How to check a miles seller is legitimate

This market has a scam problem, and pretending otherwise helps nobody. If you’re nervous about sending money to a company you found through a search result, that instinct is correct and worth acting on.

Below is the checklist we’d want a first-time buyer to run, including on us.

1. Do they quote you before taking money?

A legitimate seller can tell you, in writing and before payment, the exact rate, the total, and the delivery window for your specific program. Vagueness here is the clearest early warning there is. “Send the payment and we’ll sort the details” is not a process.

2. Do their delivery times differ by program?

Transfer mechanics vary between loyalty programs, so realistic delivery windows vary too. A single blanket promise (everything in an hour, every airline) usually means the number was chosen for the marketing rather than the mechanics.

3. Will they tell you where the miles come from?

You’re entitled to ask. Miles that turn out to have been obtained fraudulently can result in the balance being clawed back and the award ticket voided after you’ve flown or checked in, which is the worst possible time to discover a problem. A seller who won’t discuss sourcing at all is asking you to carry that risk blind.

4. Is the price plausible?

Unusually cheap miles are the oldest hook in this market. If a rate is dramatically below everyone else’s, the likely explanations are that the miles aren’t clean, the delivery won’t happen, or the price will change after you’ve paid. A modest discount is a business model; an implausible one is bait.

5. Do the reviews hold up when you actually read them?

Check more than the score. Look at whether reviews are spread over time or arrived in a cluster, whether they describe specific programs and outcomes, and how the company responds to the bad ones. A response that engages with a complaint tells you more than a perfect average.

Look on more than one platform, too. Ratings can differ significantly between review sites for the same company, and the gap itself is informative.

6. Is there a real person, and a real remedy?

Before paying, establish two things: how you reach a human if something goes wrong, and what specifically happens if the miles don’t arrive. “Guaranteed” on its own is a word. A guarantee is a stated outcome: what you get back, and when.

7. Never let anyone book on your behalf using your login

Miles should be transferred into your own account, which you keep control of. Handing over your loyalty account password is a different transaction with a different risk profile, and it isn’t necessary for a mile purchase.

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Run this list on us. If any answer is unsatisfying, that’s a reasonable basis not to buy, from us or from anyone. A seller who’s uncomfortable being checked is telling you something useful.

We are not affiliated with any airline or loyalty program. Anyone claiming an official partnership with an airline to sell you its miles is claiming something worth verifying directly with that airline.