How I Missed Out on 150,000 Points — Reader Mistake Story
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Today, I want to share a story from TPG reader Alex, who neglected a lucrative payment option for years:
For the last four years I’ve been living in an apartment and paying my rent by check. Last month, I asked if there was any chance I could pay the rent with a credit card, and they said yes! What’s more, they said there wouldn’t be any fee for paying with a credit card.
Rent for my apartment gets charged though a local hotel, and I was able to earn 3 points per dollar by paying with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. My rent is $1,050 per month, so in those four years I’ve made over $50,000 in rent payments. That means I’ve missed out on over 150,000 Ultimate Rewards points. I always say “It never hurts to ask.” In this case, though, I asked four years late.
Housing is among the largest monthly expenditures for many households, so paying your rent or mortgage with a credit card is a way to earn a lot of extra rewards. When you can make payments with no added fee like Alex did, it’s an easy win even if your spending doesn’t qualify for a bonus category. However, rent and mortgage payments typically do incur a fee, and in that case you have to evaluate whether the points you’ll earn outweigh the additional cost. You can also use a credit card to pay for other major expenses like taxes and tuition, and I encourage you to research your options for all of them.
The greater lesson here is to not overlook opportunities staring you in the face. Paying rent with a credit card won’t be viable for everyone, but other tactics will. Perhaps you could boost your earnings by crediting flights to an airline partner, or registering for a hotel promotion before an upcoming stay, or timing a major purchase with a shopping portal bonus. Approach your purchases with a maximization mindset (especially the big ones), and ask yourself how you can leverage each dollar spent to pad your loyalty accounts. If you don’t earn something, you’ll probably learn something; the biggest mistake is to not even try.
I appreciate this story, and I hope it can help other readers avoid making the same mistake. In appreciation for sharing this experience (and for allowing me to post it online), I’m sending Alex a $200 airline gift card to enjoy on future travels, and I’d like to do the same for you. Please email your own travel mistake stories to info@thepointsguy.com, and put “Reader Mistake Story” in the subject line. Tell us how things went wrong, and (where applicable) how you made them right. Offer any wisdom you gained from the experience, and explain what the rest of us can do to avoid the same pitfalls.
Feel free to also submit your best travel success stories. If your story is published in either case, I’ll send you a gift to jump-start your next adventure. Due to the volume of submissions, we can’t respond to each story individually, but we’ll be in touch if yours is selected. I look forward to hearing from you, and until then, I wish you a safe and mistake-free journey!
Featured photo by Dan Gold / Unsplash.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 8/3/2022.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 8/3/2022.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.