As a new Margaritaville Vacation Club owner, you have all the tools you need to book your first timeshare vacation at your fingertips. So start dreaming of paradise — because after you master these two timeshare basics, you’ll be ready to plan your next tropical getaway with ease.

1.   Points = Paradise

Think of your timeshare points like exclusive Margaritaville Vacation Club vacation currency. Here are three types of points that are available to owners:

Margaritaville Vacation Club points: The points you have based on your ownership purchase — use them to book exciting vacations at your resort destinations!  You receive your points every year on an annual basis. The amount of points needed to book your vacation depend on the season, suite size, and resort location.

Bonus points: Additional points that are offered to some owners when they make a new ownership purchase. Bonus Points are available for up to 24 months from their start date, and can be used to book reservations at Club Wyndham resort locations up to 10 months in advance of the desired check-in date.

Wyndham Rewards points: Wyndham Rewards is the world’s most generous hotel rewards program. With thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts, and vacation rentals worldwide, plus so many ways to earn and redeem points, Wyndham Rewards gives you more options to travel and get rewarded the way you want. These points are different from your Margaritaville Vacation Club points, but can be used to book a Wyndham Vacation Clubs resort through Wyndham Rewards or Extra Holidays (based on availability).

Pro Tip: You can convert all or a portion of your future Margaritaville Vacation Club points to Wyndham Rewards points to redeem for travel and leisure opportunities.

When you aren’t out exploring a new destination with your points, you can use them for the following owner exclusives:

• Travel benefits with PlusPartners, like renting a car or booking a cruise
• Wyndham Club Pass — an internal exchange program that provides access to additional resorts
• Deposit points with RCI — your worldwide exchange network
• Convert your timeshare points to maintenance fee dollars
• Make a charitable donation

2.   Use Year

Your timeshare points stay active for a 12-month period known as your Use Year. Be sure to use all of your points or deposit them before the end of your Use Year, otherwise they’ll expire to make room for your next batch of points.

There are four different Use Years based on the four quarterly cycles of the year:

Jan. 1 – March 31

April 1 – June 30

July 1 – Sept. 30

Oct. 1 – Dec. 31

If you received bonus points when you became a new timeshare owner with Margaritaville Vacation Club, then you have 24 months to use them however you want.

Pro Tip: Dip into your next Use Year’s points and book a timeshare vacation in advance. Planning ahead and booking up to 10 months out can increase your chances of getting the resort and travel dates that you want.