Hilton Launches New Shop-to-Earn Mall

This week, Hilton rolled out its new Shop-to-Earn Mall, a network of more than 1,500 online retailers that award HHonors points for purchases.

The list of participating merchants is extensive, covering just about every category of goods and services, from jewelry to consumer electronics to books to clothing. Many of the best-known, most popular retailers are represented.

The number of points earned varies by retailer, from as little as one point per $2 spent. In most cases, the payout ranges from one to five points per $1.

As always with mileage malls, earning points requires one extra step in the shopping process. Instead of going directly to Target.com, for example, you must first visit the Shop-to-Earn landing page and log in with your HHonors credentials. After that, click on the link to Target.com and your purchases will be tracked and points awarded.

Hilton isn’t breaking any new ground here. Most larger airline programs feature mileage malls, as do the programs of Marriott and InterContinental.

Following standard practice in the industry, Hilton contracted with an outside company that specializes in such applications for its Shop-to-Earn Mall—Loylogic, which provides similar functionality for Delta’s SkyMiles, United’s MileagePlus, InterContinental’s Priority Club Rewards, and other programs.

That’s probably a good thing. The app looks good and seems to work well.

To Buy, or Not to Buy

If you’re an active member of the HHonors program, then by all means take advantage of the extra points available by shopping through the participating merchants. With so many retailers and products represented, you should be able to earn points for many if not most of your online purchases. And you’d be silly not to.

If you’re program neutral and are just looking to earn the most points for each and every purchase, Hilton’s mall is another option to consider when comparison shopping.

Reader Reality Check

Are mileage malls part of your regular shopping routine?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.