Ulta GWPs

[itscarin]

This thread will be for Ulta GWPs only.  Share ulta promos here.  

Please do NOT post requests for the spreadsheet in this thread.  Please post requests for the Ulta GWP google spread sheet in this thread: http://community.sephora.com/t5/Off-Topic/Ulta-GWP-Google-Spreadsheet-Request-Thread/m-p/2753063#M11...

A list of in store coupons is here: https://community.sephora.com/t5/Savvy-Shoppers/Ulta-GWP-Coupons-no-chatter/td-p/3866521

Let's keep this thread on topic!

Ulta points refresher (because yes, it is that complicated):

Spoiler

Item #1 - $53.50

Item #3 - $108.50 (and is eligible for a certain item/brand 5x multiplier)

* There is also a 5x all purchase multiplier and you are platinum so you get 1.25x

Total Spent - $162

Base Points Earned - 162

Platinum .25x Earned - 41 (162 * .25 = 40.5, and rounding up)

5x All Purchases Earned - 648 (it ends up being 4x because you don't count the base points)

5x Item/Brand Earned - 434

Total Points Earned - 1285

Links are not allowed.  In lieu of links, please read this:

Spoiler

Please add product id numbers and sku numbers so people can find items on ulta.  

Just to clarify, there is an item number that Ulta lists on the website, right under the picture of the item.

The product id is the number given to the item in the URL.  So Ulta's site follows this formula of having the url and then the very last part of the url is "productId=xlsImpprod" followed by an 8 digit number.  If you use that "productId" number you can get to the page of any item on ulta. 

It's not a search, but the direct url to the page. 

Click on any product, and then view the url in the address bar.  It will look like this: ulta's website (not using the actual domain because BT admins don't like that) /prep-prime-fix?productId=xlsImpprod15921204  Replace the 8 digit product id of the item you want to see with the id of the product you're looking for.

My very unofficial Ulta point multiplier to approximate percent discount chart:

(This is a number where I use the multiplier to divide by 2000 to see how many dollars I would have to spend in order to redeem a $125 reward.  E.g. 2000 points divided by 1 point multiplier means I have to spend $2000 to get the $125 reward.  Adding how much I had to spend ($2000) + the reward ($125), and then using the reward ($125) to divide the total purchase ($2125), I get a discount of approximately 6% based on the total purchase.  Note: the total purchase is based on the concept that you are spending just enough to reach the next $125 reward and combines the reward value with how much money you had to spend to get that reward.

Spoiler

Multiplier	1	1.25	1.5	2	2.25	2.5	3	3.25	3.5	4	4.25	4.5	5	7.25	7.5	8	8.25	8.5	9	9.25	9.5	10	10.25	10.5
Spend	2000	1600	1333	1000	889	800	667	615	571	500	471	444	400	276	267	250	242	235	222	216	211	200	195	190
Points	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000
Redeem	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125	125
Total Purchase	2125	1725	1458	1125	1014	925	792	740	696	625	596	569	525	401	392	375	367	360	347	341	336	325	320	315
Discount	6%	7%	9%	11%	12%	14%	16%	17%	18%	20%	21%	22%	24%	31%	32%	33%	34%	35%	36%	37%	37%	38%	39%	40%

[NatureGirlSD]

@ohheyitscindyk @RGbrown LOL I really didn't see this one coming- I think we invoked it. 😛

[RGbrown]

@NatureGirlSD

To be fair, I think it's been a month, maybe even two, since it was in a GWP. We are long overdue lolol 😛

[NatureGirlSD]

@RGbrown Hahahahaaa! You're right, because a month or two is like billions of years when it comes to waiting for Philosophy samples. :-))

[RGbrown]

<shakes head and trudges away>

I expected better, Ulta. 😋

If it weren't for the Fix product (which I believe is new), I'd hope someone just stumbled on a beauty break from years past that was still on the site for no good reason other than oversight. Sigh. 

[Loretta55]

I received my order from last Wednesday and I believe Ulta made a mistake in my favor. Inside of my 19 piece GWP bag I received a full sized Benefit There Real Mascara instead of the deluxe sized which was pictured. Everything else inside of the bag was as pictured.

[redcliffe]

Mine came with the FS mascara too. At first I thought - oh interesting, guess Benefit is using jumbo tubes for their samples now. 😆Then I noticed the size on the box. I also received 1 extra sample not pictured— a deluxe tube of aNo 7 Serum. Love Ulta’s GWPs! 👌🏼

[SAlyFitz]

Me too a full size & 20 sample bag instead of 19!

[Ispend2much6]

@redcliffe  Yay!  I just looked at my bag and I received the full-size They're Real also.  My other aberration was a deluxe Confidence in a Cream by IT Cosmetics.

[MataDC]

I was thrilled to get those too!

[itscarin]

Now I'm really kicking myself for not adding that GWP to the beauty break!  Haha

[Loretta55]

Don't feel too bad @itscarin, this bag was filled with mainly foil samples. It did have a couple of drugstore type of deluxe samples. I had to do a double take when I saw the full size Benefit They’re Real Mascara.

[dd0214]

I think Ulta botched the points on my last big order/redemption. I called and had a guy be like 'uh like I don't understand what you are trying to say how many points should it be?' I should've told him like a thousand but I just said I would call back later.

If I redeem points, don't I still get the bonus points on an order? I placed this order on 6/6, when they were doing the multiplier on all purchases. I am diamond, so it should've been 4x points. I can't remember what other multipliers were going on, but I think that was the only one that applied to my order. I redeemed 2,000 points and paid the rest, which was $40-something. So I ended up spending 1,810 points, giving me only 190 for the entire transaction. Does this seem correct? Don't we still get bonus points, so I would get the 4x on the items, but not the initial 1.5? Even if that is not the case, the points would be incorrect for the $42.48 spend, I think.

[RGbrown]

@dd0214

Your points are correct. 

Redeeming points means 2 things:

-you earn base points (in this case, your 1.5x) only on your actual out of pocket cost ($42)

-you earn bonus points for site-wide multipliers (the other 3x of the 4x Diamond bonus) only on your out of pocket cost (again, $42)

For a shorter summary: redeeming points negates base points AND site-wide multipliers. 

Brand specific multipliers play nicer when redeeming points. Say you had bought NARS with the 5x; even when redeeming points, you would have gotten 4x (just the bonus, not the 1x base) based on the full purchase price of the NARS, not just your OOP. For a quick example, let's say your transaction was $167 of NARS only (that's your $42 OOP + the $125 points redemption). You would have earned the same 190 base points for your $42 spent, but you also would have earned 668 for the NARS ($167 x 4 bonus points) for a total of 858 points. 

[dd0214]

Ah I see now... thanks @RGbrown . I placed an order last time there was a Nars multiplier and redeemed points and got all kinds of points still, so I was confused/spoiled. I still gotta ton of GWPS, so I'm good! I just don't have the points to blow on the upcoming 20%!

[RGbrown]

@dd0214

It's a darn shame the two types of multipliers are treated so differently when paying with points. It took me forever to figure it out, and that was only with my own transactions plus tons of bits and pieces I've picked up from others here.

It's also a shame they apparently don't train their own CS folks to know how they work either. It's pretty simple to calculate once you get the hang of it, but getting to that point is tricky without the details spelled out.

Also remember that your cart should give you an estimate before you check out; give it a gander and make sure you're ok with the gain/loss before buying. I find it to be pretty accurate. Usually the only time it varies more than a point or two from what I actually receive once the order ships is if something gets cancelled (and that's a rare occurrence for Ulta).

[Ispend2much6]

@RGbrown   I didn't realize that; that's good news!

[itscarin]

@Ispend2much6 Pay attention to when they do the Member appreciation sale in August.  Last year it was like 10x on select products, then there was like a 5x multiplier on certain brands of lipstick, I remember lipstick queen was one of them, as was MAC.  Anyway, there was a way you could stack the 10x and the 5x so it worked out to like 14.25x if you were platinum.  I even have bday in August so it would have been 16.25x.  Unfortunately, my point game wasn't as shrewd then.  But I believe the way the points worked out I could have cashed my 2000 points in for some widgets, and then earned 2000 points back with all the multipliers, which is essentially like getting the stuff for free.  

I've calculated that break even point as 16x.  E.G. if you spend $125 with 16x, you earn 2000 points.  I was foolish for not jumping on the deal because I wasn't seeing the big picture with points, but now that I've thought it out, I will jump on any deals that are 16x or greater.  I mean, I'd probably jump on anything 14x or greater.  It depends on how much you want that widget.

I would say if you have 0 interest in the widget I wouldn't take the bait unless it was 14x or greater, but if you were going to buy the widget anyway, 8x or better is probably a really good deal.  I say 8x because at 8x you're spending $250 and earning $125 back.

[RGbrown]

@itscarin

Close, but a couple of minor corrections:

10x + 5x + 2x = 15x (not 16)

You would lose base points if you redeem points (at least on the part of the transaction covered by points), so that would knock it down to 14x.

You also lose the birthday multiplier (it's site-wide) on the part covered by points, so we're down another point, to 13x. I double checked my transaction from Feb, and this is what happened.

13x is still 81.25% back, which ain't shabby at all. Spending $125 in points would get a little over $101 back, leaving a net cost of $24 in points (and assuming you stick around $125, it's all points, so no cash OOP!)

(Or of course still earn 15x if you don't redeem points)

[Ispend2much6]

@itscarin  Thank you for that info!  I hope you do get those same multipliers in August.  My b-day month was like that, and I was Diamond, so I earned an incredible amount of points.  I'll have to make sure I absorb your ways. 🙂

[Loretta55]

My guess is that the event will be held on August 27 this year. I feel that fewer brands are being offered at 10 X points than in the past. Otherwise it was 5 X points sitewide. 

My first year participating in the event, I spent $400.00 and received 4000 points. That was when the entire site was 10 X points. I miss those days.

[itscarin]

@Loretta55 I would be all over that, too!  The only "problem" with the Ulta member appreciation sale is that it's too early in the year and most brands haven't released their Fall collections yet, or their Holiday collections.  If they did 10x in October or November I would drop so much coin!