While airlines already operate their loyalty programs like a corporately controlled currency, other companies missed the memo on how these programs need to be tightly regulated. Crafty GM vehicle owners discovered a loophole in the GM Rewards program last month to pile up thousands of dollars in points for free. Stunningly, the owner of a 2024 Cadillac Escalade V used a 5,937,000 point haul to pay off their $59,370 loan. Before anyone gets too excited, GM removed the exploit.
It’s important to note that the monetary value of a single GM Reward point is only a penny, so it would take a sizeable amount of spending to redeem anything worthwhile. However, there’s a way to get points for free, and that’s what the loophole was. Members could earn up to 16,000 points by completing surveys and watching GM videos on the platform. According to Resell Calendar, the free process wasn’t repeatable on the same account, but could get more promotional points on a newly created account. Then, the points could be transferred back to their main account immediately via email without penalty. The loop only took five minutes, so it didn’t take long to rack up millions of points.
Loyalty programs are meant to make money, not give everything away
The troubling part for General Motors was that members could use the points on the same products it expected loyal customers to be spending money on, including GM Finance loans. The automaker’s loyalty program operates similarly to frequent flier programs, where members accrue points through continued spending. A point for every $5 spent on new vehicle purchases. User got a more favorable rate of 3 points per dollar spent on other buys with GM, like accessories and service center visits. Of course, the program wouldn’t be complete without an associated credit card, a Barclays Mastercard in this case. Cardmembers earn an additional 7 points per $1 spent on GM purchases, plus points on non-GM purchases.
The free points exploit sidestepped the gamified carrot system intended to generate revenue. GM shut down the loophole by removing promotional point offers, but didn’t revoke the points that were earned using the method. The company is going to avoid upsetting members because loyalty programs are a massive potential revenue stream. Delta Skymiles received $2 billion in remuneration from American Express for credit card purchases during the third quarter of 2025. The airline’s entire operating income was $1.7 billion. In a certain light, Delta isn’t an airline with a rewards program, but a rewards program that flies planes. It’s unlikely that GM’s financial reports would ever mirror a modern airline, but the automaker isn’t going to leave money on the table.
