Have a Gift Card You Don’t Need? You Can Exchange It for United Miles

It’s happened to all of us: You’re unwrapping holiday gifts and find that a well-meaning friend, family member, or colleague gave you a gift card to a store or restaurant you never go to. United feels your pain and offers miles in exchange for unwanted gift cards, but the value proposition isn’t great.

United accepts gift cards from 100+ merchants through the Mileage Plus Gift Card Exchange. Participating brands include, but aren’t limited to, American Airlines, Apple, and Best Buy. Prices vary by brand, but you’ll receive a minimum of 670 miles for a $25 gift card.

Here’s a look at the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange and why you should probably avoid using it.

Is Exchanging Gift Cards for United Miles a Good Deal?

As mentioned, the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange lets you exchange gift cards for United miles. You can submit cards that have at least a $15 remaining balance. You can submit as many gift cards as you’d like, and you do not need to mail in a physical gift card. Just submit the number, PIN, and other requested info. Miles could take up to 5 days to hit your account, and all exchanges are final.

The number of miles you’ll receive for your gift card varies by merchant. However, United provides the minimum number of MileagePlus miles you’ll receive for various denominations.

I ran a handful of test searches and found that gift cards from most brands pay out the minimums posted above. For example, $25 gift cards from Apple, American Airlines, Best Buy, Chipotle, and Target all pay just 670 miles. $100 gift cards from these brands also pay the stated minimum of 2,660 miles.

Selling gift cards for United miles at these rates isn’t a great deal. Trading in $25 gift cards for the above brands is equivalent to paying 3.7 cents per MileagePlus mile, significantly higher than Upgraded Points’ 1.2-cents-per-mile valuation of United miles. Granted, you’re not paying cash, but you can do better by selling your unwanted gift card elsewhere, regifting them, or finding a way to redeem them.

How To Exchange Gift Cards for United Miles

Using the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange is easy. Head to the exchange and click the gold “Get started” button at the center of the screen. Then, you’ll be prompted to sign in to your United MileagePlus account.

Now, enter your gift card’s merchant and balance at the center of the screen and click “Get Mileage offer.” If you’re happy with the offer, click the continue button and follow the on-screen prompts to exchange your gift card for United miles.

Final Thoughts

The MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange allows MileagePlus members to exchange unwanted gift cards for miles. But given the low payout rates, skip this unless you need to top-up your United account for an award ticket and can’t transfer in Bilt or Chase points.