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Newcomers to the points and miles world often think that the only way to earn loyalty with an airline is by flying frequently or using a cobranded airline credit card.

There are many other ways to earn points and miles, and one of the easiest ways is through online shopping portals. Shopping portals give you points and miles (and status, in some cases) without leaving your home.

Shopping portals boost your points and miles balance with flying and credit card earnings and offer the chance to double or even triple dip. While there are shopping portals that offer cash back and hotel points, this article will focus specifically on airline shopping portals.

Related: Airline and Hotel Dining Rewards Programs: Which is Best for You?

What is an online shopping portal?

Online shopping portals allow you to earn bonus points and miles by shopping at various online retailers. These rewards are in addition to the points or miles you would normally earn by paying for purchases with a Credit card rewards.

Points and miles can be accumulated whether you’re making small purchases like ordering a photo or larger purchases like buying a new MacBook Air. A practical example is when ordering everyday necessities like contacts. American AAdvantage eShopping, for example, offers 4 miles per dollar spent 1-800-CONTACTS.

Say you spend $500 a year on contacts. Here’s what you can earn:

• $500 equals 1,000 Capital One miles ($18.50 value based on TPG’s July 2024 valuation) at 2 miles per dollar spent on everyday spend with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
• $500 4 miles per dollar spent at 1-800-Contacts through American Airlines’ shopping portal earns 2,000 AAdvantage miles (worth $31 based on TPG’s valuation), which also count as loyalty points to help you reach your next status tier. is

Now, you’ve covered 3,000 miles by saving time and pre-ordering your contacts.

How to use airline shopping portals

Here’s how to optimize your purchases through this portal to maximize your earnings.

Step 1: Select an airline

All major airlines have shopping portals available, so it’s important to choose an airline you fly with frequently. You can refer to our latest evaluations for the most valuable airline miles. Also, as mentioned, American AAAdvantage eShopping purchases earn status-qualifying loyalty points as well as redeemable miles.

Most carriers only credit redeemable points or miles for shopping portal purchases, so you might want to go with American to earn. AAdvantage elite status.

Here are some of the more popular airline shopping portals:

Step 2: Sign up for the airline’s loyalty program

Before earning points or miles, you must have an account with your chosen airline. Setting up an account is a straightforward and crucial step in the process. Once you do that, you can log into the shopping portal with your loyalty account credentials.

Step 3: Shop through the link

To earn points or miles on purchases, start with your favorite portal and find the merchant where you want to shop.

Clicking on a merchant’s name will take you to its page within the shopping portal, where you can see more details about the rewards offered (they change frequently) and any discounts available. Then click “Buy Now” to go to the merchant’s site and make your purchase.

Step 4: Download the browser extension (if you want)

Shopping portal extensions are browser add-ons or plug-ins that allow users to easily activate rewards while shopping online. By downloading the plug-in, you will be notified with a pop-up if a site is offering points or miles. All you have to do is click on “Activate”.

These extensions often provide a more seamless shopping experience, allowing users to take advantage of bonus offers and earn rewards when shopping online without visiting a shopping portal first.

Whether you use an extension or go directly through the portal, it can take several weeks for points or miles to be credited to your frequent flyer account, depending on the portal.

Tips and reminders

Here are some important things to remember while using shopping portals:

• If using a plug-in, activate points or miles when prompted to ensure you don’t miss out on earning them.
• When visiting a shopping portal site, click on the given link and shop on the page that opens. Avoid navigating away and returning later, as this may disable the bonus.
• Enable cookies in your browser for the retailer’s site. This will allow the portal to track your purchases and award bonuses accordingly.
• Only use promotions or promo codes found on the portal, as using others may make purchases ineligible for bonus points or miles.
• Consider using it Shopping portal aggregators like Cashback Monitor To compare the earning rates on different portals. This allows you to quickly determine which portal offers the best returns for the particular merchant you are shopping with.

These tips can help you maximize your rewards and ensure a smooth shopping experience through the shopping portal.

Bottom line

Online shopping portals are an easy way for all types of travelers and online shoppers to maximize their points and miles. You can start earning bonus rewards without requiring credit card approval. If you have a The Travel Rewards Credit Card is the perfect opportunity to double and maximize your rewards.