• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Resorts may not key timeshare vacation/travel, ie: Soleil, VRI, Festiva, for 3X pts

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
We spend nearly $5K on fees at Hono Koa, a Soleil-managed property, and I noticed the charges show as "work related."

Foxrun also was not showing as travel expense, and neither did Blue Ridge show in that category. This means 1X points and not 3X points. It's personal to me now.

I wasn't really watching this as closely with the 2X Visa Ink business card, but now I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and it's blatantly obvious to me now.

I tried telling Soleil Management to change it on their end. The woman said she has no control. Maybe if the company is inundated with requests, something would get done. I am encouraging everyone who owns Sands of Kahana, Kahana Villas, Hono Koa, Gardens at West Maui, Maui Beach, Maui Banyan, Tahiti Village, etc., to call and request the category be changed.

It cannot be changed by me, but that is what Cindy at Soleil Mgmt said to me today.
 
Last edited:

melissy123

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
1,959
Reaction score
878
Points
323
Hi Cindy,

I had posted this earlier, but we had prepaid our next year's Shell maintenance fees with the Chase card, and it showed up as "real estate." I didn't think of calling Shell to ask them to do it differently, but sounds like that's a lost cause of trying to get these companies to classify it differently.
 

Ty1on

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2015
Messages
5,119
Reaction score
1,952
Points
348
This makes me curious whether certain merchant contracts are given fee rates based on their typical charge categories (that correspond with the points awarded to cardholders)
 

Gracey

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
545
Reaction score
43
Points
388
Location
Michigan
Resorts Owned
Longboat Bay Club, Disney s Old Key West, Wyndham
I just reserved and paid for a tour for 3 of us at Kuloa ranch (atv riding) on Oahu for over 300.00 and thought this would fall under the travel category but it didn't :bawl: I now am wondering how good this card will be for travel categories.
 

BocaBoy

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2009
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
410
Points
368
Location
Wisconsin
Resorts Owned
Grand Chateau
I just reserved and paid for a tour for 3 of us at Kuloa ranch (atv riding) on Oahu for over 300.00 and thought this would fall under the travel category but it didn't :bawl: I now am wondering how good this card will be for travel categories.

I wouldn't expect this to be classified as travel. The timeshare costs in the previous post are another matter. My Sapphire card is new. The only travel cost I have charged so far is one hotel night, and this was classified correctly and I immediately got the credit as part of the annual $300 travel credit.
 

klpca

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
Messages
8,273
Reaction score
7,280
Points
749
Location
CA
Resorts Owned
SDO, Quarter House, Seapointe, Coronado Beach, Carlsbad Inn, Worldmark
I just checked my statement (CSR) and my prepaid Seapointe maintenance fees were coded as travel, so it looks like Grand Pacific has them categorized as travel.

Bummer that Soleil Management isn't categorizing that properly. I don't blame you for being annoyed.
 

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
47,354
Reaction score
18,913
Points
1,299
Location
NE Florida
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista
Marriott Harbour Lake
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Club Wyndham CWA
Shouldn't one send through a small charge to see how it is classified before putting all their fees on the card? Not saying they shouldn't be classified differently, but don't put all your eggs in one basket.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Shouldn't one send through a small charge to see how it is classified before putting all their fees on the card? Not saying they shouldn't be classified differently, but don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I have to pay my MF's, and none of my credit cards gives additional points for the "work related" classification. There is no card that I know of that will give me more than 1X. I will take 1X over zero, so I am not going to write a check for my fees, there are no points doing that.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Hi Cindy,

I had posted this earlier, but we had prepaid our next year's Shell maintenance fees with the Chase card, and it showed up as "real estate." I didn't think of calling Shell to ask them to do it differently, but sounds like that's a lost cause of trying to get these companies to classify it differently.

My MF's for Shell are a whopping $5.2K, so that's not good for me. :rolleyes:
 

am1

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
8,081
Reaction score
1,531
Points
448
I have to pay my MF's, and none of my credit cards gives additional points for the "work related" classification. There is no card that I know of that will give me more than 1X. I will take 1X over zero, so I am not going to write a check for my fees, there are no points doing that.

United Club card gives 1.5 on everything. Starwood Amex would give you more as well.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
United Club card gives 1.5 on everything. Starwood Amex would give you more as well.

The Starwood card would give me 1X on MF's as well. I might as well use my Chase Sapphire Reserve.

I am pretty disappointed in maintenance fees not showing in the correct category. I don't know who can change these things.
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,461
Reaction score
7,277
Points
948
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
Captial One Venture gives me 2% on everything, with primary redemption for travel-related items...
-- HGVC MF's and Booking Transaction Fees counted as "Lodging."
-- A day at Nachi Comcon on Cozumel counted as "Lodging."
-- A 2-hr cruise-tour in St. Augustine counted as "Other Travel."
 

scootr5

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2011
Messages
3,604
Reaction score
805
Points
349
Location
Second City
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista, Wyndham (points and Avenue Plaza Mardi Gras week)

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
I have the Capital One Venture card. It's a decent card, but I love points and miles.

Let's see:

2% for $5,000 spend on MF's = $100 back on the Venture Card. Not bad.
1X on Chase, $5,000 spend = $75, if I use those points through the UR portal. If I transfer the points to SW, it's 5,000 points is worth about $100.

Maybe I should use that card for these fees.
 
Last edited:

am1

TUG Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
8,081
Reaction score
1,531
Points
448
When you transfer out the spg points elsewhere you get a bonus. Making earning on an spg amex more then 1X you are getting.

The Starwood card would give me 1X on MF's as well. I might as well use my Chase Sapphire Reserve.

I am pretty disappointed in maintenance fees not showing in the correct category. I don't know who can change these things.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
When you transfer out the spg points elsewhere you get a bonus. Making earning on an spg amex more then 1X you are getting.

Transferring to partners like Alaska with SPG, I can get 25% bonus miles. The value CAN be good, but Alaska only offers one award seat in 1st class from the coast to Hawaii, and I have had pretty sketchy success at getting that one seat. I need specific dates for our Maui trips, usually March, always Saturday arrival. It's tough to get that single seat. We usually fly to the coast via Southwest and spend the night in a hotel near the airport (usually free with our hotel points).

The single first-class seat is 40K miles one way, so 16K (X2 +25%) spend in Starwood MF's.

The UR portal for 16K spend for Starwood will get 3X points with the Chase Reserve, or 48K points at 1.5X through the portal, which is equal to $720 in airfare. Most 1st class seats from the coast are much less than $720, especially when booked at the time the seats are open for sale. I don't have to hope for that award seat because every seat is an award seat through UR.

If any of that math seems off, I am not a big math person, so maybe you can correct it for me.

I think it depends on what you do with SPG points.

We use a lot of our UR points for Southwest. 100K UR points are worth almost $2,000 in Southwest flights. 5K points is worth about $100. Many of our flights are under $100 from Denver, including our future trips to SNA and SAT.
 
Last edited:

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
16,002
Reaction score
4,676
Points
748
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
Since the description from the Sapphire reserve specifically mentions TS maintenance fees for 3X's the UR,do you think contacting them and providing documentation that the fees paid were for Maintenance fees that they could adjust the reward on their end despite the way the resort/management keys in the code for the fees. They may say that it is up to the resort but you never know if they can override the code unless you try.
 

Sandy VDH

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
9,848
Reaction score
4,227
Points
648
Location
Houston, TX
Resorts Owned
Wynd VIP Plat GF, HGVC Elite, WM, HICV, +
Since the description from the Sapphire reserve specifically mentions TS maintenance fees for 3X's the UR,do you think contacting them and providing documentation that the fees paid were for Maintenance fees that they could adjust the reward on their end despite the way the resort/management keys in the code for the fees. They may say that it is up to the resort but you never know if they can override the code unless you try.


I check my previous Sapphire postings and HGVC, Wyndham and HICV were all classified correctly as travel related and did receive the additional points.

Can't say what others networks have categorized them. So only if they have changed since recently, those 3 will work. Perhaps someone with a Sapphire Card and other TS networks can post their success or failure.
 

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,892
Reaction score
8,997
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Shell fees are showing as 3X today on my recent Sapphire Reserve statement; however, Hono Koa, a Soleil-managed resort, shows as only 1X, even though it says, "Hono Koa Vacation Club." I may call Chase, but I doubt they can do anything. That a good amount of money we pay for Hono Koa, so it would be nice to get 3X.
 
Top