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This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

Advertiser Disclosure

We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.

For more information, please see How we make money.

This “Deal” Is for Suckers!

December 3, 2017 By Million Mile Secrets

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One of the least discussed ways to use miles & points is to redeem them for merchandise. Well, there’s a reason most of us in the miles & points community don’t talk about it – it’s almost always a terrible deal!

This Deal Is For Suckers — You Can Use Hilton Points to Pay for Amazon Purchases. But It’s Usually a Bad Deal

Million Miles Secret Agent Simon commented on Facebook:

Have you done an article on the Amazon and Hilton arrangement to use Hilton points for Amazon purchases? Looks like a bad deal to me. Thoughts?

Simon is right! It’s NOT a good deal to use your Hilton points for Amazon purchases.

Bad Deal: Non-Travel Point Redemptions

I’ve written about how to shop on Amazon with Chase Ultimate Rewards points and AMEX Membership Rewards points. And how to use United Airlines miles to buy merchandise.

If you use Hilton points for Amazon purchases you’ll only get ~0.2 cents per point. But you can easily get 2X to 4X as much value per point when you use your Hilton points for free nights!

So I do NOT recommend using Hilton points for Amazon purchases. Because there are many more valuable uses for your points.

Is It Ever a Good Deal?

Occasionally there are great deals, like the targeted offer to save $30 off a $60 Amazon purchase by paying with a single AMEX Membership Rewards point. Or your points might expire before you can redeem them for travel.

This Deal Is For Suckers — Sometimes Travel Isn’t the Most Important Priority in Life

In those situations, I say go for it! Because at the end of the day you should do what brings you the most satisfaction. And that might not always be travel.

Bottom Line

One of the ways you can use your miles & points is to purchase merchandise. But this is almost always a bad deal, because you won’t get nearly as much value for your points.

So unless there is a special offer, or your points & miles are about to expire, I would NOT recommend using your points in this way.

But as always, you should do what brings you the most happiness.

If you have any questions, feel free to send us a message on Facebook. And while you’re at it, follow us to learn more about Big Travel with Small Money! 🙂

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Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)

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