How (and why) you should regularly audit your loyalty accounts
Editor's Note
Growing up as the son of an accountant, I learned the importance of verifying credits and debits from a young age. This mindset extends to my loyalty accounts as well.
There are numerous opportunities to make the most of your travel rewards. However, this game assumes you will earn and redeem points at the expected rates set by travel providers.
Unfortunately, there are plenty of instances where entire flights or hotel stays fail to be credited to our accounts. Therefore, regularly examining and assessing our loyalty accounts' accuracy is crucial. Mistakes, more often than not, tend to work against us as customers.
Here's how and why you should conduct audits of your loyalty accounts.
How to audit your accounts
Conducting audits of your loyalty accounts can vary in difficulty depending on the level of accuracy you seek. For instance, when it comes to flights, a simple check to ensure that Premier qualifying points, Loyalty Points or Medallion Qualification Dollars align roughly with the ticket price is easier than manually verifying each lifetime flight mile.
I may go a bit overboard, but I check my major loyalty accounts nearly every day, since I spend significant time traveling. It is crucial to me that I receive proper credit for my journeys. When flying, paying extra attention to your frequent flyer accounts is essential, especially when traveling with partner airlines. TPG staffer Nick Ewen encountered difficulties getting Delta SkyMiles to accurately credit miles for a SkyTeam partner flight in the past, while I've experienced mileage mishaps by crediting Star Alliance partner flights to United MileagePlus.
In the realm of hotels, I have observed that certain brands are more dependable when accurately posting stays. Hilton Honors, for example, has never made an error in my Hilton Honors account. World of Hyatt generally posts my stays correctly, but sometimes the qualifying revenue is incorrect, resulting in fewer earned points.
On the other hand, I've had multiple issues with Marriott Bonvoy, including instances of entire stays not being posted or significant discrepancies in qualifying revenue.
TPG staffers have also experienced errors with IHG One Rewards. One had an IHG stay in Iceland credited as 316 Icelandic krona (~$2.39) instead of $316. He promptly contacted IHG through online messaging, and the issue was swiftly resolved.
Since points are typically earned based on total spending, errors in qualifying revenue can significantly impact the overall points accumulation.
As a result, I have learned to pay special attention to the less reliable loyalty programs.
Related: Here's why you should always double-check your hotel bill
Why you should audit your accounts
One of the most compelling examples of why you should always audit your accounts came from my 2022 stay at Hotel Paseo, Autograph Collection in Palm Desert, California.
Although I stayed in early February, the stay was never posted to my Marriott Bonvoy account. I booked the stay directly through Marriott, and it was an eligible rate to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. My Ambassador Elite membership was also linked to the reservation.
I waited a month for the stay to be posted to my account, and it never happened. This prompted me to contact Marriott Bonvoy using this form, which you can do if your stay hasn't been posted within 10 business days of your checkout date.
Fortunately, Marriott swiftly resolved this mistake, and the stay was posted the same day I submitted the form.
Almost 20,000 points and three elite qualifying nights were completely missing from my account — the points alone are worth $166.68 by our valuations. Although it was likely a system error at fault, this was decidedly not in my favor — and without an audit, it would've gone unnoticed.
Related: Why I always charge my meals, gifts and spa treatments to my hotel room
For an example from airline loyalty programs, I have a friend who has traveled to India multiple times using his MileagePlus account on Air India-issued tickets. On different trips, the miles haven't been awarded to his MileagePlus account in several cases. When this happens, you will need to submit a request for missing miles with United. But don't expect to be done there.
Although the Air India ticket numbers were provided on the ticket receipt to United, United could not locate the flights using its Star Alliance partner ticket search. As a result, an email from United made it clear that it would be unable to credit these flights without a physical boarding pass for each sector. Luckily, he had copies of the boarding passes, which were submitted, and the miles were posted.
Because of situations like this, I've learned to keep my boarding passes for partner flights until the miles post.
Bottom line
It's an unfortunate reality that mistakes happen when it comes to earning points or miles for your travel activity — regardless of the underlying cause. Failing to conduct regular audits puts you at risk of missing out on what you rightfully deserve, which can be extremely frustrating and leave you feeling deceived.
Just as you ensure that transactions on Venmo and PayPal are accurately reflected in your bank account, verifying that your travel activities are being properly recorded is equally important. If you're unsure about what you should earn, we recommend referring to our beginner's guide and consulting each travel provider you engage with.
Pay attention to detail and meticulously review your records. Keep all of your airline boarding passes until your rewards post — especially when traveling on partner carriers. And when you do come across a clear mistake, submit a request to fix it as soon as possible.
The first time you identify (and ultimately correct) an error, you'll immediately see the benefits of this practice.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.