Recap: 6 Opportunities To Buy Points | One Mile at a Time

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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 many programs sell points at a discount, so in this post I wanted to provide a recap of that, since it can be tough to keep track of the various deals out there. Many of these are among the best-ever deals we've seen from programs, which is fitting when you consider the circumstances.

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

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• Through May 27, 2020, 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
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• Through May 31, 2020, Alaska Mileage Plan is offering up to a 60% bonus on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 1.72 cents each / more info here
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• Through May 31, 2020, American AAdvantage is offering up to a ~71% bonus and 5% discount on purchased miles / buy miles for as little as 1.79 cents each / more info here
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• Through June 12, 2020, Choice Privileges is offering up to a 30% discount on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.69 cents each / more info here
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• Through June 15, 2020, IHG Rewards Club is offering up to a 100% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.5 cents each / more info here
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• Through June 30, 2020, Marriott Bonvoy is offering up to a 60% bonus on purchased points / buy points for as little as 0.78 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, Hilton Honors, and Marriott Bonvoy promotions 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:

Other points 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 spending, 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.