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Planning your next trip has just become easier with reward credit card benefits that help cardholders save. Depending on the number of points you have accumulated, you can use your card to take care of your accommodation expenses. Here is what you need to know when it comes to using your points to take care of your accommodation expenses.
Reward programs partnership with hotels
Reward programs are soon becoming one-stop shops when it comes to saving on travelling costs for cardholders. Both Velocity and Qantas have partnered with more than 100,000 properties and hotels to make it easier for cardholders to gain and use their points at. Reward program members are able to gain points from booking with their affiliated partners. However, before you use your reward card to handle your accommodation costs you may want to weigh the pros and cons.
Pros
Using your rewards card to book accommodations can unlock benefits such as gain points with affiliated hotels, complimentary travel insurance, and a 24/7 concierge service. This can also be beneficial for people who are looking to build their points beyond flying. It could potentially help you save on costs. You mostly have the option of using a card payment or paying for your room using points. People who are looking for a “point and pay” option can only do this with Velocity. But will converting your points to book accommodation be worth it?
Cons
Gaining points for booking accommodation is easier than using points to pay for your accommodation. This is probably due to the transfer rate which tends to lower the value of points when converted to use to pay for things such as accommodation. A transfer rate is similar to currency conversion rates, but with points. You may also end up forking out more points to book accommodation. For example, using your Qantas points to book accommodation at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Sydney for one night will cost you 35,030 points. This is subject to where you are booking your accommodation and what city.
Other considerations
Unless if you already spend money that is required to unlock the necessary points, you could find yourself stepping out of your budget to cover points. Your points may not attract the best value when it comes to using it to book for accommodation. Gaining points through booking your accommodation on your card can be one of the ways you can get value out of your points. It can also be something that you could do when your points are close to expiration instead of letting them go to waste.
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