disclosure – Points.com hosts some of these services). This can be a great option, especially when you redeem for something you would have purchased anyway, saving yourself money in the process.

Once you’ve chosen your award goal, it’s time to create a plan of action. Stop by next week for our next redeem tip: Creating a Plan and Crunching Some Numbers!

Have we missed any redemption options? What have you redeemed your points/miles for? Let us know by posting a comment below!

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Spring Flowers from KarlaBurnsPhotography.com

Spring Cleaning: Tips for Organizing your Loyalty Rewards

Posted on 23. Mar, 2011 by .

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Spring Flowers from KarlaBurnsPhotography.com

Image source: KarlaBurnsPhotography.com

Spring Cleaning:

With spring officially underway, it’s time to get in spring cleaning mode. As your one-stop-shop for all things loyalty rewards, we’re not talking about cleaning out closets or working in your garden. Spring is the perfect time to organize your loyalty life to ensure you’re ready to make use of your points and miles during the summer travel season.

Here are a few tips to help you get your loyalty affairs in order:

Top up – If you’re close to an award, consider topping up your account by buying the points or miles you need. Check out your loyalty program’s website for details, or visit the ‘trade, exchange and buy’ page on Points.com.

Exchange between your programs – Move your points from one of your programs into another to give yourself even more redemption options. You can exchange points and miles on Points.com.

Transfer with family and friends – Those extra miles may not be enough for you to take a trip to Europe this summer, but they could provide the extra push your friend or family member needs to reach their award goal. Many loyalty programs offer the option to transfer points and miles to others. Check your loyalty program’s website to find out if this is an option for you.

Redeem for for gift cards or PayPal credit: If you still don’t have enough miles for that dream flight, you can always redeem your miles for gift cards from retailers like Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond and Sears, or you could redeem into your PayPal account. You can use your gift cards to purchase items that will help you do some actual spring cleaning around the house.

Happy oraganzing!

The Points.com Team

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Most Popular Posts of 2010: Frugal John’s Top 5 Tips for Making the Most of your Points & Miles

Posted on 15. Mar, 2011 by .

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Frugal John:

Around Points.com, one of our colleagues, John, is known as the go-to person for questions about how to get the most out of your loyalty programs. His penchant for savings has even earned him the nickname “Frugal John”. Last year, John wrote a series of guest posts listing his top 5 tips for making the most of your miles and points.

John’s top 5 list generated some of the most popular posts we had in 2010. We’ve compiled all of John’s tips here in one place in case you missed them last year.

5 Tips for Making the Most of Your Points & Miles:

Tip #1:  Have a redemption goal in mind.

Tip #2: What goes up must come down.

Tip #3: Aim for your goal but be open to change.

Tip #4: Know the expiry rules for your programs.

Tip #5: Don’t be afraid to spend “hard” cash to maximize your point/mile balance.

What strategies do you use to get the most out of your points and miles? Do you have any additional tips to add to Frugal John’s list?

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