envgeo

It seems like I don't get all the points they advertise, plus you have to download coupon printers, sign up for other sites, etc. Is it really worth all the trouble or potential for increased print mail or email for these points?

jfe

They might not be the greatest, but they have been somewhat reliable over the years. At least they haven't gone bankrupt

So I like them, but only after I have exhausted all other possibilities

cactuspete

Not worth the trouble, IMO, if you value your own time at all.

gutt22

My new strategy with MyPoints, which I've had going for the last several months, is to place it on the back burner and do nothing that requires effort with it. To me, that means I'll open the e-mails, click to earn my 5 points, and that's it. Minimal trouble. I've found that'll probably get me 2,000 or 3,000 HHonors points a year, and that's worth it for me because I feel like I'm not actually doing anything. In the past, getting caught up in tracking what points posted and what didn't was such a hassle. I can't be troubled with such a poor use of my time anymore. But as a way to add a few points for free to my HHonors account, I like MyPoints. I just don't make it a priority and look at any points I get as a bonus.

CrazyOne

I do the same thing with MyPoints. Pretty much all I do is click on the links from the emails. Emails have been pretty regular recently. It's not a lot, but I've been signed up for this email since "BonusMail" was an independent company, so it's not a big thing to keep doing it. I don't try to maximize other points on it. I tend to forget when I'm shopping (example: I shop at LLBean.com periodically, and I tend to forget that I can get MyPoints for it). But it's a little bonus here and there.

I use the same strategy with Upromise. I don't have any kids who will use it as education money, nor do I have any plans to use it myself. But I have a couple credit cards signed up, and it's the only thing I can get with my local grocery chain. I got points I didn't know I would be getting for that one. I get some car service done at a local Monro location, and that earns 10% on Upromise! Lucky for me I used the right credit card.

choptliva

Been doing Mypoints for a couple of years now. Like most of the other posts, I don't do anything that requires a lot of effort. Just click on an email here and there, and if I remember to go through Mypoints before I shop at LLBean, LandsEnd, Dell, Barnes and Noble etc. then I do (after a while, it became second nature that when I want to buy from my "regular" merchants like Bean, Dell, etc. that I would go through Mypoints without consciously remembering to). Amazing how the points added up over the years. Must have gathered 40K points in the last couple of years. Lots of Home Depot gift cards and Hilton points. All this for relatively little effort. I'd say it's worth it.

envgeo

Thanks for the insight and the replies. I think sticking to just the emails, is probably a good way to go.

jfe

I wouldn't be so dramatic about it.

Stick to emails, and the occasional purchase.

I would definitely not make it my first choice though.

cactuspete

1,000 MyPoints = 1,000 Hilton Honors = $5.00 --> each 5-point e-mail = US$.025 (i.e. 2.5 cents). No, not dramatic at all.

ethanb

I've been doing mypoints since mid-January, so that's about three months. My current point balance is 470. I have my sign-up bonus (~50 points), about 75-100 points from signing up for various free samples and junk, and the remainder is from the 5 point for clicking on emails. At this rate, I'll accumulate about 1200 points per year, which seems to be worth around $10.

I put almost no effort into this, as I've put together a script that automatically "click" on the links the emails. However, I am still questioning whether it is worth the effort for $10/year. Is there any way to increase the rate of mypoints bonusmail emails you receive? I seem to get about one every day or two (though I haven't seen one since April 7) - I get the impression that some people receive 5 or more a day. With emails coming at that rate, the value of participating would be more in the $50-100/year range.

I have similar feelings about hits4pay. Aside from the $10 signup bonus, I've managed to earn about $2 in a bit over a month of participation. That means i should manage to cross the $25 threshold to get a payout in a little over a year. I also have a script for hits4pay, though it takes a bit more effort (2-3 minutes a week) to run.

Anyway, I'm on the fence as to whether they're worth it. I'll probably stick with both of them at least through a year so I can get a payout, but I don't know whether I'll continue after that. Even if I'm only spending a few minutes per week on them, there are promotions that could potentially be a more productive use of my time.

Ethan

jfe

Makes you wonder where is MAX?

linsj

It's been worth it for me since I do a lot of shopping online, especially with Office Depot, which adds up to a lot of points. I downloaded the Point Alert software, which automatically garners points at the 2 pts/$1 sites and it's become second nature to click through the MyPoints site for places like Office Depot. In about 2 years, I've racked up almost 70,000 points, most of them going into my Hilton Honors account. Occasionally I have to email about missing points. I put the email confirmations in a folder in my email program, go through them once a month to be sure everything posted, and follow up on ones that didn't. Doesn't take much time.

BeautifulFeet

For me MyPoints purchases are best for those items not available via my airline mall. Office Depot is the prime example. I just ordered paper for the home office, a European size I had to special order. The only option for any reward other than my affinity card was MyPoints.

I've actually found some good deals via the emails once-in-a-great-while.

JohnnyP

Yeah, I use MyPoints pretty regularly. If I'm going to buy something online, I usually swing through MyPoints to see if I can get it through there. (Although if I can get it elsewhere for less $$, that will always win over earning MyPoints.)

Also, it's been a boon for me when it comes to office stuff. I've ordered everything from computers to printers to software to supplies. This stuff adds up! Probably 60,000 or so in two years. I burned 40,000 last year for a $800 domestic ticket on UA... that earned miles.

I figure: I'm going to do this stuff anyway, might as well use MyPoints merchants and earn points for it!

BamaVol

I am a casual Mypoints user. I read the emails, occasionally sign up for something with no catch and earned maybe 8,000 points in 5 years. I guess that equals $40 in HH points. No biggie. I don't really value the time I spend at it. It's insomnia time I'd just waste in bed staring at the ceiling.

Anyone that scores 40-70K in mypoints in a lifetime is trying. And succeeding. You go!

It does remind me of a former neighbor who was clearing $3-5K a year through coupons and rebates. Of course, her pantry was full of potato chips and cake mixes and slim jims. I don't think the family ever ate fresh fruit or vegetables since there were never coupons for those.