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MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles

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Old Feb 6, 2015, 2:30 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
NEW as of 11/9/18:
App now includes MP Dining and MP Shopping in addition to eGift cards.

Dining: Once you log in and enable location sharing the app will tell you what MP Dining restaurant options are in your area. The app appears to know if you are a base or VIP dining member, and shows the appropriate earn rate you can expect (3 for base member or 5 miles per $ for VIP). Restaurants show in an incomplete "Nearby" list or are further visible under the "Cuisine Types" tab.

Shopping: You can browse the same list of stores you'd find on the main MileagePlus shopping website. There are tabs to show which stores are offering elevated offers as well as another with a searchable list of all stores who participated in the program. Tapping on the store will give you the option take you to that store's site so you can shop in your device's browser just as you would on a laptop or desktop.

Maximizing this app opp:
As per the app, you can double or triple dip. You get the UA miles from the app (+25% bonus if the app is attached to a MP acct), you get the miles (or CB, or whatever the deal is with your CC) from the CC attached to the app (via .bomb), and if you use the GC that is generated by the App and apply it online to a purchase via the MP shopping portal, you get the UA miles for that as well.
Ex: Buy $50 Staples MP-X credit with the app and get:
A. 2x on the app at Staples=100 UA (if you have a MP CC attached to the app, you get 25% more = 125 UA), PLUS
B. 2% CB with your BA+ card for example = $1 CB (but then no extra 25% bonus shown in A., above), PLUS
C. 1x on MP portal = 50 UA


Total would be 150 UA + $1CB in the example above (a UA double dip, e.g. A and C, but a non-UA dip added).

More scenarios:
-If you used a 1x UA MP card in the above example, it would be 125 UA+50 UA+50 UA=225 UA (a UA triple dip, e.g. A, B, and C).

-If you used a 5x INK card in the above example, it would be 100UA+*MAYBE 250UR+50UA = 150U+*MAYBE 250UR (a UA double dip, e.g. A and C, but a non-UA dip added and IMHO the best value: effectively 8x! *assuming the INK codes correctly as office supplies**).

**This is probably not the case, see post 513- no triple dipping

Conversions
Some MPX merchants allow for the purchase of a gift card with a gift card. This may allow you to use MPX to indirectly purchase a gift card to shop at a merchant otherwise not offered on MPX. As always, YMMV as you may encounter some merchants that may not allow this practice, rogue cashiers/managers who think it might not be allowed, or POS systems that are designed to not allow this (understandable as they make little to no money on the sale).

These merchants *may* include:

Best Buy - Does not allow purchase of Visa/Amex/MC gift cards, other merchant GCs OK.
GameStop
Sears

MPX Merchants that sell other merchants' GCs, but do not allow the purchase of GC with GC (MPX or otherwise):

Staples - Not allowed per policy, but may go through on their POS if cashier ignores prompt.
Barnes and Noble - No official policy - cashiers are trained that it's not allowed although it will go through on their POS
Office Depot
Lowes
eBay

Note: There appears to be a $3000.00 per 24 hours spend limit

MPX only works within the US - as per T&Cs! If you try to use the app outside the US, error code 126 will pop up.

Your MPX account name and password are the same as the united.com / MP account name and password. And your mile earned are locked to that MP account.
If using MPX to get a few miles to prevent mileage expiration, you need to be logged in as that account whose miles are approaching expiration.

In your account info is "Member since " date

customer service email address, [email protected]

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Old Dec 6, 2022, 1:01 pm
  #76  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, WF GoFar Rewards, AAdvantage, United MileagePlus
Posts: 1,663
BTW, buying a Buca di Beppo gift card through MileagePlus X is a bad deal, since Buca di Beppo is a Rewards Network member and you can earn 5 points per dollar instead of 3 if you are a MileagePlus Dining VIP member.
Delta 764 is offline  
Old Dec 6, 2022, 1:06 pm
  #77  
t1c
 
Join Date: May 2013
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Programs: AMEX, Ritz LT-Plat Prem, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Delta Plat, United Gold, Sixt Plat
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Originally Posted by Delta 764
BTW, buying a Buca di Beppo gift card through MileagePlus X is a bad deal, since Buca di Beppo is a Rewards Network member and you can earn 5 points per dollar instead of 3 if you are a MileagePlus Dining VIP member.
Nice!
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Old Feb 21, 2023, 1:40 pm
  #78  
 
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 33
Anyone know how long it takes for the intro bonus to post?

I made a purchase on 19th and miles from the purchase has already posted, but the intro spend $25 and get 1000 bonus miles hasn't.
maigewitter is offline  
Old May 3, 2023, 11:32 am
  #79  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SJC/BUR
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Starwood Gold
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Anyone running into weird errors when trying to purchase thousands of dollars of cards?
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Old May 3, 2023, 9:32 pm
  #80  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,947
Originally Posted by stvr
Anyone running into weird errors when trying to purchase thousands of dollars of cards?
IIRC, the unofficial cap is $2000 per day.
EkekoBWI is offline  
Old May 3, 2023, 10:09 pm
  #81  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Washington, D.C.
Programs: AA, but I play the field
Posts: 1,440
Originally Posted by stvr
Anyone running into weird errors when trying to purchase thousands of dollars of cards?
I've run into some difficulties when trying to purchase multiple cards from the same vendor in order to cover a large purchase. I was always too eager to proceed with the purchase to figure out what amounts were causing problems.

Originally Posted by EkekoBWI
IIRC, the unofficial cap is $2000 per day.
Interesting, thanks! Maybe that's the problem I ran into -- I was trying to buy appliances at Home Depot and I think the total purchase amount exceeded that.
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ZenFlyer is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2023, 10:51 am
  #82  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 180
Question about MileagePlus X app

Browsing the MileagePlus X app to gather some extra miles and I had a question. If I buy a subscription to get the bonus miles, and then cancel it privately with the merchant after receiving my miles, would United know/cancel the miles?
nevillek is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2023, 8:29 pm
  #83  
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Saipan, MP 96950 USA (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands = the CNMI)
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton Silver. Life: UA .57 MM, United & Admirals Clubs (spousal), Marriott Platinum
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Usually when a purchase or subscription is cancelled, the vendor returns any refund to the original form of payment.
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Old Jul 10, 2023, 9:28 pm
  #84  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by SPN Lifer
Usually when a purchase or subscription is cancelled, the vendor returns any refund to the original form of payment.
right so if the refund goes to my chase sapphire, how would united find out?
nevillek is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2023, 9:42 pm
  #85  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Originally Posted by nevillek
Browsing the MileagePlus X app to gather some extra miles and I had a question. If I buy a subscription to get the bonus miles, and then cancel it privately with the merchant after receiving my miles, would United know/cancel the miles?
Was the purchase made by an egift card? Does the vendor have knowledge of the credit card used? How would you use the gift card credit?

Guess this was not an egift card but rather MileagePlus Shopping

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 10, 2023 at 9:49 pm
WineCountryUA is offline  
Old Jul 10, 2023, 10:56 pm
  #86  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 180
Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Was the purchase made by an egift card? Does the vendor have knowledge of the credit card used? How would you use the gift card credit?

Guess this was not an egift card but rather MileagePlus Shopping
Yeah no gift card.. just MileagePlus shopping
nevillek is offline  
Old Jul 11, 2023, 1:56 am
  #87  
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
Originally Posted by nevillek
Browsing the MileagePlus X app to gather some extra miles and I had a question. If I buy a subscription to get the bonus miles, and then cancel it privately with the merchant after receiving my miles, would United know/cancel the miles?
Here, let me translate your question for you:

”Is this a loophole that will allow me to cheat the affiliate program?”

The answer is, shockingly, “no,” that merchants don’t particularly like being cheated, and if they paid a referral fee for a sale and then the sale is canceled, they contact the referring company and let them know; the next time the referral company gets paid, the amount that they’d been given last time for the canceled subscription will be deducted.

And, yes, this works in practice — I had a MileagePlus Shopping purchase that I needed to return (IIRC, it arrived too late). The miles, as I expected, were clawed back about a week after I got my refund.
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Old Aug 24, 2023, 8:47 pm
  #88  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Exec Plat, UA Gold, SPG Platinum, SQ Gold
Posts: 68
hi all, just sharing a triple dip i've recently been doing with United MPX, credit card and delta via airbnb.

1. if we decide to stay on an airbnb, find out total cost inclusive tax
2. buy airbnb gift card on United MPX via chase sapphire preferred
3. go to delta airbnb website and make airbnb reservation

basically getting 3x travel on chase for MPX (still available?), 2.5x united miles and 1x delta miles.

anyone else tried this?
kirkwoodj likes this.
sriramkri is offline  
Old Aug 24, 2023, 9:15 pm
  #89  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
Originally Posted by sriramkri
hi all, just sharing a triple dip i've recently been doing with United MPX, credit card and delta via airbnb.

1. if we decide to stay on an airbnb, find out total cost inclusive tax
2. buy airbnb gift card on United MPX via chase sapphire preferred
3. go to delta airbnb website and make airbnb reservation

basically getting 3x travel on chase for MPX (still available?), 2.5x united miles and 1x delta miles.

anyone else tried this?
That's a good one. I rarely use airbnb so the risk of being stuck with a high dollar airbnb gift card if the airbnb cancels on you would be too high for me. Perhaps the chance of that happening is low, but I live next to a national park and hear plenty of tourist horror stories of it happening to them
FlyingHighlander is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2023, 10:44 am
  #90  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,947
Originally Posted by sriramkri
hi all, just sharing a triple dip i've recently been doing with United MPX, credit card and delta via airbnb.

1. if we decide to stay on an airbnb, find out total cost inclusive tax
2. buy airbnb gift card on United MPX via chase sapphire preferred
3. go to delta airbnb website and make airbnb reservation

basically getting 3x travel on chase for MPX (still available?), 2.5x united miles and 1x delta miles.

anyone else tried this?
Better than AirBnB GC at Office Depot at 5x UR and booking through Delta / AirBnB site?
EkekoBWI is offline  


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