I'm reluctantly in the market for a new camera, since my current Cannon isn't taking crisp, clear photos as reliably as it once did. Naturally I want to maximize frequent flyer miles and points when buying a new camera, and thought these tips could be helpful for anyone else who also wants to maximize miles and points with a new camera purchase, while paying the lowest price.
1. Online Search to Find Lowest Prices
My first stop was an online search to identify the lowest prices for the camera model I'm interested in. Most of them were around the $229 range, with several somewhat higher and the lowest price around $214.
2. Ebay?
I briefly considered Ebay, where this camera is featured in several auctions, but frankly I hate dealing with auctions, not to mention the risk of the product never getting to me. And the buy it now options were more expensive than retail price. Still, if you have more appetite for auctions than I do, you could monitor auctions for the camera you're interested in and if the final sale prices are substantially less than retail alternatives, go this route. Just make sure to carefully review the seller feedback and also take note of any additional shipping and insurance charges since this adds to the true sale price (Amazon Super Saver items ship free).
3. EVReward to Portal Shop?
The problem I have with EVRewards and other portal miles and points comparison sites is that they're not fine-grained enough–you have to search for specific stores, not items. I'd love to be able to plug in my camera model and find out which stores are selling it cheapest and with the best miles and points bonuses, but it doesn't work that way.
You can of course go first to Bizrate or another shopping comparison site to see where it's cheapest, which I did, and it confirmed my earlier online search that the lowest available price from a mainstream retailer was $214.
4. Check Ultimate Rewards Mall Bonuses
I then logged in to Ultimate Rewards, went to “Shop by Category” and then to Computers & Electronics >> Camera & Photo. The list of stores was overinclusive and included vendors such as Snapfish and Shutterfly, but at a glance it let me see that there are unfortunately pretty low bonuses right now–most are around 3X. I decided to check OfficeMax, which is 5X, but the camera model I'm looking at was $299.99–the very highest price I'd seen anywhere. No thanks.
I also checked the Sharper Image, which offers 7X, but it doesn't even carry Cannon cameras.
5. Back to Amazon 5X, Using Gift Cards Bought with Ink Bold or Ink Plus for 5X Points
Amazon's price was the lowest online price, save for a few online retailers I'd never heard of, which were a few dollars cheaper. And since I earn 5X points on all Amazon spend by purchasing Amazon gift cards at Office Max with my Ink Bold or Ink Plus, I decided on this.
It can be possible to earn even more points if you use an AMEX Business OPEN card to first purchase OfficeMax gift cards to get OPEN cash back (10%, although have heard that folks often need to secure message to get the full 10% back) then using these OfficeMax gift cards to purchase Amazon gift cards. Note there is a risk here: not all OfficeMax locations will allow you to use a gift card to purchase other gift cards, so proceed at your own risk.
For me, since I now pick up my Amazon gift cards at Staples, which is a lot more convenient (there's no OfficeMax near me in Manhattan) I'm just getting the straight 5X points.
Cost for my example: $214 and free shipping; $193 if you manage to get $21 back from 10% OPEN Savings.
Pros:
- 5X points by using Amazon gift cards bought with your Ink Bold or Ink Plus
- Additional cash back possible by using an AMEX Business card with OPEN cash back savings to first purchase OfficeMax gift cards, before using those to buy Amazon gift cards
- Reliable points earning, since tied to your Ink Bold or Ink Plus purchase
- Free Amazon Super Saver Shipping
Cons:
- You won't get the free extended warranty protection that you get by purchasing with many credit cards, if you use Amazon gift cards to earn 5X points. That said, I'm not so worried about this, given how long my other Cannon camera has held up, and the purchase price.
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