Omnibus post: Do This Now
/[edit 12/28/13: forgot about Marriott!]
There are a few not-particularly-urgent posts I've been letting pile up, so I thought I'd take advantage of the end of the year to do a little winter cleaning.
Do this now: IHG Rewards "Big Win" Promotion
Between January 1 and April 30, 2014, IHG Rewards (formerly Priority Club) is running another version of their "Big Win" promotion, which gives customized promotional offers depending on your history with the program. Login to your IHG Rewards account on this site to see your version of the promotion. Here are the promotions I was given:
- Stay at any IHG® hotel and earn 1,000 points;
- Stay a total of 3 nights and earn 3,000 points;
- Stay at 3 different IHG brands and earn 7,000 points;
- Book 2 separate stays through an IHG® hotel website or mobile device to get our Best Price Guarantee and earn 2,000 points;
- Stay 3 Saturday nights and earn 8,000 points;
- Stay at 2 Holiday Inn® hotels and earn 3,000 points;
- Complete 5 of your offers and earn 10,000 points.
There is an exactly 0% chance I will earn any points through this promotion. Check out the offers that some other bloggers received.
Do this now: Starwood Preferred Guest "Bring on the Nights" Promotion
As I noted on my Hotel Promotions page, Starwood Preferred Guest is running a promotion between January 5 and April 30, 2014, giving 2,500 bonus Starpoints after every 5th eligible night and 5,000 bonus Starpoints after you stay 25 eligible nights. Register for the promotion here.
Do this now: Quarter 1 Cash Back Bonus Categories
Finally, since the first quarter of 2014 is just around the corner, if you carry one of the cash back cards that offers 5% cash back bonus categories, be sure to register for the quarterly bonus categories.
- Chase Freedom: Gas Stations, movie theaters, Starbucks;
- Discover More/it: Restaurants and movie theaters;
- Citi Dividend Platinum Select: Macy's, drugstores, and fitness clubs.
Of these, the Citi Dividend Platinum Select categories are the most obviously lucrative, since you can earn all $300 in cash back during this one quarter by spending $6,000 at drug stores. The second best are the Chase Freedom bonus categories, as long as you can find 7-11 store locations that are both coded as gas stations and are willing to sell PayPal My Cash cards using your Chase Freedom card.
Personally, I'll be converting my Citi ThankYou Preferred card to a Dividend Platinum Select card once I've liquidated my ThankYou points in January, as well as converting my Chase Sapphire Preferred card to a second Chase Freedom card in order to take advantage of the Gas Station bonus category in the first and third quarters of 2014.
It's going to be a good year!
Do this now: Marriott Rewards Spring MegaBonus Promotion
Registration is also open for Marriott's Spring MegaBonus promotion, whereby you can earn up to 2 certificates, each good for 1 free night at a Category 1-4 Marriott property. You'll earn 1 certificate after you complete 2 paid stays between February 1 and April 30, 2014, and another certificate after you complete another 2 paid stays in the same period.
