When do you bank?

[Simba's Mom]

I've always wondered-when do other people bank their points? Do you always wait until the very last minute that you can? Do you bank as soon as you've finished reserving your vacations for this use year? For me, that's now, even though our UY isn't until August. I think that means we technically have almost 6 months left till the banking deadline. But then, what if, for whatever reason, we decide on a last minute trip? But I don't want to forget-has anyone done that?

 

[SPLzero]

If I have points left over and they are around 20-50 points I bank them long before the window closes. In my mind I'll just borrow any points I need to use and it will even itself out. If for some reason I have more points I will bank a month before the deadline.

 

[tx911]

I've been pretty cavalier about it. But I think since banking and borrowing are irreversible, I'll be more careful about it in the future (ie wait until close to the end of the window before banking).

 

[MartyParty]

I've always wondered-when do other people bank their points? Do you always wait until the very last minute that you can? Do you bank as soon as you've finished reserving your vacations for this use year? For me, that's now, even though our UY isn't until August. I think that means we technically have almost 6 months left till the banking deadline. But then, what if, for whatever reason, we decide on a last minute trip? But I don't want to forget-has anyone done that?

We bank in the last month. For use thats March. Don't be a fool (April fools) and back those points before they go away.

Every time I've banked points earlier (even February) something happens, and I find a way to use those points. But everyone is different.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Only had 2 banking windows in my DVC lifespan so far. The first one I did 2 weeks ahead assuming it was fine, 5 days before banking deadline I thought of another trip and regretted banking so i had to borrow. This last time I waited til 2 days before knowing with 100% certainty I wasnt going to need them.

 

[Leight19]

I have two use years and I’m pretty good at planning my trips to travel on contract that is well before banking deadline. Therefore I tend to hold off banking before my trip on off chance I decide to do a last minute booking while there. Once I’m done my trip and have no additional time down in Florida in that use year I bank (which is normally 2 or 3 months before the banking deadline).

 

[DVCjj]

I have August also. I literally wait for last week in March to make SURE I don't need those points for last minute trip. I was glad I did that because we ended up going for Xmas dinner (parks blacked out so no parks) and decided the night before I was going to bank the extra points that I wanted to use those points so we didn't have to drive back at night to condo on ocean.

Be vigilant that you write yourself a note/reminder to bank if you're SURE you won't need.

 

[CarolynFH]

We haven't banked points very often, but when we have, it's been when we're sure we won't use them that UY and/or when we're about to make a reservation that takes place during the next UY and requires those points.

 

[jo-jo]

I wait until a few weeks before deadline.

 

[PalmettoPath]

We generally wait until about a month before the deadline to bank. We tend to know by then if we're going to need any over the subsequent few months.

 

[Disdreaming479]

I’ve been banking only a few weeks ahead of the deadline except for the blt aug24 pts I banked immediately due to refurb. I’m looking forward to my first stay there post refurbishment and I’ll have plenty of points to splurge if I want.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I’ve only had one banking window and was so worried that I’d forget that I did it way too early, and of course regretted it as I need the points! Will probably wait a bit longer next go around.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We are fairly new to DVC. We're June UY and I already banked my 2024 points a couple months ago because I'm 100% positive we won't be going back to DLR between now and May. (For our BRV points, we used them all so no banking this year.)

We aren't planning a WDW trip during our 2025 UY but to play it safe, I'll probably wait and bank towards the end of 2025 so a month or two before our banking window closes. I just make sure to have it on my calendar so I won't forget.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Hmm...I was just thinking about my 2025 VGC points. June UY.

We are planning on using a chunk of points for an early December 2025 trip. At first, I thought - I'll just wait and bank after that trip is over, to play it safe.

But then I remembered that we might decide to go in June 2026 and stay in a 1-bedroom so we'd need those extra points to book in July 2025. So I guess we'll have to bank at that time, right?

 

[Wedgeout]

For me I’m usually planning each trip over 11 months out. Will bank into the next UY when I make the reservations. Any points still remaining in the current UY will get banked in our final available month (Nov). Have an April UY.

 

[CarolynFH]

Hmm...I was just thinking about my 2025 VGC points. June UY.

We are planning on using a chunk of points for an early December 2025 trip. At first, I thought - I'll just wait and bank after that trip is over, to play it safe.

But then I remembered that we might decide to go in June 2026 and stay in a 1-bedroom so we'd need those extra points to book in July 2025. So I guess we'll have to bank at that time, right?

Yes, you can bank them right before you book.

 

[Judique]

For me I’m usually planning each trip over 11 months out. Will bank into the next UY when I make the reservations. Any points still remaining in the current UY will get banked in our final available month (Nov). Have an April UY.

This. Booking 11 months out if I have the points available to bank for the reservation that's when they get banked. If something else happens, they get banked during my banking month. That's if I actually have extra points to bank.

The website constantly reminds you in notifcations of your banking deadline. I do try to read the notes to keep informed.

On top of that I'm on and off the website very often since I have 4 contracts and I'm never finished with most trips in just one booking session.

 

[KPeterso]

I set a calendar reminder for about 2 weeks before my banking date. I usually have my plans squared away by that time, so I can bank the points with no concerns.

 

[DebbieB]

I have an April use year and typically go in April. My deadline is 11/30. So when I book for the following year at 11 months, I will bank just what I need for the reservation, leaving remainder for the time being. If I’m booking at 7 months in September, I usually know what I have planned and bank them all. I did have a situation once when I wanted to make a reservation for current year after I banked, I just borrowed. Little risky but it worked.

 

[zackiedawg]

My use year is December. Generally I bank points around June. Sometimes, I may bank as early as January IF I've already booked all my trips for the remainder of the use year (Jan, Jun, Sep trips). But usually by June, I'll have my final September trip booked and that's when I'll bank. I'm past the point where I can bank all my points, but that never matters because I never have all my points left as I already had December and January trips by then. I'm rarely an 11 month planner, so I wait a little longer to bank because sometimes I book trips at 3-6 months out and because I take frequent trips of 4-5 times a year.