Everything You Need to Know About Timeshare Points

June 07, 2022

How They Work, How to Sell Them, and How They Can be Used

The latest craze in the timeshare industry is about timeshare points and how they have revolutionized the use of the timeshare product. Learning more about points will go a long way toward understanding not only how to sell timeshare points, but how to buy timeshare points as well.

How do Timeshare Points Work?

Timeshare used to be about securing a week of vacation time at a particular resort; however, the advent of timeshare points has completely changed how the product is used and marketed to a new generation looking for a more on-demand vacation ownership product.

Acting as a type of vacation currency, timeshare points work in varying degrees depending on the resort or company that has issued the points.

Resort brands such as Wyndham, WorldMark, Marriott, Hilton, and Disney have points-based programs that allow owners to use their points for vacation accommodation at resorts within their respective club networks. In the case of Club Wyndham, that’s a choice from about 200 resorts to plan your next vacation.

Timeshare owners at resorts affiliated with exchange companies such as RCI or Interval International have the option of converting their week into points assigned by their exchange company. These points can then be used on travel products such as vacation accommodation, tours, or cruises.

In either case, points are used to make a booking, either through the resort or the company’s booking system or through the exchange company, to secure accommodations, depending on the type of points.

Different Types of Timeshare Points

Typically, timeshare points are used to book vacation accommodations, so for the purposes of this blog, we’re going to place our focus there. Points are primarily sold by resorts or through club programs in one of two ways:

Deeded to a specific resort
Pure points, which are not deeded

Deeded Timeshare Points

Most of the club programs sell timeshare points that are deeded to a specific resort but can be used at a variety of resorts within the club network.

Disney Vacation Club is an example of this ownership model, as owners are sold an allotment of points deeded to a specific Disney timeshare resort, such as Disney’s Old Key West Resort. In this case, Old Key West would be considered the owner’s home resort, with benefits such as an early booking window for priority booking.

Disney owners also have the option of using their points to stay at other Disney timeshare resorts within the network.

By deeding points to a specific resort, clubs can more effectively manage the program since they are limited to the number of owners that can stay in a given resort at any one time.

Non-Deeded, Pure Timeshare Points

Pure points programs operate more like a travel club, where points are sold and can be used at any resort within the network. For instance, WorldMark operates nearly 100 resorts across North America and members can use their points at any time to stay in WorldMark timeshare resorts.

Other programs are a type of hybrid, managing a combination of deeded and points ownership. Wyndham is an example, as they offer a Club Wyndham points program that is non-deeded called Club Wyndham Access; whereas the Club Wyndham Select sells deeded points. Wyndham also manages weeks at resorts within their network and gives week owners the option of converting their weeks into points to provide added flexibility for their ownership.

Regardless of the type of points available, consumers can buy timeshare points on the resale market at significant savings compared to buying through the resort or club. A simple search for a resort or destination in the search field on our timeshares for sale page will bring up the resorts and timeshares for sale in our system. Just make an offer or send an inquiry to start the conversation.

What About RCI Points?

We mentioned the exchange companies earlier because they also offer points programs. RCI points are probably the best known of these programs, where affiliated resorts sell RCI points to their week owners and overlay those points on top of the week ownership to use those points within the RCI exchange platform.

These points provide more travel options to owners than just a week-for-week exchange within the RCI system, but RCI points don’t always transfer on the timeshare resale market.

Some owners try to sell their RCI points without understanding the points' specifics. Owners should always confirm with their resort whether their points transfer on the resale market. If buyers see RCI points for sale online, it’s best to consult with a professional to check the actual status of these points.

Looking to Sell Timeshare Points?

In the vast majority of cases, timeshare points can be sold on the resale market. You may want to check with your resort to understand the nuances of how to sell timeshare points connected to your resort and what can be transferred, but owners who have decided to sell their timeshare points can use a free service like Sell a Timeshare to advertise their points for sale. Our inexpensive advertising platform lets you sell your points online.

Sellers need to first confirm the number of points they own and, if applicable, the season in which they can use those points. Also, sellers need to confirm whether the ownership is annual or every other year, either in odd- or even-numbered years.

Once you have provided those details, you can review the other timeshares for sale on our site to establish a competitive asking price. Then, upload your details and our automated system will build the ad for you.

The flexibility of timeshare points is a major benefit of the product and offers a great way for sellers to enjoy new experiences.

Create your free timeshare ad.