Timeshare Exchange Systems - An exchange allows a timeshare or vacation plan owner to trade units for a discrete time with another owner who has an equivalent unit at an affiliated resort within the system. Here’s how it works: A resort developer has a relationship with an exchange company, which administers the service for owners at the resort.

Owners become members of the exchange system when they buy their timeshare or vacation plan. At most resorts, the developer pays for each new member’s first year of membership in the exchange company, but members pay the exchange company directly after that.

To participate, a member must deposit a unit into the exchange company’s inventory of weeks available for exchange. When a member takes a week from the inventory, the exchange company charges a fee.

In a points-based exchange system, the interval is automatically put into the inventory system for a specified period when the member joins. Point values are assigned to units based on length of stay, location, unit size, and seasonality. Members who have enough points to secure the vacation accommodations they want can reserve them on a space-available basis. Members who don’t have enough points may want to investigate programs that allow banking of prior-year points, advancing points, or even “renting” extra points to make up differences.

Whether the exchange system works satisfactorily for owners is another issue to research before buying. Keep in mind that, you will pay all fees and taxes in an exchange program no matter whether you use your unit or someone else’s.