RCI Pros and Cons: Should You Invest in a Membership?

If you’ve been exploring timeshare ownership, you’ve likely learned about the timeshare exchange memberships out there with the most well-known being RCI. RCI is the world’s largest external timeshare exchange program and is a great benefit to any ownership, but it can be hard to understand its value as someone who doesn’t know all that it can offer.

So, is RCI worth it? It depends on what matters most to you for travel and how you would take advantage of its membership, but here are some of its most impressive benefits and some of its potential downfalls:

What is RCI?

As we’ve already mentioned, RCI is an external timeshare exchange program. This means that they are a company that has created affiliations with a variety of brands and resorts around the world that allow owners of these properties the option to become RCI members.

When someone becomes an RCI member, they are able to deposit their timeshare week(s) or points into RCI. There are two different ways owners can choose to utilize and exchange within RCI, one being point-based and one being week-based.

Regardless of what type of membership you choose, RCI then takes into consideration specific details of your timeshare deposit to determine the “value” or trading power of your ownership. This decision is based on a number of factors but some of the most prominent being your Home Resort, its location, the seasonal demand, the size of your unit, the number of points you deposit, and more.

It’s also important to note RCI has its own resort rating system, which is awarded to resorts based on how they exceed expectations and services. The three available in ascending order are the RCI Hospitality Award, the RCI Silver Crown Award, and the RCI Gold Crown rating.

Based on this information, you’ll learn the trading power of your ownership within RCI, which you can then utilize to exchange for other comparable vacations within RCI’s database.

Pro: Flexibility to Exchange With Many Brands

RCI’s most beloved and unique feature is that it allows members to hypothetically exchange for any of the timeshares within its portfolio, regardless of brand. This means you can explore destinations and resorts around the world (comparable to your timeshares RCI value), virtually any time of the year.

RCI is great for those who want to visit places outside of their timeshare brand’s internal exchange offers, those who want to visit a specific resort, and provides more flexibility for all, especially those who own more traditional fixed-week timeshares.

Pro: Variety of RCI Affiliated Resorts and Destinations

Because RCI is affiliated with resorts from dozens of different vacation ownership brands, its inventory is full of thousands of preferred timeshare resorts in some of the most sought-after destinations in the world. You’ll never have to settle on a future vacation because the options are endless with RCI, including access to top-rated RCI Gold Crown properties.

Pro: Additional Travel Benefits

Outside of the timeshare exchange options, RCI has other membership benefits to take advantage of. This includes but isn’t limited to things like Extra Vacation Getaways, cruises, Last Call Vacations, airfare, car rental services, and hotel stays.

Pro: Affordable Annual Membership Cost

One of the best parts about having an RCI membership is that you don’t have to break the bank in order to have one. RCI’s Annual Weeks Subscription Fees start at $99 and their Annual Weeks Platinum Fees start at $89 with discounts available for their multi-year packages.

Pro: It’s a Great Resale Feature

Though you might still be enjoying and utilizing your timeshare right now, it’s always nice to prepare for the future. Because of RCI’s extensive list of benefits and limited resale restrictions, an RCI-affiliated resort has been shown in our marketplace and others to be a big selling point for interested buyers.

Con: If Your Timeshare Has a Lower Trading Power, Your Options Are More Limited

It’s important to remember that not all RCI timeshares are equal in value. Just the same as four- and five-star resorts having higher nightly rates than lower-star resorts on the retail market, RCI has a system in place that determines the “value” and the trading power of each timeshare that is deposited. If your ownership is at a less desirable resort, with a less desirable brand, has fewer points, and/or a less desirable week, your RCI trading power will be lower and provide you with fewer options for a one-for-one exchange.

That being said, you do still have the option to exchange for a higher value timeshare vacation, but there will be additional fees to cover the difference in the vacation costs.

Con: Not All Timeshare Brands are RCI-Affiliates and Affiliations Can Change

RCI is affiliated with dozens of beloved timeshare brands and their portfolios of exciting resort options, but not every brand or resort you love is a part of RCI’s network. Additionally, brands you love or even the brand you own a timeshare with might change affiliations.

For example, at the end of 2021 Disney Vacation Club decided to change is exchange affiliations and is now a part of the Interval International network, which means Disney’s timeshare resorts are not available for exchange with an RCI membership.

So, be sure to research the brands currently associated with RCI, which might help determine your decision to get an annual membership!

Explore RCI and Other Timeshare Brands on SMTN

SellMyTimeshareNow.com is the leading timeshare resale and rental company with thousands of RCI-affiliated resorts in our inventory. You can save thousands by shopping on our marketplace and utilize all of RCI’s incredible benefits just like owners who purchase directly from the developers!