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Most points and miles enthusiasts know that shopping portals can be a simple way to boost your points balance. Clicking through an online shopping portal can net you tons of extra points through lucrative earning multipliers and open up the possibility to stack offers for even more points. Most airlines and bank programs offer these shopping portals for online shopping.
But what about shopping in-store? You may wonder if there is a way to use a similar shopping portal to earn miles or points when you shop in person at a local store. There is. United MileagePlus X is a unique app that allows you to earn bonus United MileagePlus miles at stores near you, similar to how you would through a shopping portal online.
Here's what you need to know to earn extra miles with the MileagePlus X app.
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What Is the MileagePlus X App?
The United MileagePlus X app lets you earn United miles on a variety of in-store and online purchases — including dining, online shopping, last-minute hotel reservations, using featured apps, and buying eGift cards
You can download the free MileagePlus X app (MPX) from the App Store or Google Play Store and use it on your phone, Chromebook, or tablet. The MPX app also frequently offers bonus opportunities to earn extra bonus miles for specified activities or accelerated earning rates for certain merchants.
You do not have to use or even have a United MileagePlus credit card to earn miles through the app — although you'll want one for the 25% bonus miles. However, you'll need a MileagePlus account (click here to enroll) to register for the app's benefits.
When you log into the app, your home screen displays all the options for earning miles — and there are many!
How Does the MileagePlus X App Work?
The MileagePlus X app differs from other shopping portals because you can use it to shop in person at stores near you. To shop in-store, select “Buy eGift cards” from the main menu. The app will pull up a selection of participating locations that are nearby. If you want to look further afield, click on the catalog option at the top of your screen for the entire roster of participating retailers and restaurants by category.
The listings show the miles per dollar you can earn by purchasing from a given store or restaurant. When you are ready to pay at one of these retailers, you can buy a gift card for the total purchase amount. You can do it right at the register on your phone.
For example, I went to my local Petco and made a purchase that totaled $26.32. At the register, I selected Petco, entered the amount, and chose the form of payment I wanted to use.
I like to use the MileagePlus X app to purchase Starbucks eGift cards because I can automatically load them right into the Starbucks app and transfer the funds to an existing gift card. That way, I can earn Starbucks stars on my coffee purchases as well.
Related: Marriott and Starbucks Partner To Offer Travelers Bonus Points, Double Stars
Important Things To Know about the MileagePlus X App
MileagePlus X gift cards are non-refundable. So, make sure you know how much you plan to spend and that the store can accept them before purchasing. You don't want to get stuck with a gift card you won't use.
Generally, using the MileagePlus X app is quick and user-friendly. However, I've occasionally had issues with poor wireless service, which caused processing delays. As you can imagine, this is frustrating to encounter while standing at a register.
Finally, remember that if you purchase an expensive item with a gift card, you will not get the purchase protection or extended warranty benefits that you might get from a credit card.
Earn Bonus Miles When Paying With a United Credit Card
One of the best aspects of MileagePlus X is that all MileagePlus cardholders get 25% more bonus miles on each app purchase. You will be automatically gifted the extra miles just for having the card — even if you don't use it to pay.
After you pay, a pop-up will show you how many miles you've earned and break down how many extra you got for having a Chase card. The following cards qualify for the bonus miles:
- The New United Gateway℠ Card
- The New United℠ Explorer Card
- The New United Quest℠ Card
- The New United Club℠ Card
- The New United℠ Business Card
- Limited-Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- Earn a $100 United travel credit after spending $10,000 on purchases with your United℠ Explorer Card within a calendar year
- Over $400 in partner credits each year
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Can You Stack MileagePlus X Earnings With Other Offers?
You can use any form of payment to buy an eGift card. Thus, you can often (but not always) stack your MPX earnings with credit card bonus categories. For instance, purchasing a Taco Bell gift card will usually code as a “restaurant” purchase. Cardholders with increased earning rates on restaurants can earn in their card's bonus category on top of the United miles earned in the app.
Additionally, if you use your eGift cards online, you can click through from another shopping portal to earn even more points. But pay attention to the terms, as sometimes, purchases made with gift cards are ineligible to earn extra rewards.
Bottom Line
The MileagePlus X app can be a simple way to quickly amass United miles, especially if you're a United cardholder. Strategic purchases can add up, meaning more miles to work with and, hopefully, incentivizing you to take advantage of one of United's sweet spots.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The New United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees)
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