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How to Donate Points, Miles & More This Holiday Season
Dec. 15, 2015
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4 min read
How to Donate Points, Miles & More This Holiday Season
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While plenty of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals make this a great time to shop and book discounted travel for you and your loved ones, it's also a great time of the year for donating to others in need. TPG Contributor Christine Cantera goes through the many options for donating your points and miles to charities.
Whether you have points that will expire at the end of the year or you're simply in the habit of holiday giving, consider using your awards toward a charity donation.
We recommend doing research on your given charity, and Charity Navigator is a great resource. Of course, note that unlike credit card donations, contributing points and/or miles to a charity is not tax-deductible because the IRS considers these points and miles gifts from the airlines (rather than property). Consult a tax professional if you plan to deduct large donations.
Airline Mile Donations
Just about every major airline loyalty program partners with charitable causes, and you can donate directly to established national or international charities or pool your miles to be distributed to a variety of worthy charities. And because donating miles keeps your account active, it's a win-win.
Below, you'll find links to the airlines' respective charity partners, along with information on how long before miles expire with each frequent-flyer program.
- Air Canada (Aeroplan): Miles expire after 12 months
- American: Miles expire after 18 months
- Delta: Miles never expire
- United: Miles expire after 18 months
- Lufthansa: Miles expire after 36 months
- Alaska Airlines: Miles expire after 24 months
Hotel Point Donations
Several hotel chains also offer their loyalty-program members the opportunity to donate points to charities. As with airlines, donating points can also keep your account active.
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- Hilton HHonors: Points expire after 12 months
- IHG Rewards: Points expire after 12 months. (Note that you must be logged in to see the donation options).
- Hyatt Gold Passport: Points expire after 12 months. There's no fixed donation option, but Hyatt has often set up specific donation pages after natural disasters.
- Marriott: Points expire after 24 months
- Starwood: Points expire after 12 months
Third-Party Traveler Donations
Pack for a Purpose partners with hotels and lodges all over the world to provide travelers with packing lists of much-needed supplies specific to their destination. Participants gather the required items before they travel and can leave them for their hotel to distribute to the local community. It's a great way to leave a little bit of goodwill behind when you visit a community in need.
Launched in October 2015, a travel booking platform called Kind Traveler allows you to give to a participating charity when you book discounted hotel rooms through the site; 100% of donations go directly to the charities.
Credit Card Donations
Here are the sites for credit cards not affiliated with a specific loyalty program:
- American Express: Members Give
- Capital One: The No Hassle Giving Site
- Barclaycard: Freedom Rewards
Hard-Item Donations
If you prefer to give toys and needed items locally, maximize your purchases when shopping for what you want to give by going through an online shopping portal.
Here's a small taste of the many portal offers currently available:
- Ebates is offering 5% cash back at Walmart.
- Mr. Rebates gives you 6% cash back at Amazon.
- The American Airlines shopping portal is currently offering up to 40 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent.
Where will you be giving this holiday season? What are your favorite charities?
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.