Whose account to hold points in?
 

My parents each signed up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k offer and are now sitting on 200k UR points total. They are very fiscally conservative and this was the first time they actually decided to sign up for a card for miles. That said, the whole process made them nervous and I doubt they will keep the cards once the next annual fee hits and it's unlikely I will be able to convince them to sign up for another card, although downgrading to a no-annual-fee card is a possibility.

I have the opportunity to use all my parents' points up on a few trips that I was going to use my Chase UR points on. The plan is that I would keep track of how many points I then owed them, and I would book travel for them as needed out of my account, then they could close their account without concern about losing their points or making them less valuable.

My dilemma is that I'm sure there is a catch or two that I am unaware of. Would I be able to buy tickets for my parents out of my account for most airlines, or do most airlines require that the miles come from the person who will be flying? I anticipate that most of their points will be used for flights, but a few hotel rooms are a possibility. Normally I would look this stuff up on my own, but the decision has to be made by tomorrow and I'm out of time. I just want to make sure I make the best decision for their points, they are leaving the handling of all of it in my hands. I would really, really appreciate any guidance that people could give me. Thank you in advance.

Although you say it's unlikely they would apply for another card, it would probably be the best choice. If the were to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred, they would be able to move all the points there and still have the ability to transfer to travel partners. And even though the points are worth a little less if booking through the Chase travel portal, the difference would be more than offset from the additional 50,000 point signup bonus plus an extra 5,000 for adding an authorized user. Also, the CSP waves the annual fee for the first year.

Just my opinion

Thank you, that was my plan, but I really doubt I'll be able to convince them. The whole credit card thing made them too nervous. These are people that have never had more than a single credit card their whole lives.

You never know. You already convinced them to signup for two cards and to pay $900 in annual fees. I wouldn't think you'd have to twist their arm too hard too apply for another. With the annual fee waved the first year and another 55,000 points it seems like a no brainier. Maybe the need to book a trip to see how valuable this game can be. Once their eyes are opened, I doubt they would refuse to apply.

For 1 card, we paid net $150 profit after 2 x $300 travel expense credits (Jan 2017/2018).