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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
TPG's director of travel content Eric Rosen has used points and miles to visit some of the world's most remote corners, including swimming with whale sharks off Western Australia's Ningaloo Coast, exploring the wilds of Botswana's Okavango Delta and tasting the high-altitude wines of Argentina's Mendoza region.
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
also contributed to this story
July 19, 2024 • 10 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
Buying points and miles is typically not cost-effective, but can make sense for topping off balances for imminent redemptions or when award availability is limited.
Most loyalty programs sell points through third-party platforms, which often prevents purchases from qualifying for travel or hotel spending bonuses.
Some airlines process mileage purchases directly, allowing these transactions to be categorized as airfare and potentially earn higher rewards with certain cards.
Alternatives to buying points include earning transferable rewards or using shopping portals to maximize value.
What to consider
Points and miles purchased are generally nonrefundable and may lose value over time due to devaluations.
Purchases made through third-party platforms usually do not qualify for travel or hotel bonus categories, limiting potential rewards.
Some programs and cards may offer exceptions, so testing with a small purchase can help determine how the transaction is categorized.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of which loyalty programs use third-party sellers, how to maximize rewards on points purchases, and alternative strategies to boost your balances.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Truth be told, buying points and miles usually is not a great deal. You typically have to buy them in batches of 1,000 or more, and airlines and hotels charge several cents per point or mile you purchase — usually well above the typical value of points and miles that you can expect to achieve when making a redemption.
But every so often, airline and hotel loyalty programs offer significant discounts or bonuses on purchased points that might be well worth it to some customers. This is usually the case if you can get the points for about half the price and have a specific and imminent award redemption in mind. Other times, it can make sense to buy points when you only need a few more before making a redemption for your next vacation.
If you're about to make a purchase, these are the best credit cards for buying points and miles. We'll also highlight which purchases could qualify for bonus points.
When it makes sense to buy points and miles
While we generally advise against purchasing points and miles, sometimes it's your last resort.
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For example, you're just shy of a dream redemption and need the points or miles urgently to make the award ticket a reality. If award availability is limited, you may need to top off your balance by buying points or miles. If earning rewards through credit card spending or on a sign-up bonus might take too long — meaning that hotel room or award seat could disappear — it would make sense to purchase airline or hotel currency. Just make sure that this purchase doesn't negate the value of your existing rewards, making it a poor redemption altogether.
Consider whether buying points and miles could help you complete a redemption or be cheaper than paying for your travel outright. However, points and miles are always devaluing, so there's no reason to convert your hard-earned cash to an unstable loyalty program currency. That's especially true since most of these purchases can't be canceled or refunded.
Let's say you've looked through our current offers to buy points and miles and decided to make a purchase. If you are going to purchase points or miles, it pays to know which credit card will earn you the best return.
Most points programs sell points via Points.com rather than directly through the loyalty program. This means buying hotel points may not code as "hotel" or "travel," preventing you from earning spending category bonuses as you normally would if booking travel. But, there are still ways to maximize your points purchases.
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Points.com
Points.com is a third-party clearance house for many of the major hotel and airline loyalty programs. Among those that run their purchases through Points.com are:
Airlines
Aer Lingus AerClub
Aeromexico Club Premier
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Europa SUMA
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
AirMiles.ca
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Avianca LifeMiles
British Airways Executive Club
Caribbean Airlines Caribbean Miles
Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
Emirates Skywards
Ethiopian Airlines ShebaMiles
Etihad Guest
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
Finnair Plus
Frontier Miles
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
Iberia Plus
Icelandair Saga Club
JetBlue TrueBlue
LATAM Pass
Lufthansa Miles & More
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Spirit Airlines Free Spirit
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
United MileagePlus
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer
Virgin Red
WestJet Rewards
Hotels
Choice Privileges
Hilton Honors
IHG One Rewards
Marriott Bonvoy
Melia Rewards
Radisson Rewards
Shangri-La Golden Circle
World of Hyatt
Wyndham Rewards
As you can see, most of the major programs use Points.com as their mileage retailer. Unfortunately, these purchases won't code as airfare, hotel reservations or general travel purchases. That means you won't get any bonus miles for using an airline credit card, a hotel credit card or a card that earns bonus points on travel, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Your best bet is to use a card that earns a bonus on everyday spending. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, for instance, earns 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, and TPG's July 2024 valuations peg these at 1.85 cents apiece — a 3.7% return on spending. The Blue Business®️ Plus Credit Card from American Express also earns 2 Membership Rewards points on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar after that), providing a 4% return on your first $50,000 of purchases each year according to TPG's valuations.
Some exceptions
The good news is that some airlines still process their own mileage purchases. If you buy miles from the following airlines, it should code as an "airfare" purchase:
American Airlines AAdvantage
That means making these purchases with The Platinum Card® from American Express could earn 5 points per dollar (on up to $500,000 of airfare purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar). You could earn 3 points per dollar with the Chase Sapphire Reserve or even offset the purchase with your annual $300 in travel credits.
Additionally, there are occasions where purchasing Delta SkyMiles codes as an airfare purchase, but this is not a guarantee. If you're considering buying Delta SkyMiles, make a test purchase first to see how the transaction appears on your billing statement.
When choosing the option for "Rapid Rewards credit card" and paying with a Southwest Airlines cobranded credit card, you'll typically earn the points multiplier for Southwest purchases associated with your credit card. Making a small test purchase first before committing to a large purchase is a good idea here; this way, you'll know how the purchase codes before receiving a surprise on your larger purchase.
3 points per dollar (but not on purchases covered by the yearly $300 travel credit)
6.2 cents
"Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
3 points per dollar (on the first $150,000 of annual purchases across multiple business categories, including travel, then 1 point per dollar)
6.2 cents
American Express® Gold Card
3 points per dollar (also gives 3 points per dollar on flights booked through amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™)
6 cents
American Express® Green Card
3 points per dollar
6 cents
[applChase Sapphire Preferred® Card
2 points per dollar
4.1 cents
* Value is based on TPG's July 2024 valuations and is not provided by the credit card issuer.
The information for the American Express Green and Citi Prestige cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Alternatives
Even with promotional bonuses, purchasing airline miles or hotel points is oftentimes too expensive to be worth it. Instead, consider your other options.
Those include applying for a new credit card with a high welcome bonus that can quickly stock up your loyalty account with thousands of points. This is a great choice for folks who do not need the miles or points in a hurry for any specific redemption but are looking to stockpile them for the future.
Also, consider getting a card that earns transferable points that you can convert into airline miles or hotel points with partner programs. Ultimate Rewards points that you earn with the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred, for instance, transfer to loyalty programs including Air France-KLM Flying Blue, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt and more. So rather than actually paying for points and miles, you can earn them on everyday spending and then transfer them as needed.
As with any online purchase, you should look for opportunities to increase your earnings with a few extra clicks. Many purchases from Points.com won't track through shopping portals, but it's worth checking sites like Rakuten, Cash Back Monitor or your favorite airline portal to see if you can add extra points or miles to your purchase.
These portals should work well on purchases run directly through the loyalty program, however. That means you could earn extra cash back or extra points on purchases of Avianca LifeMiles, for example.
In short, buying points is only one of several useful means to put certain awards within reach and help you achieve your travel goals. If you decide that this is the route you want to go, be sure to use a credit card that helps you maximize your purchase and racks up more bonus points along the way. However, there are easier and cheaper ways to rack up the points and miles you might need. One way is to sign up for a new credit card with a welcome bonus. Focusing your points strategy on cards that earn transferable points for maximum flexibility is another.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
