All I Want is What's Coming to Me, All I Want is My Fair Share- Can Consumers Really Reap the Benefits From Rewards Programs?

What does a hotel stay at the Super 8 Motel have to do with the Four Seasons? Or buying groceries online have to do with a free upgrade to first-class on your next trip to Europe? While it doesn’t seem like these things have anything to do with each other, they hold one common denominator: rewards sites. The savvy traveler knows the best way to earn miles and get free hotel stays is by purchasing products they use everyday through loyalty programs. But how reliable are these programs and what guarantees you’ll get your rewards?

 

The best loyalty program is one where there is no loyalty for a specific brand. (Think getting airline miles without committing to one airline). Hotels.com has recently started a program that gives you one free night’s stay at any property of your choice (yes, even at the Four Seasons) after you’ve booked a total of ten nights of hotel stays through their website. This is probably one of the best deals we have seen so far, as customers are not limited to a hotel choice of “equal or lesser value” for their free stay.

 

United Airlines offers a rewards program where frequent fliers can register any credit card or debit card online and when they use that card at select restaurants, online stores, and grocery stores, they can earn miles toward free tickets and upgrades. But how well does this system work? When we signed up for this service and used our debit card at certain locations, we noticed many of the restaurants on the major list had disappeared from their preferred providers over the course of one week. While some of our miles hit our account relatively quickly, we were never credited for others. This type of program seemed to be hit or miss. It works fine if you want to shop or eat at these establishments anyway, but its not really worth going out of your way if there is a chance you won’t receive credit for it.

 

Finally, programs online such as Fatwallet.com offer a 1%-3% cash return when you access certain websites through their buyer portal. This service is pretty convenient, as you are able to price-shop several websites and see a side-by-side comparison of several products at once. Plus, the returns seem small, but if you switch to buying products this way, they can add quickly. The only downfall is that many of these programs have gone out of business in the past five years and consumers “lost” all the points they accumulated.

 

Finding a rewards program can seem just as personal as finding a roommate. It really has to fit your needs and you may have to go through a few of them just to find the one that’s right for you.

 

On the plus side, they don’t leave the toilet seat up, they never leave dirty dishes in the sink, and you never come home to find their boyfriend camped out on your couch for three weeks. Okay, so maybe its easier than finding a new roommate.

-Contributed by Alicia Butler