Do you refund friend after you redeem miles?-Barclays, Capital one Venture
 

I split things with my partner very 50/50--we never owe each other money.

When you buy a plane ticket for another person and you eventually redeem capital one miles etc against it, getting a refund, do you go back and give the $$ back to them if they already paid you for the ticket?

this seems really hard to keep track of. I already have enough trouble keeping up of miles he owes me because I used my United miles to buy him plane tickets, etc. Those I just ask him to transfer me in miles when he accrues them.

I have absolutely no idea what you are asking, but 50/50, owing miles, partner, them LOL.

Do you refund friend after you redeem miles?-Barclays, Capital one Venture
 

If partner as in spouse, even my closest friendships, easy.

I don't believe in being petty- "you owe me this, you owe me that..." Is petty. My personal relationships are not business relationships.

Spouse, no. Best friend, yes, unless I'm giving the flight as a gift or some such.

So like you book tickets for you and a friend, each ticket is $300 and your friend pays you back the $300 in cash... then later you redeem cash back, do you refund the $300? I say no. The cash back / rewards are not a part of the transaction between you and the friend.

This.

If you give the money back to the friend/partner/whatever, you've essentially given them your points, which OP said they were against.

Exactly. I actually invoice my friends (via text, not on letterhead!) for joint cash expenses (dinner, groupons, vacations, etc.). As OP alluded, it can get pretty complicated if you paid with miles. Do you invoice at the revenue price, 2 cpm, the cost of acquisition?

@OP, you can't transfer UA miles (for free). Were you referring to UR points?

Traveling with friends I figure it all evens out in the long run. Example, went to a hockey game in Denver with a friend. I picked up the flight with miles, he picked up the room with points. Close enough to even not to worry about it.

I'm also taking a couple friends to Europe in the fall. I had enough AA miles from two credit card signups for 40K awards, but had to do an open jaw with a cheap one way in the middle. I made them an offer up front - I would get the flights and hotels I could with points. They would pay their airfare taxes & one way ticket, rental car, gas and the two hotel nights I couldn't get free. I estimated their travel expense would be about $500 each. It is a win-win since they get a trip to Europe for $500 and I save on the charges I would not be able to cover with points. In effect I sold them 72K AA miles (after CC 10% rebate) for about $700.

Whatever you do, discuss it up front so there is no miscommunication or hard feelings.