Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > United Airlines | MileagePlus
Reload this Page >

MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles

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]

Archived posts - MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles [ARCHIVE]


Print Wikipost

MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles

Old Aug 26, 2023, 7:57 pm
  #91  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Exec Plat, UA Gold, SPG Platinum, SQ Gold
Posts: 68
Originally Posted by EkekoBWI
Better than AirBnB GC at Office Depot at 5x UR and booking through Delta / AirBnB site?
oooh tht's next level!
sriramkri is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2023, 7:58 pm
  #92  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Exec Plat, UA Gold, SPG Platinum, SQ Gold
Posts: 68
Originally Posted by FlyingHighlander
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
we've always used airbnbs in places so this works for us! have never had an airbnb cancel on us just yet!
sriramkri is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2024, 5:25 pm
  #93  
Marriott Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: Previously top-tier everything, now a happy free agent
Posts: 1,003
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?
I feel like there was some discussion about merchant codes not coding correctly at some point. Is Airbnb through MPX still coding to the CSR as travel (hence 3x points)?
bj27 is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2024, 5:59 am
  #94  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 264
Originally Posted by bj27
I feel like there was some discussion about merchant codes not coding correctly at some point. Is Airbnb through MPX still coding to the CSR as travel (hence 3x points)?
I just had a $100 AirBnB GC via MPX post on my CSP as travel (2x) so I imagine it would be travel on the CSR
ZenFlyer and bj27 like this.
iamflyer is offline  
Old Feb 5, 2024, 8:40 am
  #95  
Marriott Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: Previously top-tier everything, now a happy free agent
Posts: 1,003
Originally Posted by iamflyer
I just had a $100 AirBnB GC via MPX post on my CSP as travel (2x) so I imagine it would be travel on the CSR
Awesome, thanks for for the data point!
bj27 is offline  
Old Feb 6, 2024, 2:41 pm
  #96  
NDN
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Marriott Titanium and LTP, Hilton Gold, United Silver
Posts: 785
Restaurants gift cards from mpx all code properly
NDN is offline  
Old Feb 27, 2024, 8:38 pm
  #97  
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 282
Just purchased a Starbucks GC through MPX using the Bilt card to see if it would code correctly and it did. Pretty sure I've used Citi and it coded correctly as well which makes the list Citi, Wells Fargo, and Chase all earning bonus through the app. American Express stopped working before I was even using the app but I tested it again recently just to make sure and it posted as 1x. Only have the BoA Alaska card so I can't do a test to see if they code correctly.
SPN Lifer and ZenFlyer like this.
CaptJOB is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2024, 11:38 am
  #98  
 
Join Date: Mar 2024
Posts: 2
Why can't I buy a e-gift card with my credit card? I've tried both through the browser and the mobile app, but I always get the same error - "Purchase failed. We're sorry - the transaction cannot be completed. The system is experiencing errors."
beesdelooders83683 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2024, 12:55 pm
  #99  
Moderator: United Airlines
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,742
Originally Posted by beesdelooders83683
Why can't I buy a e-gift card with my credit card? I've tried both through the browser and the mobile app, but I always get the same error - "Purchase failed. We're sorry - the transaction cannot be completed. The system is experiencing errors."
Are you located in the USA?
Eligibility. MileagePlus X eGift Cards is available only to MileagePlus members physically located in the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. The eGift Cards Website is available only to MileagePlus members who are residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Eligibility for programs other than MileagePlus X eGift Cards and the eGift Cards Website is established by the content provider for the applicable program. You may have only one MileagePlus account at a time. Any offer for any products or services made in or through MileagePlus X or the eGift Cards Website is void where prohibited.
WineCountryUA is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2024, 1:10 pm
  #100  
 
Join Date: Mar 2024
Posts: 2
YES, USA
beesdelooders83683 is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2024, 1:58 pm
  #101  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 51
Hello all,

A couple days ago I updated X on my phone and ever since then it hasn't worked. Even if i can choose a vendor to get a gift card it will give me an error message, Now it will not eve load. Is there a problem with the app or is anyone else having this problem?

Thanks.
jkumpire is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2024, 2:05 pm
  #102  
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 282
Originally Posted by jkumpire
Hello all,

A couple days ago I updated X on my phone and ever since then it hasn't worked. Even if i can choose a vendor to get a gift card it will give me an error message, Now it will not eve load. Is there a problem with the app or is anyone else having this problem?

Thanks.
I've purchased two giftcards(today) since the update with no issues.
CaptJOB is offline  
Old Mar 9, 2024, 4:56 pm
  #103  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
Originally Posted by jkumpire
Hello all,

A couple days ago I updated X on my phone and ever since then it hasn't worked. Even if i can choose a vendor to get a gift card it will give me an error message, Now it will not eve load. Is there a problem with the app or is anyone else having this problem?

Thanks.
I'm not aware of any current issue but this sounds like problems ive had before. Probably worse for you if it won't even open.
Try things like deleting any saved cards in the app. Then try deleting any saved cards on united website and adding again. May or may not be your issue but this has solved multiple bugs before for me.
FlyingHighlander is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.