Feb 6, 2015, 3:30 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
NEW as of 11/9/18:
App now includes MP Dining and MP Shopping in addition to eGift cards.
Dining: Once you log in and enable location sharing the app will tell you what MP Dining restaurant options are in your area. The app appears to know if you are a base or VIP dining member, and shows the appropriate earn rate you can expect (3 for base member or 5 miles per $ for VIP). Restaurants show in an incomplete "Nearby" list or are further visible under the "Cuisine Types" tab.
Shopping: You can browse the same list of stores you'd find on the main MileagePlus shopping website. There are tabs to show which stores are offering elevated offers as well as another with a searchable list of all stores who participated in the program. Tapping on the store will give you the option take you to that store's site so you can shop in your device's browser just as you would on a laptop or desktop.
Maximizing this app opp:
As per the app, you can double or triple dip. You get the UA miles from the app (+25% bonus if the app is attached to a MP acct), you get the miles (or CB, or whatever the deal is with your CC) from the CC attached to the app (via .bomb), and if you use the GC that is generated by the App and apply it online to a purchase via the MP shopping portal, you get the UA miles for that as well.
Ex: Buy $50 Staples MP-X credit with the app and get:
A. 2x on the app at Staples=100 UA (if you have a MP CC attached to the app, you get 25% more = 125 UA), PLUS
B. 2% CB with your BA+ card for example = $1 CB (but then no extra 25% bonus shown in A., above), PLUS
C. 1x on MP portal = 50 UA
Total would be 150 UA + $1CB in the example above (a UA double dip, e.g. A and C, but a non-UA dip added).
More scenarios:
-If you used a 1x UA MP card in the above example, it would be 125 UA+50 UA+50 UA=225 UA (a UA triple dip, e.g. A, B, and C).
-If you used a 5x INK card in the above example, it would be 100UA+*MAYBE 250UR+50UA = 150U+*MAYBE 250UR (a UA double dip, e.g. A and C, but a non-UA dip added and IMHO the best value: effectively 8x! *assuming the INK codes correctly as office supplies**).
**This is probably not the case, see post 513- no triple dipping
Conversions
Some MPX merchants allow for the purchase of a gift card with a gift card. This may allow you to use MPX to indirectly purchase a gift card to shop at a merchant otherwise not offered on MPX. As always, YMMV as you may encounter some merchants that may not allow this practice, rogue cashiers/managers who think it might not be allowed, or POS systems that are designed to not allow this (understandable as they make little to no money on the sale).
These merchants *may* include:
Best Buy - Does not allow purchase of Visa/Amex/MC gift cards, other merchant GCs OK.
GameStop
Sears
MPX Merchants that sell other merchants' GCs, but do not allow the purchase of GC with GC (MPX or otherwise):
Staples - Not allowed per policy, but may go through on their POS if cashier ignores prompt.
Barnes and Noble - No official policy - cashiers are trained that it's not allowed although it will go through on their POS
Office Depot
Lowes
eBay
Note: There appears to be a $3000.00 per 24 hours spend limit
MPX only works within the US - as per T&Cs! If you try to use the app outside the US, error code 126 will pop up.
Your MPX account name and password are the same as the united.com / MP account name and password. And your mile earned are locked to that MP account.
If using MPX to get a few miles to prevent mileage expiration, you need to be logged in as that account whose miles are approaching expiration.
In your account info is "Member since " date
customer service email address, [email protected]
Archived posts - MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles [ARCHIVE]
App now includes MP Dining and MP Shopping in addition to eGift cards.
Dining: Once you log in and enable location sharing the app will tell you what MP Dining restaurant options are in your area. The app appears to know if you are a base or VIP dining member, and shows the appropriate earn rate you can expect (3 for base member or 5 miles per $ for VIP). Restaurants show in an incomplete "Nearby" list or are further visible under the "Cuisine Types" tab.
Shopping: You can browse the same list of stores you'd find on the main MileagePlus shopping website. There are tabs to show which stores are offering elevated offers as well as another with a searchable list of all stores who participated in the program. Tapping on the store will give you the option take you to that store's site so you can shop in your device's browser just as you would on a laptop or desktop.
Maximizing this app opp:
As per the app, you can double or triple dip. You get the UA miles from the app (+25% bonus if the app is attached to a MP acct), you get the miles (or CB, or whatever the deal is with your CC) from the CC attached to the app (via .bomb), and if you use the GC that is generated by the App and apply it online to a purchase via the MP shopping portal, you get the UA miles for that as well.
Ex: Buy $50 Staples MP-X credit with the app and get:
A. 2x on the app at Staples=100 UA (if you have a MP CC attached to the app, you get 25% more = 125 UA), PLUS
B. 2% CB with your BA+ card for example = $1 CB (but then no extra 25% bonus shown in A., above), PLUS
C. 1x on MP portal = 50 UA
Total would be 150 UA + $1CB in the example above (a UA double dip, e.g. A and C, but a non-UA dip added).
More scenarios:
-If you used a 1x UA MP card in the above example, it would be 125 UA+50 UA+50 UA=225 UA (a UA triple dip, e.g. A, B, and C).
-If you used a 5x INK card in the above example, it would be 100UA+*MAYBE 250UR+50UA = 150U+*MAYBE 250UR (a UA double dip, e.g. A and C, but a non-UA dip added and IMHO the best value: effectively 8x! *assuming the INK codes correctly as office supplies**).
**This is probably not the case, see post 513- no triple dipping
Conversions
Some MPX merchants allow for the purchase of a gift card with a gift card. This may allow you to use MPX to indirectly purchase a gift card to shop at a merchant otherwise not offered on MPX. As always, YMMV as you may encounter some merchants that may not allow this practice, rogue cashiers/managers who think it might not be allowed, or POS systems that are designed to not allow this (understandable as they make little to no money on the sale).
These merchants *may* include:
Best Buy - Does not allow purchase of Visa/Amex/MC gift cards, other merchant GCs OK.
GameStop
Sears
MPX Merchants that sell other merchants' GCs, but do not allow the purchase of GC with GC (MPX or otherwise):
Staples - Not allowed per policy, but may go through on their POS if cashier ignores prompt.
Barnes and Noble - No official policy - cashiers are trained that it's not allowed although it will go through on their POS
Office Depot
Lowes
eBay
Note: There appears to be a $3000.00 per 24 hours spend limit
MPX only works within the US - as per T&Cs! If you try to use the app outside the US, error code 126 will pop up.
Your MPX account name and password are the same as the united.com / MP account name and password. And your mile earned are locked to that MP account.
If using MPX to get a few miles to prevent mileage expiration, you need to be logged in as that account whose miles are approaching expiration.
In your account info is "Member since " date
customer service email address, [email protected]
Archived posts - MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles [ARCHIVE]
MileagePlus X – Shopping App to Earn Additional Award Miles
Jan 13, 2020 | 8:46 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
When I buy gift cards they typically post immediately. My 26 points posted today before I had walked my cart out to the Home Depot parking lot.
Maybe not all merchants depending on return policies and such. But AirBnB & Home Depot post instantly IME.
Maybe not all merchants depending on return policies and such. But AirBnB & Home Depot post instantly IME.
Jan 13, 2020 | 9:58 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Programs: United, Bonvoy, NEXUS/GE, Amex Plat
Posts: 126
Airbnb reliably posts instantly for me, as do most of the gift cards. Longest was Apple, which took almost two months to finally show up, and that was after I contacted support at the two or three week mark. That said, the 8x promo for Apple that comes a few times a year is great - buy a computer, get a free flight! (Discussion of Apple being overpriced is a separate conversation, but I like the products 
)
)
Jan 13, 2020 | 11:41 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,958
Airbnb reliably posts instantly for me, as do most of the gift cards. Longest was Apple, which took almost two months to finally show up, and that was after I contacted support at the two or three week mark. That said, the 8x promo for Apple that comes a few times a year is great - buy a computer, get a free flight! (Discussion of Apple being overpriced is a separate conversation, but I like the products )
)
Jan 27, 2020 | 12:49 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1
Im having some serious issues with the app- just downloaded it to try and up my miles game, but every time I go to buy a GC I get "transaction declined". No issues with card... are there only certain cards you can use? Is there a waiting period before you can make your first transaction? Do you have to have a certain amount of miles before you can buy a GC on the app? Called mileage plus customer service and they were zero help- guy said I needed to use miles to buy the GC, which goes against everything I am trying to do.
Any insight will be appreciated!
Any insight will be appreciated!
Jan 27, 2020 | 1:43 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,906
Im having some serious issues with the app- just downloaded it to try and up my miles game, but every time I go to buy a GC I get "transaction declined". No issues with card... are there only certain cards you can use? Is there a waiting period before you can make your first transaction? Do you have to have a certain amount of miles before you can buy a GC on the app? Called mileage plus customer service and they were zero help- guy said I needed to use miles to buy the GC, which goes against everything I am trying to do.
Any insight will be appreciated!
Any insight will be appreciated!
This happens a lot. The app is kind of crap.
Try buying them on the website instead. It's not instant, but it does work. Probably a day or two after you purchase their security people will call you to confirm that it's not fraud. It was always the same lady who called me. So, be expecting the call and answer it.
This whole dog and pony show is basically how apps would have worked in the 1970s if they had been around back then. Total amateur hour.
ETA: Website is here: https://giftcards.mileageplus.com/. Be sure to select "credit card" for payment method, on the right. It defaults to miles.
Jan 27, 2020 | 6:00 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,164
Im having some serious issues with the app- just downloaded it to try and up my miles game, but every time I go to buy a GC I get "transaction declined". No issues with card... are there only certain cards you can use? Is there a waiting period before you can make your first transaction? Do you have to have a certain amount of miles before you can buy a GC on the app? Called mileage plus customer service and they were zero help- guy said I needed to use miles to buy the GC, which goes against everything I am trying to do.
Any insight will be appreciated!
Any insight will be appreciated!
Try deleting any credit cards you have stored in the app. Then go to United.com, your main Mileageplus profile and delete all saved cards there. Re-add card to MP profile. That should pull through to the MPX app, and if you're lucky it'll work.
Jan 28, 2020 | 2:42 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Programs: United, Bonvoy, NEXUS/GE, Amex Plat
Posts: 126
Im having some serious issues with the app- just downloaded it to try and up my miles game, but every time I go to buy a GC I get "transaction declined". No issues with card... are there only certain cards you can use? Is there a waiting period before you can make your first transaction? Do you have to have a certain amount of miles before you can buy a GC on the app? Called mileage plus customer service and they were zero help- guy said I needed to use miles to buy the GC, which goes against everything I am trying to do.
Any insight will be appreciated!
Any insight will be appreciated!
Jan 28, 2020 | 2:44 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Programs: United, Bonvoy, NEXUS/GE, Amex Plat
Posts: 126
I don’t have a CSR, but Citi premier ends up coding the purchase as 3x travel, so by going via MPX I’m getting an extra 2 miles per dollar. Citi has such poor travel protection benefits than I don’t feel like I’m losing much by going the GC route. But of course that’s just my personal prioritization!
Jan 29, 2020 | 3:35 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,446
I don’t have a CSR, but Citi premier ends up coding the purchase as 3x travel, so by going via MPX I’m getting an extra 2 miles per dollar. Citi has such poor travel protection benefits than I don’t feel like I’m losing much by going the GC route. But of course that’s just my personal prioritization!
Anyway, good info.
-David
Jan 30, 2020 | 5:13 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Platinum, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 5,790
But the issuers can and do determine how the transaction is coded. Amex codes it as an airline special service ticket and not travel. Chase seems to be matching the name of the charge with the category and not the actual code when processed.
Jan 31, 2020 | 2:12 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Upcountry Maui, HI
Posts: 13,446
In the t&cs for the card issuers, you will find wording to the effect that if a transaction isn't coded to match a particular category, they won't count it in that category. (e.g., gas stations, travel, supermarkets, etc.)
The category might be added by the merchant's servicer at the time the account is set up, but it is in effect determined by the merchant. And merchants can have multiple categories for different types of charges.
-David
Feb 8, 2020 | 2:50 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Delaware
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 1,457
I did have a similar experience, and it was exacerbated by having FaceID enabled. The symptoms were that it would continually retry the FaceID process and the purchase wouldn’t complete. (I eventually locked myself out of my MileagePlus account for too many failed logins).
I found a temporary solution: I had to sign out and then sign back in, explicitly, before making a purchase. As long as you have a valid session (i.e., you’ve signed in within the last few minutes), it won’t prompt you to sign in again during the purchase process.
The longer-term solution I found was to sign out (from the account page). I then had to disable FaceID in the iOS settings for the MileagePlus X app. I signed in successfully with the new password and then signed back out. I then re-enabled FaceID in the iOS settings, re-activated it in the MileagePlus X app, and signed back in again. Since I’ve done that, FaceID has worked properly, using the new password.
Should be able to use any card. No waiting period. No miles balance requirement.
Try deleting any credit cards you have stored in the app. Then go to United.com, your main Mileageplus profile and delete all saved cards there. Re-add card to MP profile. That should pull through to the MPX app, and if you're lucky it'll work.
Try deleting any credit cards you have stored in the app. Then go to United.com, your main Mileageplus profile and delete all saved cards there. Re-add card to MP profile. That should pull through to the MPX app, and if you're lucky it'll work.
The other day I changed my MileagePlus password becasue I received an email that my information was changed (I never changed anything and we could find anything that was changed). I forgot to change the password on the MPX app and that evening tried to make a purchase and the Face-ID kept trying to log me in. It took me a second to figure out what was wrong, but by the time I did, it was too late.
While I am able to make purchases on the Web, I can't make purchases through the app. I keep getting the "Transaction Declined. We're sorry -- Your cannot be completed. Please email [email protected] for assistance. This happed on Tuesday at 6:00pm ET. I emailed them right away. It is not Saturday morning and I have not heard back from them.
I tried the following remedy:
1. Disable FaceID through the iOS settings page
2. Removed all credit cards from my United account (trying to remove them from the app forwarded me to the Mileage Plus mobile page)
3. Verified that all cards were removed buy visiting United.com from a desktop
4. Logged back into MPX
5. Added my credit card to the MPX app.
6. Attempted to make a purchase. No luck.
I then tried to take things a little farther:
1. Disconnected from my VPN (VPN Unlimited)
2. Disabled FaceID on the MPX app
3. Remove the payment method from United.com
4. Verify that the payment method was removed from the App
5. Sign out of both the app and United.com
6. Delete the app
7. Delete all cookies related to both United and Mileageplus on both my iPhone and my Mac
8. Log into United.com and add my payment method
9. Redownload the App and log in
10. Attempt a purchase.
Nope. Still no luck.
I recall reading something before that if you log-out of the app and don’t touch it for 15 days, it should clear up. Has anyone had luck with this before? I just (30 seconds ago) sent then another email.