I charged nearly $20,000 to my credit card to help my sister buy a car, and I got huge value from the rewards
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Ariana Arghandewal
- My sister negotiated with a car dealership to let her pay with a credit card — and I'm the one who paid.
- I used my World Of Hyatt credit card, which lets me use points to save on hotel stays.
- Whether you're making a large purchase or know someone who is, it's worth getting rewarded with credit card points.
In the 13 years I've been chasing points and miles for travel redemptions, I've done everything to maximize every dollar spent. I've paid rent with a credit card, along with taxes, tuition, and virtually everything in between. I've opened checking accounts for miles and used shopping portals to quadruple my mileage earnings. I even convinced extended family members to let me pay their home renovation costs with my credit card.
While all of these experiences have been rewarding, none have been as lucrative as a recent car-buying experience. That's right: I charged the cost of a new vehicle to my credit card, without any fees. While my card choice may seem questionable to some, it was a strategic move that paid off nicely. Here's how I did it and why.
How I decided which card to use
On a cold day in December, my sister called me to say she was buying a new car and the dealership had allowed her to charge the full cost to a credit card. I had assumed she wanted advice on which card to use, but instead, she offered me a lucrative opportunity to charge part of the purchase to a rewards credit card.
As a savvy shopper, she negotiated the price first, then convinced the dealership to let her pay with a credit card and waive the fees. Knowing how points-obsessed I am (and having maxed out her own credit card), she offered to let me charge the remaining amount — about $19,300 — of the purchase price to my card. Of course, I jumped at the chance. My only dilemma was which credit card to use.
While I would normally have used my Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card for flexible rewards on the purchase, I'd just done some end-of-year shopping and didn't have enough credit left. Sifting through my wallet, I found an even better option: my World Of Hyatt credit card.
What I earned
My card had a $21,300 limit, which was more than enough for the charge. Hyatt points average around 1.5 cents each, but I routinely get at least 2 cents from my Hyatt redemptions, making them quite valuable. These points were a nice addition to the over 15,000 points I'd already earned from credit card spending throughout the year. With the combined 34,000+ Hyatt points, I can now book a Category 7 property like the Andaz 5th Avenue in New York, which often costs well over $500 per night.
In addition, every $5,000 I spend counts as two qualifying nights toward the World of Hyatt elite status, so my purchase translated into nearly eight nights. This helped to fast-track my way to Explorist status, which normally requires 30 nights per calendar year.
Hyatt Explorist status includes practical benefits like 20% bonus points on stays, premium internet access, space-available room upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out. The last two perks are perhaps the most useful, allowing me to check in and out at convenient times without incurring fees.
Lastly, the World of Hyatt Card issues a free night award after the first $15,000 spent in a calendar year. This free night award is valid at Category 1-4 Hyatt hotels, providing plenty of redemption opportunities. I redeemed my free night award at the Hyatt Centric The Liberties Dublin, where rooms were going for around $200 per night in January.
Not all of us are able to make large purchases like this with a credit card, but it certainly never hurts to ask. Whether you're making an expensive purchase or know someone else who might be, it always helps to put the word out there that you'd like to use your credit card. In my case, my family was aware of my point obsession, and my sister not only let me share in the opportunity but also negotiated with the dealer so we wouldn't have to pay fees. That's winning.