Can I book with more points than I have?

[linseyjo26]

Hello!
I am thinking of buying into DVC. For our first trip we will probably not have enough points to cover what we want to book. Would I still be able to book and then find points to transfer to my account before our trip?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hello!
I am thinking of buying into DVC. For our first trip we will probably not have enough points to cover what we want to book. Would I still be able to book and then find points to transfer to my account before our trip?

No, you have to have enough points to book your stay when you book it. So you would need a transfer before you went to book the stay. And if you get a transfer, you'll need to call to book the stay and not use online booking. Most of the time transferred points do not show up on line.

You can buy up to 24 points (for $15 each) from DVC at seven months out (or less) to book a stay once per use year. But you can't use them for home advantage at 11 months out. And you can't bank or borrow them. You can only buy them when you need them.

 

[Donna M]

Usually, one can borrow points from your next year's allotment. I'm not sure if it may be different for new owners, or if you have already considered that option.

 

[dianeschlicht]

The first choice is to borrow from your next use year. That gives you twice your annual allotment of points right away. So if you have 100 points and your planned vacation takes 175, you can borrow 75 from the next use year, or up to the entire use year.

If you want to use 3 years worth of points, you can do that too, but not until you have been able to bank one year's points into the next. Then that next year you can use the banked points, current points, and borrow the future year's points for a total of 3 times your annual allotment.

The other options were well explained above.

 

[RobDoc]

Hello!
I am thinking of buying into DVC. For our first trip we will probably not have enough points to cover what we want to book. Would I still be able to book and then find points to transfer to my account before our trip?

No, you will only be allowed to make reservations using the points that are or will be available in your account for the timeframe of your reservation. The points that "will be" available could be points that need to be banked from the current Use Year, borrowed from the Use Year after the UY of the reservation or points that will be available for a reservation made during the next Use Year.

For example, with a February Use Year, you could make reservations for anytime between now and January 31, 2015 using any points in your account banked from your 2013 Use Year, points from your current 2014 Use Year and points borrowed from your 2015 Use Year. If your contract has 150 points, you could have access to up to 450 points for a stay checking out on February 1, 2015. With a June Use Year, you could bank points from the current (2013) Use Year, points from the 2014 Use Year (they are already there on your account) and points borrowed from your 2015 Use Year - for a stay between June 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015. At this time you could make a reservation at your Home Resort for any resort from now through January 8, 2015 or through September 8, 2014.

If you need 474 points, you would still be all right since DVC allows members to purchase up to 24 One-Time-Use points each Use Year for reservations made within 7 months of arrival. Otherwise, you would need to either make a cash reservation through MS to link to your reservation made using points or find another member willing to transfer their points into your account. Those points would need to be present in your account when the reservation is made.

 

[linseyjo26]

No, you have to have enough points to book your stay when you book it. So you would need a transfer before you went to book the stay. And if you get a transfer, you'll need to call to book the stay and not use online booking. Most of the time transferred points do not show up on line. You can buy up to 24 points (for $15 each) from DVC at seven months out (or less) to book a stay once per use year. But you can't use them for home advantage at 11 months out. And you can't bank or borrow them. You can only buy them when you need them.

great to know! I didn't realize about the extra points to buy or the transferring. Thank you so much for the info and for writing me back!

 

[linseyjo26]

Usually, one can borrow points from your next year's allotment. I'm not sure if it may be different for new owners, or if you have already considered that option.

hi! Thank you for writing me back! I had thought of this , but my trip is in 2015 and I was hoping to bank my 2016 points for an aulani trip in 2017. With the info you all have given me I might now look at resales with points available for 2014 to bank into 2015 ( had only looked at resales with points starting in 2015) thank you!

 

[linseyjo26]

The first choice is to borrow from your next use year. That gives you twice your annual allotment of points right away. So if you have 100 points and your planned vacation takes 175, you can borrow 75 from the next use year, or up to the entire use year. If you want to use 3 years worth of points, you can do that too, but not until you have be able to bank one year's points into the next. Then that next year you can use the banked points, current points, and borrow the future year's points for a total of 3 times your annual allotment. The other options were well explained above.

thank you so much for the info and for writing me back!! I was hoping I could use all three years at once , I am going to try to do this in 2017 at aulani. I want to buy a resale at AKV for 100 points . For this next trip (may 2015 ) I was thinking I will need 140 points , but so that I am not taking away points from my Hawaii trip I thought I would need to transfer. Now I'm thinking I will look for a resale with points to bank for next year , instead of transferring. Also wondering, if I have extra points let over is it easy to rent or transfer them? So many things to think about right now- it's a little overwhelming thanks for your help!

 

[linseyjo26]

No, you will only be allowed to make reservations using the points that are or will be available in your account for the timeframe of your reservation. The points that "will be" available could be points that need to be banked from the current Use Year, borrowed from the Use Year after the UY of the reservation or points that will be available for a reservation made during the next Use Year. For example, with a February Use Year, you could make reservations for anytime between now and January 31, 2015 using any points in your account banked from your 2013 Use Year, points from your current 2014 Use Year and points borrowed from your 2015 Use Year. If your contract has 150 points, you could have access to up to 450 points for a stay checking out on February 1, 2015. With a June Use Year, you could bank points from the current (2013) Use Year, points from the 2014 Use Year (they are already there on your account) and points borrowed from your 2015 Use Year - for a stay between June 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015. At this time you could make a reservation at your Home Resort for any resort from now through January 8, 2015 or through September 8, 2014. If you need 474 points, you would still be all right since DVC allows members to purchase up to 24 One-Time-Use points each Use Year for reservations made within 7 months of arrival. Otherwise, you would need to either make a cash reservation through MS to link to your reservation made using points or find another member willing to transfer their points into your account. Those points would need to be present in your account when the reservation is made.

thank you so much for writing me back and for the great info! The examples made it so much clearer for me . Thank you! I hadn't heard about the cash reservations through MS. That could come in handy sometime . Would the current discounts app to those reservations? And they would link the reservation with your points room so that you wouldn't have to switch rooms?

 

[jagson]

In the past I have reserved into the next use year, even though I had to borrow points from that use year. What if today I want to reserve a room in next use year, but don't have enough points from this and next use year to do so. If I wanted to, could I, today, borrow from UY 2016 to cover the points I'd need for my 2015 trip?

 

[vicki_c]

In the past I have reserved into the next use year, even though I had to borrow points from that use year. What if today I want to reserve a room in next use year, but don't have enough points from this and next use year to do so. If I wanted to, could I, today, borrow from UY 2016 to cover the points I'd need for my 2015 trip?

I think I understand your question, but you can borrow points from the use year that falls after your trip's use year. So yes, if I understood right.

A trip that falls in your 2015 use year can be paid for with banked points from 2014, points from 2015, and borrowed points from 2016. When you are making the reservation does not matter, only the trip dates.

An aside: you never need to borrow points from the next use year for a trip that falls in that use year, which you said you have done. I think you probably misunderstood what points were actually used in that situation.

 

[jagson]

Thanks, that answers my question, even though it was clear as mud; not your answer, but my question.

 

[nabi]

And if you get a transfer, you'll need to call to book the stay and not use online booking. Most of the time transferred points do not show up on line.

Is this also true if you transfer points into the same resort and UY?

 

[Sandisw]

Is this also true if you transfer points into the same resort and UY?

Mine showed up and I could use them because they were same resort and UY as I owned.