8 Great Opportunities To Buy Points

We frequently see loyalty programs sell points at a discount, and for many this is an opportunity to buy points at a cost that makes sense, especially for aspirational redemptions.

At the moment we’re seeing even more programs than usual selling points at a discount, as a lot of programs have “last call” promotions for 2019. It’s perhaps especially worth being aware of these, since many programs have an annual cap on how many points you can purchase, and this can be a last chance to max out your limit for the year.

Here are eight of the best deals right now, in order of promotion expiration dates:

• Through December 20, 2019, Iberia Plus is offering up to a 50% bonus on purchased Avios / buy Avios for as little as 1.33 cents each / more info here
• Through December 22, 2019, Marriott Bonvoy is offering up to a 30% discount on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.875 cents each / more info here
• Through December 23, 2019, Alaska Mileage Plan is offering up to a 50% bonus on purchased points / buy miles for as little as 1.97 cents each / more info here
• Through December 23, 2019, Etihad Guest is offering up to a 30% discount on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 1.4 cents each / more info here
• Through December 28, 2019, Hilton Honors is offering up to a 100% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.5 cents each / more info here
• Through December 31, 2019, World of Hyatt is offering up to a 40% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 1.71 cents each / more info here
• Through January 5, 2020, American AAdvantage is offering up to a 70% bonus on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 2.07 cents each / more info here
• Through January 14, 2020, Air France-KLM Flying Blue is offering up to a 75% bonus on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 1.73 cents each / more info here

In each of the above cases, I linked to a post that talks about when it does and doesn’t make sense to buy points from those programs, so check that out. Don’t necessarily assume that a 100% bonus in one program is a better deal than a 50% bonus in another program, since different programs have different value propositions to begin with.

Of the above offers, I tend to think the Alaska Mileage Plan, Etihad Guest, Hilton Honors, Iberia Plus, and World of Hyatt offers are the best.

American AAdvantage mileage purchases are all processed directly. That means those purchases should qualify as airfare, and therefore I’d recommend using one of the following cards:

Card	Points earned on airfare spend
The Platinum Card® from American Express	5x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent
Citi Prestige Card	5x ThankYou points per dollar spent
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	3x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent
American Express® Gold Card	3x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent
American Express® Green Card	3x Membership Rewards points per dollar spent
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	2x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent

Other purchases should be facilitated by points.com. Those purchases don’t qualify as airfare or hotel purchases, which should impact the credit card you use.

For points.com purchases I’d recommend using a card on which you’re trying to reach minimum spending, or otherwise a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spend, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) or Citi® Double Cash Card (review).

However, keep in mind those two cards have foreign transaction fees, so you wouldn’t want to use them for any points purchases in foreign currencies.

Are you taking advantage of any of the opportunities to buy points at the moment?