Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Air Miles Rewards Miles

AIR MILES Cash = Instant Gratification

By 204 Comments

NOTE: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only. 

Chances are, you participate in at least one rewards program you don’t quite understand.

How many reward miles  equal a dollar? How are rewards applied? How do I earn reward miles? And most importantly… how the heck can I redeem them?

It can be *slightly* tricky, especially when you have to convert reward miles into dollars. Now for those saving up for a dream vacation, I suppose the learning curve is well worth it. But what if you’re an “in-the-moment” kind of person who wants instant gratification? That is, what if you want to simply earn, spend, and repeat? If this sounds like you – rejoice! AIR MILES Cash is right up your alley.

AIR MILES Cash

And now, there’s a NEW way to redeem with AIR MILES Cash! Not only can you redeem instantly in-store at participating Sponsors, but you can also redeem online, giving you even more flexibility and the chance to choose how your AIR MILES reward miles are redeemed.

(I’m an online shopaholic and I approve this redemption feature.)

The new AIR MILES Cash eVoucher feature makes it easy to take cash off everyday purchases like movie tickets, groceries, apps and music, cab rides or even your daily latte fix, thanks to a variety of popular participating partners. Here’s what you need to know:

1) First, sign up for AIR MILES Cash at www.airmiles.ca/cash and set a balance preference. Any reward miles earned going forward will be deposited in your AIR MILES Cash and/or Dream balances related to the preference you have set. For example, 100% Cash, 100% Dream, or a preference in between!

2) You must have at least 95 reward miles in your AIR MILES Cash balance in order to redeem. Ninety-five (95) reward miles from an AIR MILES Cash balance can be redeemed online for $10 or more worth of value at participating Reward Partners, or you can redeem right in-store at participating partners for cash off your bill. For example, if you have 960 miles in your AIR MILES Cash balance, you can redeem for eVouchers up to $100 in value (950 reward miles = $100 in eVoucher value). What did I tell you? Instant gratification.

3) You can redeem up to a maximum $750 value in eVouchers per day, across all eVoucher partners. …

Read More

Be a Power Shopping Pro: AIR MILES Shops

By

Friends, this weekend will go down in history as two of the busiest shopping days of the year. Yes, it’s the weekend before the weekend before Christmas! Also known as the time that panic sets in; you’ve got loved ones to shop for, and precious time is running out.

Okay, so I’m not going to try to alleviate your fears, because the truth is, y’all need to get it together. If there was ever a time to be a Power Shopping Pro, it’s NOW!

Shopping in person? Bring patience and *try* to remember the joyousness of the season as you stand in store lineups and navigate an overfull parking lot. And if you’re shopping online (my preferred option), be snappy: there are only a handful of days left to receive your items in time for Christmas.

Of course, I wouldn’t be a shopping guru unless I shared some of my best tips! This season, I’ve partnered with airmilesshops.ca to provide you with suggestions to make this year’s holiday shopping easy, fun and full of savings!

1. Mimic the man in red by making a list and checking it twice: Be sure to take into account stocking stuffers, hostess gifts and even wrapping paper. A good tip is to buy a few generic gifts (candles are always great!) just in case you receive a few unexpected gifts from acquaintances and neighbours and want to reciprocate the gesture.

2. Avoid the last-minute crowds by shopping online: Keep stress and overspending at bay by skipping the mall and shopping from the comforts of your own home. airmilesshops.ca is a one stop shopping destination with amazing retailers from Apple to Old Navy!

3. Work, family and neighbourhood holiday parties can take-up a lot of time, so make the most of a free hour by “power shopping” online: As all moms know, alone time is rare and precious which is why power shopping is so important! Take advantage of nap time, TV time or your lunch break to buy all of your gifts online at airmilesshops.ca.

4. If you just can’t avoid the last minute gift rush: Check items off your online list first and then head to the mall for any items left on your list. Beat the crowds by arriving right when the mall opens or closes and study the mall’s layout to ensure your shopping is as efficient as possible. Holiday bills can add-up fast so be sure to take advantage of special bonus offers: Using a shopping portal to make purchases, such as airmilesshops.ca, allows you to take advantage of special merchant offers while increasing your rewards points exponentially. For the most rewarding shopping experience, use both your AIR MILES Collector card and your affiliated credit card to complete a purchase and earn even more miles.

5. Don’t forget to rack up the rewards: While we are often asked if we collect AIR MILES reward miles when we shop in-store, we don’t receive that same cue when shopping online. Hence, make sure you set airmilesshops.ca as your home page RIGHT NOW. It will be your reminder to collect all those fabulous reward miles when you make your purchases this weekend and beyond!…

Read More

Power Shopping 101: Join us for an #airmilesshops Twitter Party!

By

Attention Shoppers: It’s time to SHOP ’til you DROP.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday (the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season) just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get a head start on that holiday shopping list! Oh, I know you’ve got about a gazillion people to shop for, and that’s why I’m here to let you in on a little secret.

While you’re making that list, and checking it twice… you can be rewarding yourself, too.

It’s true! All you have to do is make sure you visit www.airmilesshops.ca – the ONLY online AIR MILES shopping mall that gives Collectors the ability to earn reward miles as well as access to over 140+ major brand name stores. Earning AIR MILES reward miles while shopping online through airmilesshops.ca is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

Step One: Sign In – Sign in with your AIR MILES Collector Number and click “Shop Now”
Step Two: Shop – You will be taken to the retailer’s online site and shop as you normally would
Step Three: Earn – When you check out you will earn AIR MILES reward miles on your purchase!

All you have to do is remember to sign in through the portal and you’ll automatically earn rewards. And since your privacy and security is of the utmost importance, each and every retailer that is under the “virtual roof” of airmilesshops.ca uses a secure SSL checkout. Hence, you’ll always have peace of mind when shopping online.

Curious about the participating brands? You should be! You’ll have a choice of over 140 major brand name stores, including Sears, The Apple Store Canada, Dell Canada, Chapters Indigo, Amazon.ca, eBay.ca, Lands’ End, LL Bean, Expedia, Bose, Victoria’s Secret and Hotels.com – just to name a few. My picks: ALDO Canada, Toys “R” Us, Old Navy Canada and Lancôme Canada, of course. BONUS: Top US retailers available through airmilesshops.ca include Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and JC Penny. Now that’s a rewarding cross-border shopping trip.

Ready to start shopping? We’ve got a ton of tips, tricks and deals to share at the #airmilesshops Twitter Party!

Join me and moderators @FeistyFrugal and @ChildMode on Thursday, November 28th for a shopping party like no other! In addition to the fabulous shop talk, we’ll have some amazing prizes up for grabs, including the chance to win 1 of 6 Holiday Gifts from @AIRMILES. Mark your calendars – you won’t want to miss it! (See our official rules here.)

RSVP below for a chance to win – and be sure to bring your wish list to the party!…

Read More

Want it? You Could Win It!

By

Picture It: You’re at your favourite store, have selected your heart’s desire, and are in line at the checkout waiting to complete your purchase. The cashier scans your merchandise, and after announcing the total, asks in a detached voice – “AIR MILES?”

Well, at least she asked, right? Because when was the last time an online retailer asked if you collect AIR MILES rewards miles? Oh, that would be never.

Friends, it’s time to take matters into your own hands.

Now listen up, because once I tell you about this nifty little website, it will forever change the way you shop online – especially if you’re an AIR MILES collector. The kicker? It couldn’t be more simple!

Here’s what you do:

Step One: Visit airmilesshops.ca and sign in with your AIR MILES Collector Number.
Step Two: Select the retailer you want to shop with and shop as you normally would on their site.
Step Three: When you check out, you will earn AIR MILES reward miles on your purchase!*

(*Earn 1 AIR MILES reward mile for every $20 CDN that you spend per transaction per online store excluding shipping, handling and taxes.)

See? All you have to do is remember to sign in through the portal and you’ll automatically earn rewards. And since your privacy and security is of the utmost importance, each and every retailer that is under the “virtual roof” of airmilesshops.ca uses a secure SSL checkout. Hence, you’ll always have peace of mind when shopping online.

Curious about the participating brands? You should be! You’ll have a choice of over 100 major brand name stores, including Sears, The Apple Store Canada, Dell Canada, Chapters Indigo, Amazon.ca, eBay.ca, Lands’ End, LL Bean, Expedia, Bose, Victoria’s Secret and Hotels.com – just to name a few. My picks: ALDO Canada, Toys “R” Us, Old Navy Canada and Lancôme Canada, of course. BONUS: Top US retailers available through airmilesshops.ca include Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and JC Penny. Now that’s a rewarding cross-border shopping trip….

Read More

Shell 5 x 5,000 Contest! (Plus #Giveaway)

By

Note: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a HUGE fan of rewards programs. It’s obvious, isn’t it?

1. Go about spending as you normally would.
2. Collect rewards.
3. Treat yourself to a splendid little surprise.

Of course, sometimes my husband and I disagree on what the little “surprise” should be. #rollseyes

Anyhoo, it brings me great pleasure to share Shell’s 5 x 5,000 Contest with you. Shell is celebrating their role as the national sponsor of the New AIR MILES Cash program, which lets consumers decide how they want to redeem earned reward miles… including redeeming them for instant savings at Shell!

(My parents would be all over this one. They ALWAYS take their rewards in the form of gas savings, and it’s a well-known fact that Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines help clean and protect your engine from performance-robbing gunk.)

Each week from March 21 to April 24, 2012, one entrant will be randomly selected to win 5,000 AIR MILES rewards miles (five winners in total). Um… hello! 5,000 AIR MILES can go a long way – booking a much needed vacation, pampering yourself, or fueling up for an epic summer road trip. The possibilities are endless.

All you have to do is visit Shell’s 5 x 5,000 Contest on Facebook, fill out a simple entry form and include your AIR MILES Reward Miles Collector Account Number.

(Hint: the answer to the skill-testing question can be found here.)

Then, sit back and cross your fingers – and perhaps start thinking of how to spend those rewards miles if you win! Good luck everybody :)

WIN IT!!!

One lucky Listen to Lena reader will win a Shell Prepaid MasterCard loaded with $50 of Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines. To enter, simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries. Good luck every one!
…

Read More