Any way to get credit card affiliate referral kickback for yourself (or for FT)?
Nov 4, 2012, 12:27 pm
#76
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
The fact that someone asks WHY is reason enough. I always wanna know WHY. But I also always wanna know WHAT. Of course the fact that you have just challenged peoples' reason for asking is going to make them need to know even more! But hey if I were a blogger and I told you, are you going to now put your cards on the table for me to see too?
I can say that I would want to know about kickbacks so I can:
~Maybe make my own blog one day if it seems like a money making idea
~So I can know first if doing that will be profitable and if I quit my job or lose it, can I survive on writing about what I happen to like already anyway, but now make a bit of money at it.
I actually don't need to know exact amounts any given blogger may make... but ranges would help. If, for example, I were to learn that a mid-level blogger could pull in enough to support a family of 4 in a middle class situation, I could see myself trying it out!
But if it's a lot more work for the money being made, then maybe it's not practical. I mean think about it... it's like a miles or points deal: It has to be somewhat 'in your path' to make sense. Like, when MMS made it look so easy to JUST get a bluebird and JUST go do the Vanilla reload thing or JUST stand in line at Walmart to do bill pays through it, etc... well that may work out for some of the people with brains who are somewhat creative and willing to try all the steps, and who also have money to float when errors occur, but it makes little sense to someone with no Walmart or Office Depot nearby, or who wish to keep their AMEX Serve cards. It has to be in your path. So would a need/ability/desire to make a blog and be good at it and figure out how to get any kickbacks.
So for me, I would want to know what makes sense for bloggers and their relative needs before I got into it full time. But getting into it slowly may work (OMG did MM just say he'd go slow on a potential scheme?
)
I suppose one could start off with some small blog, get it known, make it somewhat unique and be able to keep up with it as it grows. Then get noticed by those who determine what qualifies one for any levels or referral instances, and apply for those as the blog continues to grow onward... ie, I need hits to get the CC companies to notice me and give me bling, but I need them to give me the bling to pass onto my readers so I can get hits. It's most likely a dance that over time pays off if you stick with it. Then you one day get offers and voila! You are rollin' if you so desire... and then the only way to KEEP rolling is to be like MMS and plaster the deals out there for even the totally unsavvy to wreck. But hey you gotta stay alive to keep feeding the need, eh?
And yet, this is supposed to be not about other bloggers as much as it is about how to do what they do... I keep reading these posts but circling back to the main question in general:
How do WE get CC referral kick back (maybe without a blog) for ourselves?
MM
I can say that I would want to know about kickbacks so I can:
~Maybe make my own blog one day if it seems like a money making idea
~So I can know first if doing that will be profitable and if I quit my job or lose it, can I survive on writing about what I happen to like already anyway, but now make a bit of money at it.
I actually don't need to know exact amounts any given blogger may make... but ranges would help. If, for example, I were to learn that a mid-level blogger could pull in enough to support a family of 4 in a middle class situation, I could see myself trying it out!
But if it's a lot more work for the money being made, then maybe it's not practical. I mean think about it... it's like a miles or points deal: It has to be somewhat 'in your path' to make sense. Like, when MMS made it look so easy to JUST get a bluebird and JUST go do the Vanilla reload thing or JUST stand in line at Walmart to do bill pays through it, etc... well that may work out for some of the people with brains who are somewhat creative and willing to try all the steps, and who also have money to float when errors occur, but it makes little sense to someone with no Walmart or Office Depot nearby, or who wish to keep their AMEX Serve cards. It has to be in your path. So would a need/ability/desire to make a blog and be good at it and figure out how to get any kickbacks.
So for me, I would want to know what makes sense for bloggers and their relative needs before I got into it full time. But getting into it slowly may work (OMG did MM just say he'd go slow on a potential scheme?
) I suppose one could start off with some small blog, get it known, make it somewhat unique and be able to keep up with it as it grows. Then get noticed by those who determine what qualifies one for any levels or referral instances, and apply for those as the blog continues to grow onward... ie, I need hits to get the CC companies to notice me and give me bling, but I need them to give me the bling to pass onto my readers so I can get hits. It's most likely a dance that over time pays off if you stick with it. Then you one day get offers and voila! You are rollin' if you so desire... and then the only way to KEEP rolling is to be like MMS and plaster the deals out there for even the totally unsavvy to wreck. But hey you gotta stay alive to keep feeding the need, eh?
And yet, this is supposed to be not about other bloggers as much as it is about how to do what they do... I keep reading these posts but circling back to the main question in general:
How do WE get CC referral kick back (maybe without a blog) for ourselves?
MMSo if all you do is push credit cards...
Nov 4, 2012, 12:27 pm
#77
formerly known as daveland
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NY, NY, USA
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LTP, Delta Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 2,969
I just hope there is money to give - off to a real slow start.
Nov 4, 2012, 1:04 pm
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
And if all you do is push ccs but have many tips tricks and write ups on how to travel or play some gc scheme, you will get thousands of hits. If people go through your site youll make bank for just doing what you know
Nov 4, 2012, 1:20 pm
#79
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton GLD, Marriott Plat, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 2,872
Nov 4, 2012, 3:16 pm
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
well that's just it... you have to be someone who can write, can make somewhat clear sense, can outline deals for people and can make them stay interested --so they have a reason to keep doing all this, which is exactly what the CC companies want anyway. If we consume with their card, they win. So you are a conduit to making that happen for them, which is why they want you, which is why they are willing to give you a kickback. So unless you can prove you can do that for them, why else would they give you a kickback? It thus makes sense to the CC companies that a blog, which hits X number of people, will generate revenue. So the bloggers are GOOD in that sense. They are only NOT good if and when they out deals too widely that should not be out there or should be harder to decode.
Nov 4, 2012, 3:38 pm
#81
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,758
Maybe the CC companies read the blogs. They see the readership is so stupid it has to have pictures and step by step instructions to follow a simple deal. These are the exact people they want for costumers. They will be the ones they rape in fees and interest.
Nov 4, 2012, 3:43 pm
#82
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: AA, UA, SQ, VA, QF, AF, BA
Posts: 2,865
Love the idea of donating some of the referral money to the Hurricane Sandy victims! I would have used your links if I hadn't already done a churn last month, I can't do another one until next year.
Has anyone noticed that since bloggers have been pushing credit cards, the amount of points we get has gone down? For example, 2 years ago AA was giving 75k, a few months ago Chase Sapphire went down from 50k to 40k, could be others. Chase BA card's only good offer 100k was via their website if you are booking a ticket, the affiliate links had 50k plus 50 after a very high spend.
So someone is paying for all the cash going into the blogger's pockets!
Why can't the banks at least sweeten the pot by giving us more miles or points if we use the bank's direct link? Then at least the bloggers would have to earn their commissions because people could choose to get less points for themselves and donate to the blogger or get the maximum points for themselves. I really hope the banks read this thread!
Has anyone noticed that since bloggers have been pushing credit cards, the amount of points we get has gone down? For example, 2 years ago AA was giving 75k, a few months ago Chase Sapphire went down from 50k to 40k, could be others. Chase BA card's only good offer 100k was via their website if you are booking a ticket, the affiliate links had 50k plus 50 after a very high spend.
So someone is paying for all the cash going into the blogger's pockets!
Why can't the banks at least sweeten the pot by giving us more miles or points if we use the bank's direct link? Then at least the bloggers would have to earn their commissions because people could choose to get less points for themselves and donate to the blogger or get the maximum points for themselves. I really hope the banks read this thread!
Nov 4, 2012, 3:44 pm
#83
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,031
In the absence of links giving me a kickback, this is precisely why I use the banks' direct links.
EDIT: And the post about MP is gone! The IB-owned mods are pretty fast these days at protecting their brethren.
EDIT: And the post about MP is gone! The IB-owned mods are pretty fast these days at protecting their brethren.
Nov 4, 2012, 3:47 pm
#84
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
And this is probably the best way to keep the overall signups big. The other (and honestly, probably bigger) factor is that the economy isn't as far in the dumps as it was during 2008-2010, and people are spending more overall and on CCs, so the credit card companies don't need to give out offers that large to entice people to sign up for their card or to spend more.
Nov 4, 2012, 3:49 pm
#85
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,758
ETA: No takers on my 4-1?
Nov 4, 2012, 3:52 pm
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
I think I can count on one hand the number of times the bloggers have had better links than could be found anywhere else. Generally it is when their affiliate links were downgraded more slowly than the proprietary links.
Nov 4, 2012, 4:48 pm
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
4:1=6:1 lol
yup. agreed. And if I cant find them I ask my email groups. lol or they me
Nov 4, 2012, 6:24 pm
#89
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 6,385
Nov 4, 2012, 7:03 pm
#90
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 167
I keep things simple.... I give my CC apps to the blogger who most recently gave me very useful information in 1 of the 3 areas:
1) That means they either broke a very useful deal to me - like OTR breaking the Iceland air buy miles promo to get to Hawaii
2) added some serious value with already existing information to help me leverage it - like FM showing how to get 5X UR points for nearly everything,
3) provided a unique and interesting read - varies by person. I generally like OMAT's comprehensive (in description and pictures) reports about the end to end trip experience (MMS' trip reports are about as interesting as Hypothermia). Budget/Family minded travelers might like Mommypoints useful, the Israel/Kosher traveler will get a lot out of Dans Deals
I try to be careful about this and make sure the credit goes to the original blogger (if it originated on a blog), and because of that will never give clicks to bloggers that sometimes.... ahem.... "forget" to give credit when they pilfer information, since I don't have any clue if they were the original source. I'm not naming names, but he's 6'7" and hasn't fitted any of the above 3 criterias in 2 years anyways.
If everyone chose to base their referrals like I do, it won't get ride of all the bloggers (sorry OP).... but at least it'll get rid of TPG, FTG, DWL, at least half of BoardingArea and anyone else who splits their posts between providing information nobody cares about (FTG's top post right now.... he's used AA miles for 2 tickets to St. Maartin, and SPG points for the hotel. WOW! EXCITING STUFF!), and essential copy/paste from other bloggers or FT
1) That means they either broke a very useful deal to me - like OTR breaking the Iceland air buy miles promo to get to Hawaii
2) added some serious value with already existing information to help me leverage it - like FM showing how to get 5X UR points for nearly everything,
3) provided a unique and interesting read - varies by person. I generally like OMAT's comprehensive (in description and pictures) reports about the end to end trip experience (MMS' trip reports are about as interesting as Hypothermia). Budget/Family minded travelers might like Mommypoints useful, the Israel/Kosher traveler will get a lot out of Dans Deals
I try to be careful about this and make sure the credit goes to the original blogger (if it originated on a blog), and because of that will never give clicks to bloggers that sometimes.... ahem.... "forget" to give credit when they pilfer information, since I don't have any clue if they were the original source. I'm not naming names, but he's 6'7" and hasn't fitted any of the above 3 criterias in 2 years anyways.
If everyone chose to base their referrals like I do, it won't get ride of all the bloggers (sorry OP).... but at least it'll get rid of TPG, FTG, DWL, at least half of BoardingArea and anyone else who splits their posts between providing information nobody cares about (FTG's top post right now.... he's used AA miles for 2 tickets to St. Maartin, and SPG points for the hotel. WOW! EXCITING STUFF!), and essential copy/paste from other bloggers or FT