You can buy Emirates miles directly from Emirates, or earn them faster through a co-branded credit card that awards miles on every purchase
Emirates Skywards miles — the loyalty currency for Emirates airline — can be purchased outright from Emirates, but most people get them cheaper by using a credit card that earns miles as a reward. A co-branded Emirates credit card typically gives you a large welcome bonus of miles after you spend a certain amount in the first few months, then awards miles on every dollar you charge. For frequent flyers, this is usually faster and more valuable than buying miles directly.
The math matters here. If you buy miles directly from Emirates, you pay a per-mile cost that varies by how many you purchase at once — buying in bulk is slightly cheaper per mile than buying a small amount. But a credit card that earns 1 or 2 miles per dollar spent, combined with a welcome bonus, often gets you to your goal faster without paying cash upfront for the miles themselves.
Key Takeaways
- Emirates co-branded credit cards award a welcome bonus of thousands of miles after you meet a spending threshold, usually within the first three months.
- Ongoing purchases earn 1 to 2 miles per dollar, depending on the card and the merchant category, so everyday spending builds your balance over time.
- You can also buy miles directly from Emirates at a per-mile cost, but this is usually more expensive than earning them through a credit card.
- Miles earned through a credit card never expire as long as your account stays active, but purchased miles may have different expiration rules depending on your Emirates account activity.
How credit card welcome bonuses work for Emirates miles
When you open an Emirates co-branded credit card, the issuer offers a welcome bonus — typically 50,000 to 100,000 miles — if you spend a set amount within a set timeframe, usually three to six months. This bonus is awarded once, when you meet the spending requirement. The bonus miles post to your Emirates Skywards account within one to two billing cycles after you hit the threshold.
The spending requirement is the total you must charge to the card, not including fees or interest. It usually ranges from $2,000 to $5,000. If you have planned expenses coming up — a car repair, a home improvement project, insurance payments you can charge — timing your card opening around those expenses makes the spending requirement easier to reach without changing your habits.
Not all purchases count toward the spending requirement. Cash advances, balance transfers, and fees do not count. Purchases made before your account opens or after the important date do not count either. Check the card's terms for the exact end date of the offer period.
Earning miles on everyday purchases and category bonuses
After you earn the welcome bonus, the card continues to award miles on purchases you make. Most Emirates cards earn a flat rate — commonly 1 mile per dollar spent on all purchases — or a higher rate in specific categories like dining, gas, or groceries, and a lower rate on everything else.
Some cards offer rotating categories that change each quarter, where you earn bonus miles in categories like restaurants or gas stations if you set up the category first. Others have fixed categories that never change. Read your card's benefits guide to see which categories earn the most, and whether you need to set up bonus categories each quarter.
Miles are posted to your Emirates Skywards account monthly, usually within one to two billing cycles after the purchase posts to your card. You can check your balance anytime by logging into your Emirates Skywards account online.
Buying miles directly from Emirates instead of through a credit card
Emirates allows you to purchase miles directly through your Skywards account without using a credit card. You log in, select how many miles you want to buy, and pay with a credit card, debit card, or bank transfer. The cost per mile decreases as you buy more — buying 10,000 miles costs more per mile than buying 100,000 miles.
This option makes sense only in specific situations: you are very close to a redemption goal and do not want to wait for credit card earnings, or you have a large lump sum of cash you want to convert to miles when ready. For most people, the welcome bonus and ongoing earnings from a credit card deliver more miles for less money.
Miles purchased directly from Emirates are added to your account when ready. They follow the same expiration rules as miles earned through other means — they do not expire as long as your account has activity (a purchase, a redemption, or a credit card earning) at least once every 36 months.
Understanding miles expiration and account activity
Emirates miles do not expire if your Skywards account stays active. Activity means any of these: earning miles through a credit card, purchasing miles, redeeming miles for a flight or upgrade, or even just logging into your account. If your account has no activity for 36 consecutive months, your miles expire and are removed from your account.
Using a co-branded credit card keeps your account active automatically, because the card earns miles monthly. Even if you never redeem a flight, the miles keep posting and your account stays active. This is one reason a credit card is better than a one-time purchase of miles — it maintains your account without any effort on your part.
If your account does expire, you can reactivate it by earning or purchasing miles again. Your old miles are gone, but you can start fresh.
Comparing different Emirates credit cards and their rewards
Several banks issue Emirates co-branded credit cards, and the welcome bonus, earning rate, and annual fee vary by card and by bank. Some cards charge an annual fee of $95 to $150, while others have no annual fee. Some offer 1 mile per dollar on all purchases, while others offer 2 miles per dollar in certain categories.
The best card for you depends on how much you spend, what you spend on, and how often you fly Emirates. If you spend heavily on dining or travel, a card with bonus categories in those areas earns miles faster. If you have a large one-time expense coming up, a card with a high welcome bonus and a low spending requirement might be worth the annual fee.
Check the card issuer's website for the current welcome offer, because bonuses change throughout the year. Compare the welcome bonus, the annual fee, the ongoing earning rate, and any other perks like lounge access or checked baggage allowance.
How to transfer credit card miles to your Emirates account
Miles earned through an Emirates co-branded credit card are deposited directly into your Emirates Skywards account — you do not have to transfer them manually. When you open the card, you provide your Skywards account number, and all miles earned post automatically to that account.
If you have multiple Skywards accounts or want to change which account receives your miles, contact the card issuer's customer service. They can update your account number, but this usually takes a few business days to process. Do this before you start spending on the card to avoid miles posting to the wrong account.
If miles do post to the wrong account by mistake, contact both the card issuer and Emirates Skywards customer service with proof of the error. They can usually move the miles to the correct account, but it may take several weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use miles earned from a credit card to pay for a flight booked with cash?
No. Miles are a separate currency from cash. You must book a flight using miles only, or pay cash only — you cannot mix the two on a single booking. However, you can use miles to upgrade a cash ticket to a higher cabin class on some airlines, though Emirates has specific rules about when this is allowed.
Do I have to fly Emirates to earn miles on the credit card?
No. A co-branded credit card earns miles on every purchase you make with the card, regardless of whether you fly Emirates or any other airline. The miles are yours to use for any Emirates flight or redemption.
What happens to my miles if I close the credit card?
Your miles stay in your Emirates Skywards account and do not disappear when you close the card. However, closing the card means you stop earning miles on new purchases. Your account remains active as long as you have miles and do not go 36 months without any activity.
Can I earn miles on credit card payments or fees?
No. Annual fees, interest charges, and late fees do not earn miles. Only purchases of goods and services earn miles. Balance transfers and cash advances also do not earn miles on most cards.
How long does it take for miles to show up in my Emirates account after I use the credit card?
Miles typically post to your Emirates Skywards account one to two billing cycles after the purchase posts to your credit card. This usually means 30 to 60 days, depending on your card issuer and when the transaction settles.