No credit card required
Browse credit cards from a variety of issuers to see if there's a better card for you.
@CreditScholar wrote:Sure, go through the UR portal with a Marriott card. The card gives you 5 points per dollar, and the portal another 2. So you'll get 5 Marriott points + 2 UR points per dollar spent.
The other way is to purchase gift cards when they have the yearly specials. Last year they were giving an extra 10 points per dollar spent buying the gift cards. So you'd be getting 15 points per dollar (5 for the marriott card + 10 bonus).
Both scenarios will then let you earn points during the actual hotel stays too (10 base plus elite bonuses).
Oops, my turn to misread. I'm assuming you use a rotating 5 point/dollar category card plus UR?
no yearly specials, and don't have a mariott card =)
FINALLY caught up to the 6th page of this thread...LOL.
Question...How do you guys calculate these 2.34 per 1 dollar spent?? LOL As far as I knew, there was just 2x the points, 3x the points, etc....lol. And what is "cpp" and "cpm" etc. I've been obsessing over rewards lately. Trying to figure out how to maximize the rewards...I 'light weight' feel like i'm doing some EXTREME COUPONING....haha.
Could someone pls elaborate...lol.
ohhh! thats right! There's so many features of all these rewards cards that I COMPLETELY forgot about that 7% dividend. lol
ryanbush wrote:
I know there has been a lot of debate on here lately regarding UR vs MR point values, I will always back up the MR program not necessairly that it is more valuable than UR but the fact that either way it is still very valuable.
So I thought I would share an experience redeeming UR points today, I was looking at booking a round trip ticket from AR to NC in April to visit of my good friends (my best man in fact) that is in the Marines.
The cost of the ticket from united.com was 680$, I was able to book it for 25k miles on a saver award. this is a value of 2.7 cents per point. This means that on Dining and Travel I have been earning the equilivent of 5.4% back on my CSP. This is better than any straight cash back card including the Discover IT with the rotating 5% category and all most 3x the value of the Fidelity AMEX (even beats it on the straight 1 point back spend).
Just thought I would post my experience.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Like I said in the other thread.. this is totally subjective.. My storyI transfere 90,000MR points to ANA.I used this to book a United DFW to IAH (first) and IAH to LOS (businesFIRST). This ticket cost minimum $6350 on United.. Redemntion value 7 cents! .. yea 3 times UR value! and it gets better .. I got those 90k MR points thru "Gas purchases" using my AmEX Mercedes cards that earns 3MR for $1 spend. So this is 21% cash back value.. I wont even compare that to CSP and 2X dinning bonus.Case 2:transfer 18,000 from MR to BA avios during 40% bonus .. that should net 25,000 AVIOS. Use that to book that same flight from AR to NC on American for a 40% better value than you got from the UR / United flight. Add the multipler of getting 3X MR on gas instead of the 2X you get on dinning ..bottomline.. Until Chase start running real good transfer bonus (40% plus range) it is still gonna remain the least valueable.. well behind SPG and MR
@CreditScholar wrote:
@Open123 wrote:
@CreditScholar wrote:Holy sh*t, you too? Mine wants to help all of the animals, conserve the environment and ease human suffering, but at least she still likes a good steak! Maybe it's because she grew up in the exact opposite position as myself, but regardless I think I've picked up a lot of good habits from her.
We have re-usable everything, and she's glad that I go along with most of her "hippie ideas" even though they're definitely not my thing. She trusts my decisions regarding credit, which cards to get, and will rotate a few cards for different categories. It works for us and I guess it's a good tradeoff.
Because of her, we have the stupid 3 trash cans in our house. One for recycling, compost, and the other for...ah...trash, I guess.
Jokes aside, I've learned a considerable amount from
hereher, and continue to do so. Still, on general principle, I've got to roll my eyes on the no rewards Wells Fargo card she insists on using.Sounds like Dharma and Greg.
Sometimes, it really does!
I just feel strongly about maximizing the return whenever we can, even if it's a small amount. Her view is that since she's had her checking and credit card with Wells since college, the extra rewards aren't worth the dislocation of change.
In end, nothing wrong with that logic.
@Open123 wrote:
@HiLine wrote:
@Open123 wrote:
@ryanbush wrote:I have been considering getting the freedom card but I might just have my fiance get one and add me as an AU (shes an AU on my CSP) and we can just use each card for the bonus categories and combine points for travel.
two cards shouldn't be too hard for her to keep us with spending on, especially since most of the dining I pay for since we're together.
I've been suggesting the same, but my wife isn't a finance person.
She really doesn't care at all, and I've been finding it difficult to persuade her to apply. Wish I could just command her to do it, but in this age, won't work too well. j/k Jokes aside, it still drives me crazy when she uses her "no rewards" Wells Fargo Visa. I just don't get it.
You'll be forgoing the bonus if you'd rather be an AU than apply for a card on your own.
A no-rewards credit card charges merchants a lower swipe fee in general. That's one possible reason.
Wouldn't surprise me!
She's always been the unbridled altruist, greenpeace, eat less meat and save the environment type. Conversely, I have never seen an oil well I didn't want to driil, animal I didn't want to shoot, and can't imagine a life without ribeye steaks!
I think me and you would get along just fine! lol
@winner88 wrote:@ryanbush wrote:I know there has been a lot of debate on here lately regarding UR vs MR point values, I will always back up the MR program not necessairly that it is more valuable than UR but the fact that either way it is still very valuable.
So I thought I would share an experience redeeming UR points today, I was looking at booking a round trip ticket from AR to NC in April to visit of my good friends (my best man in fact) that is in the Marines.
The cost of the ticket from united.com was 680$, I was able to book it for 25k miles on a saver award. this is a value of 2.7 cents per point. This means that on Dining and Travel I have been earning the equilivent of 5.4% back on my CSP. This is better than any straight cash back card including the Discover IT with the rotating 5% category and all most 3x the value of the Fidelity AMEX (even beats it on the straight 1 point back spend).
Just thought I would post my experience.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Like I said in the other thread.. this is totally subjective.. My storyI transfere 90,000MR points to ANA.I used this to book a United DFW to IAH (first) and IAH to LOS (businesFIRST). This ticket cost minimum $6350 on United.. Redemntion value 7 cents! .. yea 3 times UR value! and it gets better .. I got those 90k MR points thru "Gas purchases" using my AmEX Mercedes cards that earns 3MR for $1 spend. So this is 21% cash back value.. I wont even compare that to CSP and 2X dinning bonus.Case 2:transfer 18,000 from MR to BA avios during 40% bonus .. that should net 25,000 AVIOS. Use that to book that same flight from AR to NC on American for a 40% better value than you got from the UR / United flight. Add the multipler of getting 3X MR on gas instead of the 2X you get on dinning ..bottomline.. Until Chase start running real good transfer bonus (40% plus range) it is still gonna remain the least valueable.. well behind SPG and MR
Good points and examples.
However, when we start taking specific examples (exceptions rather than the norm) of high value redemptions, it becomes difficult to compare the "general" value of each program, since the value becomes blurred and skewed. For instance, if we use MR bonus transfers and specific routes, then we must factor in bonuses associated with the UR program with specific routes; and, there's a base 1c per point associated with UR that can be redeemed on demand and at anytime for cash.
I do agree that when redeemed opportunistically and prudently, the MR program is still extremely valuable for air travel. It certainly is a rewards program worth having, especially when utilzing it along with something such as ANA tool.
All things being equal, I'd agree with disantarray's rankings--SPG > UR > MR. At least we can agree they're all > Thank you points!
@winner88 wrote:@ryanbush wrote:I know there has been a lot of debate on here lately regarding UR vs MR point values, I will always back up the MR program not necessairly that it is more valuable than UR but the fact that either way it is still very valuable.
So I thought I would share an experience redeeming UR points today, I was looking at booking a round trip ticket from AR to NC in April to visit of my good friends (my best man in fact) that is in the Marines.
The cost of the ticket from united.com was 680$, I was able to book it for 25k miles on a saver award. this is a value of 2.7 cents per point. This means that on Dining and Travel I have been earning the equilivent of 5.4% back on my CSP. This is better than any straight cash back card including the Discover IT with the rotating 5% category and all most 3x the value of the Fidelity AMEX (even beats it on the straight 1 point back spend).
Just thought I would post my experience.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Like I said in the other thread.. this is totally subjective.. My storyI transfere 90,000MR points to ANA.I used this to book a United DFW to IAH (first) and IAH to LOS (businesFIRST). This ticket cost minimum $6350 on United.. Redemntion value 7 cents! .. yea 3 times UR value! and it gets better .. I got those 90k MR points thru "Gas purchases" using my AmEX Mercedes cards that earns 3MR for $1 spend. So this is 21% cash back value.. I wont even compare that to CSP and 2X dinning bonus.Case 2:transfer 18,000 from MR to BA avios during 40% bonus .. that should net 25,000 AVIOS. Use that to book that same flight from AR to NC on American for a 40% better value than you got from the UR / United flight. Add the multipler of getting 3X MR on gas instead of the 2X you get on dinning ..bottomline.. Until Chase start running real good transfer bonus (40% plus range) it is still gonna remain the least valueable.. well behind SPG and MR
Very good redemption! there is definitly value in each program. Another factor to include is how easy is it for YOU to earn points in that program.
For example my mom owns a chain of restaurants, she has an amex business gold account and all of her managers use that account for the gas in their company cars. She racks up a bunch of points that way. someone that didn't own 5 company cars woudn't earn as many MR points with the same amount of spend. Another factor that Chase doesn't have is the bonus MR points for early spend. I think my mom got something like 25k MRs this year already for hitting a spend threshold.
@ryanbush wrote:
For example my mom owns a chain of restaurants, she has an amex business gold account and all of her managers use that account for the gas in their company cars. She racks up a bunch of points that way. someone that didn't own 5 company cars woudn't earn as many MR points with the same amount of spend. Another factor that Chase doesn't have is the bonus MR points for early spend. I think my mom got something like 25k MRs this year already for hitting a spend threshold.
Right, nice bonus with this card.
And, the points can be redeemed for tax free travel, where ordinarily these tickets must be purchased with pre-tax dollars.