Author Topic: Figuring Out the Math  (Read 25478 times)

Offline srap

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #40 on: July 25, 2014, 11:09:09 AM »
my guess would 1.45-1.5 and 1-1.2
Option 1a: transferring 25,875 UR points to Hyatt (no idea what is involved with this.  Share?)

Option 1b: spending $5k costs $122 and you get 25,875 points that you can sell for $375-$388, then                 turning around and buying 25,000 (to be equal with Option 2) costing $250-$300.
best:    -$122+$388-$250=+$16, ie you save max $16 by going through all the trouble of selling UR                  and buying Hyatt.
worst:  -$122+$375-$300= -$47, ie it costs you another $47 to to sell UR and then buy Hyatt.

Option 2: spending $5k will yield you $190, then buy 25k Hyatt points.
best:     $190-$250=-$60, ie it will cost you $60 best case scenario to buy 25k Hyatt points when                      using your Blue Cash
worst:   $190-$300= -$110, ie You're out $110 to use BC.


Someone who has done this before please CMIIW if I left out something.
Does BC give 5% back on sales tax also?  The calculations would differ slightly then.
What is involved in Option 1a?
« Last Edit: July 25, 2014, 11:22:09 AM by srap »

Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #41 on: July 25, 2014, 11:19:54 AM »
Does BC give 5% back on sales tax also?  The calculations would differ slightly then.
no sales tax on GC's. CB on total.
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Offline srap

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #42 on: July 25, 2014, 11:23:52 AM »
no sales tax on GC's. CB on total.
I meant activation fees (which I took into consideratoin in option 1), sorry.

Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #43 on: July 25, 2014, 11:32:28 AM »
I meant activation fees (which I took into consideratoin in option 1), sorry.
CB on fees also.
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Offline srap

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #44 on: July 25, 2014, 11:35:08 AM »
CB on fees also.
Ok, so you get $193 instead of $190.  ::)
Is there any cost in transferring UR to Hyatt?

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #45 on: July 25, 2014, 11:37:04 AM »
Ok, so you get $193 instead of $190.  ::)
Is there any cost in transferring UR to Hyatt?
Free instant transfer.
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Offline myb821

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #46 on: July 25, 2014, 11:39:37 AM »
It will be very hard to find plain hyatt points to buy I would assume UR prices.

Offline myb821

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #47 on: July 25, 2014, 11:42:56 AM »
your math:

IP/IB cost 123.75
BC I make 190.50

So if I would buy the points (25k) break even would be 123.75 + 190.50, correct? that comes out to about 1.25 cpp.
yes i believe you are correct in the first case you spent money and in the second case you didnt spend any. So to even out the calculations you would need to sell enough of the points for there to be no cost to you. So you would have to sell 8.25k points @1.5 cpp to even it out. so then you are left with 16750 UR points  compared to the <13k using the 5% card.

Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #48 on: July 25, 2014, 11:43:04 AM »
i need hyatt points.

1 - i can buy Staples 200 GC's with IP/IB at 5x.

2 - i can also buy 500 GC's at 5% cash back.

would it be better with option 1 (transfer UR to Hyatt) or option two (purchase Hyatt points with the cash back)?
Are buying nights an option?
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #49 on: July 25, 2014, 11:49:17 AM »
Are buying nights an option?
yes but that just confuses things (for my purpose buying nights would not work). by my calculations if I can get Hyatt points (which I can) for 1.2 or less I am better off going with BC. another benefit is a lot less work buying and liquidating 500 GC's instead of 200 GC's.
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Offline myb821

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #50 on: July 25, 2014, 11:49:56 AM »
yes i believe you are correct in the first case you spent money and in the second case you didnt spend any. So to even out the calculations you would need to sell enough of the points for there to be no cost to you. So you would have to sell 8.25k points @1.5 cpp to even it out. so then you are left with 16750 UR points  compared to the <13k using the 5% card.
One other thing he didnt mention is you would actually earn an additional ~600 UR points because you also earn points on the activation fees. so really you would have around 17350 UR points

Offline myb821

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #51 on: July 25, 2014, 11:50:35 AM »
yes but that just confuses things (for my purpose buying nights would not work). by my calculations if I can get Hyatt points (which I can) for 1.2 or less I am better off going with BC. another benefit is a lot less work buying and liquidating 500 GC's instead of 200 GC's.
If i may ask how can you get hyatt points at 1.2?

Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #52 on: July 25, 2014, 11:51:52 AM »
One other thing he didnt mention is you would actually earn an additional ~600 UR points because you also earn points on the activation fees. so really you would have around 17350 UR points
and to be fair we should do it on 300k points (50k bonus + 50k spend). still it seems BC is the better option.
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #53 on: July 25, 2014, 11:52:25 AM »
If i may ask how can you get hyatt points at 1.2?
1.2 is high. I have bought as low as 1.
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Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #54 on: July 25, 2014, 11:54:44 AM »
yes but that just confuses things (for my purpose buying nights would not work). by my calculations if I can get Hyatt points (which I can) for 1.2 or less I am better off going with BC. another benefit is a lot less work buying and liquidating 500 GC's instead of 200 GC's.
Definitely is easier to liquidate the $500 GC's over the $200's. But to make things even more confusing, when you can get discounts on the GC's at the OD stores, it may be worth the extra hassle of liquidating.
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #55 on: July 25, 2014, 11:57:37 AM »
Definitely is easier to liquidate the $500 GC's over the $200's. But to make things even more confusing, when you can get discounts on the GC's at the OD stores, it may be worth the extra hassle of liquidating.
do you want to count the gas points for the 500 GC's?  :)
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Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #56 on: July 25, 2014, 11:59:52 AM »
do you want to count the gas points for the 500 GC's?  :)
Not the same as a straight up discount. Paying $181.95 instead of $206.95 is a real savings. Gas savings would almost be like figuring out ones CPM when redeeming for a specific award based on the current price of the redemption.
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Offline ChaimMoskowitz

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #57 on: July 25, 2014, 12:05:09 PM »
Gas savings would almost be like figuring out ones CPM when redeeming for a specific award based on the current price of the redemption.
not the same at all.
4 off 20 gallons is 80
2.10 off 35 gallons is 73.50
no way to fudge those numbers like CPM.
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Offline Marco Polo

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #58 on: July 25, 2014, 12:13:53 PM »
not the same at all.
4 off 20 gallons is 80
2.10 off 35 gallons is 73.50
no way to fudge those numbers like CPM.
I am not denying the specific savings. More was saying the gas rewards is a by-product of getting the GC's. When there is a sale/discount on GC's, that is real savings seen right away. Gas rewards can technically be left to expire and never realized (not sure why one would do that, but i do not see it as the same kind of savings).
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Offline srap

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Re: Figuring Out the Math
« Reply #59 on: July 27, 2014, 12:32:19 PM »
Which is better:  Charging a Kohl's (say $30) purchase on a Freedom card for 5 ppd and 15% off versus using a Kohl's charge for 25% off, no UR points, but paying off the Kohl's charge with Evolve.

Option 1:  $30 - $4.50 (15%) - $2.25 (1.5 cpp for 150 points) = $23.25
Option 2:  $30 - $6.75 (25%) ...                                               = $22.50

am I missing/forgetting anything?
ETA  I see it should be at least a $50 purchase to get the $10 Kohl's cash today for either option.

« Last Edit: July 27, 2014, 12:46:31 PM by srap »