Buying points or miles can make sense when it completes a specific, bookable reward for less than the cash alternative. It is rarely sensible as a speculative investment: award prices, availability and programme rules can all change.
How much can you buy points for?
The useful figure is the effective cost per point, not the headline bonus. Divide the total price paid in pence by the total points received, including promotional points.
Price paid in pounds × 100 ÷ total points received = pence per point.
The table below gives practical UK benchmarks. Sterling equivalents for programmes that charge in US dollars or euros move with the exchange rate and card fees, so the live checkout price is always the final authority.
| Currency | Typical standard purchase cost | Strong offer territory | My spending target | Initial view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avios | Ordinary one-off purchases are often roughly 1.6p-1.8p each | Balance Boost or a large annual subscription can be around 0.9p; occasional Boost promotions can be lower | At least 1p; 1.2p+ is especially appealing | Boost can work for a ready-to-book redemption; ordinary purchases usually need unusually high value |
| Virgin Points | About 1.5p each plus any transaction fee | Large bonuses can reduce the effective cost to roughly 0.9p-1.1p | At least 1p | Usually wait for a strong bonus and a confirmed use |
| Emirates Skywards Miles | About US$30 per 1,000, before any local taxes or card costs | A large bonus can reduce the cost, but it commonly remains above 1.5p per Mile | Compare with the intended premium-flight or experience value | Best treated as a top-up, not a cheap way to build a balance |
| Qatar Airways Avios | Commonly around US$35 per 1,000 before bonuses | Bonus campaigns may reduce the effective cost substantially | At least 1p per Avios | Normally expensive unless a sale unlocks a specific Qatar redemption |
| IHG One Rewards | About US$13.50 per 1,000, roughly 1.0p each before FX costs | A 100% bonus is roughly 0.5p each | Around 0.5p; 0.6p+ is strong | A 100% bonus is near break-even against my target, so the actual hotel price matters |
| Hilton Honors | US$10 per 1,000, roughly 0.75p each before FX costs | A 100% bonus is roughly 0.37p-0.40p each | Around 0.4p; 0.5p+ is strong | A full 100% bonus can be attractive for a specific standard-room reward |
| Marriott Bonvoy | US$12.50 per 1,000, roughly 0.9p-1.0p each before FX costs | A 40%-50% bonus can reduce this to roughly 0.6p-0.7p | Around 0.6p; 0.8p+ is strong | Only the stronger sales approach my target |
| World of Hyatt | US$24 per 1,000, roughly 1.8p each before FX costs | A 20%-25% discount or substantial bonus can reduce the cost to around 1.4p | Compare with the exact Hyatt redemption | Expensive, but high-value luxury redemptions can sometimes justify it |
| Radisson Rewards | About US$7 per 1,000, roughly 0.5p each before FX costs | A 100% bonus can reduce this to roughly 0.25p-0.30p | Around 0.2p; 0.3p+ is strong | Even a large bonus needs checking against Radisson’s redemption discount |
These figures are decision-making ranges, not permanent tariffs. Purchase prices, annual limits, targeted bonuses and exchange rates change. I check the logged-in checkout before relying on any price.
See also How Much Is an Avios Worth?
Every practical way to buy Avios
Avios deserves its own comparison because “buying Avios” can mean several different things.
1. Balance Boost
Balance Boost lets eligible British Airways Club members multiply Avios collected recently. The available transactions and Boost price appear after logging in. It is usually the first place I would check because the standard rate has commonly been around 0.9p-1.0p per additional Avios, materially below an ordinary one-off purchase. Promotional reductions can improve it further.
Boost creates new Avios; it does not move the original points. The limits, eligible collection window and maximum annual quantity matter. I would still confirm reward availability before paying, because even 0.9p is poor value if the eventual redemption saves less than 0.9p per Avios.
2. Avios Subscription
An Avios Subscription delivers a chosen quantity monthly. Paying annually is normally cheaper than paying monthly, and the largest annual package has historically produced the lowest subscription cost per Avios – around 0.9p each. It can suit someone with predictable long-term use, but it creates a recurring commitment and is less flexible than boosting only when a booking is ready.
3. Buy Avios directly
A standard one-off purchase is quick and can solve a small shortfall, but the effective rate is usually much higher – often around 1.6p-1.8p per Avios, depending on quantity. That is above my normal 1p target, so I would generally use it only when a small top-up protects a much more valuable booking or when a promotional bonus materially cuts the cost.
4. Gift Avios
Gifting buys new Avios for another eligible member. It is not normally cheaper than buying for yourself; the attraction is that the points are delivered directly to the recipient. Compare the full checkout price and limits rather than treating “gift” as a separate bargain.
5. Transfer Avios between members
A paid member-to-member transfer does not create new Avios. It moves an existing balance and may involve a fee, so it should not be compared with Boost as if both were purchases. A Household Account can often achieve the intended shared redemption without paying to transfer balances.
6. Cash + Avios and reward-booking top-ups
Choosing a booking option that uses fewer Avios and more cash is economically similar to buying the missing Avios inside the booking. Calculate the implied cost: divide the extra cash by the Avios saved. Some options are reasonable; others effectively charge far more than Boost or a subscription.
7. Buying through another Avios programme
British Airways, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub and Finnair Plus use Avios, but their purchase prices and promotions can differ. Moving Avios between linked programmes may be possible through “Combine My Avios” or equivalent tools. Account eligibility, matching personal details and transfer restrictions must be checked before purchasing through a different programme.
Buying other airline miles
- Virgin Points: members can buy for themselves or gift points. The normal price is usually above my 1p spending target, so bonus periods are the sensible time to consider it. See How Much Is a Virgin Point Worth? for my redemption benchmark.
- Emirates Skywards: Emirates offers Buy, Gift, Transfer, Multiply, Reinstate and Extend Miles. Multiply Miles is tied to eligible earned activity and can be cheaper than an arbitrary purchase, while reinstating or extending solves an expiry problem rather than creating a cheap balance.
- Qatar Airways Avios: Qatar offers Buy and Gift Avios and periodically runs bonuses. Compare its checkout with BA Boost and any other linked Avios account before buying.
For my current IHG redemption benchmark and real Reward Night examples, see How Much Is an IHG Point Worth?.
See also How Much Is a Marriott Bonvoy Point Worth?
Buying hotel points
IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and Radisson normally sell points through their official sites, often using Points.com as the transaction platform. Promotions are commonly targeted or tiered, so two members may not see the same offer.
- IHG: 80%-100% bonus promotions are common reference points. At 100%, the cost is close to my 0.5p redemption target; it is only compelling when the selected hotel delivers more.
- Hilton: a 100% bonus can take the purchase price to around my 0.4p target or slightly below it. Fifth Night Free for eligible elite members can improve a five-night award further.
- Marriott: ordinary purchases are well above my 0.6p target. Strong bonuses can bring the acquisition cost closer, and the fifth-night-free feature on eligible awards can improve the overall result.
- Hyatt: the purchase price remains relatively high even during offers, but some luxury hotels can deliver strong enough value to justify a precise top-up.
- Radisson: bonus pricing can approach 0.25p per point, but that is not automatically attractive against a 0.2p target. See How Much Is a Radisson Rewards Point Worth? for my full valuation.
- Accor Live Limitless: ALL points are not generally sold as a simple permanent “buy points” product. Paid subscriptions and promotional routes can award points, but they should be valued as packages rather than described as a normal points purchase.
- MeliáRewards: purchase or transfer options can be account- and market-dependent. Use the logged-in price and compare it with the cash discount the points will actually produce.
Points that normally cannot be bought directly
American Express Membership Rewards points are not sold as a normal retail product. Neither are Tesco Clubcard or Nectar points. Paying a card fee, buying goods only for points, or paying to transfer a flexible currency is a different decision and should include the full underlying cost.
Purchase cost versus realistic redemption value
My decision rule is simple:
Only buy when the conservative redemption value is higher than the all-in purchase cost, with a useful margin for risk.
If I buy IHG points at 0.5p and redeem them at exactly 0.5p, I have merely converted flexible cash into less-flexible points. If I buy Hilton points at 0.38p for a confirmed reward returning 0.55p, the margin is more persuasive. For Avios bought through Boost at 0.92p, I would want the intended booking to return comfortably above 1p after taxes, fees and any voucher cost.
Checks before paying
- Find the reward first and confirm that it is bookable.
- Calculate the all-in pence-per-point cost, including fees, foreign-exchange charges and tax.
- Compare the reward with the cash price I would genuinely pay, not an inflated flexible fare I would never book.
- Allow for points, elite credit and benefits forgone by not booking with cash.
- Check annual purchase limits, expiry rules, refundability and how quickly the points post.
- Use only the programme’s authorised purchase route; unofficial points sales can breach programme terms and expose the booking to cancellation.
Where to buy
Start from the airline or hotel programme’s own website or logged-in account and follow its Buy, Gift, Boost or Subscription option. Many hotel programmes hand the payment stage to Points.com; that is normal when the journey began from the programme’s official account. I would not use marketplaces, social-media sellers or any route that asks members to transfer points outside the programme’s published rules.
My pence-per-point targets explain the redemption side of the calculation. The purchase and redemption figures should always be considered together.
Prices and programme rules change. The ranges above are practical UK comparison figures, not a promise of the price that will appear in an individual account. Check the live logged-in offer before purchasing.
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