Should you purchase points and miles?

Usually, you’d be better off redeeming points and miles that you already have, rather than purchasing more. That said, if your point balances are dwindling, and you have a redemption in mind where you know you’ll get more value than the cash price you pay for the points, then, yes, it can make a lot of sense to purchase the points. You might always find it worthwhile to purchase points if you just need a small amount to make a certain redemption or if you’re trying to keep miles from expiring.

How much does it cost to purchase points?

That depends on the program, but generally, it will cost anywhere from 1 to 3 cents per point. However, we recommend timing your point purchases alongside promotions that offer a discount or bonus when you buy — both of which bring down the per-point cost you’ll pay.

Are there limits to the number of points you can purchase?

Yes, most programs implement a maximum number of points you are allowed to purchase each calendar year, though the amount varies drastically by the program.

How often are there point purchase promotions?

This varies by program, but usually in any given month, there are multiple current purchase promotions. We update this page each month to help you stay up-to-date on all of the latest point promotions you can take advantage of.

Do purchased points count towards elite status?

Unfortunately, no airline or hotel programs count purchased points or miles towards elite status qualification.

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October 2024 Buy Points Promotions and Bonuses

Updated: October 1, 2024, 12:13pm CDT

Edited by:

Latest Buy Points Promotions
When Should You Purchase Points?
Final Thoughts

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There’s no shortage of ways to earn points and miles. From credit card welcome offers to bonus categories to shopping portals to dining programs, the list goes on and on.

Given the numerous options, travelers are often conflicted about purchasing points for their trips. After all, why purchase points when you can amass points with your everyday purchases?

This is a fair point and a solution that works for many. However, there are some instances where purchasing points and miles can make sense. We will explore each of those options later in the post, but first, let’s dive into all of the current promotions that allow you to receive a discount or bonus on your points and miles purchases.

Latest Buy Points Promotions

Air Canada Aeroplan

Promotion:
- Purchase 4,000 to 10,000 points and get a 50% bonus
- Purchase 15,000 to 20,000 points and get a 60% bonus
- Purchase 25,000+ points and get an 85% bonus (1.4 cents per point)
Deadline: October 10, 2024
Programs That Transfer to Aeroplan: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

We value Air Canada Aeroplan points at 1.5 cents apiece, so buying them at 1.4 cents apiece can provide great value — assuming you’re redeeming points at more than what you paid for them.

American Airlines AAdvantage [Targeted]

Promotion:
- Purchase 6,000 to 24,000 miles and get a 10% discount
- Purchase 25,000 to 79,000 miles and get a 15% discount
- Purchase 80,000 to 104,000 miles and get a 20% discount
- Purchase 105,000 to 149,000 miles and get a 25% discount
- Purchase 150,000 miles and get a 35% discount (2.44 cents per mile)
Deadline: N/A
Programs That Transfer to American: Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

Keep in mind that this is a targeted offer, so the exact discount you see in your account may differ. We value American Airlines miles at 1.4 cents apiece, so we wouldn’t recommend purchasing miles at these prices unless you are topping off your account for a specific redemption.

IHG One Rewards

Promotion:
- Buy 11,000+ points and get a 100% bonus (0.5 cents per point)
Deadline: October 5, 2024
Programs That Transfer to IHG: Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards
Purchase Link

The deal is especially worthwhile for those who hold one of the co-branded IHG One Rewards cards and have access to the fourth-night free perk. You’d only need to purchase enough points to cover 3 nights — boosting the value of your points by 33%!

Spirit Airlines Free Spirit

Promotion:
- Buy 4,000 to 12,000 points with a 20% bonus
- Buy 13,000 to 39,000 points with a 40% bonus
- Buy 40,000+ points with a 60% bonus (1.68 cents per point)
Deadline: October 11, 2024
Programs That Transfer to Spirit: Marriott Bonvoy
Purchase Link

At Upgraded Points, we value Free Spirit points at 1.1 cents per point, so we certainly wouldn’t advise speculatively purchasing points at this promotion’s 1.68-cents-per-point rate.

World of Hyatt

Promotion:
- Buy 5,000+ points with a 20% discount (1.92 cents per point)
Deadline: October 8, 2024
Programs That Transfer to Hyatt: Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards
Purchase Link

We value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents apiece, though it’s often possible to get more value than that. However, this new purchase promotion allows you to buy Hyatt points at a fairly reasonable rate.

One great sweet spot here is purchasing the points needed for a Category 1 hotel stay. Since Category 1 hotels cost just 5,000 points per night on standard nights, purchasing the 5,000 points needed for the night would set you back $96 — often far less than the price of even the most basic Hyatt hotels.

American Airlines B737 8 MAX at SNA — Sometimes it can make sense to purchase airline miles. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

When Should You Purchase Points?

As promised, let’s examine some examples of when it might be wise to purchase points and miles.

Topping Off Your Account

It can be frustrating to have a redemption you’d like to make, with available award space to boot, but you don’t have quite enough points or miles to make the booking. Of course, you could wait until you do, but if you’re looking to book a business- or first-class award ticket, award space can vanish quickly.

In cases like these, it can make sense to purchase a small number of points to acquire the number of points or miles needed to book the award.

Price Arbitrage

We frequently discuss the opportunity to take advantage of price arbitrage when talking about purchasing points or miles.

For instance, say you’d like to fly from the U.S. to Europe in business class. You pull up Google Flights, pop in your desired destination and travel date, and the results reveal that the best nonstop option is an American Airlines flight that costs a whopping $2,500 — yikes.

While the best award redemptions require locating award space at the saver level, assuming it is available on the date you’d like to travel, you could purchase the points needed for this ticket for far less. For example, you could purchase 58,000 American Airlines miles for just over $1,400 — more than $1,000 less than the retail price.

Bottom Line:

Simply put, purchasing points and miles can be a great way to get a substantial discount on flights you were planning to purchase anyway.

Preventing Points From Expiring

One of the annoyances of some loyalty programs is that their points or miles expire after a set period, usually 1 to 3 years. Depending on your travel habits, you may be at risk of your points expiring if you go long periods without earning or redeeming points within the program.

Fortunately, most programs count purchasing points as a qualifying earn activity, allowing you to extend the life of your miles simply by purchasing a small number of them.

Final Thoughts

In most cases, your primary points strategy should be earning them through new credit card welcome bonuses, everyday card spending, and other point-earning activities like shopping portals, as these activities shouldn’t require a significant expense beyond your everyday spending habits.

That said, there is a time and a place when it can make sense to purchase points and miles. In those cases, promotions that allow you to receive a discount or bonus miles on your purchase can offer you even more value.

Of course, you should always run the numbers when deciding which path makes the most sense for your next redemption, but it is always great to have options.