Tired of your resort portfolio? Craving an all-new vacation experience? Then you want RCI. If your timeshare interest is affiliated with RCI, you’ve just unlocked a world of exploration. As the world’s leading vacation exchange network, RCI boasts over 4,200 affiliated resorts in 110 countries around the world. With an RCI membership, timeshare owners can experience a world beyond their vacation club resort portfolio, with luxurious resorts in top destinations around the world. But how does RCI Points work? What are your options? Timeshares Only has you covered. Continue reading to learn more about RCI Points and Weeks and how to access membership.
About RCI
RCI, also known as Resort Condominiums International, is the world’s first vacation exchange platform. In 1974, founders Jon and Christel DeHaan pioneered a way for vacation owners to visit a new, exciting destination every year. But what is vacation exchange, and how does RCI Points work? Vacation exchange networks allow timeshare owners to exchange their annual stay at their home resorts for a stay at other RCI-affiliated resorts not within their brand’s portfolio.
RCI is affiliated with some of the world’s top timeshare brands. For example, you can use RCI Points with Wyndham Destinations, Hilton Grand Vacations, Westgate Resorts, and even Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts. In fact, RCI is actually a part of the Wyndham Destinations network. However, in order to be a member of RCI, you must own a timeshare that is part of an affiliated brand and pay yearly fees for membership, as well as exchange fees. But how does it all work? Let’s dive in.
So, How Does RCI Points Work?
An RCI Points membership allows owners to trade in their timeshare points for RCI Points to book at RCI-affiliated resorts all around the world. Like with the timeshare points-based system, RCI members are assigned a certain amount of RCI Points based on their timeshare ownership. The assigned RCI point value of your timeshare is its Deposit Trading Power (DTP); it is the number of RCI Points that you are allocated each year to use for vacation exchange.
The amount of RCI Points that members are assigned depends on a few key factors of your ownership. Firstly, the popularity of your home resort impacts the number of RCI Points. Additionally, the size of the unit and the season of the ownership are big factors in point value as well. Once you know the RCI Deposit Trading Power of your home resort, you’re free to start exchanging your vacations. But how does RCI points work for hotels?
How Does RCI Points Work for Hotels?
In case you didn’t know, RCI Points can also be used for hotel stays. You can spend 2,000 points per night on hotels, or 10,000 points for a stay of five nights or longer. Moreover, if you don’t want to use your points to book a hotel, RCI members can get up to 60 percent off on more than 600,000 hotels around the world. Using Deposit Trading Power or points will increase your hotel discounts.
Of course, you must own a timeshare before you can become a RCI member and use RCI Travel. If you’re already a member, you can log in to your account to find and book hotels. Additionally, RCI Points can be used for saving money on flights, rental cars, as well as cruises. With RCI Travel, you will receive member-exclusive pricing on those vacation essentials. You can also get the best price on cruises and even receive up to $1,500 onboard credit when booking through RCI Cruise.
Why RCI Points Are Worth It
Like timeshare points, RCI Points offer vacation owners the ultimate travel flexibility. Members can choose exactly when and where they want to vacation. Plus, with a points-based membership, RCI members aren’t required to book week-long vacations. They can book just one night if need be!
RCI Points can also be saved and borrowed. If you don’t need to use all of your points one year, you can save them for your next year’s vacation. If you need a couple of extra points, you can borrow them from your next year’s allotment or rent them. However you need to use your points, RCI has accommodations.
Another great perk of RCI Points is that you can split them however you want within the year. You aren’t limited to just one vacation per year like traditional timeshare owners are. As long as you have enough points, you can vacation as much as you want!
RCI Points vs. RCI Weeks
How does RCI Points work in comparison to RCI Weeks? While RCI Points are a great way to enjoy this membership, there is another way to experience vacation exchange: RCI Weeks. Unlike RCI Points, RCI Weeks work by letting you exchange your timeshare week for a week-long stay at another RCI-affiliated resort. Like your timeshare points, when you deposit your timeshare week at your home resort into RCI, it’ll be assigned a Deposit Trading Power (DTP).
This power is determined based on how popular your timeshare week is. So, if your week is at a popular resort during a particularly busy time of the year, you’re more likely to have a high DTP. You can then use your DTP to book a stay at an RCI resort with the same value. Sadly, you can’t split your week to take shorter vacations. As a result, RCI Weeks are a bit less versatile than the points system.
The Cost of RCI Points and Weeks
Of course, a membership with RCI isn’t free. There are a handful of associated costs required of Points and Weeks members each year. As of 2025, a one-year membership with RCI Points is $134. Members are able to save money on their membership when they buy two or more years in advance. Moreover, a one-year membership with RCI Weeks is $109, with additional savings as you buy more years at once. But what about exchange fees? This is dependent on your length of reservation and tier and ranges anywhere from $50 to $1,599.
RCI vs II: Who to Choose?
If you’re interested in vacation exchange but haven’t purchased your timeshare yet, you’ll want to watch this video. Different vacation clubs are affiliated with RCI or Interval International (II), the two leading vacation exchange networks. II has fewer resorts than RCI, with 3,200 resorts in 92 countries, though they’re arguably just as stunning and exciting as RCI’s 4,200+ resorts. II is affiliated with top brands like Disney Vacation Club, Hyatt Vacation Club, and Marriott Vacation Club, as well as Westgate, who is affiliated with both RCI and II. The club you become a part of determines which vacation exchange network you can trade in your ownership with. So, be prepared! Explore resort destinations and perks of exchange with each company, as well as any membership or exchange fees, to determine which kind of ownership is right for you.
Extra Vacations and Last Call Vacations
RCI has a few ways for owners to expand their vacation options. Extra Vacations allows you access to RCI’s timeshare resort inventory to book a getaway. There’s no need to exchange your points for these vacations. You can buy a week at any available resort, so you can choose from thousands of resorts at incredible prices. Last Call Vacations are last-minute getaways that are able to be confirmed within 45 days of check-in. These week-long stays are similar to Extra Vacations but are heavily discounted. A studio unit can be less than $300, and a two-bedroom can be less than $350. You don’t need RCI Points in your account to book these amazing last-minute vacations.
How to Sign Up for RCI Points
Becoming an RCI member is simple once you own a resort affiliated with RCI. To register your timeshare interest for exchange, request your self-enrollment application pack on the RCI website. Then within 14 days, you will be contacted by RCI for your payment information to complete your membership. By becoming an RCI Points Subscribing Member, you can exchange your points for your choice of one to 21-night stays at affiliated properties.
How Does RCI Points Work?
So, one more time: How does RCI Points work? Having a membership with RCI allows you to exchange your vacation points/week and travel where and when you wish within RCI’s collection of affiliated resorts. Using your points is easy. Inventory is available up to 10 months in advance; you can deposit your timeshare points up to ten months prior to your use year start date, then up to the last day of your use year. These points stay good for two years from the date of deposit.
If you want to return to your home resort instead of exchanging one year, you’ll need to book twelve to thirteen months prior to your check-in date before the inventory is opened to others. So, start by searching for your next vacation destination online at RCI, or call an RCI Vacation Planning Center. Open an Ongoing Search if you are unable to locate the destination you need. By doing so, RCI will search the system 24/7 and notify you when the destination you are looking for becomes available. This way, you don’t have to constantly refresh the page.
Rent Points from RCI
Now, how does RCI Points work if you don’t have enough points to exchange for a resort you’d really love to visit? RCI has an answer for that: renting points! RCI members have the option to rent more points upon checkout. You can rent up to 50 percent of your annual points allocation for a points rental fee of $0.03 (per point), or $12 per 1,000 points. Please note, however, that rented points can only be used in the current use year and the ability to rent points is subject to RCI vacation availability. Moreover, the amount of points you can rent is limited to the amount of your annual allocation.
Browse Timeshare Resales on Timeshares Only
So, how does RCI Points work? We hope we’ve answered your question. By now, you should know more about RCI’s points and weeks systems, and, if you haven’t already, you may be interested in purchasing a vacation ownership. At Timeshares Only, we have a wide selection of of RCI-affiliated timeshares that you can check out through our online marketplace. From Wyndham to Hilton, you’ll find a luxurious ownership in a top destination to call home, and should you want to change things up, RCI will be there to help. Start by browsing our resale market for your dream ownership, or call us today at 1-800-610-2734 or email us at [email protected] for more assistance.
