Moreover bank card welcome bonuses, maximizing your return on each day spending, after which maybe some superior manoeuvres, one further methodology to accumulate loyalty factors in some circumstances is by outright shopping for them from the loyalty program.
Whereas it doesn’t fairly have the identical satisfying feeling of “travelling for nearly free” that you simply may get from among the different methods to earn factors, and it’s not going to be a technique that works always, a circumstance could come up by which buying factors might be , if not excellent, deal.
Most of those conditions depend on airways and accommodations placing on promotions that permit you to buy factors at a reduction from the common charge, and these promotions come and go regularly, with their durations various from as little as a number of days to an entire month.
Let’s take a look at a number of conditions by which it’d make sense to purchase factors outright, and hopefully you’ll have the ability to apply this evaluation subsequent time you obtain one in every of these particular provides in your inbox.
1. Purchase Factors to High Up Your Account for a Redemption
Think about that you simply’ve deliberate out a serious redemption with a sure loyalty program, however you’re simply shy of getting sufficient miles to e book it.
You’ve discovered your required routing, situated all of the award availability, and arrange the remainder of your journey to completely align with these flights. All you’re lacking is that closing couple hundred or couple thousand miles earlier than you’ll have sufficient to e book the entire thing.
If it’s a program like Aeroplan the place you’ll be able to immediately switch over your Amex MR factors to top-up, then that may be the most suitable choice. In any other case, if there’s no fast and simple resolution to earn that further small quantity of miles, then it could be in your greatest curiosity to buy them outright, because you’d (presumably) nonetheless be getting nice worth in your redemption even when it’s important to spend some cash.
And even for those who’re nonetheless means off having sufficient miles for a serious redemption, shopping for these further miles to make the journey occur can nonetheless be a viable possibility in comparison with the choice of paying money out-of-pocket.
For instance, contemplate American Airways AAdvantage, which frequently lets you purchase miles throughout a sale. On each side of the border, coming throughout AAdvantage miles will be troublesome, for the reason that switch ratio from RBC Avion isn’t perfect and there aren’t many different switch companions.
If you happen to’re simply shy of getting sufficient miles for a redemption on, say, Qatar Airways Qsuites or Qantas First Class, it might be very worthwhile to contemplate topping up your account.
Ideally, there’s a proposal obtainable for when it is advisable to purchase factors, which might simply wind up saving you some cash ultimately. If so, then topping up your account turns into much more engaging.
In any other case, you’ll have to pay the prevailing charge, which is usually 3.5 cents per level (USD).
Now, buying factors at this charge often isn’t deal. Nonetheless, in case you have a compelling use of AAdvantage miles by which you might be assured of getting greater worth than 3.5cpp, then that’d be a distinct story.
For instance, for those who have been simply shy of miles for a Qsuites redemption, you could possibly prime up your account and nonetheless be getting outsized worth out of your factors. The opposite possibility of paying money for the flight is sort of actually going to be astronomically greater, so topping up your account is probably going the most suitable choice.
In fact, this instance depends on the loyalty account holder already having an current steadiness of miles, so it’s not essentially generalizable to everybody’s scenario.
However, it demonstrates an occasion by which, given an current need to e book a sure flight and the in any other case prohibitive money costs, it might make excellent sense to take up American Airways AAdvantage’s supply to purchase miles, particularly at a reduction from the usual worth.
2. Purchase Factors to Save Cash on Premium Flights
The above instance assumes that you’ve got an current steadiness with a sure loyalty program, and that you simply’re shopping for factors to make up the distinction for a selected utilization of the factors. Nonetheless, what for those who’re utterly new to a loyalty program and haven’t even collected a single level but? Would it not nonetheless make sense to purchase factors?
Relying in your journey habits, it actually may. Particularly, for those who’re somebody who’d in any other case pay money for premium class flights or five-star accommodations and resorts, then it’d effectively be deal to purchase factors at a reduction and use these factors to e book your required flight, as a substitute of paying the complete retail charge.
Take the instance of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, which has some very well-known candy spots in premium cabins. Particularly, ANA First Class and ANA enterprise class are among the most compelling makes use of of Virgin Factors.
A one-way flight from the US to Japan in ANA First Class comes with a hefty price ticket – one which most individuals wouldn’t pay for out-of-pocket.
Nonetheless, for those who purchase sufficient Virgin Factors throughout one in every of Virgin Atlantic’s promotions to cowl the price of an ANA First Class flight, you’d solely have to spend round $1,335 (USD), which is a major low cost in comparison with shopping for a full-fare First Class ticket.
We are inclined to see promotions a number of instances all year long, so for those who’ve had your eyes set on an opulent flight to Japan, preserve a watch out for a proposal after which be able to act.
In fact, you’ll have to make it possible for there’s award availability in your desired flights earlier than you pursue this technique, so it’s greatest to test for availability first earlier than making a serious factors buy like this.
3. Purchase Factors to Save Cash on Premium Accommodations
An identical thought additionally works effectively with luxurious accommodations and resorts. Let’s check out Hilton Honors’s recurring 100% bonus promotion, which tends to run all through a lot of the yr.
Hilton frequently sells factors at 1 cent per level (USD), however with this promotion, they’re promoting factors at 0.5 cents per level (USD).
If you happen to wished to remain on the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, a free evening would price you 120,000 Hilton Honors factors. Subsequently, you could possibly buy 60,000 factors beneath this promotion and get Hilton to match it, which might be sufficient for one evening on the Conrad Bora Bora Nui for less than $600 (USD).
Certainly, that’s nonetheless a major splurge. However in comparison with retail charges, it’s a reasonably good-looking low cost. (Notice that 100,000 XPF is equal to round $900 USD).
However it might really get even higher, if we tie it again to the primary instance of shopping for factors to prime up your account. Let’s say you’ve been buying the US-issued Amex Hilton bank cards, and have already collected a wholesome 320,000 Hilton Honors factors.
Now for those who have been to purchase 80,000 factors beneath the promotion and get Hilton to match the extra 80,000, you’ll have sufficient factors for not 4, however 5 nights on the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, as a result of Hilton provides a Fifth Night time Free profit on factors redemptions.
In order that $800 (USD) outlay goes in direction of further nights at among the best resorts in Bora Bora. If you happen to’re the sort to make use of your factors for aspirational once-in-a-lifetime journeys, then the chance to purchase factors beneath profitable promotions to achieve your objectives shouldn’t be missed.
As with shopping for factors for aspirational flights, it is best to make sure you find award availability prior to creating a factors buy, after which act shortly to safe your reservation.
4. Purchase Factors to Entry Factors Currencies That Are Tougher to Earn
Shopping for factors may also be a helpful strategy to earn factors in applications that don’t supply one other handy strategy to rack up a big steadiness.
For instance, World of Hyatt is understood for providing high-value lodge redemptions at its luxurious properties, however this system doesn’t have a Canadian-issued co-branded bank card.
(It’s actually attainable to undergo the method of getting US bank cards and ultimately making use of for a Chase Hyatt bank card, however that’s a laborious course of that may take a number of years’ time.)
If you happen to’d prefer to lock in a high-value Hyatt factors redemption extra imminently, you’ll be able to contemplate shopping for Hyatt factors throughout one in every of their frequent factors gross sales.
This lets you earn as much as 55,000 factors per yr per account just by buying them from this system, and you’ll reliably redeem these factors for greater than their acquisition worth to attain some good reductions on Hyatt’s top-tier accommodations.
5. Purchase Factors on a Speculative Foundation, Sparingly
One query that may come to thoughts is “Do you have to purchase factors with no redemption in thoughts?”
Whereas it might be tempting to purchase some factors after they’re on sale, it’s virtually by no means a good suggestion to take action for those who don’t have a selected plan for utilizing these factors inside, say, the subsequent 6–12 months.
You may need a dream journey brewing at the back of your thoughts, but when the provision doesn’t work out or there’s a devaluation to this system’s award chart, your miles won’t find yourself getting used as you had initially deliberate.
In some instances, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of a limited-time supply to purchase factors at far decrease than their goal worth. At any time when this occurs, you will have an opportunity at scoring an impressive deal on a higher-value redemption sooner or later.
For instance, in July 2025, Aeroplan factors have been being offered with a 110% bonus. The efficient buy worth grew to become 1.88 cents per level (CAD), which is way decrease than our valuation of Aeroplan factors at 2.1 cents per level (CAD).
In instances resembling these, some Aeroplan members can be snug with taking a bet by shopping for factors with no particular use in thoughts. In the event that they’re capable of then apply these factors at the next worth, then the result’s constructive – however there’s no assure of that final result when making the preliminary speculative buy, which is why it’s a bet on the finish of the day.
The Logistics of Shopping for Factors
If you happen to’re excited about buying factors, make sure you preserve a number of issues in thoughts in regards to the precise course of itself.
First off, for those who’re shopping for factors from a US-based loyalty program, like American Airways AAdvantage or Atmos Rewards, you then’ll often be hit with gross sales taxes for those who enter a Canadian billing deal with in the course of the check-out course of.
As you’ll be able to think about, this will shortly eat into the already tightened worth that you simply’re getting from shopping for factors within the first place. Fortunately, the best way round that is easy: use a US bank card and a US billing deal with to purchase factors from these applications.
One other consideration is which bank card it is best to use when buying factors, and the reply will depend upon which class of transactions the acquisition in the end falls beneath. Some applications course of your factors purchases as a transaction with the airline or lodge itself, by which case it’d fall beneath the “journey” class, and can be eligible for class bonuses like 2x the factors on the Amex Gold Rewards Card or the Amex Platinum Card.
Nonetheless, most applications use a third-party vendor like Factors.com to finish the transaction, by which case it’s only a general-category buy like some other, so you should use any card on which you’re trying to full a minimal spend.
Among the many above examples, American Airways AAdvantage processes factors purchases instantly as an airline buy, whereas Atmos Rewards, Hilton Honors, and Aeroplan undergo Factors.com.
Lastly, you’ll need to be 100% sure that the flight or lodge for which you’re shopping for factors is certainly obtainable while you need it to be. You might run into “phantom” award house, which might be a really disappointing final result for those who’d simply spent a big sum of money on a speculative factors buy and might’t full your reserving.
Conclusion
Shopping for factors lets you seize the worth in factors applications with out essentially placing within the work to earn these factors at a really low price. The worth of shopping for factors varies relying on every particular scenario, however it’s at all times good to contemplate your choices and preserve updated with any present factors gross sales.
It’s key to crunch the numbers and preserve monitor of earlier promotions to make sure you’re not overpaying, too. You’ll need to be 100% positive that you’re getting extra worth out of your bought factors than what you pay for them, in any other case it’s most likely not value it.
Whether or not you’re brief a pair hundred factors for that large redemption or wanting to economize on aspirational flights or accommodations, there are quite a few conditions by which shopping for factors might be advantageous.
