One of the most valuable options in DVC membership is the ability to bank and borrow vacation points. Banking and borrowing points enables members to enjoy practically unfettered access to a Disney dream vacation. With the judicious use of banking and borrowing privileges, for example, a typical 150-point contract can yield a six-day stay for a gathering of twelve in a three-bedroom Grand Villa! 

What follows is a fairly comprehensive synopsis of the ins and outs of banking and borrowing vacation points.

Banking Points
DVC members can increase their future vacation options or save unused points by banking points from their current use year (UY) into the next UY. In the first example, members may want to save up enough points to take that special dream vacation. Other years, however, members may not have enough time away from home to use all of their vacation points; rather than allow their unused points to expire, members may bank points into the next UY.

Generally, the earlier a member makes a banking request, the greater the percentage of vacation points that can be banked. From seven to twelve months in advance of the end of the UY, 100% of the total annual allotment of points may be banked; from four to six months in advance of the end of the UY, 50% of the total annual allotment of points may be banked; from three months in advance of the end of the UY, 25% of the total annual allotment of points may be banked; from two months or less in advance of the end of the UY, no points may be banked. Note that these banking percentages are based on the annual allotment of points regardless of the number of points banked at any given time for any UY.

The following table indicates the monthly deadlines for baking vacation points based on UY.

*During Leap Years, this banking deadline is February 29.

Top

Important things to remember about banking

• Vacation points can be banked from a member’s current UY into the next UY. If, after banking points, a member decides to take a last minute trip in the current UY, s/he will be required to use either any unbanked points remaining in the current UY, or to borrow points from the next UY.
• Vacation points can only be banked once; they cannot be “carried over” from year to year to year. Thus, if a member has not completed travel on banked vacation points by the end of the UY into which they‘ve been banked, those points will expire.
• Banking is a one-way transaction and is final; banked vacation points cannot be returned to their original UY.
• Banked vacation points cannot be borrowed or transferred.
• Banked vacation points may be applied to all Member getaways exchanges.
• In order to bank points, members must be up-to-date on Annual Dues and loan payments.
• To maintain a proper balance of vacation points in the Central Reservation System, banking may be suspended or limited from time to time.
• In order for banked points to be used for a reservation, the points must be banked before the reservation is made.

An alternative to banking
Instead of banking vacation points, a member may elect to deposit points through Interval International for exchange use within the next two years.

Top

Borrowing Points
As is the case with banking, borrowing gives members the flexibility to plan some very unique vacations, especially when their point needs exceed those permitted by the current UY’s allotment.

Important things to remember about borrowing

• A member may borrow up to 100% of his/her allotted vacation points from their next succeeding UY to secure a reservation in the immediately preceding (current) UY.
• Borrowing points can only occur at the time of making a reservation, and only if additional points are needed to make the reservation. (In other words, members cannot borrow points arbitrarily.) Member Services will use vacation points available in the current UY (whether they are banked from the previous year or are from the current UY) when making a reservation.
• If a member has not completed travel on borrowed points by the end of the UY into which they’ve been borrowed, the points will expire.
• Borrowing is a one-way transaction and is final; borrowed vacation points cannot be returned to their original UY.
• Borrowed vacation points cannot be banked or transferred.
• Borrowed vacation points may be applied to all Member Getaways exchange programs.
• In order to borrow vacation points, members must be up-to-date on Annual Dues and loan payments.
• To maintain a proper balance of Vacation Points in the Central Reservations System, borrowing may be suspended or limited from time to time.

**The total number of vacation points combined from points that are allotted, banked, and borrowed may not exceed 300% of a member’s vacation point allotment for the current UY.

Top

Cancelling reservations made with banked or borrowed points
If a member cancels a confirmed reservation made with banked or borrowed points, the cancellation will not return said points to their original UY.

If the reservation is cancelled more than 30 days before the arrival date, then those banked or borrowed points remain available for another reservation during the same UY into which said points were banked or borrowed.

If the reservation is cancelled 30 or fewer days before the arrival date, then those banked or borrowed points are placed into the holding account. Holding account points may be used for another reservation during the same UY into which said points were banked or borrowed subject to the guidelines of the holding account. (See the section on cancelling or changing confirmed reservations and Holding Account points.)

Top