Maximizing Points & Savings On The Best Last Minute Gift

It is here – Christmas Eve! With this day typically comes the realization that you forgot someone on your gift list, or you just received something in the mail today from someone that you had not bought a gift for. 🙂 No matter what the reason, there is going to be some last minute shopping today so I just thought I would point out the best way to maximize points and savings on the best last minute gift – gift cards!

Maximizing Points & Savings On The Best Last Minute Gift

Gift cards are the perfect last minute gift as you do not even need to leave your house to buy them, they can be delivered (electronically) on Christmas day and you can often maximize points and savings when you buy them – win, win, and win! Here are some ways to do that:

Amex Offers

Make sure you check your Amex Offers roundup online for offers you have not used yet (many expiring 12/31) or offers that had not interested you before. They could make great ways to get gift cards at those select retailers. Not only that, but certain of the retailers sell gift cards to other retailers as well (or can be used at other retailers) so that can help to.

Check out the Babies ‘R’ Us offer – you can purchase gift cards there to use at Toys ‘R’ Us if you are buying for someone without a baby. Staples offer (the great $20 back on $100 that is now not available for saving) – perfect for picking up a variety of gift cards for various retailers. Amazon will work great with that as well.

Another great option is the Olive Garden one. Spend $50 and you get $10 back on gift cards online for Olive Garden – plus, you will get a $10 gift card sent to you as well! So, you will get $60 in Olive Garden gift cards for a total of $40 which is pretty good!

Those are just some of the many options to use Amex Offers for last minute gift cards.

Office Supply Store

If you do not mind venturing out (or you will be out anyway) check your local office supply store (Office Max, Office Depot, Staples) for a host of 3rd-party gift cards. You can then use your Chase Ink card to get 5X points per dollar spent on those gift cards. This works all the time but it is something remember when you are in a panicked rush for a last minute gift card!

Amazon

Amazon also has a bunch of gift cards. If you have the Chase Freedom card, you can earn 10% cash back on the first $1,500 you spent at Amazon from the middle of last month through the end of this month. Marry the cash back on that card with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Bold/Plus and you can get 10X Ultimate Reward points on the money you spent! Perfect way to get what you need (and if you plan on doing that, I would love it if you went through this link to do that!!)

Also, they do have some discounted cards as well so make sure you take a look at those for additional savings!

eBay

eBay has a few discounted gift cards as well but even if the gift cards are not discounted, buying them from seller PayPal Digital Gifts with your Chase Ink card will earn you 5X Ultimate Reward points! Plus, you can go through your favorite portal for an extra % or mile as well as get eBay Bucks at 2% for future purchases. All in all, this will net you some additional savings.

Mix With Retailer Offers

After you select your favorite method, now check on the retailer page for additional offers. For example, Sports Authority has a deal where you can get a $5 bonus card for buying a $25 gift card. Other places have similar offers as well so make sure you check on the retailer’s homepage for those offers as they will typically be one of the sliding graphics or on the header.

Summary

With Christmas tomorrow and last minute gift hunting in full swing, there is no reason why you cannot use this last minute gift shopping to snag a few extra miles, points, and even some discounts. These are just a few of the major ways to do that as you pick up those gift cards.

Merry Christmas!