Saving money never goes out of style. With prices rising across categories like dining, travel, and entertainment, consumers are seeking new ways to maximize their budgets. Credit card rewards programs have provided an incredibly popular way to get a little extra value from everyday spending. Most rewards cards offer cash back, points, or airline miles that can be redeemed for statement credits, gift cards, or free travel. However, a new breed of rewards card is shaking up the industry by offering discounts and promo codes instead of traditional rewards. The Indigo Card is leading this charge with its discount-focused rewards program that is saving users hundreds of dollars per year compared to traditional rewards cards.
How the Indigo Card Discount Program Works
The Indigo Card discount program is incredibly simple to use while providing access to significant savings. When you open an Indigo Card account, you gain instant access to the Indigo mobile app and web portal. This houses an extensive and continually updated database of discounts and promo codes across hundreds of leading brands and retailers. The discounts span popular categories that consumers spend the most on including:
- Dining at restaurants, cafes, bars, etc.
- Travel booking sites, hotels, rental cars, cruises
- Clothing and apparel
- Department stores
- Movie theaters
- Sporting events
- Health and wellness products
- Amazon and online retailers
- Electronics and tech
- Furniture and home goods
New discounts and deals are added to the app daily based on timeliness and user preferences. The app leverages your location and past spending patterns to showcase discounts you are most likely to use. For example, if you frequently dine at Mexican restaurants, you will see higher discounts at popular chains like Chipotle or Qdoba. If you travel often for work, the app will prioritize hotel and rental car deals.
Here are some examples of the ongoing discounts Indigo Card users have access to:
- 15% off all purchases at Starbucks and Peet’s Coffee
- 10% off movie tickets and concessions at AMC, Regal, and Cinemark
- 25% off bookings at select Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt hotels
- 5% off all purchases at Target and Walmart in-store and online
- $20 off $100+ clothing purchases at J.Crew, Banana Republic, and Anthropologie
- 8% off Whole Foods grocery delivery orders
- 3% off all purchases on Amazon
These represent just a sampling of the hundreds of possible discounts available. The key is that these are ongoing everyday discounts, not short-term special offers. This enables you to save each time you use the Indigo Card versus chasing temporary promotions.
The Discount Advantage Over Traditional Rewards
Most rewards credit cards offer some form of cashback, points, or airline miles when you spend on the card. You need to accumulate a large amount of these rewards over time and eventually redeem them for cash, gift cards, or flights. This model does provide some value, but it comes with limitations. Discounts offer some key financial advantages:
Instant Savings
The biggest benefit of discounts is that they provide instant savings in real-time as you make purchases with the Indigo Card. You don’t need to wait and accumulate points to redeem at a later date. The moment you use the card, the discount is seamlessly applied to reduce your out-of-pocket spending. This simplifies your finances by lowering the amount leaving your bank account. With traditional rewards, you need to spend more upfront and then get reimbursed later through redemptions. Discounts provide an immediate reduction.
Discounts are also incredibly flexible since there are no blackout dates or cardmember year restrictions. As long as the deal is active, you can use your Indigo Card to instantly save. Whether splurging on a vacation or grabbing coffee before work, the savings happen as soon as you pay.
Increased Flexibility
Another major perk of discounts is the flexibility and customization of savings compared to points, miles, or cash back. Traditional rewards often force you to spend your accumulated points in narrow ways. For example, you may be required to use airline miles for flights or hotel points for room bookings with that brand. Cashback is more flexible but still requires a large balance to redeem for meaningful rewards.
With Indigo Card discounts, you can seamlessly save on purchases across many categories based on your real-time needs. If you want to save on a flight for an upcoming trip, you can take advantage of travel discounts. But next month if you need to furnish a new apartment, you can switch over to home and furniture discounts. This nimble savings lets you target promotions based on exactly what you need to spend money on at the moment.
Compounding Value Over Time
One major downside of points and miles rewards is that they lose value over time due to program devaluation. Airlines and hotels are constantly tweaking redemption rates which require more points or miles for free flights and hotel nights. Just look at the ever-increasing requirements for a “free” ticket. With discounts, you get the same consistent rate of savings each time. A 15% dining discount will save you 15% this year and 15% five years from now.
This compounding and continuous savings add up dramatically over time for Indigo Card users compared to diminishing value from points and miles programs. The discounts provide a reliable way to save no matter how long you hold the card.
Access to Exclusive Offers
Another key benefit is that Indigo Card discounts provide access to special offers and deals not available to the general public. These are negotiated just for cardholders, creating a sense of exclusivity. You may save 25% on concert tickets while the general sale only offers 10% off. Or you could get 20% off a hotel while the brand’s loyalty members only get 15% off. This insider access lets you save more than the average consumer.
Maximizing Savings with the Indigo Card
To unlock the full potential of the Indigo Card’s discount program, users should employ some savvy savings strategies:
Strategic Spending to Match Discounts
Get in the habit of checking the Indigo app daily to browse newly added discounts across categories. Identify which categories currently have the highest discounts like dining, groceries, or clothing. Then be strategic with your spending for some time to take advantage of those peak deals. Shift your budget allocated towards the categories with 30% off versus 10% off to maximize savings.
Stacking Discounts with Retailer Offers
Many Indigo Card discounts can be combined or “stacked” with additional coupons, promotions, and loyalty program offers from the retailer. This allows you to enjoy two discounts at once for mega savings. For example, you can apply a 25% Indigo discount on top of a 10% off coupon from the store. Just be sure to apply the Indigo discount code in your app first before inputting the retailer loyalty account or additional promo code at checkout.
Share Savings with Friends and Family
One trick is that the discounts provided in the Indigo Card app can often be used across multiple cards and people. If you want to plan a group outing to save on event tickets, share the promotion code with friends and family so you all save. For example, get the whole family discounted movie tickets or take friends on a cruise with an Indigo deal. Combining cards maximizes the power of the discounts.
Savvy Travel Savings
Travel is one of the top categories for Indigo Card discounts. Use deals on hotels, rental cars, cruises, and flights to save substantially on vacations and getaways for families or couples. The discounts work nicely both for personal leisure trips and business travel. For road warriors who travel often for work, the savings from Indigo Card discounts can be substantial by applying them across all your trips in the year.
Savings Examples and Success Stories
To showcase the real-world savings potential, here are some examples and testimonials from Indigo Card members:
- Average members save 28% booking vacation packages like cruises and tropical resort stays
- Jane from Ohio gets 50% off her morning coffee 4-5 days a week using an Indigo promo code
- The Smith family of 4 spends hundreds per month going to the movies and saves $100+ on tickets and concessions each trip with Indigo discounts
- Mark from California saved over $500 on a long weekend trip to Las Vegas thanks to Indigo Card hotel, dining, and entertainment discounts
The app also provides a handy savings tracker and breakdown so you can see average savings by category and total savings over time. The numbers showcase how discounts add up through consistent everyday use on expenses you are already budgeting for. An infographic in the app shows popular categories and average savings amounts based on data across thousands of members.
Getting the Most from Your Indigo Card
To maximize the discount benefits, here are some proven best practices from savvy Indigo Card members:
Add the Card to the App Right Away
As soon as you are approved for the card, download the Indigo app and add your card information. This links your account to start tracking spending patterns and matching discounts. The sooner you activate your card in the app, the faster discounts will be identified and made available when you log in.
Browse New Offers Daily
Make it a habit to check the app when you first wake up or arrive at work. New discounts are added overnight so you can catch all the latest deals to consider as you plan to spend for the day or upcoming weeks. Toggle your preferences if needed.
Use for Everyday Purchases
For maximum savings, use your Indigo Card as the default for everyday spending categories like coffee, groceries, gas, dining out, online shopping, etc. You’ll rack up discounts on recurring expenses over time.
Set Reminders on Expiring Offers
To avoid missing out on discounts, set calendar reminders on your phone a few days before an awesome deal is set to expire. This ensures you use it in time and can plan your shopping accordingly.
Combining with Other Cards
The Indigo Card can provide tremendous value on its own. But to maximize total savings, consider using it for purchases in categories where you have amazing discounts. Then use a secondary card for spending where Indigo discounts don’t apply. This allows you to optimize savings across multiple rewards programs.
Discounts Provide Continuous Long-Term Value
Keep using the Indigo Card consistently, year after year. The discounts will keep providing significant savings long after points from a sign-up bonus are used up. The recurring savings often outweigh rewards from first-year perks on other cards. Discounts offer continuous long-term value.
The Future of Discount-Based Rewards
Given the tangible financial benefits to consumers, discounts are likely to become an increasingly popular credit card rewards strategy going forward:
- Discounts provide instant savings that people can understand and take advantage of readily
- Appeal continues growing as consumers look for new ways to maximize budgets
- More card issuers adding discounts and promo codes to rewards lineups
- Allows customization of savings based on individual spending patterns and lifestyles
- Millennials and Gen Z showing preference for discounts over traditional rewards
The Indigo Card has proven that a discount-driven model resonates strongly with savvy consumers looking to unlock new savings in their daily lives. With its flexibility and ease of generating real-world value, discount rewards provide an innovative new approach.
Conclusion
In summary, the Indigo Card discount rewards program provides some unique financial benefits compared to traditional credit card rewards structures. Discounts offer instant savings in real-time as you spend, increased flexibility to customize savings by category, continuous compounding value over time, and exclusive access to deals not available publicly. Employing savvy strategies like stacking discounts, sharing with others, and checking new offers daily allows users to maximize savings. As consumer preferences continue shifting, discount-based rewards are proving to be a compelling new model for credit card incentives. For substantial savings on everyday purchases, the Indigo Card discount advantage is tough to beat.