The rules are complex.
That is not an accident.
- ✓A two-minute read.
- ✓Plain words, no program jargon.
- ✓What the desk does about it.
Every layer of complexity moves a little value from your account to the program’s.
Every loyalty program. One desk to rule them all.Illustrative examples: owners and conversations are fictional, figures are estimates. Not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by any bank, airline or hotel program. Program names and logos are trademarks of their owners, shown for identification only. Important information
The note,
in four points.
Charts gave way to moving prices
Award charts once told you what an award cost. Many programs now price by demand, with no published chart to plan against.
Bonus categories depend on codes
A bonus applies only when the merchant’s category code matches. A grocery pickup or a warehouse club may not code as a grocery store, and few people are told.
Transfer ratios are not standard
Many bank points move 1:1 to airline partners. Some move at less, and some hotel points move at about 3:1. Each ratio can change.
Terms change with little notice
Programs can change terms, earning rates and partners. What you learned last year may not hold this year.
Know it.
Then hand it off.
The desk keeps up, so you don’t have to
Every answer shows the rule it came from, the code it depends on and the date it was checked.
- Do you know how your three biggest vendors code?
- Do your points transfer 1:1 to the partner you would use?
- When did you last check your card’s terms?