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How Do ‘Points Plus Pay’ Rewards Programs Work?

Posted July 10th, 2010

Sometimes it can get frustrating when you are collecting points for an expensive item and it seems to take forever. That’s when it pays to use points plus pay.

When you use this option you are able to pay for the part of the purchase of an item that the points does not cover. This allows you to get your rewards much faster.

Points Plus Pay

Many rewards programs have a scheme that allows you to combine points and cash and use them together to get your reward. This program is called points plus pay and it is a great value to cardholders that collect points.

If, for example, you want to purchase a new television but have not collected enough for rewards points yet, you can use the points plus pay program to help you get that television sooner. You are able to use your points towards the purchase and pay the remainder with cash.

If you don’t have cash, you can also use your credit card to pay for the rest of the purchase instead. This will allow you to get even more points so you can start collecting for your next rewards item.

Earning points

Most of the rewards schemes available to Australians let you learn one to two rewards points for every dollar you spend. Some cards are teamed up with bonus partners that allow you to earn extra points when you shop at their stores. Other cards will give you bonus points when your new credit card is first activated or when you first use it. These points can add up very quickly if you are the type of person that uses the card often.

Rewards

Any of the rewards programs that you join with your credit card will have a catalog that shows you all of the different rewards you can choose from. Each reward will have a certain number of points assigned to it that need to be redeemed in order to get that item.

You can often get free movie tickets or small gift cards for 2000 to 3000 points, depending on the program. Of course, larger items will demand more points. A high-technology item, an international flight or a day of skydiving can cost tens of thousands of points. When it comes to these big-ticket items, patience is a virtue if you plan on only using points to secure the item.

If you don’t want to wait for that special item then you can use the points plus pay option to get it sooner. This is a benefit that has only recently been added to rewards points programs and most cardholders are very grateful to have it set in place.

Rewards programs are consistently changing for the better and the new points plus pay system gives customers more choices. You can apply for a card that has a rewards program and start collecting points right away.

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