What should I do about this? [points earned with centrally-billed SPG Business Amex]
Jan 23, 2016, 11:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
What should I do about this? [points earned with centrally-billed SPG Business Amex]
My two partners and I have a small company. I got us all SPG Business Amex cards. Since we were too small we couldn't get the corporate version, so the main account was under my name.
Now we have tons of SPG points and I feel they really belong to the three of us equally. But SPG will only let me share points with family members.
I *really* don't want to book hotels for them, basically like their travel agent.
I would prefer some way to just either give them the points or even convert the points somehow like to gift cards and give that to them.
Any ideas?
Now we have tons of SPG points and I feel they really belong to the three of us equally. But SPG will only let me share points with family members.
I *really* don't want to book hotels for them, basically like their travel agent.
I would prefer some way to just either give them the points or even convert the points somehow like to gift cards and give that to them.
Any ideas?
Jan 23, 2016, 11:48 am
#2
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Location: New York, NY
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Posts: 10,869
My two partners and I have a small company. I got us all SPG Business Amex cards. Since we were too small we couldn't get the corporate version, so the main account was under my name.
Now we have tons of SPG points and I feel they really belong to the three of us equally. But SPG will only let me share points with family members.
I *really* don't want to book hotels for them, basically like their travel agent.
I would prefer some way to just either give them the points or even convert the points somehow like to gift cards and give that to them.
Any ideas?
Now we have tons of SPG points and I feel they really belong to the three of us equally. But SPG will only let me share points with family members.
I *really* don't want to book hotels for them, basically like their travel agent.
I would prefer some way to just either give them the points or even convert the points somehow like to gift cards and give that to them.
Any ideas?
What do you mean, "I got us all SPG Business Amex cards."?
Did only you apply for the card and made them authorized users? Or, did each of you apply for your own (3) individual AMEX card/account and link to each (3) individual accounts?
Jan 23, 2016, 12:05 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
The first. I believe it is what Amex told me to do in order to centralize our bill payments. There are a dozen people in our company with cards, just three owners.
Jan 23, 2016, 12:07 pm
#4
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Welcome to FT, DonkeySandwich!
If all the points are in your account, your only options are #1 (you book for them) or give them your password so they can book the awards themselves. It all boils down to how much you trust your partners...
If all the points are in your account, your only options are #1 (you book for them) or give them your password so they can book the awards themselves. It all boils down to how much you trust your partners...
Jan 23, 2016, 12:26 pm
#5
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In order for each person to collect points for their hotels stays they would need an amex account and have it linked to their SPG account.
Jan 23, 2016, 1:05 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
But I still wonder what I should do now. What's the best way to parcel out this value?
Giving them my username and password is something I could do but it seems messy.
Can I convert all the SPG points to something else that is transferrable? Like buy them Starbucks gift cards and let them each buy 1,000 decaf lattes?
Jan 23, 2016, 1:08 pm
#7
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Consumer spend on authorized cards garner points that go to the primary card holder. Short of allowing each of them access to the online account to book future stays (best redemption value) or buy gift cards they would find useful.
Jan 23, 2016, 2:30 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,079
Thanks, I see how that works now.
But I still wonder what I should do now. What's the best way to parcel out this value?
Giving them my username and password is something I could do but it seems messy.
Can I convert all the SPG points to something else that is transferrable? Like buy them Starbucks gift cards and let them each buy 1,000 decaf lattes?
But I still wonder what I should do now. What's the best way to parcel out this value?
Giving them my username and password is something I could do but it seems messy.
Can I convert all the SPG points to something else that is transferrable? Like buy them Starbucks gift cards and let them each buy 1,000 decaf lattes?
For example, for amazon, you can do a $150 gift card for 14,000 points. They also have smaller denominations and I imagine you can do several at a time.
Note that you can also do points straight into flights. So, if one of the recipients includes a family of four, a single booking of four air tickets + hotel can easily use up "a ton of point".
Jan 23, 2016, 3:05 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 7
Thanks that's helpful. I think we have accumulated around a million points (they are mixed in with my own personal card account so I will have to do some accounting) so they are each due 200-300k to make it fair.
Is there any gift card option that is least wasteful, by Flyertalkers' reckoning?
Is there any gift card option that is least wasteful, by Flyertalkers' reckoning?
Jan 23, 2016, 3:12 pm
#10
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You'd probably be better off giving them cash or buying the gift cards yourself and using the points. That's what I would do anyway. Gift cards are almost always a terrible value.
Jan 23, 2016, 5:11 pm
#11
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What should I do about this?
i believe if the addresses on the accounts are all the same you can transfer points between accounts. my wife does not have the same last name as I do and we transfer miles regularly.
TW
TW
Jan 23, 2016, 6:02 pm
#12
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Jan 23, 2016, 6:18 pm
#13
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Jan 23, 2016, 6:21 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2015
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Well, how about having all address listed as the company address. Since you are all business owners, this should not be a problem and you now share the same address and it is the truth.
Jan 23, 2016, 6:23 pm
#15
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Now that you have 12 people traveling, why not speak with an Amex corporate person and see about a proper corporate account and, if as part of that, they can't handle portioning out the points to the three partners.
Aside from the points, you really are taking a huge personal risk having the travel of 12 people in your own name, not to mention that if one of them goes off the reservation, you are personally on the hook for their spend. It's just bad business.
If Amex won't do this, there are other cards. The points should not be driving what is a bad and risky business practice.
Aside from the points, you really are taking a huge personal risk having the travel of 12 people in your own name, not to mention that if one of them goes off the reservation, you are personally on the hook for their spend. It's just bad business.
If Amex won't do this, there are other cards. The points should not be driving what is a bad and risky business practice.