RCI Points is a type of vacation exchange system run by Resorts Condominium International. RCI Points represents the value of a vacation stay at a particular timeshare resort. The value is determined based on popularity of the location, type of resort unit and time of year.
Instead of making lodging accommodations for a vacation using cash or a credit card, you use RCI Points that you purchase or are assigned for your timeshare vacation week. With RCI Points, you exchange a specified number of points to stay in a hotel or timeshare resort of your choice. How many points you need to exchange depends on when and where you travel and the length of your stay.
There are two ways to get RCI Points. You can buy a set amount of points from a timeshare developer that can be used to reserve accommodations at any RCI-affiliated vacation timeshare resort in the world. The resort where you purchase the points becomes your home resort and you can use your points to stay there or exchange through RCI to stay somewhere else.
If you already own a week at a vacation timeshare that is affiliated with RCI, you can deposit your week with RCI and get RCI Points in return. The Points for Deposit program allows timeshare week owners to use the points for travel up to two years from the deposit date, or carry them over to the next year.
Whichever way you obtain RCI Points, you need to become a member of RCI in order to use them. There are also other fees involved, such as a yearly maintenance fee at your home resort and an exchange fee if you use your points at a resort other than your home resort.
With RCI Points, you can stay at your home resort or any of the over 4,000 RCI-affiliated resorts in 100 countries around the world. If you want to use your points at a location other than your home resort, you need to put in an exchange request with RCI and pay an exchange fee. Getting the resort you request is based on availability at the resort for the time of year of your request.
RCI Points can also be used at resorts that are on a week exchange, rather than a point exchange, system. In addition, RCI Points can be used for any length of stay and any size unit in RCI Points-affiliated resorts.
To use your RCI Points at your home resort, you can make reservations up to 12 months in advance. If you want to use your RCI Points at another resort, call the toll-free RCI Points number or make your exchange request on the RCI website. Exchange requests can be made 10 months in advance.
If you need more flexibility when planning your vacation, you can use RCI Last Call and make an exchange 45 days or less in advance.
You can use RCI Points for as many vacations as you like in a year. If you don't use your allotted points in one year, you can carry them over to the following year. If you run out of points in a given year, you can borrow from your next year's points or rent points for an additional fee. You can also transfer your points to another RCI member.
You can use RCI Points to vacation for as long as you want, whether it's a weekend, week, or several weeks.
Using RCI Points at a timeshare resort also affords you use of many amenities that are often not found in a hotel or other type of lodging. For instance, timeshare resorts feature condominium-type accommodations. A unit consists of one or more bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a dining area, a living room and a patio or balcony.
Many of the timeshare resorts that accept RCI Points are five-star and feature several swimming pools, a fitness center, health spa, children and adult activities, restaurants and other amenities on the premises.
Besides using your RCI Points to vacation at a timeshare resort, you can use them to take a cruise. RCI allows members to exchange their RCI Points toward the cost of a cruise. In addition, if there isn't an RCI-affiliated resort in an area where you want to travel, RCI Points can be used to reserve lodging at a hotel instead.
RCI Points can also be spent like dollars through the RCI Points Partner program for travel and leisure services. The points can be used to pay the cost of airfare, car rentals, theme park admission, golf course fees and other entertainment costs.
Although RCI Points are designed for flexibility in their usage, there are some drawbacks. With points, you don't actually own real estate. Yet, you still have to pay a maintenance fee each year at your home resort whether or not you use the points there.
RCI Points are assigned based on the value of your home resort. When using points to exchange for another destination that has greater point value than your home resort, you might not have enough points. Therefore, you need to put out additional money to buy more points or postpone your vacation until you receive additional points in your next yearly point allotment.
Timeshare resorts can be rented by the day or week through resale timeshare companies. Many of these resale companies have special deals throughout the year. As such, the cost to vacation at your desired destination under such a deal could be less than what you end up paying using RCI Points.
In addition, depending on supply and demand in a given area, there may not be availabilities for your exchange destination. A resort may also be limited to a studio or one-bedroom accommodations. To get your desired week at a destination other than your home resort, an exchange request is often needed a year in advance.
