RECENT POSTS
  • Miles and Points

    Turning Rapid Rewards Into Amazon Gift Cards – Part 2

    A couple months ago, I wrote about finding a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards account that I didn’t know I had. That alone is not too surprising. I’m sure I have plenty of frequent flyer accounts that I don’t recall signing up for. What was surprising is the fact that I had 3,500 Rapid Rewards points in it. I have no recollection of how I earned 3500 points about 2 years ago, but there they were, ready to expire. So I earned another 1,000 points by filing a tax return with TurboTax via the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal. The 1,000 points activity extended the expiration of my Rapid Rewards points by…

  • Shopping

    Still not sure if my Amazon account was hacked

    Like many of you, I do a fair amount of shopping on Amazon. I’m an Amazon Prime subscriber, the prices are good (not as good as they used to be, but still good), and the shipping is fast and convenient. However, this morning, I awoke to find the following unnerving email from them in my inbox: I had not requested any sign in verification code, in fact, I was fast asleep at the time. Needless to say, I was a bit concerned. I was still able to login to my account–my password was unchanged. There were no orders placed. I had a brief exchange with Amazon’s Twitter help team… @AmazonHelp…

  • Offers

    Today Only at Amazon – $8.62 off $50 purchase!

    Today only, get $8.62 off your purchase of $50 or more on Amazon.com when you apply promo code BIGTHANKS at checkout. For the second straight year, customers ranked Amazon #1 in the annual Harris Poll on corporate reputation. Amazon is running this promo to say ‘thank you’ to its loyal customers. The easiest way to take advantage of this offer is to purchase a $50 non-Amazon gift card. Your total cost will be only $41.37–a better than 17% savings! Various Gift Card Ideas $50 Starbucks Gift Card $30 Spotify Gift Card $20 Steam Gift Card $50 Staples Gift Card  $50 Kmart Gift Card  $50 Buffalo Wild Wings Gift Card  $50…

  • Credit Cards

    New Amazon Prime Rewards Credit Card

    Update: Amazon has extended its 5%/3% cash back rewards structure to include purchases at Whole Foods Market. Amazon acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion last year. Chase has launched a new credit card exclusively for Amazon Prime members – the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card. The new card offers 5% back on purchases at Amazon.com. Prime members who currently hold the Amazon Rewards card will automatically be upgraded to the new version with enhanced benefits. You can use your % Back points to redeem for eligible purchases at Amazon.com. You can also use your points to redeem for cash, through an account statement credit or electronic deposit into an eligible…

  • Credit Cards,  Miles and Points

    What to do with Membership Rewards Points if you Don’t Travel

    The best way to achieve the greatest value for your American Express Membership Rewards points is by transferring them to Airline and Hotel travel partner programs. That’s where you can often get more than 1.5 cents per point on flights and rooms, sometimes WAY more. But if you don’t travel, should you shun the American Express cards that earn these points? Not necessarily, as there are other redemption options. Be careful when you redeem your points, as each method gives you different a value for your points–some are downright awful. I’ll go through each one in the order of “Least desirable-don’t do it!” to “Best method in a pinch.” Shopping on Americanexpress.com A prominently…

  • Basics,  Credit Cards,  Offers

    Amex Offers = Too Good To Miss Out!

    The Amex Offers program is one of my favorite credit card perks. Everyone with an American Express card should be taking advantage of this—if you’re not, you’re leaving money behind! The Amex Offers program is reason enough to have at least one, if not multiple American Express Cards in your wallet. According to the Amex Offers FAQ: “Amex Offers is a program that saves you money or earns you points on shopping, dining and more. You can choose offers from brands you love and get discounts in the form of statement credits on your account or as extra points added to your Membership Rewards account. Amex Offers is available on…

  • Basics,  Credit Cards

    Chase Freedom Ultimate Rewards vs Sapphire Preferred Ultimate Rewards: Know Your Points!

    When it comes to getting the most out of your Ultimate Rewards points, it’s essential to know which points you have, so that you can determine if you’re redeeming them for the highest possible value. I’ll explain the differences to make sure you’re not leaving money on the table. Chase has two flagship credit cards: Freedom and Sapphire Preferred. Every dollar you charge to these two cards earns you points in the Ultimate Rewards program. While each card shares the “Ultimate Rewards” name, there are important differences in how you can redeem your points. Chase Freedom Ultimate Rewards There 6 ways you can use the Ultimate Rewards (UR) points that…