The 10 Craziest Ways to Cash in Your Rewards Points

by Chris Martin
Credit Cards › Credit Tips & Advice
The 10 Craziest Ways to Cash in Your Rewards Points

Free flights? Meh. Catalog discounts? Soooo last century. Gasoline rebates? BOR-ing!

Isn't there something a little more awesome that you can get for all of those rewards points that you have amassed on your credit cards? Thankfully, the answer is yes. Here are 10 of the most outlandishly cool options.

  1. Play fighter pilot for a day. If you have a Wells Fargo credit card, you can cash in your rewards to pretend you're the next Top Gun. You'll be fitted with a flight suit, control your fighter aircraft (in a simulator), and utter brilliant catch-phrases after every "kill."
  2. Get private DJ lessons. Chase's Ultimate Rewards card is your ticket to rockin' some fresh beats. The one-hour private DJ lesson at Los Angeles's Jam Master Jay DJ school will heighten your street cred with the “in” crowd.
  3. Have Elvis walk you down the aisle. Isn't an appearance by The King at your wedding truly priceless? Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas will supply an Elvis impersonator to sing Mr. Presley's classics and even escort the bride down the aisle.
  4. Channel your inner goat herder. Believe it or not, a man used American Express's Create Your Reward program to purchase a goat herd on the island of Crete. Now, he'll never want for milk or cheese ever again.
  5. Become a FarmVille king/queen. If you pine for a Purple Cow or a Manx Cat, you'll need to get an American Express card. Amex's Membership Rewards program lets you redeem points for virtual goods in FarmVille (and other online games).
  6. Shmooze with the Mad Men cast. Chase's Ultimate Rewards program allowed cardmembers to rub elbows with castmembers at a special private party in New York for fans of AMC's Mad Men. Their friends were so jealous when they saw photos of cardholders alongside Jon Hamm/Christina Hendricks.
  7. Defy gravity. Wells Fargo can help you fly through the air with the greatest of ease. Rewards can be redeemed for a "weightless flight" that lets civilians receive astronaut training and experience zero gravity conditions in a specially-outfitted Boeing 727.
  8. Learn how to emboss metal. If you yearn to leave your mark on this world, then this Chase Ultimate Rewards package is for you. The 2-day embossing class in Irving, Texas, teaches you to decorate metal using several different techniques.
  9. Party at rock camp. Citi's ThankYou Points program offers you the opportunity to attend an adult rock band camp and be taught by bona fide rock stars. It's unclear whether the instruction curriculum includes "stage prancing" and "guitar smashing."
  10. Contribute to your IRA. You can deposit cash-back rewards from your Fidelity Rewards American Express card into your individual retirement account. Wow. Saving your cash rewards for the future. Pretty crazy idea, right?

So don't just settle for a gift card you may not use or a cash bonus that you'll probably spend on necessities anyway. When it comes to your credit card rewards, never forget that you worked spent long and hard to earn them. So think big!

 

Image: housingpedia.com

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Intro APR Balance Transfer 0%-until September 2014*
Regular APR 10.90%-18.90% (Variable)*
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Credit Needed Excellent Credit*