What is a Use Year and Why Does It Matter?
Every DVC contract has a "use year" assigned to it. This is the 12 month cycle that determines when your points become available each year. It sounds like a minor technical detail, but it actually affects how flexibly you can plan vacations and how your banking and borrowing windows work.
There are eight use year options in the DVC system: February, March, April, June, August, September, October, and December. Your points refresh on the first day of your use year month.
How Use Years Work in Practice
Let us say you own 200 points with a June use year. On June 1 each year, your fresh 200 points become available. You have until May 31 of the following year to use them. Any points you do not use and do not bank by May 31 simply expire.
Banking lets you push unused points forward into the next use year (they must still be used within that next year). Borrowing lets you pull next year points into the current year for an upcoming trip.
Here is the critical timing:
- Banking deadline: You must bank points before the end of your current use year. For a June use year, that means banking by May 31.
- Borrowing: Available anytime, but borrowed points must be used for a specific reservation.
- Point expiration: Banked points expire at the end of the next use year (so June use year points banked in May would expire the following May 31).
Matching Your Use Year to When You Travel
The ideal use year gives you maximum planning flexibility around your typical vacation dates. The general principle: you want your points to become available several months before you typically travel. That way you have fresh points plus any banked points from the prior year available.
Here is how different travel patterns match to use years:
- Summer travelers (June to August): An August, September, or October use year works well. Your points refresh well before the following summer, giving you time to plan.
- Spring break travelers (March to April): Consider April, June, or August. Your points refresh after your trip, so you can bank the current year leftovers and combine with next year fresh allocation.
- Holiday travelers (December to January): December, February, or March are strong choices. You get fresh points right around your travel window.
- Marathon weekend (January): February or March gives you fresh points right after, making it easy to plan the next year.
The truth? There is no perfect use year. Any use year works for any travel date because banking and borrowing give you flexibility. But the right use year reduces the need to borrow and gives you a larger cushion of available points when you need them.
Why Use Year Matters for Resale Purchases
Here is the part that catches some buyers off guard: you cannot change the use year on a resale contract. Whatever use year the original buyer chose is what you get. Period.
This means when you are shopping resale listings, use year should be one of your filters. A great deal on 200 points is less great if the use year creates constant headaches with your travel schedule. That said, do not obsess over it. The banking and borrowing system gives you enough flexibility that a "non ideal" use year rarely ruins anything.
If you own multiple contracts, they can have different use years. Some members actually prefer this because it staggers their point availability throughout the year.
Use Year and Contract Transfer Timing
When you purchase a resale contract, the number of points that transfer to you depends on where the seller is in their use year. Common scenarios:
- All points available: The seller has not used any current year points, so you get the full allocation.
- Stripped contract: The seller has already used this year points. You will receive the next year points when the use year rolls over.
- Partial points: Some points have been used, and you receive whatever remains.
Stripped contracts are typically cheaper per point because you are waiting longer for usable points. If you do not plan to travel for 6 to 12 months anyway, a stripped contract can be a smart way to save money on your purchase.
The Most Popular Use Years
December and February are the most common use years in the DVC system. This means more resale inventory is available with those use years, which can make shopping easier. Less common use years like March or April might limit your options but can still be found.
October is popular with members who want points fresh before the holiday booking rush. June works well for families whose planning cycle revolves around the school year.
Combining Use Years Across Multiple Contracts
If you already own DVC and are adding points, you can choose a contract with the same or different use year. Same use year is simpler (all points refresh together), but different use years can provide staggered availability that some frequent travelers prefer.
For example, owning 150 points with a February use year and 100 points with an August use year means you always have one set of points that became available within the last 6 months. It is a more advanced strategy, but it works for members who book multiple trips per year.
Do Not Overthink It
Honestly? Use year matters, but it is not worth losing sleep over. DVC banking and borrowing system was specifically designed to give members flexibility regardless of their use year. The biggest pitfall is simply forgetting to bank points before your deadline. Set a calendar reminder a month before your use year ends, and you will be fine.
If you are ready to start shopping for a contract, get an instant financing quote to see what your monthly payment would look like. Or read more about banking and borrowing strategies to master your points regardless of use year.