Companies that give out points when you use their services

chrisinhouston · 01-28-2009, 07:34 AM

It seems like lots of companies are giving away points for something if you use there services. My wife and I fly Continental almost always (Houston is the main hub airport) and we are in their frequent flyer club. I'm Gold (50,000 miles) and she is Platnum (75,000) Elite and it gets you perks like free upgrades or you can trade in miles for tickets. I have over 300,000 and hope to take a first class trip to Asia or Australia some day.

American Express gives out points and for one card I have I get them transfered to Continental FF miles. On my other account I traded them in for Home Depot gift cards and just got 2 at $550.

My grocery store chain (Safeway) gives points that I also transfer to my Continental FF account.

My bank (Wachovia) gives out points but I haven't found anything yet to get with them that I really want yet but I have 30,000 or so.

I use OpenTable.com to make dining reservations and you get between 100-1000 points by just using them and fulfilling your reservation; they give you a $20 dining check for every 2000 points you earn.

Does anyone else do this kind of thing? Any good ones out there that we need to know about.

sweetwater · 01-28-2009, 07:47 AM

I used points from American Express Blue to get Christmas gifts this year, and I use an Amazon Visa because I get $25 gift certificates and I can always find something at Amazon. Spouse gets most of the air miles, but he gets enough (130K in '08) that I'm flying to Paris, France later this year for only $75.

xoxoxoBruce · 01-28-2009, 08:03 AM

Chris, I assume your airline tickets are paid for by your employer. I'm surprised they haven't snatched those points.

sweetwater · 01-28-2009, 08:09 AM

My husband's tickets are reimbursed by his employer but we keep the points. Previous job did not do it that way, though. We like this better and count it as compensation.

xoxoxoBruce · 01-28-2009, 08:13 AM

I guess if they let you book the tickets and reimburse you, it's harder to snatch away the points, than if they bought the tickets up front.

chrisinhouston · 01-28-2009, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Chris, I assume your airline tickets are paid for by your employer. I'm surprised they haven't snatched those points.

No, I was self employed for 25 years so the points are mine and now I just travel for fun with my wife who has a real job. My wife works for a company and and has to travel all the time but they are not a huge one with a travel arrangements department so she books her own tickets on her company CC but is allowed to keep the points, sort of a perk I guess.

She did find out that her company AMEX card was not set up for the company to get the points so she cashed in her share and got a TomTom GPS. I think that was when the boss noticed that and changed the policy. Now they use the accrued company points to give out bonuses to employee of the month or get things for the office.

wolf · 01-28-2009, 10:02 AM

I get the amazon.com gift certificates with a fair degree of regularity.

That's really the only one.

monster · 01-28-2009, 11:55 AM

We were saving up points with the credit card that could be used on loads of things.... but in the end we cashed them in to make up for the missing paycheck when unpaid vacation was forced upon us.

wolf · 01-28-2009, 12:16 PM

I may have had one other card that had some kind of rewards points strategy, but the amount you had to spend on the card was so insanely high that if I wanted a benefit other than a six month subscription to a magazine I wouldn't read even if it were free, I would have to charge something like $25K in the space of a year.

I'm good a spending money, but not that good. I buy a lot of little stupid shit. Individual purchases under $50 usually. I'm not a good consumer. The fault for the death of the American economy lies at my feet. I will accept the responsibility. But not the blame.

Clodfobble · 01-28-2009, 02:14 PM

We get "cash back" on one credit card, about 1-2% a year I think, and a grocery-store specific card that gets me a $20 giftcard about every two months. Both are nice little perks, but nothing to write home about.

footfootfoot · 01-28-2009, 02:40 PM

I wish I had thought about this sort of thing before I spent $50k on renovations last couple of years...

Aliantha · 01-28-2009, 07:10 PM

We get points on our credit card which is great considering how our mortgage is set up.

It's almost like getting something for nothing because we never pay interest on our CC.

chrisinhouston · 01-28-2009, 07:25 PM

Keep saving those points folks, they get added up and used at some point!

BrianR · 01-29-2009, 12:03 AM

I have six that I use with varying degrees of frequency.

All are fuel club cards, which doesn't help anyone here but me. I generally buy something like 2000 gallons of diesel per month. I get points on my cards that can be redeemed for anything from a free shower to fast food to restaurant coupons to gift certificates or discounts on merchandise. Mostly I let em expire as I rarely buy the junk they sell anyway. But showers are valuable. If I have one that I'm not going to use I've been known to give it away but that's about it.

DucksNuts · 01-29-2009, 02:39 AM

My Citibank BP(Fuel) Mastercard is great, I got 10% off fuel and 5% off other purchases (for the last 3 months), which were credited back at the end of the month...now I get 5% off fuel and 2.9% off other purchases.

My other Visa points are used heaps, I get fuel vouchers, store vouchers and when they have specials on...I was purchasing things like ice cream makers and selling them on ebay

01-28-2009, 07:34 AM	#1
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	Companies that give out points when you use their services It seems like lots of companies are giving away points for something if you use there services. My wife and I fly Continental almost always (Houston is the main hub airport) and we are in their frequent flyer club. I'm Gold (50,000 miles) and she is Platnum (75,000) Elite and it gets you perks like free upgrades or you can trade in miles for tickets. I have over 300,000 and hope to take a first class trip to Asia or Australia some day. American Express gives out points and for one card I have I get them transfered to Continental FF miles. On my other account I traded them in for Home Depot gift cards and just got 2 at $550. My grocery store chain (Safeway) gives points that I also transfer to my Continental FF account. My bank (Wachovia) gives out points but I haven't found anything yet to get with them that I really want yet but I have 30,000 or so. I use OpenTable.com to make dining reservations and you get between 100-1000 points by just using them and fulfilling your reservation; they give you a $20 dining check for every 2000 points you earn. Does anyone else do this kind of thing? Any good ones out there that we need to know about.

01-28-2009, 07:47 AM	#2
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	I used points from American Express Blue to get Christmas gifts this year, and I use an Amazon Visa because I get $25 gift certificates and I can always find something at Amazon. Spouse gets most of the air miles, but he gets enough (130K in '08) that I'm flying to Paris, France later this year for only $75. __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

01-28-2009, 08:03 AM	#3
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Chris, I assume your airline tickets are paid for by your employer. I'm surprised they haven't snatched those points. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

01-28-2009, 08:09 AM	#4
sweetwater lives inside a Mobius strip Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,120	My husband's tickets are reimbursed by his employer but we keep the points. Previous job did not do it that way, though. We like this better and count it as compensation. __________________ I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque! - Bugs Bunny

01-28-2009, 08:13 AM	#5
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I guess if they let you book the tickets and reimburse you, it's harder to snatch away the points, than if they bought the tickets up front. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

01-28-2009, 10:02 AM	#7
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I get the amazon.com gift certificates with a fair degree of regularity. That's really the only one. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-28-2009, 11:55 AM	#8
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	We were saving up points with the credit card that could be used on loads of things.... but in the end we cashed them in to make up for the missing paycheck when unpaid vacation was forced upon us. __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

01-28-2009, 12:16 PM	#9
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I may have had one other card that had some kind of rewards points strategy, but the amount you had to spend on the card was so insanely high that if I wanted a benefit other than a six month subscription to a magazine I wouldn't read even if it were free, I would have to charge something like $25K in the space of a year. I'm good a spending money, but not that good. I buy a lot of little stupid shit. Individual purchases under $50 usually. I'm not a good consumer. The fault for the death of the American economy lies at my feet. I will accept the responsibility. But not the blame. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-28-2009, 02:14 PM	#10
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	We get "cash back" on one credit card, about 1-2% a year I think, and a grocery-store specific card that gets me a $20 giftcard about every two months. Both are nice little perks, but nothing to write home about. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

01-28-2009, 02:40 PM	#11
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	I wish I had thought about this sort of thing before I spent $50k on renovations last couple of years... __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

01-28-2009, 07:10 PM	#12
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	We get points on our credit card which is great considering how our mortgage is set up. It's almost like getting something for nothing because we never pay interest on our CC. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

01-28-2009, 07:25 PM	#13
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	Keep saving those points folks, they get added up and used at some point!

01-29-2009, 12:03 AM	#14
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	I have six that I use with varying degrees of frequency. All are fuel club cards, which doesn't help anyone here but me. I generally buy something like 2000 gallons of diesel per month. I get points on my cards that can be redeemed for anything from a free shower to fast food to restaurant coupons to gift certificates or discounts on merchandise. Mostly I let em expire as I rarely buy the junk they sell anyway. But showers are valuable. If I have one that I'm not going to use I've been known to give it away but that's about it. __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

01-29-2009, 02:39 AM	#15
DucksNuts Bitchy Little Brat Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 5,067	My Citibank BP(Fuel) Mastercard is great, I got 10% off fuel and 5% off other purchases (for the last 3 months), which were credited back at the end of the month...now I get 5% off fuel and 2.9% off other purchases. My other Visa points are used heaps, I get fuel vouchers, store vouchers and when they have specials on...I was purchasing things like ice cream makers and selling them on ebay

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