The Ultimate Guide to Payback
Payback is the secret weapon for earning Miles & More miles on your everyday shopping. It’s a free program that lets you “stack” rewards from retailers with your credit card points. This guide will show you how to turn a simple shopping trip into a significant mileage boost.
The Core Strategy: Double-Dipping with Bonuses
The basic idea is simple: earn Payback points on your purchases, then transfer them to Miles & More during a special promotion.
- Base Value: 1 Payback Point can be cashed out for €0.01.
- Transfer Bonus: Payback periodically offers bonuses for transfers to Miles & More. Current and recent bonuses:
- Current: 10% (July 1-31, 2026; at least 4,000 points in one transaction)
- January 2026: 25% (January 1-31, 2026)
- May 2025: 25%
- January 2025: 20%
- Effective Exchange Rate: During the current promotion, 1 Payback point becomes 1.1 Miles & More miles. Bonus miles are capped at 75,000, and residency plus M&M-account restrictions for Germany or Austria apply.
NOTE: Since June 2025’s dynamic pricing, M&M award values vary by route and timing. For your specific redemption goals, compare M&M pricing with direct Amex transfers to British Airways (5:4) or Singapore (3:2). The Amex→Payback→M&M route (3:1:1 = 0.33-0.42 M&M miles per MR point) works best when M&M has good availability on your desired route.
Watch the “Meilenabo” trap: Automatic Meilenabo transfers do not automatically qualify for promotional bonuses. Check the current terms and, for the July promotion, transfer at least 4,000 points manually in one transaction.
Step 1: Activate Your Coupons
Before you shop, open the Payback app. Look for “eCoupons” for the store you’re visiting. Let’s say you find a 10x points coupon for dm. Activate it.
Step 2: Make Your Purchase
At dm or EDEKA (replaced REWE as of Jan 1, 2025), you spend €100.
- Base Points: You earn 1 point per €2 spent, so you get 50 points.
- Coupon Bonus: The 10x coupon gives you an extra 450 points (50 base points x 9).
- Total: 500 Payback points.
Step 3: Pay with a Premium Card
You pay for your €100 purchase with your Miles & More Blue Credit Card.
- Card Miles: You earn 1 mile per €2 spent, adding another 50 Miles & More miles directly to your account.
Step 4: The Total Haul
From one €100 shopping trip, you’ve earned:
- From Payback: 500 Payback points.
- From your Credit Card: 50 Miles & More miles.
Step 5: Transfer During a Bonus Event
Keep collecting until you have at least 4,000 points. In the current July promotion, one qualifying transfer then earns a 10% bonus.
- Example: 4,000 Payback points become 4,400 Miles & More miles.
Step 6: The Reward
The shop contributed 500 Payback points and 50 card miles. Repeating the stack gets you to the minimum for a bonus transfer. Note: “Meilenschnäppchen” bargain awards for Lufthansa/SWISS/Austrian were eliminated June 3, 2025, but still exist for partner airlines like LOT Polish and Brussels Airlines.
Coupon Watchlist: Amazon, Temu, Zalando, and more
PAYBACK eCoupons change frequently and can differ by account. We therefore treat only publicly visible promotions as generally available. Personalized sightings are explicitly labeled “check your app.”
| Merchant | Publicly verified base rate | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 1 point per €2 | Start through PAYBACK with an empty cart; many categories and gift cards are excluded. Extra coupons may be personalized. |
| Temu | 1 point per €2 | Use an empty cart; store credit, returns, and commercial resale are excluded. If an order is split, an extra coupon may apply only to the first part. |
| Zalando gift cards | 1 point per €2 | PAYBACK awards the gift-card purchase here, not an ordinary purchase in the Zalando shop. |
Before a large purchase: Open the coupon center in the PAYBACK app, activate the best merchant coupon, and then start the purchase through PAYBACK. Our daily monitor checks public merchant pages and treats reports from other deal sites only as leads until official terms are available.
What About the Payback-Branded Credit Cards?
While Payback offers its own credit cards, their earning rates are significantly lower than premium cards like the Miles & More cards or American Express Gold/Platinum.
- Payback American Express: It’s worth getting this card only for the sign-up bonus (typically ~4,000 points, though current promotions vary) since it’s free. After you receive the bonus, you can cancel it. Don’t use it for daily spending.
- Payback Visa: With an earning rate of 1 point per €5 spent, this card is not recommended.
For maximizing miles, always use your best Miles & More or American Express card for purchases.