Club Carlson 30% bonus on purchased points by October 31 is a promotional offer whereby you can buy up to 52,000 points for $280. The normal annual limit on purchased points is 40,000 per calendar year. This offer allows you to buy from 10,000 to 40,000 points at $7.00 per 1,000 points and receive a 30% bonus, for 13,000 to 52,000 points.
The purchase rate of $5.39 per 1,000 points is okay, but I’d only go for the offer if I had a specific hotel in mind and needed points as a cheaper rate alternative. The Club Carlson Visa card one free night on reward stays makes this offer a good deal if you need more points for a two-night reward stay.
Another consideration is this offer can be a good end of year purchase to max out your points buying in 2014. There might be an even better bonus offer in the last two months of 2014 on the purchase of Club Carlson points. Or not.
The 40,000 points purchase limit is a calendar year limit, so if you buy 40,000 points with this deal, receiving 30% more points for 52,000 points, then you can buy another 40,000 points (plus any bonus points offer) from Club Carlson again beginning in January 2015.
Loyalty Traveler Analysis
Assume you want to stay at a category 6 hotel like Radisson Blu Aqua Chicago at 50,000 points per night. The nightly room rate of $228.60 after tax is $532.18 for two nights on a non-refundable advance purchase rate.
Club Carlson Visa card members can book these two nights at Radisson Blu Aqua Chicago for 50,000 points. Even if you need to spend $280 for 52,000 points with this current points sale, that is a savings of $252 on the published rate for the hotel.
$280 for two nights at Radisson Blu Aqua is a good Chicago deal when buying Club Carlson points and redeeming for a two-night stay as a Club Carlson Visa card member.
That is just one example of many where buying points can be a good hotel rate savings strategy.
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Ric Garrido of Monterey, California is writer and owner of Loyalty Traveler.
Loyalty Traveler shares news and views on hotels, hotel loyalty programs and vacation destinations for frequent guests. Check out current hotel loyalty program offers across all the major chains in Loyalty Traveler’s monthly hotel promotions guide.
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