Points-Only Gift Card Availability

[AARPTeri]

Hi Everyone!

I know some of you have posted feedback about the lack of availability of points-only gift cards. Please be advised that points-only gift cards have continued to be available in the rewards catalog, they are posted randomly throughout the day. Please continue to check periodically for these items as they are very popular and do sell out fast.   

[m478315g]

Sell out fast is not the description I would use. They simply are never available. Day one was technical issue. Day 2 they are gone before any regular member gets to see them. If the rewards for points can't be available for ALL members then do us a favor and don't have them at all. This rewards program is totally worthless as far as I am concerned. The old system was much better.

[000RedHead000]

Almost a year later and it has gotten worse. There are no points only gift cards worth anything over $5 and even those are sold out by the time I wake up in the morning. 

[AJF2K1]

Well once again it doesn't surprise me that AARP "gives" us something (125 Instant Wins) and then they take away something else (less opportunities for rewards for points). First of all nothing as changed as far as the instant wins. Still have not been able to win at least one in the last year, which by the way will be my last year as a paid member. Then instead of giving the paid members more opportunities or chances for the gift cards for points they give us less. When the chance does come up ( "posted randomly throughout the day") if your lucky, we get the chance to redeem points for a wonderful "Petco" or a spectacular "Sunglass Hut" gift card. Are you kidding me? What happened to all the Target, Walmart, or CVS gift cards? I will tell you what happened, they are using them for the 125 Instant wins that nobody wins. All they did was to change the packaging, but it's still the same old rewards program. Very disappointing.

[AnneG461594]

I agree - I would be totally OK with AARP suspending the rewards program and daily deals until ALL the problems are fixed and ALL members have an equal opportunity to redeem them.  It would be the most fair solution

Anne

[dionaea]

They may be "posted randomly throughout the day", but that is just saying "Hey, you need to be on the site 24/7 refreshing constantly in hopes you might get REAAAAAAALLLY lucky and spot the one or two $5 points-only card we might make available, of which there is of course only one available, so sad, too bad you just missed it."

[JCM1954]

I agree about the gift cards - they never seem to be available for points.  Gift cards are not available almost immediately after being posted.  An example on Saturday after dinner I checked to see if any cards available to cash in with points....nothing available.  On Sunday morning at 7 AM, there was a $5. Starbucks give card available for points.  The card was already sold out- LOL.  Either aarp only posted one card or word got out to the aarp staff when it would be released.  Its very strange nothing good is ever available unless you constantly check and recheck and get lucky.  Who has time for this, people have other things to do. I have to really think about whether aarp membership has enough benefits to continue....I am not happy with the pts for gift card program. 

[CaliaRose]

I'm not sure this website is worth it anymore, if something doesn't change very soon. I haven't even tried to earn points very recently, because --- no pun intended, but what's the point?

I posted this in another thread, but I don't even see the thread anymore, so I'm gonna copy it here.

"The biggest maintenance that needs to be done is for AARP to restock enough cards that they don't sell out in less than a day. People have to work, people get sick, and people cannot check the AARP page 24 hours a day. So enough cards need to be available to last, at the very least, 48 hours."

@AARPTeri @AARPJodeeR 

[dionaea]

I agree with CaliaRose. I joined Rewards in order to learn and earn.  That means earn gift cards that can be redeemed with points only.  I have seen a few of those, but they are always "Sold Out".  Really????  I expect better of you, AARP.  I can buy discount cards at other places that are better than the small savings you offer.  Also, the search tool is one of the worst I've ever seen.  There is no way to search for cards that are available for points only, no cash needed.  And wading through page after page after page of tiny discount if you spend $$$ cards is not my idea of Rewards.  Pfffffft.

[ridgeviewfarm]

I am on here at least six hours a day (talk about needing to get a life!), I constantly refresh the awards pages, and I haven't won anything, either in instant win or purchasing with points, in nearly a year.  They say there are 100 of a card, but that must be 100 per forever, because they are "sold out" almost instantly.  I'd be happy just to have the opportunity to spend my hundreds of thousands of points if they'd just make something useful available.  The old bidding program had its flaws, but at least a person had a chance.  

[mlafayet]

I check several times a day and do not see anything new being added.  It shouldn't be this hard to redeem a reward.

[000RedHead000]

2 years later there are still no "points only gift cards" worth more than $5. Who is running this program? Wake up!!! 

[mlafayet]

It seems to be only the videos?

[AARPJodeeR]

@mlafayet The videos have to be watched until the end in order to receive points and if you press the fast forward, you won't be rewarded points. If you have watched the video and still didn't get points, try refreshing your browser and looking at the “last activity” listed at the top of the page again. If you’re still not having any luck, you may want to log out of the AARP website, restart your browser and then log back in. Let me know if there's anything I can help with. Thanks!  

[mlafayet]

I always watch the videos to the end and I don't fast forward them.  I'll see what happens tomorrow.

[mlafayet]

It is 12/2 and nothing I do adds any points.  Is there a problem with the system?

[kathymcooper]

So disappointed in some of the best  Extra Credit rewards for December selling out at midnight.  Does that mean 11:00 PM CST?  When do the rewards become available?

[HokiePoq]

@kathymcooper   Yes, I'd think so.   After missing out on the goodies last month, I did what I never do, stayed up until midnight EST.   A minute or two later, the rewards appeared but no extra credit activities to earn them.   About 12:15 EST they appeared.   I was able to get the Carrabras cards we appreciate so much.   When I got up at 7 EST,  those and the Williams Sonoma and Sam's were gone.    Macy's said "a few left".    I haven't checked in the last hour or so, but the better ones went in the middle of the night (from my point of view).  Convenient for the west coast with a 9 p.m. rollout but not so much for EST.    Last month I got up early, I thought, at 5:30 a.m. EST and the best rewards were long sold out.   

[tjx1arp]

@KokiePoq, this must me true.  I am up early, like 5 am most everyday and I check for points only gcs.  New cards appear from one day to the next, already sold out.

[CaliaRose]

They don't even last a whole day, because AARP won't get enough cards to last a whole day. Limiting them 1 per person and still running out of stock in less than a day, every time a restock is done, is not acceptable. It's poor planning, and they need to fix it.

[mlafayet]

I agree.  I can barely redeem 1 item these days and it is often something I redeem and give away just to use some points.  I enjoyed this site a lot more in the past.

[mlafayet]

It is pretty sad that on Dec 1, most points only cards were already sold out.  And on Dec 2, they are all sold out. This doesn't really seem fair.  It is fine to say that offers appear at different times but I can't spend my entire day on AARP Rewards waiting for something to show up.  This program is going downhill fast!!! 

[rednexsrus]

@HokiePoq  You are right Hokie, Williams Sonoma and Sam's were gone by 1:36 am CST

I am sure management deliberately set the number of these rewards very low. This is some form of bait & switch

Just Saying

[al45009948]

Haven't been checking in to Rewards Program because I've used up my 3 Redemption quota (what a shame I have to wait until next month ), but I've noticed the out of stock posted on some of the gift cards. Now I'm just wondering about the Instant Win Prizes. Are there only just 100 cards total or each day. Does anyone know. I'm just saying

[al45009948]

Hello everyone 😊. Just accumulating Reward Points until December 1st so I can redeem my points. Anyway, I'm hoping that they'll have something other than that Brain thing and Build a Bear. I see that everything else seems to be Out Of Stock. What's up with that? I'm hoping that was their supply for the month and they're going to restock in December. I hope it's not a Front. Just saying

[rednexsrus]

@al45009948 

look like you are out of luck again al. Here it is 1:42 am 12/1/20 and all of the good stuff was sold out by 12:30 am CDT. Now we get to wait for another month, BUT nothing will change. The Administrator (Merkle) will continue to run this program into the ground😫

So Sad 

[al45009948]

You want to know something real funny, I saw all the new Items For Points and I had an emergency so I didn't get to redeem my points. Basement was flooded. I logged in around 12:15 am est. 

Can anyone tell me if you can exchange gift card that you got for another one? Also, about this losing points next month, how does that work. 🤔 Just saying

[AARPJodeeR]

@al45009948  No, gift cards can't be exchanged. AARP Reward points are non-transferable and will expire on a rolling 12-month basis, effective January 1, 2021. Your points expire one year after they were earned, on the first day, of the following month, ie; Any points earned in 2019 will expire January 1, 2021. Points earned in January/2020 will expire February 1, 2021. When you make a redemption, we always use your oldest points first. 

[gm5271]

@al45009948 

Hey there

AARP Teri posted on another thread in forum that the 'Daily Instant Wins' NOW last for 7 days the 100 winners is spread over that 7 days no longer 100 per day  😞 which as @mi4090  Marylin stated here & I posted about odds on that other thread makes it even harder much lower odds of winning 

Personally I'd won couple times b4 change but with even trying for 3 different ones each day no luck

Good luck enjoy your week

Ginger ;  )

[al45009948]

Thanks for the Smile 😊. I noticed you said something about 3 times a day for the Instant Win prizes. Can you redeem for the Instant Win prizes 3 times a day. Please tell me it's so 🤗. Thanks for the info.