Confirming Available DVC Points

Confirming Available DVC Points: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

In every DVC resale transaction, there is one step that determines whether closing goes smoothly or comes to a halt: confirming the available points. The number of points listed in the purchase agreement must match what is actually in the seller account at closing. When that number is off, even slightly, the title company will not proceed until the discrepancy is resolved.

At DVC Sales, we have guided hundreds of transactions through this process over 25 years. Most go without a hitch. But when there is a problem, it almost always traces back to something that could have been disclosed earlier. This article explains what available points means in a DVC transaction, what gets verified at closing, and what red flags to watch for when purchasing or selling a contract.

What "Available Points" Actually Means in a DVC Sale

DVC operates on a use year cycle, and every member contract carries points across three possible time periods at any given moment:

• Current use year points: Points allocated for the active use year that have not been used, transferred, or banked.
• Banked points: Points from the previous use year that were saved before the banking deadline. These carry forward and expire if unused by the end of the current use year.
• Borrowed points: Points pulled forward from the next use year. These have already been spent before they were technically allocated, which means the incoming buyer receives fewer usable points from the upcoming year.

When a listing says "200 points available," you need to know exactly which bucket those points are coming from. Two contracts with identical point totals can be dramatically different depending on whether those points are current, banked, or include borrowed points from a future year the buyer was counting on.

The Three Years Sellers Must Account For

A complete picture of points in a DVC resale transaction covers three use years:

• Prior use year (banked points): Any points banked from the previous use year and not yet spent. These are the most immediately useful to a buyer since they can typically be used right away.
• Current use year: Points allocated for the active year. How many remain depends on whether the seller has used, banked, or borrowed any of them.
• Next use year: Points the buyer expects to receive as part of full ownership. If the seller borrowed from this year to cover a recent vacation, those points are already spent, and the buyer receives fewer than the annual contract total.

A properly written purchase agreement specifies exactly how many points are available from each year. If the agreement only lists a total number without breaking it down by year, that is a gap worth closing before you sign anything.

What Buyers Should Ask Before Making an Offer

Before submitting an offer on a DVC resale contract, ask the seller or brokerage for a complete point activity statement from Disney Member Services. This document shows:

• Points allocated for the current use year and how many remain
• Any banked points from the previous year
• Whether any points have been borrowed from the upcoming use year
• Any reservations currently on the account that will consume points before closing

You should also confirm the use year itself. DVC contracts are assigned a specific use year month. If the use year starts in June and you are closing in April, the seller has already been 10 months into their current use year. Understanding what happened to those points during those 10 months matters.

At DVC Sales, we verify point totals with Disney Member Services before and during the listing process. Our listings on the DVC resale listings page reflect the point information the seller has provided and we have confirmed. Final verification still happens at closing through the title company, but we try to surface discrepancies well before that stage.

What Sellers Must Disclose

As a seller, you have an obligation to be completely accurate about your point balance. That means disclosing:

• Whether you have any active reservations that will consume points before or at closing
• Whether you have borrowed points from the next use year
• Whether any points have expired or are approaching their expiration date
• Whether you transferred any points to another member

Once you sign a purchase agreement, do not touch your DVC account without talking to us first. Making a reservation, banking points, or borrowing from the next year after a contract is signed can create a breach of contract situation and delay or kill the closing entirely.

If you discover a discrepancy between what you listed and what is actually in your account, tell us immediately. These things are usually fixable when caught early. They become expensive problems when discovered the day before closing.

How the Title Company Verifies Points at Closing

The title companies that handle DVC resale transactions are experienced with the Disney point system. They know exactly what documentation to request, and they will not transfer the deed until the numbers match.

Typically, the title company will ask the seller for a current point activity statement from Disney Member Services showing the balance across all use years. The title company then compares that balance against what the purchase agreement specifies.

If the numbers match, closing proceeds. If they do not, the title company pauses the transaction and the parties need to resolve the discrepancy before moving forward. This is not a failure of the system. It is the system working exactly as intended to protect both buyer and seller.

The full closing timeline for a DVC resale transaction runs 45 to 60 days from contract to deed transfer. Point verification issues can add time, which is why getting the numbers right before you sign the purchase agreement saves everyone significant frustration.

Common Discrepancies and How They Get Resolved

Here are the most frequent point issues we see, and how they typically play out:

• Seller used points after signing. If the seller made a reservation or transferred points after the purchase agreement was executed, those points are missing from the agreed total. Resolution usually involves a price adjustment or the seller providing equivalent future-year points.
• Borrowed points not disclosed. A seller who borrowed 50 points from next year to cover a vacation before listing the contract needs to disclose that upfront. If discovered at closing, the buyer may have recourse to renegotiate the price or cancel.
• Banking deadline passed. If current-year points were not banked before the deadline and are now approaching expiration, they may have less value than the buyer expected. Sellers should clarify the expiration status of all points before listing.
• Forgotten reservation. A seller books a trip, lists the contract, and forgets about the pending reservation. Those booked points will be deducted before closing unless the reservation is canceled. This happens more often than you would expect.

Red Flags to Watch For in Any DVC Listing

If you are purchasing a DVC resale contract, these are signs that the point picture may need more scrutiny:

• The listing does not specify a breakdown by use year, only a total
• The point total seems unusually high for the contract size (may include banked points about to expire)
• The listing mentions the seller has active reservations
• The use year is late in the calendar year and a large portion of points is listed as available
• The seller is reluctant to provide a Member Services statement before accepting an offer

None of these things automatically signal a problem. But they are worth asking about. A seller with nothing to hide will provide documentation readily.

What the Purchase Agreement Should Say About Points

A well-drafted DVC purchase agreement will specify:

• The annual contract point total
• The use year month
• How many points are available for the current use year at the time of signing
• How many banked points from the prior use year are included
• Whether any points have been borrowed from the next use year, and if so, how many
• Any agreed adjustments to the purchase price if point counts differ at closing

If you are reviewing a purchase agreement and it only shows a single point total without this breakdown, ask your brokerage to amend it before you sign. Vague contracts lead to closing disputes. Specific contracts protect everyone.

Resale Restrictions and Points: What Changes After a Resale Purchase

The points themselves work the same way regardless of whether a contract was purchased direct from Disney or resale. You use the same booking system, the same point charts, and the same home resort priority window: 11 months for your home resort, 7 months for all other DVC resorts.

What changes with a resale purchase is access to certain Disney-affiliated perks reserved for direct purchasers. These include booking Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney through DVC points, and access to certain collection resorts for contracts sold after specific restriction dates. The points you receive at closing work the same way at every Walt Disney World DVC resort, Aulani in Hawaii, and the Grand Californian Villas at Disneyland.

For a full explanation of what resale includes and excludes, see our how DVC works page.

After Verification Is Complete

Once the title company confirms that point balances match the purchase agreement, you are in the final stretch. Disney typically processes the ownership transfer within a few weeks of deed recording. Once that is done, the new owner can access their DVC account and start making reservations.

New owners should log into their Disney account promptly after closing to verify the point balance, review any existing reservations that may have transferred, and confirm that the use year matches what the contract specified. If anything looks off, the time to catch it is immediately, while everyone involved in the transaction is still accessible.

Working with a Brokerage That Knows DVC

Point verification is routine when you work with people who have done it hundreds of times. At DVC Sales, we do not wait for the title company to surface a point discrepancy at closing. We try to identify issues during the listing and offer stages, before anyone has signed anything.

Our 6.9% commission covers full brokerage services on both sides of the transaction: verifying seller point documentation, drafting purchase agreements that specify point details clearly, coordinating with the title company, and keeping both parties informed throughout the 45-to-60-day closing process.

If you have questions about a specific listing or want to understand the point situation on a contract you are considering, call or email us. We will walk through the numbers with you before you make an offer.

Browse current contracts at our DVC resale listings page, or use our annual dues page to understand the full carrying costs of any contract you are considering.