In addition to bank card welcome bonuses, maximizing your return on every day spending, after which maybe some superior manoeuvres, one extra 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 just would possibly get from a few of the different methods to earn factors, and it’s not going to be a technique that works always, a circumstance might come up wherein buying factors might be , if not excellent, deal.
Most of those conditions depend on airways and resorts placing on promotions that mean you can buy factors at a reduction from the common charge, and these promotions come and go continuously, 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 wherein it’d make sense to purchase factors outright, and hopefully you’ll be capable to apply this evaluation subsequent time you obtain one in all these particular provides in your inbox.
1. Purchase Factors to High Up Your Account for a Redemption
Think about that you just’ve deliberate out a significant redemption with a sure loyalty program, however you’re simply shy of getting sufficient miles to guide it.
You’ve discovered your required routing, positioned all of the award availability, and arrange the remainder of your journey to completely align with these flights. All you’re lacking is that ultimate couple hundred or couple thousand miles earlier than you’ll have sufficient to guide the entire thing.
If it’s a program like Aeroplan the place you may immediately switch over your Amex MR factors to top-up, then that might 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 might be in your finest curiosity to buy them outright, because you’d (presumably) nonetheless be getting nice worth in your redemption even when you need to spend some cash.
And even in the event you’re nonetheless method off having sufficient miles for a significant redemption, shopping for these extra miles to make the journey occur can nonetheless be a viable choice in comparison with the choice of paying money out-of-pocket.
For example, take into account American Airways AAdvantage, which usually means that you can 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 preferrred 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 could be very worthwhile to think about topping up your account.
Ideally, there’s a proposal accessible for when it’s good to purchase factors, which might simply wind up saving you some cash in the long run. If so, then topping up your account turns into much more enticing.
In any other case, you’ll have to pay the prevailing charge, which is often 3.5 cents per level (USD).
Now, buying factors at this charge normally isn’t deal. Nonetheless, when you have a compelling use of AAdvantage miles wherein you’re assured of getting larger worth than 3.5cpp, then that’d be a unique story.
For instance, in the event you have been simply shy of miles for a Qsuites redemption, you can prime up your account and nonetheless be getting outsized worth out of your factors. The opposite choice of paying money for the flight is nearly definitely going to be astronomically larger, 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.
Nonetheless, it demonstrates an occasion wherein, given an current need to guide a sure flight and the in any other case prohibitive money costs, it could actually make good 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 just’re shopping for factors to make up the distinction for a selected utilization of the factors. Nonetheless, what in the event you’re utterly new to a loyalty program and haven’t even collected a single level but? Wouldn’t it nonetheless make sense to purchase factors?
Relying in your journey habits, it definitely may. Particularly, in the event you’re somebody who’d in any other case pay money for premium class flights or five-star resorts and resorts, then it’d properly be deal to purchase factors at a reduction and use these factors to guide your required flight, as a substitute of paying the total retail charge.
Take the instance of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, which has some very well-known candy spots in premium cabins. Specifically, ANA First Class and ANA enterprise class are a few of 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, in the event you purchase sufficient Virgin Factors throughout one in all 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 likely to see promotions a number of occasions all year long, so in the event you’ve had your eyes set on an opulent flight to Japan, maintain a watch out for a proposal after which be able to act.
In fact, you’ll have to ensure that there’s award availability in your desired flights earlier than you pursue this technique, so it’s finest to examine for availability first earlier than making a significant factors buy like this.
3. Purchase Factors to Save Cash on Premium Accommodations
An analogous thought additionally works properly with luxurious resorts 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 usually 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 night time would price you 120,000 Hilton Honors factors. Due to this fact, you can buy 60,000 factors beneath this promotion and get Hilton to match it, which might be sufficient for one night time 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. (Be aware that 100,000 XPF is equal to round $900 USD).
However it could actually truly 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 accrued a wholesome 320,000 Hilton Honors factors.
Now in the event you 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 extra 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 succeed in your objectives shouldn’t be missed.
As with shopping for factors for aspirational flights, it is best to you should definitely find award availability prior to creating a factors buy, after which act rapidly to safe your reservation.
4. Purchase Factors to Entry Factors Currencies That Are More durable to Earn
Shopping for factors will also be a helpful method to earn factors in packages that don’t supply one other handy method to rack up a big steadiness.
For instance, World of Hyatt is thought 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 definitely potential 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 wish to lock in a high-value Hyatt factors redemption extra imminently, you may take into account shopping for Hyatt factors throughout one in all 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 may reliably redeem these factors for larger than their acquisition worth to attain some good reductions on Hyatt’s top-tier resorts.
5. Purchase Factors on a Speculative Foundation, Sparingly
One query which may come to thoughts is “Do you have to purchase factors with no redemption in thoughts?”
Whereas it could be tempting to purchase some factors once they’re on sale, it’s virtually by no means a good suggestion to take action in the event you don’t have a selected plan for utilizing these factors inside, say, the following 6–12 months.
You might need a dream journey brewing at the back of your thoughts, but when the supply 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 circumstances, you may benefit from a limited-time supply to purchase factors at far decrease than their goal worth. Each time this occurs, you will have an opportunity at scoring an excellent 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 much decrease than our valuation of Aeroplan factors at 2.1 cents per level (CAD).
In circumstances resembling these, some Aeroplan members could be comfy with taking a big gamble by shopping for factors with no particular use in thoughts. In the event that they’re capable of then apply these factors at a better 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 big gamble on the finish of the day.
The Logistics of Shopping for Factors
If you happen to’re excited by buying factors, you should definitely maintain a number of issues in thoughts concerning the precise course of itself.
First off, in the event you’re shopping for factors from a US-based loyalty program, like American Airways AAdvantage or Atmos Rewards, then you definitely’ll normally be hit with gross sales taxes in the event you enter a Canadian billing handle through the check-out course of.
As you may think about, this could rapidly eat into the already tightened worth that you just’re getting from shopping for factors within the first place. Fortunately, the way in which round that is easy: use a US bank card and a US billing handle to purchase factors from these packages.
One other consideration is which bank card it is best to use when buying factors, and the reply will rely on which class of transactions the acquisition in the end falls beneath. Some packages course of your factors purchases as a transaction with the airline or lodge itself, wherein case it’d fall beneath the “journey” class, and could be eligible for class bonuses like 2x the factors on the Amex Gold Rewards Card or the Amex Platinum Card.
Nonetheless, most packages use a third-party vendor like Factors.com to finish the transaction, wherein case it’s only a general-category buy like some other, so you should utilize 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 wish to be 100% sure that the flight or lodge for which you’re shopping for factors is certainly accessible if you need it to be. It’s possible you’ll run into “phantom” award area, which might be a really disappointing final result in the event you’d simply spent a big sum of money on a speculative factors buy and might’t full your reserving.
Conclusion
Shopping for factors means that you can seize the worth in factors packages 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 think about your choices and maintain updated with any present factors gross sales.
It’s key to crunch the numbers and maintain monitor of earlier promotions to make sure you’re not overpaying, too. You’ll wish to be 100% certain 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 price it.
Whether or not you’re quick a pair hundred factors for that massive redemption or wanting to economize on aspirational flights or resorts, there are quite a few conditions wherein shopping for factors might be advantageous.
