Jan 27, 2024, 11:28 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles
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]
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]
MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles [ARCHIVE]
Jun 19, 2015, 4:08 pm
#316
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hilton Plastic, Delta Silver Emeritus
Posts: 1,037
Jun 20, 2015, 4:02 pm
#318
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 24
【Update】DEAD now.
Now you can redeem UA miles to buy Amazon Gift Card, up to 2 cents/mile!!! (through Mileage Plus X)
First, you need an android phone and install Mileage Plus X. The iOS version does not yet support this feature (perhaps coming soon).
Then, go and try to buy some Amazon Gift Card, and you will see a place to select "I want to redeem my miles for this purchase". Then you can see how many miles you need to pay for the amount you input.
If you don't have any UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~1.8 cents/mile; if you have a silver or higher UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~2 cents/mile!!!
Personally I think this is a really good way to spend your UA miles (even UR!), because if you buy economic flights the redemption value is usually ~1.6 cents/mile.
Note that other merchant have quite low redemption value (~0.6 cents/mile). So I don't know yet whether the high redemption value for Amazon Gift Card is a limited time offer or not...
Original post in my blog (in Chinese, sorry): http://uscreditcardguide.com/united-mileageplus-x/
Now you can redeem UA miles to buy Amazon Gift Card, up to 2 cents/mile!!! (through Mileage Plus X)
First, you need an android phone and install Mileage Plus X. The iOS version does not yet support this feature (perhaps coming soon).
Then, go and try to buy some Amazon Gift Card, and you will see a place to select "I want to redeem my miles for this purchase". Then you can see how many miles you need to pay for the amount you input.
If you don't have any UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~1.8 cents/mile; if you have a silver or higher UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~2 cents/mile!!!
Personally I think this is a really good way to spend your UA miles (even UR!), because if you buy economic flights the redemption value is usually ~1.6 cents/mile.
Note that other merchant have quite low redemption value (~0.6 cents/mile). So I don't know yet whether the high redemption value for Amazon Gift Card is a limited time offer or not...
Original post in my blog (in Chinese, sorry): http://uscreditcardguide.com/united-mileageplus-x/
Last edited by physixfan; Jun 21, 2015 at 1:10 pm
Jun 20, 2015, 4:29 pm
#319
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,103
Now you can redeem UA miles to buy Amazon Gift Card, up to 2 cents/mile!!! (through Mileage Plus X)
First, you need an android phone and install Mileage Plus X. The iOS version does not yet support this feature (perhaps coming soon).
Then, go and try to buy some Amazon Gift Card, and you will see a place to select "I want to redeem my miles for this purchase". Then you can see how many miles you need to pay for the amount you input.
If you don't have any UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~1.8 cents/mile; if you have a silver or higher UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~2 cents/mile!!!
Personally I think this is a really good way to spend your UA miles (even UR!), because if you buy economic flights the redemption value is usually ~1.6 cents/mile.
Note that other merchant have quite low redemption value (~0.6 cents/mile). So I don't know yet whether the high redemption value for Amazon Gift Card is a limited time offer or not...
Original post in my blog (in Chinese, sorry): http://www.physixfan.com/makemoney/u...mileageplus-x/
First, you need an android phone and install Mileage Plus X. The iOS version does not yet support this feature (perhaps coming soon).
Then, go and try to buy some Amazon Gift Card, and you will see a place to select "I want to redeem my miles for this purchase". Then you can see how many miles you need to pay for the amount you input.
If you don't have any UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~1.8 cents/mile; if you have a silver or higher UA elite status, the redemption value will be ~2 cents/mile!!!
Personally I think this is a really good way to spend your UA miles (even UR!), because if you buy economic flights the redemption value is usually ~1.6 cents/mile.
Note that other merchant have quite low redemption value (~0.6 cents/mile). So I don't know yet whether the high redemption value for Amazon Gift Card is a limited time offer or not...
Original post in my blog (in Chinese, sorry): http://www.physixfan.com/makemoney/u...mileageplus-x/
Jun 20, 2015, 4:34 pm
#321
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,059
For all of us iOS users out there, if you want access to this redemption option (which sounds pretty fantastic) then you might look at the Android emulators. I haven't tried and can't vouch for them, but:
http://www.andyroid.net/
Is available for Windows and Mac. There seem to be others.
http://www.andyroid.net/
Is available for Windows and Mac. There seem to be others.
Jun 20, 2015, 4:47 pm
#322
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,103
Just bought a $500 Amazon gift card for 24,636 miles, so a little better than 2 cents per mile. Now I love the MileagePlus X app! Lolz.
This is pretty fantastic, because by my math, standard business/first awards are basically worth about 2 cents per mile. So I can burn my miles buying everything under the sun from Amazon--which I already do anyway, at least several hundred dollars per month--and then use the recaptured dollars to buy flights and get RDMs, PQMs, and PQDs. Excellent!!
Just bought a second one, so it's not a one-time only.
This is pretty fantastic, because by my math, standard business/first awards are basically worth about 2 cents per mile. So I can burn my miles buying everything under the sun from Amazon--which I already do anyway, at least several hundred dollars per month--and then use the recaptured dollars to buy flights and get RDMs, PQMs, and PQDs. Excellent!!
Just bought a second one, so it's not a one-time only.
Last edited by physioprof; Jun 20, 2015 at 4:58 pm Reason: added additional enthusiasm! and checked whether one time only.
Jun 20, 2015, 5:36 pm
#323
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,012
Just bought a $500 Amazon gift card for 24,636 miles, so a little better than 2 cents per mile. Now I love the MileagePlus X app! Lolz.
This is pretty fantastic, because by my math, standard business/first awards are basically worth about 2 cents per mile. So I can burn my miles buying everything under the sun from Amazon--which I already do anyway, at least several hundred dollars per month--and then use the recaptured dollars to buy flights and get RDMs, PQMs, and PQDs. Excellent!!
Just bought a second one, so it's not a one-time only.
This is pretty fantastic, because by my math, standard business/first awards are basically worth about 2 cents per mile. So I can burn my miles buying everything under the sun from Amazon--which I already do anyway, at least several hundred dollars per month--and then use the recaptured dollars to buy flights and get RDMs, PQMs, and PQDs. Excellent!!
Just bought a second one, so it's not a one-time only.
Jun 20, 2015, 6:01 pm
#324
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,059
So how do you turn Amazon credit back into cash? That's the magic I need.
Jun 20, 2015, 6:59 pm
#325
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,103
Yes, exactly. Using miles to buy stuff on Amazon I would have paid cash for, and then using the saved cash to buy UA tickets.
Jun 20, 2015, 7:27 pm
#326
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,012
Given the new RDM earnings in place, you will come out lower on that front, but it's basically a way to earn PQM/PQD instead (which probably has more value). Basically - it works until you run out of miles to spend on gift cards, which you will (if you simply look at these transactions in isolation - I'm sure you have other travel that will help you refill your RDM bucket).
Jun 20, 2015, 7:37 pm
#327
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,103
Given the new RDM earnings in place, you will come out lower on that front, but it's basically a way to earn PQM/PQD instead (which probably has more value). Basically - it works until you run out of miles to spend on gift cards, which you will (if you simply look at these transactions in isolation - I'm sure you have other travel that will help you refill your RDM bucket).
Jun 21, 2015, 8:14 am
#328
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 315
Amazon deal dead after I just installed an Android emulator.
Jun 21, 2015, 8:32 am
#329
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,012
-$500 for ~25k RDM (rounding here)
-You spend $500 on a plane ticket. Assuming all of those are PQD (which is generous), you get 9x that for RDM as Platinum, which equates to 4.5k RDM.
Ergo, in isolation, you are effectively spending 20.5k RDM to get $500 PQD and some amount of PQM (depending on how far you are flying, if it's F or Y, etc.).
If you buy higher-class fares and spend more money, that's your prerogative, but that's a marginal cost on top of the above.
Jun 21, 2015, 8:59 am
#330
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,129
You are going to get crushed if you think $500 Amazon is worth $500 cash, because it isn't. The best you can do is about 75% from giftcardgranny. It's best to shift real spend to Amazon and cash out that way. I buy Amazon GC regularly, but I would not buy at 90%. For example, I value UR as 1.7cpm via Southwest so I would buy them from_________. (decided not to reveal the optimal route for Amazon GC)
Last edited by jmw; Jun 21, 2015 at 9:07 am