Last edit by: WineCountryUA
POS ==> Point of Sale. For UA, this determines pricing, inventory, fare rules, (in some cases - change fees) ....
Related threads
Different pricing/fare buckets depending on billing country / point of sale
Price delta between united.com/ United app / second phone? (Guam is billing country?)
united handles point of sale by credit card billing address. So will change the price to the local point of sale, based on billing address. If your CC is Canadian with Canadian address, and you start searching from US site, you’ll get the pricing swotcheroo. Sometimes, it’s not much of a difference. Sometimes it is. There can be different class availability, and exchange rate isn’t necessarily up to date.
Online OTAs should let you bill to whatever card you want, so that’s one solution.
Online OTAs should let you bill to whatever card you want, so that’s one solution.
Different pricing/fare buckets depending on billing country / point of sale
Price delta between united.com/ United app / second phone? (Guam is billing country?)
UA forces POS to credit card billing country -- restricts which site/card can be used
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,798
well-know problem. Search is your friend.
Your solution is likely https://www.expedia.ca/ or similar OTAs which will process your reservation in CAD.
Your solution is likely https://www.expedia.ca/ or similar OTAs which will process your reservation in CAD.
#33
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: USA
Programs: MYOB
Posts: 1,284
So I was trying to purchase airfare from United's Canadian website with my credit card (USD) and United won't let me proceed with it. The reason why I want to do that is because there is about a $10 difference after currency conversion. When I put in my billing information and click "purchase", United would stop processing the transaction and tells me that they have updated the pricing to reflect the billing information that I had entered. Anyone here experienced this before? Now I know it's only $10, but money doesn't grow on trees...
Last edited by xzh445; Mar 24, 2019 at 11:16 am
#34
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: BGI | MIA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro | Hyatt Globalist | HH Diamond | SPG Gold
Posts: 316
most OTA’s pass along standalone airfare in my experience but I’ve never tried a foreign OTA.
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,798
If it’s the US personal Amex platinum, you would only get 5X if Expedia passed along the charge to United to process. If Expedia processes the charge themselves you will not get 5X.
most OTA’s pass along standalone airfare in my experience but I’ve never tried a foreign OTA.
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Día Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,472
I've done this before but in the reverse (use a Cdn card on US website.) Obviously, you can't sign in to your account. You must use guest mode. IIRC, I entered my correct street address, but used a fake state and zip code. Can't remember what I used for the city. I believe it worked for either MC or Visa, but not both. You'll have to experiment. But the transaction went through. Once I had my PNR, I just added my UA number and it appeared in my account. No issues.
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,855
well-know problem. Search is your friend.
Your solution is likely https://www.expedia.ca/ or similar OTAs which will process your reservation in CAD.
Your solution is likely https://www.expedia.ca/ or similar OTAs which will process your reservation in CAD.
Correct that an OTA should process it just fine. Expedia.ca should price in CAD using CA POS and also process a US card.
Have bought 3 round trips. YYZ-HUB(ORD/SFO)-HNL direct on UA website in the last 9 months. Mix of direct search and Google flights. No issues. US citizen, US credit card. When using Google Flights, the display comes back in CA $ when sent to UA.com. . Select the drop down at the top for North America//US English. Reprices to US$. Proceed with purchase... never a problem. Are you selecting US/English?
There are a few websites that says Expedia doesn't give 5x back on the Platinum and I'm better off buying direct from the airline. I guess my question is how often does Expedia or Orbitz pass the charge to the airline to process so that I get the maximum amount of points?
#39
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,110
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,855
#42
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: Southwest, Alaska, United, American Airlines
Posts: 994
#44
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: 66,582
#45
Moderator, Air Canada; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE MM, FB Plat, WS Plat, BA Silver, DL GM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,622
I was just very frustrated to discover that I couldn't enter my Canadian billing address in the UA app. Check out FT to see there's a solution. Further disappointed to find that the prices are all in USD rather than departure city, meaning a ~30% increase. But still 10% cheaper than I was seeing on the UA site/Google Flights/etc.
Seems UA is still not verifying billing addresses as I used the Houston address of my old employer and it seems to have gone through okay. Thanks go to FT once again
Now if only there was some way to get the US price but billed in CAD...
Seems UA is still not verifying billing addresses as I used the Houston address of my old employer and it seems to have gone through okay. Thanks go to FT once again
Now if only there was some way to get the US price but billed in CAD...