(EXPIRED) Choice Privileges: Receive 10% Rebate When Redeeming Points For Gift Cards (Ends 5/22/20)

Sorry, this deal has ended.

The Deal

Redeem Choice Privileges points for gift cards and receive a 10% points rebate.
Direct link to offer.

Key Terms

Expires May 22, 2020.
After you have redeemed Choice Privileges points for a gift card(s) under this promotion, 10% of the amount of points you have redeemed will be added back to your Choice Privileges account (for example, if you redeemed a gift card for 16,000 points, 1,600 bonus points will be added back to your account); please allow three weeks for the bonus points to be reflected in your account.
Elite point bonuses do not apply.

Tips & Ideas

The email from Choice states the following:

Now through May 22, when you redeem your Choice Privileges points on gift cards for groceries, restaurant deliveries and more, we will add 10% of those points back into your Choice Privileges account.

I initially read that as meaning only select gift cards are eligible. However, it looks like all brands are eligible for the 10% points rebate seeing as they don’t carry any grocery-specific brands (the closest seems to be Target and Amazon).

A $50 gift card usually costs 16,000 points, so the net cost would be 14,400 points. That’s 0.35cpp which is less than half the value you can normally expect to get from Choice Privileges points when redeeming them for award stays, so it’s not worth taking advantage of this deal unless you’re struggling financially.

I’m curious about Choice’s reasoning behind this promotion as I can’t tell if they’re being altruistic or doing it for their own benefit (perhaps both). Having people redeem their points for gift cards now – especially giving them a discount on them (albeit awarded within a few weeks) – seems like it’s going to put pressure on them financially as they’ll have to pay out for those gift cards.

Maybe it’s smart business sense in a way though. If they get people to redeem points at poor value, it’s better for them financially in the long run and reduces their ongoing liabilities. If people run down their points balances, it means they’re more likely to have to book paid stays rather than award stays once they’re able to travel again. Having a depleted points balance might also encourage Privileges members to book with them to replenish their balances, so maybe this is clever on their part.