A few months ago, MommyPoints posted about a new way to earn miles via a mobile app. It was still in a beta stage so I was not able to test it out but it looks like it might be available to everyone now.
The jist of this program is that you download the MileagePlusX app (available for Apple and Android), purchase an electronic gift card to a merchant that you will be doing business at, earn United miles on top of your regular credit card miles, and use this electronic gift card to make your purchase. Here is also a video that United has explaining the process.
Here are some screenshots I took of the process:
When you open up the app, you are given a list of merchants that are nearby or you can do a search if you don’t see it on the list. You can see how many miles per dollar you will earn with each merchant. When you find the merchant you want, hit pay now to be taken to the next screen.
Shows nearby merchants or you can do a search
Next you can enter in the amount you want. Each merchant will have a min and max amount to enter. Next where you see the box above “select your form of payment”, click this to select the credit card you want to pay with. This seems to have credit cards loaded of ones you have added via the United website. After you do that, select “pay now” to be taken to another screen.
This screen you can make your final decision of whether you want to make your final gift card purchase.
Her you can make your final decision to pay
After your payment, you will see how many United miles your purchase will earn you. If you are a MileagePlus credit card holder, you will get a 25% bonus.
The next screen will be taken to your gift card number where you can show your merchant to pay for your purchase. If you aren’t using your card right away or if you didn’t use the full amount, the remainder balance will be stored on the app. You can see this by going to the drop down menu on the top left hand side and selecting “Unused Balances”.
MileagePlusX drop down menu
Here you can see my electronic gift card I just purchased. You will also receive a confirmation email of your purchase.
MileagePlusX unused balances
MommyPoints wasn’t kidding when she said your miles posted immediately. I checked within a few minutes and there they were!
I can see this being a very easy way to earn additional miles on purchases I would be making anyways. I usually try to buy physical giftcards for various merchants at OfficeDepot/Max to earn 5x per dollar but sometimes I can’t predict where I am shopping or eating at and sometimes they just aren’t available. Now will these purchases earn a category bonus on your credit card if you made a gift card purchase for a restaurant? Well the purchase showed up as MPX*PAPA JOHN’S so I am not sure if this would trigger it or not but will update when I find out.
So next time you are shopping or eating out and want to earn additional United miles for purchases, check out the app to see if the merchant is there. Those lil points do add up!
Hi ellen – ken in houston here.
i bought a $25 gift card card at office max/ office depot to test this new ap. I took both the email receipt and the special confirmation # that arrived in a text.
Staff at my local officemax are clueless on how to give me my gift card when i went to collect, and im still without my $25 gift card.
Im not seeing on the new ap a 1-800 # to call for help.
Whats you/ everyone elses experience with this ap?
5x miles on my chase united explorere card at office max, 4x plus 25% bonus is cool, and yes they posted immediately.
Hi Ken. Your gift card is in the app only.. you don’t get a physical gift card. To use the gift card. .you show the gift card # to the cashier. You can find the number in unused balance section in the menu. Also keep in mind that you can’t buy other in store gift cards with this gift card. If you still can’t find it I can show you at the meet up.
Virtual gift cards. Wow! Whats next? Ok now im clear.
Bad news im afraid. I cant now make the meet this week as i have a biz meeting. But we’ll keep the date so others can network. Will you be there, if not ill move it
I’ll be there..Thanks for letting me know!
For the Papa Johns charge, which card did you use? If you used Chase, you can go into your account, click on dispute charge (you don’t go through with it) and it will tell you the points you are going to get for the transaction. I’m curious if the app. charge looks like travel, does it look like whatever the merchant you are using the gift card at, etc.? That would change the play as to which card you would use, obviously.
I used the united card so it will only get 1 point. I need to test it out on a card with a category bonus. But thanks for the tip on how to check for the points.
I should have said it shows you the merchant category if I’m not mistaken (or maybe it was both – lol!) Either way, it gives you the info you need to find out if you get the merchant bonus. On flyer talk, there are mixed results as far as the merchant bonus depending on which card you use. UAinsider claims the merchant should be coded based on the specific merchant, but some people are reporting otherwise…
Hmm..I just checked through your method and saw it was posted as this: EATING PLACES, RESTAURANTS. If this is the case then the Chase Sapphire would be great to use with this app for restaurants.