We love transferable credit card points here at The Points Guy (TPG). The ability to transfer your rewards to a wide range of airline and hotel loyalty programs at a moment’s notice provides valuable flexibility to maximize your travel. You’re not locked into a single redemption scheme as you plan your trips. If you can’t find the seats available in one program, you can choose another program before transferring any credit card points. If a program devalues without notice, you can simply switch to a different program for your next points transfer.
With dozens of different transfer options, it can be difficult to remember just how many options you have. In this article, we will provide a handy guide that breaks down which credit card points can be transferred to which airline and hotel programs — including their respective transfer ratios. We will also list our valuation of each transfer partner so you can get the best value to maximize your hard-earned points.
Airline Transfer Partners
There are a few important notes to highlight regarding these transfer partners:
– Many transfers are instantaneous, though you should check out our guides to transfer times for American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Citi for more details.
– Avios can be transferred between British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, Finnair Plus, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club accounts in any direction at a 1:1 ratio.
– Transfers from Capital One to Virgin Atlantic can happen using either Flying Club or Virgin Red.
– Programs occasionally offer transfer bonuses — which we highlight in our frequently updated guide to transfer bonuses.
– Except for EVA Air Infinity MileageLands and Finnair Plus, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to all airline partners listed above at a rate of 3 Bonvoy points to 1 airline mile. You will receive an additional 5,000 airline miles for every 60,000 Bonvoy points transferred except for the following airline programs: American AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, Delta SkyMiles, and Korean Air Skypass. Additionally, United MileagePlus awards 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred.
Hotel Transfer Partners
Like airline partners, most hotel transfers are instantaneous, though you can read more in our previously mentioned guides to transfer times for Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Citi.
How to Earn Transferable Points
The best way to earn transferable credit card points is with the right credit card. Here’s a look at your best options:
American Express Membership Rewards
These are the most popular cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards points:
– American Express Gold Card
– The Platinum Card from American Express
– American Express Green Card
You can also earn Amex points by signing up for Rakuten and setting your earning preference to Membership Rewards points instead of cash back.
Bilt Rewards
Bilt offers one credit card, the Bilt Mastercard®. Cardmembers enjoy 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent (on up to $100,000) without the transaction fee, 2 points per dollar spent on travel (airfare, hotels, cruises, and rental cars) and 3 points per dollar spent on dining. You need to make at least five transactions each month to earn points. Best of all, the Bilt Mastercard has no annual fee.
Capital One Miles
Here are the cards that currently earn transferable Capital One miles:
– Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
– Capital One Spark Miles for Business
– Capital One Spark Miles Select
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Here are the cards that earn fully transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points:
– Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
– Chase Sapphire Reserve
– Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
However, if you have one of these cards, you can also combine your rewards from cash-back cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® into a single account, effectively converting those cash-back earnings into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points.
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Citi ThankYou Rewards has 18 airline and hotel transfer partners. Currently, only a single card is available that offers transfers to all of these programs: the Citi Premier® Card. Note that if you’re still holding on to the Citi Prestige® Card — which is no longer open to new applicants — you also have the full transfer benefits.
However, like Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can combine your Citi ThankYou Rewards points into a single account for select products, allowing you to effectively convert your fixed-value earnings from cards like the Citi Rewards+® Card or the Citi Double Cash® Card into fully transferable ThankYou points.
Bottom Line
Many transfer options are available among the five major credit card loyalty programs. Transferable points are generally more valuable than any single airline or hotel point because of the added flexibility of choosing where to send your points — and when to do it.
Bookmark this cheat sheet so you know your options when applying for your next transferable points-earning credit card or deciding on your next redemption. Transferable credit card points can provide you with the flexibility and value you need to maximize your travel experiences. Whether you’re looking to book an award flight or a hotel stay, having transferable points at your disposal can make all the difference. So, start earning those points and get ready to explore the world with ease.