03-05-2015, 04:57 AM
I've never been one to get into rewards programs, like the airline mile credit cards, or frequent flyer programs. I don't travel frequently enough, and it's not worth the effort to me to track, and keep up with the expiration dates and dwindling benefits each time an airline merges or goes bankrupt.
Yet, the two cards I do carry have auto-enrolled general rewards programs, and I find myself with a fair number of points that have accumulated over time.
Since they're essentially worthless if not spent, the question is, how to spend them?
Amongst the various ways to cash out, some are noticeably poorer "value" than others, like payment credits, ordering mechandise directly, or using them to pay for purchases at retailers like Amazon. The better values seem to involve travel (see above), or exchanging them for gift cards. From what I've read, the $0.01/point redemption value seems to be benchmark average.
For those who do partake in this kind of stuff, is that the consensus?
It's all gravy to me, but extracting the most value is still desirable.
Yet, the two cards I do carry have auto-enrolled general rewards programs, and I find myself with a fair number of points that have accumulated over time.
Since they're essentially worthless if not spent, the question is, how to spend them?
Amongst the various ways to cash out, some are noticeably poorer "value" than others, like payment credits, ordering mechandise directly, or using them to pay for purchases at retailers like Amazon. The better values seem to involve travel (see above), or exchanging them for gift cards. From what I've read, the $0.01/point redemption value seems to be benchmark average.
For those who do partake in this kind of stuff, is that the consensus?
It's all gravy to me, but extracting the most value is still desirable.