How Long Do Purchased Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Points Take to Post?

Wondering how long it takes for purchased miles to post? AwardWallet measures these times rather than estimating them. We buy points in these programs ourselves and record exactly when the balance updates. We also learn from AwardWallet members who buy points and have a balance watch enabled. Balance watch checks the account at least hourly, and members often refresh manually far more frequently, which lets us pin down the moment points land to within minutes. Averaging across many purchases is why you'll see figures like 24 minutes rather than round numbers.

"Posting" means the points appear in your account balance, not just the purchase confirmation. Across 40+ airline and hotel programs, times range from immediate to two days: Radisson averages about 24 minutes, and IHG, Southwest, and Flying Blue are typically instant, while Qantas, TAP, and SAS can take two days. Note that these are purchase times, not transfer times, which measure moving points between programs. Programs marked "Unknown" do not have enough data yet.