Exchanging Marriott Points for Tesco CC and BA Miles
#46
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: BA; Marriott; HH Gold,
Posts: 1,304
OK, so you can autotransfer by selecting earning preference, or at least I guess so. If you have just purchased 99000 points, how does this get transferred?
If you self transfer, then you get stuck in the TO4 reward for 70k points then a TO2 for 20,000 points and so on.
I might have to do a bit more jiggling around to purchase a few extra k of points so that I end up with 250k for transfer purposes. Not that I am taking this seriously of course....
If you self transfer, then you get stuck in the TO4 reward for 70k points then a TO2 for 20,000 points and so on.
I might have to do a bit more jiggling around to purchase a few extra k of points so that I end up with 250k for transfer purposes. Not that I am taking this seriously of course....
Self transfer means you have to stick with their designated bands - so as you say need to "jiggle" a little to get the best for you.
I am thinking of buying a "few" MRs at a time and then converting all together
#47
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,125
#48
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LGW
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 544
I've made a couple of orders now as the first order has been successful. It makes great sense with the Amex 241 voucher and it's also ideal for Clubcard deals as there are some good opportunities to save on some airport hotels/parking etc.
It also makes sense to purchase the Marriott points using a Nationwide credit card. If you're using an Amex card, you're effectively buying the extra BA miles you get for using the card at around 1.8p - not such a good deal considering you're buying them for less than 1p/mile in the first place!
It also makes sense to purchase the Marriott points using a Nationwide credit card. If you're using an Amex card, you're effectively buying the extra BA miles you get for using the card at around 1.8p - not such a good deal considering you're buying them for less than 1p/mile in the first place!
#49
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SCL, MCT, LGW and a variety of 1W lounges in between.
Programs: BA Mucci (Seigneur et Ingenieur des Appareils Volants (Gold)), QF (WP and LTG), AA EXP, GF Gold
Posts: 3,931
Christmas cards
Just checked my Marriott account and like my Christmas cards for 2006, nothing posted yet!
#50
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Marriott Platinum Premier
Posts: 379
I have often wondered about this credit card - do they get their money back from wider spreads. Can you say what the actual sterling cost was to you by date as a comparison with other cards we all use.
#51
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,885
As a comparison, 99,000 MR points cost me 517.87 paying with BA Amex on 29 December.
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,865
I don't actually have a Nationwide / Post Office / Liverpool Victoria visa, for instance, because I need my overseas spend to either (a) trigger my Amex 2-4-1 or (b) post triggering my Amex voucher, I value 2 BMI miles per 1 as more valuable than a 2.75% saving on my transaction.
#55
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routires, PCR
Posts: 13,609
The question of which credit card offers best value has been asked many times and will no doubt continue to be asked.
The only fair and consistent way of comparing is to use different cards at the same merchant at the same time, hoping that they will be processed and charged at the same time and appear on statements at the same time. This avoids daily rate variations. This is usually difficult to arrange for one person.
Having said that, I have regularly used my Nationwide Visa and AmEx (and occasionally other) cards in the same location outside the UK if not at the same merchant. Without fail, the Nationwide transactions are cheaper, usually by around 2.75%. At one time, Nationwide offered reasonable cashback on all purchases (1% I think), but this is now only 0.25% and only on UK purchases.
As to whether lower prices with no miles or higher prices with miles are better, this is clearly an individual decision. FWIW, my UK spending on fuel and supermarkets goes on my GE Money MasterCard, earning 3% cashback up to 5,000 p.a. (and 0.5% on other expenditure). For me, this is better than earning miles.
My business expenditure goes mainly to AmEx cards of different persuasions, and the fallback card is the bmi MasterCard.
Ain't life complicated?
The only fair and consistent way of comparing is to use different cards at the same merchant at the same time, hoping that they will be processed and charged at the same time and appear on statements at the same time. This avoids daily rate variations. This is usually difficult to arrange for one person.
Having said that, I have regularly used my Nationwide Visa and AmEx (and occasionally other) cards in the same location outside the UK if not at the same merchant. Without fail, the Nationwide transactions are cheaper, usually by around 2.75%. At one time, Nationwide offered reasonable cashback on all purchases (1% I think), but this is now only 0.25% and only on UK purchases.
As to whether lower prices with no miles or higher prices with miles are better, this is clearly an individual decision. FWIW, my UK spending on fuel and supermarkets goes on my GE Money MasterCard, earning 3% cashback up to 5,000 p.a. (and 0.5% on other expenditure). For me, this is better than earning miles.
My business expenditure goes mainly to AmEx cards of different persuasions, and the fallback card is the bmi MasterCard.
Ain't life complicated?
#56
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LGW
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 544
Not quite sure yet what my spend was using the Nationwide Visa as it hasn't posted yet. But as Raffles noted, the extra amount it costs can be justified by using a BMI MasterCard. Alternatively it could be worthwhile if you need to put spend on the Amex card to trigger the voucher.
My thoughts were that, after these Marriott points purchases, I wouldn't need any extra BA or BMI miles for quite a while, so saving a few quid was more important than gaining the extra miles at around 1.8p
My thoughts were that, after these Marriott points purchases, I wouldn't need any extra BA or BMI miles for quite a while, so saving a few quid was more important than gaining the extra miles at around 1.8p
#57
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Otley
Programs: BA, IB, DC, Amex PP, Motel 6, Waffle House, Cracker Barrel
Posts: 507
The only fair and consistent way of comparing is to use different cards at the same merchant at the same time, hoping that they will be processed and charged at the same time and appear on statements at the same time. This avoids daily rate variations.
To those of you who know about this stuff, given that several US transactions on the same day come in at a differing FX rate - is the rate determined by the money market rate at the exact time that the transaction hits your Amex account ?
Knowing that, and watching the online FX rates, would give an optimum time for a buying opportunity of MRs etc.- recently there has been a movement of 3 cents or so within the day.
Thanks
To those of you who know about this stuff, given that several US transactions on the same day come in at a differing FX rate - is the rate determined by the money market rate at the exact time that the transaction hits your Amex account ?
Knowing that, and watching the online FX rates, would give an optimum time for a buying opportunity of MRs etc.- recently there has been a movement of 3 cents or so within the day.
Thanks
#58
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Caerdydd
Posts: 1,987
#59
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA, VS, HH, IHG, MB, MR
Posts: 26,865
Will anyone really care?!
I am sure that Marriott has priced its points at a level which makes them a profit under most (all?) redemption scenarios. I therefore assume that they pay Tesco less than $10 per 1,000 when you transfer. After all, it was Marriott's choice to set the redemptions thresholds (ie 125k for 35k Tesco) where they are. And, lets fact it, you are basically spending 650 for 350 of Tesco clubcard vouchers which hardly seems a bad deal for Marriott or Tesco!
I also assume that Tesco has priced its points at a similar level, meaning that Tesco is not paying more than the face value of the voucher (2.50 per 600 miles) when you transfer to BA.
And BA, of course, is very careful with its award availability to only release seats for miles that are unlikely to be sold.
In theory, everybody in the pyramid - you, Marriott, Tesco and BA - should be happy with this deal! If not, Marriott and / or Tesco has only itself to blame for setting its transfer values at the wrong level.
The only people who will lose are those at the bottom of the Tesco Deals food chain (Goldsmiths, Virgin Holidays etc) who accept Deals tokens but assume that 99% of customer will only have 50-worth or so. If you use 750 of Tesco vouchers (c1,400 of Marriott points) to buy a 3,000 Rolex in Goldsmiths, then Goldsmiths will be taking a hit - but I assume they write this off as part of the cost of being part of Clubcard Deals.
I have yet to get to the bottom of whether you can use CC vouchers for Upper Class Virgin Holidays deals. You are not allowed to use CC vouchers for flight upgrades, but some Virgin Holidays are brochure-priced (or at least web-priced) as including UC flights in the basic deal.
I am sure that Marriott has priced its points at a level which makes them a profit under most (all?) redemption scenarios. I therefore assume that they pay Tesco less than $10 per 1,000 when you transfer. After all, it was Marriott's choice to set the redemptions thresholds (ie 125k for 35k Tesco) where they are. And, lets fact it, you are basically spending 650 for 350 of Tesco clubcard vouchers which hardly seems a bad deal for Marriott or Tesco!
I also assume that Tesco has priced its points at a similar level, meaning that Tesco is not paying more than the face value of the voucher (2.50 per 600 miles) when you transfer to BA.
And BA, of course, is very careful with its award availability to only release seats for miles that are unlikely to be sold.
In theory, everybody in the pyramid - you, Marriott, Tesco and BA - should be happy with this deal! If not, Marriott and / or Tesco has only itself to blame for setting its transfer values at the wrong level.
The only people who will lose are those at the bottom of the Tesco Deals food chain (Goldsmiths, Virgin Holidays etc) who accept Deals tokens but assume that 99% of customer will only have 50-worth or so. If you use 750 of Tesco vouchers (c1,400 of Marriott points) to buy a 3,000 Rolex in Goldsmiths, then Goldsmiths will be taking a hit - but I assume they write this off as part of the cost of being part of Clubcard Deals.
I have yet to get to the bottom of whether you can use CC vouchers for Upper Class Virgin Holidays deals. You are not allowed to use CC vouchers for flight upgrades, but some Virgin Holidays are brochure-priced (or at least web-priced) as including UC flights in the basic deal.
Last edited by Raffles; Jan 2, 2007 at 7:55 am
#60
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969
Is there a reasonable degree of certainty that the points will transfer to the Tesco account before cutoff? I know they say upto 6 weeks ................
On the CC front, what makes the calc even more complex is considering the Nationwide debit card which always seems to be between 5% to 7% cheaper than credit cards whenever I've used both on the same day abroad. This sometimes makes miles a bit of a stretch as 7% is pretty good!
On the CC front, what makes the calc even more complex is considering the Nationwide debit card which always seems to be between 5% to 7% cheaper than credit cards whenever I've used both on the same day abroad. This sometimes makes miles a bit of a stretch as 7% is pretty good!