I use travel rewards for flights and hotels — and Domino’s Rewards for campground pizza nights
I redeem millions of points and miles annually for international travel and requalify for statuses such as World of Hyatt Globalist, American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum Pro and Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite each year. But when my husband and I are traveling around the U.S. in a recreational vehicle, one of the most practical loyalty programs we use is Domino's Rewards.
Domino's Rewards isn't particularly valuable — and its expiration policy often leaves me disappointed — but it lets us earn on orders we'd place anyway. After all, Domino's locations are often convenient to campgrounds, including those near smaller towns.
Here's how I use it to my advantage when I'm on the road — and what you need to know if you wish to do the same.
How Domino's Rewards fits into my RV trips
Domino's Rewards is useful to me for a simple reason: My husband and I sometimes order Domino's while RVing, and joining the free program lets us earn something from purchases we would make anyway.
We sometimes pick up a Domino's order on the way to the campground, but we also tend to order Domino's when we're low on groceries and don't want to pack up our Class C RV to go to the store. After all, many of our favorite campgrounds have a nearby Domino's that delivers to at least the campground's front gate.
Each calendar day we spend at least $5 (excluding taxes and fees) with Domino's, we earn 10 points. That's right: Whether your order is for one pizza or 40, you earn 10 points per qualifying order through the Domino's Rewards program.
Best of all, redemptions for a Dipping Cup, 20-ounce soda or 16-piece Bread Bites are just 20 points. So, you can redeem points after just two orders.
How much value does Domino's Rewards actually provide?
Domino's Rewards can deliver free food fairly often for frequent customers. But it is not a high-value loyalty program, and its flat earning structure means spending more does not necessarily earn you more rewards.
You earn 10 points per qualifying order of $5 or more (excluding taxes and fees). So, a small order will usually earn the same number of points as a large order.
As such, you'll benefit the most from the Domino's Rewards program if you place inexpensive qualifying orders. For example, I could pick up a 16-piece Parmesan Bread Bites from the Domino's near one of my favorite campgrounds in north Georgia for $5.99 plus $0.49 in taxes and fees. This order would let me earn 10 points for just $6.41, netting me 1.56 points per dollar spent.
However, our typical order is two two-topping pizzas using the mix-and-match deal, which comes to $19.24 at one of our most-used Domino's locations. On this order, we still earn 10 points, bringing our points per dollar spent to 0.52.
As for redemption rates, know that they will vary depending on which reward you choose and the local menu price. For example, here's a look at redemption rates at the aforementioned Domino's in north Georgia:
| Item | Points cost | Typical cost | Redemption rate |
|---|---|---|---|
Dipping Cup | 20 | $1.06 | 5 cents per point |
20-ounce drink | 20 | $3.20 | 16 cents per point |
16-piece Bread Bites | 20 | $6.41 | 32 cents per point |
32-piece Bread Bites | 40 | $8.55 | 21 cents per point |
Stuffed cheesy bread | 40 | $9.08 | 23 cents per point |
Medium two-topping pizza | 60 | $17.64 | 29 cents per point |
Pasta | 60 | $9.08 | 15 cents per point |
Oven-baked sandwich | 60 | $9.08 | 15 cents per point |
Three-piece Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes | 60 | $9.08 | 15 cents per point |
The highest-value redemption at this Domino's is the 16-piece Bread Bites, which give you 32 cents per point. But if you don't like Bread Bites — or typically add them to your order at a lower "deal" rate — another redemption might provide more value. We usually redeem our points for medium two-topping pizzas.
Six of our typical $19.24 orders would cost about $115 and earn the 60 points required for a medium two-topping pizza. That pizza is listed at $17.64 at this store, suggesting a return of about 15%. But that figure overstates the practical savings: Domino's deal pricing may let us buy two pizzas for only slightly more than the menu price of one.
Related: The dining statement credits that save me over $1,000 every year
The rewards are tasty, but the expiration policy leaves a bad taste
I appreciate that the Domino's Rewards program has an easy-to-understand rewards structure that lets me redeem for food I'd purchase. But the program's primary downside is its expiration policy. Specifically, Domino's Rewards points expire after 180 days without qualifying earning or redeeming activity.
This is a major downside if you don't frequently order Domino's pizza or spend a large part of the year in destinations without eligible Domino's stores. After all, not every city in the U.S. has a participating Domino's store, and international locations don't participate in Domino's Rewards.
Related: How to keep your points and miles from expiring
Is Domino's Rewards worth joining for pizza lovers?
Domino's Rewards is worth joining if you already order from Domino's several times a year. Enrollment is free, the program is straightforward and both pickup and delivery orders can be genuinely convenient.
However, infrequent customers may find their points expire before they can use them, and those seeking high-value rewards may not find the program worth their effort.
Related: Best dining credit cards
Bottom line
Domino's Rewards will never compete with the airline miles and hotel points that make our international travel more comfortable and affordable. It simply gives us an occasional reward for pizza orders we would place anyway during our U.S. RV trips.
That makes the program worth joining but not worth chasing. We enjoy redeeming Domino's Rewards points when our balance survives long enough. Too often, though, our modest stash of pizza points resets before we can use them.