Did you obtain reward playing cards for the vacations that you simply aren’t that enthusiastic about?
We’ve got some excellent news: You may flip these undesirable reward playing cards into United MileagePlus miles via United’s MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange. Here is the way it works.
Which reward playing cards are eligible?
On the MileagePlus Gift Card Exchange landing page, United notes that “over 100” sorts of service provider reward playing cards are accepted. On the backside of that web page, there is a hyperlink to an inventory of the retailers whose reward playing cards this system will take, together with Finest Purchase, Sears, Starbucks and Walmart.
Nevertheless, notice that some retailers on its record aren’t truly accessible for alternate on the web site, comparable to Dwelling Depot and Southwest Airways. There are additionally loads of retailers accessible for alternate that are not on the record, together with North Face and HP.
Associated: Flights, credit cards and more: How to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program
Is it value it?
United has a chart itemizing the “minimal award miles awarded,” which might make you suppose that some choices supply extra miles than these charges. However I checked dozens of various retailers, and the mileage supply was the identical for every one.
Regardless of the chart, you are not restricted to $25, $50 and $100 reward playing cards. You may alternate any reward card with at the least a $15 minimal stability. From what we have gathered, the calculation is the reward card worth occasions 26.6, rounded as much as the closest 10 miles. This price imputes a price on the United miles of between 3.70-3.76 cents per mile, relying on how a lot you are buying and selling in. For instance:
- $15 reward playing cards = 400 United miles (3.75 cents per mile)
- $20 reward playing cards = 540 United miles (3.70 cents per mile)
- $25 reward playing cards = 670 United miles (3.73 cents per mile)
- $30 reward playing cards = 800 United miles (3.75 cents per mile)
- $40 reward playing cards = 1,070 United miles (3.74 cents per mile)
- $50 reward playing cards = 1,330 United miles (3.76 cents per mile)
- $100 reward playing cards = 2,660 United miles (3.76 cents per mile)
This price is far increased than TPG’s valuation of 1.45 cents per United mile, that means that you simply’re not getting good worth out of your reward playing cards. However, when you’d moderately have the miles than the reward card, it could be value benefiting from this manner of offloading them.
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Additionally, at the least United is being constant. When United is not operating a buy miles promotion, you may buy United miles at a price of $35 per 1,000 United miles. After taxes and charges, this price can also be successfully 3.76 cents per mile.
Associated: The best credit cards for buying points and miles
Limitations to remember
To promote reward playing cards via the MileagePlus Reward Card Trade, your MileagePlus account will need to have been open for at the least 90 days. Additionally, this system’s phrases and circumstances notice your account should “have a constructive account stability.”
Though United will provide you with a quote for $10 reward playing cards, the phrases and circumstances state: “Reward playing cards accepted will need to have a $15 minimal stability on the cardboard and will have a most imposed.” It additionally seems that the alternate will solely settle for reward playing cards as much as $100.
In case you resolve to promote a present card via the MileagePlus Reward Card Trade, the miles ought to arrive in your United account inside 5 enterprise days.
Associated: Exchange your unwanted gift cards for Hotels.com gift cards and more
Backside line
When you’re not going to get a wonderful price from buying and selling in undesirable reward playing cards, it is good to have the choice to liquidate these reward playing cards for one thing that you simply may truly need. That mentioned, it is perhaps value checking on-line for an additional reward card alternate program (comparable to CardCash) which will provide you with a greater price.
The one argument for utilizing the MileagePlus Reward Card Trade is when you want United miles for an upcoming redemption, have tapped out your Chase Ultimate Rewards points and are holding a qualifying reward card. In case your solely different possibility is to purchase United miles, you may as properly liquidate the reward card — particularly if it is one you would not use quickly anyway.
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