Trying to understand Wyndham points deposit in RCI

[Fido Chuckwagon]

My family likes to occasionally stay at Sheraton Vistana Resort in Orlando, which I see is frequently available in RCI, for 160,000 points for a week in a 2 bedroom, which seems like a halfway decent deal compared to the cash value of my maintenance dues for those points, and what it would cost to book Vistana as a cash booking through Marriott, but I want to make sure I’m understanding how this works correctly. Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer the following questions:

1. Do points I deposit through Wyndham into RCI have the same numerical value as what I am depositing? In other words, do I deposit 160,000 Club Wyndham points and it turns into 160,000 RCI points, or is the ratio different than 1:1?
2. Can I make a points deposit after selecting/seeing that a property/date I want is available?
3. Is there a deadline for depositing points? (I feel like I read somewhere that they can’t be deposited in the last 45 days of the use year, but I can’t seem to find that);
4. Other than the ($279?) fee when making the reservation, are there any other fees to a transaction for depositing points and then using them to book an RCI points week?
5. I have a year to use the points after deposit and then can pay to extend for another year? Is that right? Is it use year, or is it a year from date of deposit?
6. What’s the cancellation policy for an RCI points reservation?
7. Am I fundamentally misunderstanding something about how this all works? I feel like I am.

Thanks in advance!

 

[noreenkate]

@Fido Chuckwagon - I am still new to Wyndham and RCI exchanges-

But quite a few times I have seen decent pricing for Vistana getaways on II in both my platinum account & the free DVC gold account ( some dates as low as $400 )

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

@Fido Chuckwagon - I am still new to Wyndham and RCI exchanges-

But quite a few times I have seen decent pricing for Vistana getaways on II in both my platinum account & the free DVC gold account ( some dates as low as $400 )

Thanks, yeah, I know I can usually get Vistana through getaways for the $500 - $1100 range depending on time of year. This would be more for a situation where I have Wyndham points I need to use up anyway.

 

[schoolmarm]

Do points I deposit through Wyndham into RCI have the same numerical value as what I am depositing? In other words, do I deposit 160,000 Club Wyndham points and it turns into 160,000 RCI points, or is the ratio different than 1:1?

YES

2. Can I make a points deposit after selecting/seeing that a property/date I want is available?
You can't reserve and then book. But when you find one, deposit additional points needed and then you wait a day or two for the deposit to go through and then you can book.

3. Is there a deadline for depositing points? (I feel like I read somewhere that they can’t be deposited in the last 45 days of the use year, but I can’t seem to find that);
NO, you can deposit on your last day of your use year.

4. Other than the ($279?) fee when making the reservation, are there any other fees to a transaction for depositing points and then using them to book an RCI points week?

I think that the fee is going up in December to maybe $289? NO fee to deposit points. Check the resort under URGENT INFORMATION or the FEES section. If you are going less than 7 days, there may be a housekeeping fee. No HK fee for 7 days. Some resorts have a small (or large) amenities fee or all-inclusive fee, parking fee, etc. It should be listed in the listing.

5. I have a year to use the points after deposit and then can pay to extend for another year? Is that right? Is it use year, or is it a year from date of deposit?

You have one year from date of deposit. You can pay to extend, but I've not done that so I don't know the fee. I believe that, unlike the non-Wyndham weeks side, your different points deposits combine, so there is no fee to combine points.

6. What’s the cancellation policy for an RCI points reservation?

There is one, but I've not used it. It might be a "sliding" points return depending on how far out you cancel.

7. Am I fundamentally misunderstanding something about how this all works? I feel like I am.

You've got the basics! You can also click in RCI under your account to find out more about fees, etc.

I'm not the best to answer....Greg is the expert, but I've done several exchanges, when it saves $$!

 

[schoolmarm]

And an additional RCI hint....The ones with a KEY symbol at the bottom are usually hotel or other places that have a HIGH booking fee. These will show up if you choose "exchange" from the landing page. You can filter them out if you go to the BOOK--click on what kind of booking you want (choose exchange) and then all those high fee hotels go away.

 

[troy12n]

I'm not a huge RCI user, so my understanding of this might be slightly off, but i'm sure someone will correct me.

All units in RCI have a point value associated with them, just like in Wyndham. In RCI, the point value is explicitly assigned by room size. And Room Size only, and by Season.

ALL Studios, Suites and 1BR units have the same RCI points value
ALL 2BR units have the same RCI points value
ALL 3BR or Larger units have the same RCI points value (4br and 3br have the same value)

The points vary by season

Meaning that a "hotel room" at Wyndham Midtown 45 in NYC has the same underlying points cost as a 1BR
Meaning also that you can book a 2BR Presidential at Wyndham Avon, as you can rent a 2BR Deluxe at Fairfield Glade... yes Avon shows up in RCI occasionally. I saw 3BR Presidential there in November for a stupid low point value.

I don't think I have seen any other Wyndham resorts with presidential units in RCI, but it's possible they exist. Avon is a resort which is only Presidential.
Now, that you know that, notice I said underlying RCI points value. Each timeshare system, since their points are different, has a "conversion factor" when points are deposited into RCI.

For instance when you deposit your Wyndham points into RCI weeks, it shows you have deposited your points at a 1:1 value. Say you have 170,000 points you deposit from Wyndham into RCI. It will display in RCI you have 170,000 points in RCI. But you really don't have 170,000 RCI points. You have the equivalent of approximately 45,000 RCI weeks points.

Now, that doesn't really matter, because you never have to do that math because when you go to book, you will book using the Wyndham RCI portal, which does all of those conversions for you, you never see the behind the scenes math.

Just understand there are basic points charts for ALL RCI resorts, but they are going to display these in RCI Weeks points, not Wyndham points.
So if you see a unit listed on the RCI website, or points chart for 26,500 points, which is a common 2BR unit cost in RCI, that is in RCI points, not Wydham points. The Wyndham equivalent would be 165,000 points. So do the math on that. Our Wyndham points have about a 1/4-1/3 value in actual RCI points.

Some other timeshare systems the conversion rate is different, but it really doesn't matter because they all have the same exchange power... the systems and various portals do the conversions for them too.

Don't let your mind go crazy over this, there are definitely deals out there to be had, it just takes a lot of work to find them,

 

[noreenkate]

ALL Studios, Suites and 1BR units have the same RCI points value

using midtowwn 45 as the example - that is not necessarily true- unfortunetly I have quite a few midtown 45 stays coming up and I have been trying to figure best routes -thanks again to the lovely tuggers maintains the sightings/distressed threads this week

- what might be of interest is that those same units are considerably more when booked through Wyndham direct
,

 

[tschwa2]

It is based on the number of bedrooms- a studio, suite or hotel unit would be the same; 1 Bedroom is its own category as is 2, and 3 bedroom or larger. It also doesn't matter in rci if it is a lockoff unit or dedicated X bedroom. It is based on the number of bedrooms. https://tugbbs.com/forums/attachments/snip20180223_5-png.5791/

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

YES

2. Can I make a points deposit after selecting/seeing that a property/date I want is available?
You can't reserve and then book. But when you find one, deposit additional points needed and then you wait a day or two for the deposit to go through and then you can book.

3. Is there a deadline for depositing points? (I feel like I read somewhere that they can’t be deposited in the last 45 days of the use year, but I can’t seem to find that);
NO, you can deposit on your last day of your use year.

I think that the fee is going up in December to maybe $289? NO fee to deposit points. Check the resort under URGENT INFORMATION or the FEES section. If you are going less than 7 days, there may be a housekeeping fee. No HK fee for 7 days. Some resorts have a small (or large) amenities fee or all-inclusive fee, parking fee, etc. It should be listed in the listing.

You have one year from date of deposit. You can pay to extend, but I've not done that so I don't know the fee. I believe that, unlike the non-Wyndham weeks side, your different points deposits combine, so there is no fee to combine points.

There is one, but I've not used it. It might be a "sliding" points return depending on how far out you cancel.

You've got the basics! You can also click in RCI under your account to find out more about fees, etc.

I'm not the best to answer....Greg is the expert, but I've done several exchanges, when it saves $$!

Thank you so much, this is extremely helpful!

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I'm not a huge RCI user, so my understanding of this might be slightly off, but i'm sure someone will correct me.

All units in RCI have a point value associated with them, just like in Wyndham. In RCI, the point value is explicitly assigned by room size. And Room Size only, and by Season.

ALL Studios, Suites and 1BR units have the same RCI points value
ALL 2BR units have the same RCI points value
ALL 3BR or Larger units have the same RCI points value (4br and 3br have the same value)

The points vary by season

Meaning that a "hotel room" at Wyndham Midtown 45 in NYC has the same underlying points cost as a 1BR
Meaning also that you can book a 2BR Presidential at Wyndham Avon, as you can rent a 2BR Deluxe at Fairfield Glade... yes Avon shows up in RCI occasionally. I saw 3BR Presidential there in November for a stupid low point value.

I don't think I have seen any other Wyndham resorts with presidential units in RCI, but it's possible they exist. Avon is a resort which is only Presidential.
Now, that you know that, notice I said underlying RCI points value. Each timeshare system, since their points are different, has a "conversion factor" when points are deposited into RCI.

For instance when you deposit your Wyndham points into RCI weeks, it shows you have deposited your points at a 1:1 value. Say you have 170,000 points you deposit from Wyndham into RCI. It will display in RCI you have 170,000 points in RCI. But you really don't have 170,000 RCI points. You have the equivalent of approximately 45,000 RCI weeks points.

Now, that doesn't really matter, because you never have to do that math because when you go to book, you will book using the Wyndham RCI portal, which does all of those conversions for you, you never see the behind the scenes math.

Just understand there are basic points charts for ALL RCI resorts, but they are going to display these in RCI Weeks points, not Wyndham points.
So if you see a unit listed on the RCI website, or points chart for 26,500 points, which is a common 2BR unit cost in RCI, that is in RCI points, not Wydham points. The Wyndham equivalent would be 165,000 points. So do the math on that. Our Wyndham points have about a 1/4-1/3 value in actual RCI points.

Some other timeshare systems the conversion rate is different, but it really doesn't matter because they all have the same exchange power... the systems and various portals do the conversions for them too.

Don't let your mind go crazy over this, there are definitely deals out there to be had, it just takes a lot of work to find them,

Thank You!

 

[bnoble]

You have one year from date of deposit.

I think it is two years, not one:

RCI Overview

Are you a Club Wyndham owner? Learn more about RCI, is the world’s largest timeshare exchange, affiliated with more than 4,000 timeshare resorts worldwide.

clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com

Also, due to a quirk in the way the RCI interface is set up, you'll have at least to the end of the month two years after deposit, and you might have a little more. I think that's because the mini-system portals are based on the RCI Points interface, and RCI Points has a notion of a "Use Year," and points always expire at the end of the month of your use year. I do not know how the UY is set up, but mine happens to be December, which for a January UY is IMO optimal.

 

[troy12n]

using midtowwn 45 as the example - that is not necessarily true- unfortunetly I have quite a few midtown 45 stays coming up and I have been trying to figure best routes -thanks again to the lovely tuggers maintains the sightings/distressed threads this week

- what might be of interest is that those same units are considerably more when booked through Wyndham direct

You will find in MOST cases, using your Wyndham points inside of Wyndham for booking Wyndham properties is more efficient, you usually spend less points and don't have the exchange fee.
BUT there are some extreme exceptions. Midtown 45 is a example. I've seen studios and hotel rooms at midtown 45 off season for 64,000 points, and through Wyndham that would be several hundred thousand points.

Also any resort that is presidential only, like Avon or Dye Villas or King Cotton. These show up occasionally in RCI. In fact I was a hair away from booking 2 weeks at Avon back to back in November but couldn't get a reasonable flight. It was a week for a 2BR Presidential for 164,000 points per week. In Wyndham points that would have been 450,000 points per week...

Midtown has deposits in RCI often, some of the other resorts much less frequently.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Wyndham points are a different currency. I have both RCI points and Wyndham. I can book my Val Chatelle ski weeks for 75,000 RCI Points, but the same reservation through RCI through the Wyndham portal is 205,000 Wyndham Points. My Wyndham points are $5.85 per 1,000, my RCI Points are 1.2 cent per point, making the RCI Points a little less expensive to use than Wyndham's points.

 

[schoolmarm]

I think it is two years, not one:

RCI Overview

Are you a Club Wyndham owner? Learn more about RCI, is the world’s largest timeshare exchange, affiliated with more than 4,000 timeshare resorts worldwide.

clubwyndham.wyndhamdestinations.com

Also, due to a quirk in the way the RCI interface is set up, you'll have at least to the end of the month two years after deposit, and you might have a little more. I think that's because the mini-system portals are based on the RCI Points interface, and RCI Points has a notion of a "Use Year," and points always expire at the end of the month of your use year. I do not know how the UY is set up, but mine happens to be December, which for a January UY is IMO optimal.

YES! It is two years for RCI/Wyndham.

 

[Jan M.]

Read pages 332-333 in the Club Wyndham Directory for information on RCI deposits. A link to the directory can be found in the pink stickies at the top of the Wyndham forum page.

Afaik the exchange fee is $299. Some RCI fees are going up on 12/1 but I don't know if the exchange is one of them.

 

[morexplore]

Great information, thank you! A few other questions I couldn't find any information on-
Do Wyndham guest confirmation credits or housekeeping credits have any exchange value, or are there any requirements to have them in order to transfer Wyndham points to RCI?
I currently have Wyndham points that will be expiring, I have 2 guest confirmation credits, and 0 housekeeping credits.

 

[schoolmarm]

No Wyndham housekeeping or guest confirmations are deposited into RCI...just points. You can guest an RCI reservation, but they are strict about following the rules--best with friends or relatives...cannot be rented to someone. You probably won't have to pay housekeeping if you stay a full week in RCI, but you need to read the "urgent information" under the fees tab, or on the information about the resort.

 

[bnoble]

Do Wyndham guest confirmation credits or housekeeping credits have any exchange value, or are there any requirements to have them in order to transfer Wyndham points to RCI?

No, and no.

As mentioned, RCI has its own notion of "guest certificate" but those are always charged and you cannot transfer any from Wyndham to RCI to "pay for them".

 

[jbman]

I am wondering if it matters when you deposit your points, like if you deposit a week in II it has more trading power the earlier you deposit, or are points points in this case?

 

[Family_travel]

I am wondering if it matters when you deposit your points, like if you deposit a week in II it has more trading power the earlier you deposit, or are points points in this case?

No, points value does not change.
You can wait until you find something you want to book then transfer the points.
I have several on-going searches in RCI. If I get a match; then I would transfer the necessary points.

 

[boxer156]

Ressurecting this old thread...........I seem to remember being told you can 'buy' an RCI week, instead of using points. How does that work--meaning, how far out can you book something like this? I seem to remember there being a restriction on that timeline--maybe those bookings only be available within a few months of check-in date? Also, what is the total cost for doing something like this? Again, seem to remember maybe $300 for a week?

 

[jp10558]

Ressurecting this old thread...........I seem to remember being told you can 'buy' an RCI week, instead of using points. How does that work--meaning, how far out can you book something like this? I seem to remember there being a restriction on that timeline--maybe those bookings only be available within a few months of check-in date? Also, what is the total cost for doing something like this? Again, seem to remember maybe $300 for a week?

In RCI there's cash options, which as far as I can tell is a different inventory than exchange options and usually more limited. Extra Vacations goes out a long time, but costs more, I've seen it go up to $2,600 at some locations. Last Call is within 45 days, and is usually $329 for 1BR or $379 for 2BR, but sometimes those are for 3 or 5 day stays rather than weeks - you have to look at the listing. And resort fees and tax still apply.

 

[boxer156]

In RCI there's cash options, which as far as I can tell is a different inventory than exchange options and usually more limited. Extra Vacations goes out a long time, but costs more, I've seen it go up to $2,600 at some locations. Last Call is within 45 days, and is usually $329 for 1BR or $379 for 2BR, but sometimes those are for 3 or 5 day stays rather than weeks - you have to look at the listing. And resort fees and tax still apply.

Yep, I'm talking about those 3-5 day stays for around $400.00. So that is the caveat--you have to be ready to book within 45-days of check-in. Kinda figured there was something hidden about that.