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🏝️ Save Big With Points On Amazon Prime Day, Earn Points For Eating Out, and More!

🏝️ Save Big With Points On Amazon Prime Day, Earn Points For Eating Out, and More!

Discover the latest news in the world of points.

PointsParadise
October 06, 2023

👋 Welcome Back!

If you’re new to Points Paradise, welcome to the community! Otherwise: welcome back to your go-to source for points updates. Our community is up to 10,400 subscribers now!

Like many of you, I get super excited about stacking points and the thought of using these points for trips.

And since I recently moved, I have some necessary purchases I need to make so I want to be strategic in maximizing these points.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are coming up, from Oct 10-11th.

The Points Paradise family scored big last Prime Day, as we found 5+ promos that earned points & got discounts using points.

This time, there’s more opportunity as well and I plan on taking advantage of it all! Check for the Amazon story below, but on Monday I’m going to send out even more promos through PointsPal (signup link here, it’s free).

Typically the best points/card savings deals come out right before the event, so stay tuned for that!

🗞️ News From This Week

Earn 8x More Points Through The New “Eat Around Town” Promotion By Marriot Here’s How.

Marriot Bonvoy points just became easier to get through this brand new promotion.

The Details: Until October 31st, earn 8 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar at over 18,000 Eat Around Town restaurants when dining in or ordering takeout with a linked card.

I love gathering Marriot points, as their “Stay For 5, Pay For 4” system lets you get the 5th night free when you book 5 nights in a row. It’s been my preferred hotel chain for years now.

So when I saw this promo for more points, just by eating out, I immediately enrolled!

Using this tool, you’ll be able to see which restaurants qualify near you. Check it out here.

👉 Pro Tip: Remember to actually enroll & link your card if you want to use this! Marriot won’t give you the points unless you do.

Amazon Just Launched a Ton of Points Promos For Prime Day, Oct 10-11th.

If you’re looking to shop, here’s your chance to earn on your points.

Just like last Prime Day, Amazon and the major card companies have launched a number of amazing promos (there might be more than the spring Prime Day even!)

Here’s a list of the ones I’ve found that are the most useful:

Amazon Get $20 Off $20.01 with Discover Card: Amazon is offering a targeted promotion where you can get $20 off a purchase of $20.01 or more when you add your Discover card as the default payment method.
Amazon Get 30% Off $150+ with 1 Discover Point: Amazon is offering a discount of 30% off up to $15 on purchases of $150 or more when using at least 1 Discover Cashback Bonus point at checkout.
Get $15 Off on Amazon with Citi Card and Promo Code: Add a Citi card to your Amazon account and use promo code CITI15OFF to get $15 off on an order of at least $15.01 until the offer is available.
Get Up to 40% Off on Amazon with Membership Rewards Points: Use at least 1 Membership Rewards point at checkout to get up to $60 in discounts on Amazon until the offer is available.

👉 Pro Tip: If you register a card for a promo and it says you’re not eligible, make sure to link the rest of your cards. Amex/Chase/Discover etc give different promos for different holders/cards. That means that while one card might not have an active promo on it, another card of yours could save you big.

🏖️ Resource Roundup

A quick roundup of the top offers, deals, and more that you should know:

Get 500 Bonus Points Per Night at New Hyatt Hotels: Earn 500 bonus points per night for staying at new Hyatt hotels within the first few months after opening.
Flying Blue Promo Rewards: Discounted Award Flights: Flying Blue offers up to 50% off award flights on select Air France and KLM routes from October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, if booked by October 31, 2023.
United Spend $150+ & Get 500 Bonus Miles on United Shopping Portal: Earn 500 bonus MileagePlus miles with United Shopping Portal on $150+ spend from Oct 3-9, 2023. Excludes returns, cancellations, and certain non-eligible purchases.
AmEx $25 Rebate On Restaurant Spend For All Cardmembers: Amex cardmembers can register for a $25 credit on $75 spend at participating Resy restaurants by Dec 8, 2023, during Member Week. Can be earned twice.
Radisson Rewards Buy Points Up To 50% Bonus: Radisson Rewards members can buy points with up to a 50% bonus until October 10, 2023.
Get $300 Back on Holland America Cruises with Amex Offer: Spend $1,000 or more on Holland America cruises and get $300 back with a targeted Amex Offer valid until December 31, 2023.
Get 20k Amex Points After Spending $1k With Air France or KLM: Spend $1,000 or more with Air France or KLM and get 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards points by December 1, 2023.
Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic 30% Conversion Bonus: Chase Ultimate Rewards members can receive a 30% bonus when transferring points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club between October 1 and November 15, 2023.
JetBlue: 20% Off Select Award Routes: JetBlue is offering a 20% discount on selected award routes departing from Boston, MA, Buffalo, NY, Burlington, VT, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, and Newark, NJ.
Citi Sears Targeted Spending Offers: Citi Sears is offering targeted spending bonuses, including 10% back in statement credits on eligible gas station, grocery store, and restaurant purchases of $100 or more.

🗺️ Pro Tip of the Week

Protect Your Rewards from Devaluation: Keep Points in Flexible Programs

A high-flying rewards strategy can quickly hit turbulence if you're not careful with how you manage your points.

One common pitfall? Transferring points to airline programs without an immediate redemption plan, exposing you to the risk of point devaluation.

The One-Way Street of Point Transfers

Programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards allow you to transfer points to various airline and hotel partners, often at a 1:1 ratio. However, it's crucial to remember that this transfer is typically a one-way street.

For instance, you can move Chase points to United MileagePlus miles but you can't do the reverse. Why does this matter? If United decides to devalue its points — say, raising the number of miles needed for a free flight — your points are stuck in a depreciating asset.

The Risk of Devaluation

Airlines frequently update their rewards programs, usually not in the consumer's favor. A round-trip domestic flight that once cost 25,000 miles might now set you back 30,000 miles, reducing the value of your saved miles by 20% overnight.

The Strategy: Keep Points Flexible

To shield your hard-earned points from devaluation:

Don't Transfer Without a Plan: Only move points to airline or hotel programs when you have a specific redemption in mind.
Stay Updated: Regularly check the terms of your airline's reward program for any announced devaluations so you can redeem before the changes.
Keep Points in Original Program: Whenever possible, store your points in the flexible program until you’re ready to redeem.

✈️ Reward Reminder of the Week

The Trick To Top Tier Rewards Cards: One Easy Way To Improve Your Credit

Last week, one of my colleagues at work brought up during lunch that he was shocked that his credit score was just average.

He went to buy a car and during the credit pull, learned his score was 680, which he expected to be in the 720+.

He asked me how his credit score could be that low, and after some questions I realized he didn’t have any debt, which is typically a signal that companies use by monitoring payment histories.

While the new car payments will help his credit score go up over time, he was looking other ways to improve it faster. I gave him the following advice that anyone could use:

Increasing Your Credit Score By Lowering Your Credit Utilization

Your credit utilization, which represents the proportion of your available credit that you're currently using, plays a crucial role in shaping your credit scores.

A lower utilization rate is generally more favorable for your credit scores, as a high rate may signal to lenders that you might struggle with timely bill payments.

Here’s some steps worth taking:

Determine your current credit utilization.

This is your available limit on your cards.

To find your credit utilization rate, divide your monthly statement balance by your credit limit and multiply by 100.

For example, spending $1,000 on a $5,000 limit gives a 20% rate. For multiple cards, combine all balances and divide by the total credit limit.

Ask for a Credit Limit Increase

Requesting a credit limit increase is generally a straightforward process, but there are some key considerations to keep in mind:

Timing: Wait 6-12 months of reliable payments before requesting an increase.
Check Financials: Know your income, credit score, and employment status for the review.
Be Prepared: Have a valid reason for your request, such as a salary increase or better offers from competitors.
Make the Call: Contact customer service to apply; some providers also offer online options.
Review Terms: If approved, check for changes in terms or interest rates.
Moderation: A higher limit isn't a spending invitation; aim to lower credit utilization.

Bottom Line: Increasing your credit limit on your cards is an easy way to improve your credit score over time. Just don’t overspend to match it!

🌎 Community Corner

Hi! I’m a college student and tried getting a Chase Sapphire Reserve but was denied.

I think it was due to my credit being low? I’ve read that secured cards are what I should apply for next. Any recommendations on ones with the best rewards?

- Question from a subscriber

My Answer:

Good question! Secured cards are indeed the best choice for you.

They’re a great way for people with no credit history or low credit to build their credit score up, and get into better rewards cards.

The Discover It Secured Card is my top choice for this, as it gives great rewards including 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, and 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases.

Plus: Discover typically graduates their secured cards in under a year with proper use.

This means you get an unsecured card with better rewards automatically!

For two other choices, I’d recommend:

US Bank Cash+ Secured Visa: 5% back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter in two categories you choose.
Capital One Secured Mastercard: Low initial security deposit options and free CreditWise VantageScore 3.0 credit monitoring.

Before committing to a secured card, check for pre-approval links from Discover and Capital One for unsecured cards, or consider options like Chase's Freedom Rise card or starter cards from your own bank.

Bottom Line: Pick a secured card with the best rewards that fit you, knowing that in 1-2 years you’ll want to upgrade to a unsecured card with better rewards.