About a week and a half ago frequent flyer community Milepoint.com came out with a premium membership package.
- Hilton Gold status through early 2015
- National Car Rental Executive status
- 1000 United miles
In addition to those headline benefits, there’s also:
- Free parking day at the Parking Spot parking lots (reusable coupon, no minimum stay)
- One year of ad-free viewing on Milepoint.com
- Free 1-year subscription to InsideFlyer.com
- PointsHound Level 2 Status through 2014 (earn more points on hotel bookings made through their site)
- Free UsingMiles Premier membership
- Free upgrade to AwardWallet Plus
- 20% discount on Expertflyer.com
- 10% discount on the KVS Tool
One of the less-discussed benefits is the ability to buy Hyatt gift cards at 10% off. Buying a single $500 gift card saves $50 and alone pays for the membership.
A few members raised a concern about this, though, and that’s that Hyatt’s terms and conditions appear to suggest that paying for a stay with a gift card won’t earn points. That’s never been my experience — using a gift card (at a U.S. hotel) is like paying with a credit card, it’s just a form of payment and points have always posted for me.
Still, that would be a big negative even if a risk. So the Milepoint team reached out to Hyatt for clarification and they provided assurances that paying for a stay with a gift card purchased through this offer would still earn points.
WILL I EARN GOLD PASSPORT POINTS WHEN PURCHASING AND USING HYATT GIFT CARDS?
Q: It clearly says on the Hyatt website that Hyatt Gold Passport points are not earned when using Hyatt Gift Cards as payment. Why not?A: We’re clearly here to say they do in our program. Hyatt worked wonderfully well with us to provide this benefit which really does work for our members.
Q/ Do I receive Hyatt Gold Passport points when redeeming Hyatt Gift Cards at a Hyatt hotel that have been purchased through the Milepoint Premium Membership program?
A/ When redeeming a Hyatt Gift Card as a form of payment on a guest folio, you will earn Hyatt Gold Passport points on eligible charges in accordance to Hyatt Gold Passport terms and conditions. When redeeming a Hyatt Gift Card in a Hyatt restaurant or spa outlet, Hyatt Gold Passport points will not be earned.EARNING BONUS GOLD PASSPORT POINTS WITH HYATT CREDIT CARD?
Q: Do I receive Hyatt Gold Passport points when purchasing Hyatt Gift Cards through the Milepoint Premium Membership program?A: When using the Hyatt Credit Card, you will receive 3 Hyatt Gold Passport points per dollar spent when purchasing the gift cards. All other credit cards will earn their normal miles/points/credits/cash back. Your credit card is the purchase instrument for the gift cards.
I am a co-founder of the Milepoint frequent flyer community, and I hope we’ve put together a really good deal for frequent flyers. Like with Hotwire or Priceline, programs can be talked into offering benefits for potentially really good customers when those benefits are ‘packaged’ together so it’s not as simple or straightforward as them offering something at a deep discount.
If we’ve done this right there will be some extra funds, and we’ve committed off the top that 10% of the purchase price (not 10% of ‘net proceeds’ or anything like that) goes to charity. Doing these efforts lets us fund Milepoint’s charitable activities – which over the past year have included the ASPCA, Habitat For Humanity, Kiva, LIVESTRONG, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, United We Care and The Wounded Warrior Project.
Last year premium membership sold out quickly, so we’ve made sure more packages are available this year. Already more have been sold than last year (so if we hadn’t secured more, the offer would already be sold out).
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I bought this package and think it is a good value. Thanks for the further information on the Hyatt gift cards. I have another question regarding the Hyatt gift cards. Just want to clarify whether or not you can buy them through the Award Store on MilePoint more than once. With each of the other offers, once purchased or redeemed, it disappears from your profile. Must you purchase any Hyatt gift cards all at the same time or can you come back over and over up until the *Limit of $5,000 total gift card orders per membership year? I thought this implied that until the limit is reached more cards could continue to be ordered, but wanted to verify before I place an order. Thanks!
Can I also check if we also earn stay credits by using the gift cards. I just bought the premium membership, but Hyatt terms mention that no stay credits will be earned through gift cards.
I’m glad it’s selling well for you, that takes the pressure of me buying one just to buy it. Overall the package is not worth it to me this year.
I’ve yet to see the $6 purchase/handling fee referenced in any of these announcements. that’s a fairly significant fee.
Can Hyatt gift cards be used on any property in the world or is it just limited to North America?
@mrredskin Good point. If that $6 fee is per order and not per card, it makes no sense to order multiple times. Thanks for the heads up on that.
If you purchase Hyatt gift cards with, say a Sapphire Preferred or Hyatt credit card, will you earn double or triple points?
Oops, apparently I should read first. Many thanks.
thanks, Gary, for your leadership. this is a great deal IMO to get National Executive & Hilton Gold! everything else is gravy 🙂
Is this only applicable for gift cards purchased via the 10% off promo or just confusion on their website versus what actually happens in the real world? I believe many have reported that they are earning points on similar gift card stays even if not purchased via this means.
WA. I believe it is all cards and what the rules mean to do is not allow you to earn points on the purchase, but only on the “spending” of the GCs. I of course would love things to be said this way from Hyatt, but this is how I understand it.
It remains unclear if we earn stay/night credit when redeeming gift cards. Again, my own experience has been that I do, but the Hyatt’s FAQs seem to lump gift cards with stay certificates and says they don’t.
Gift Cards may only be used at participating properties in North America.
Gift cards are eligible for stay credit and earning points on all eligible qualifying rates
Any benefits for HHonors members who already have Gold?
Appreciate the update Gary!
Can we get 5% back through Amex open?
purchased this but not sure how all these perks reach me. please inform me.
@bob check your ‘covnersations’ (private messages) at milepoint
Not very high-tech could you be more specific how I find out what I actually purchased and where it is thank you
Anybody who remembers the capital one 100k bonanza from a few years back probably has (or had) a stack of Hyatt oft cards and knows they spend like cash in the us. Oh for the good old days.
Questions:
1) Do you earn points on meals at the hotel restaurant charged to the room?
2) Are gift cards usable at international locations? Thinking about combining 1) with 2) in order to help defray the dinners in the Maldives.
Hyatt Gift Cards are not eligible to be redeemed at properties outside of North America.
Points may be earned at any eligible participating restaurant owned and operated by Hyatt when charged to the guest portfolio before checkout
Hyatt gift cards are not eligible for earning Gold Passport points (dining without stays) when used directly inside the restaurant and the guest bill is not charged directly to the room during a stay
Does this also work for certificates? Cards are only good in the US!