If you really want to maximize your miles, periodic transfer bonuses can provide lucrative opportunities for fantastic points redemptions. Sometimes you can get significantly more value from your points by transferring them to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of these bonuses.
However, these are temporary offers.
We’ve put together the transfer bonuses for the top transferable rewards programs to make tracking these offers easier. Please note that transfer bonuses are sometimes targeted and some may not be available.
American Express Membership Rewards
Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Air France KLM Flying Blue | 25% | 1:1.25 | Until September 22 | Especially beneficial in combination with a promotional reward |
How to Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
You need Membership Rewards points to maximize the Amex transfer bonuses. If you’re looking to earn Membership Rewards points, the following Amex cards could be useful additions to your wallet:
Be sure to also check the CardMatch Tool to see if you qualify for an even higher welcome offer (subject to change at any time).
You can also earn additional membership rewards when you sign up for Amex offers and shop with Rakuten.
Based on TPG valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, and our testing shows they transfer immediately to most programs.
Related: Redeem American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value
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Chase ultimate rewards
How to Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
If you’re looking to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the following cards could be good additions to your wallet.
If you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points into one account. You can then effectively convert the cashback earnings on the following cards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points:
- Chase Freedom Flex: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of opening your account.
- Chase freedom without limits: Earn an extra 1.5% on all purchases up to $20,000 spent in the first year. That’s a value of up to $300 cashback.
- Ink business cash credit card: Earn $750 in bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card: Earn $750 in bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
According to TPG Valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each when maximized with travel partners. Most Ultimate Rewards transfers are processed immediately.
Related: How to Maximize Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Capital one mile
Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Avianca LifeMiles | 15% | 1:1.15 | Until September 30th | You won’t see the transfer bonus on Capital One’s website, but when you transfer miles, LifeMiles will credit the 15% within 24 hours. |
How to Earn Capital One Miles
If you’re looking to earn more Capital One Miles, the following Capital One cards could be good additions to your wallet:
TPG’s valuations set the value of Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, and most Capital One transfers are processed immediately.
For more information, see our guides on Capital One transfer partners and how to transfer Capital One miles to airline partners.
Related: Tips and tricks to get maximum value from your Capital One miles
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wyndham Rewards |
20% | 1:1.2 | Until September 16th | You can book award stays for as little as 7,500 Wyndham points per night, but check cash rates |
How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points
These Citi credit cards can be a useful addition to your wallet for earning Citi ThankYou points:
- Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 ThankYou bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 20,000 bonus points after you make $1,500 in purchases with your card within three months of account opening. Additionally, through June 30, 2024, you can earn a total of 5 ThankYou points on hotels, car rentals and attractions, excluding air travel, on the Citi Travel portal. (Note: You must link this card to a premium Citi ThankYou card to access a full-fledged, transferable ThankYou points account.)
Based on TPG’s valuations, Citi ThankYou points are worth about 1.8 cents each. Please note, however, that some Citi transfers may not be processed immediately. So take the transfer time into account if you try to book an award with limited availability.
Related: Is Citi ThankYou Rewards the Most Underrated and Misunderstood Program?
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy currently does not offer transfer bonuses.
How to Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points
If you want to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points, the following Marriott Bonvoy cards may be of interest:
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 95,000 bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of your card membership.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card: Earn 85,000 bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases in the first six months of your card membership.
- Marriott Bonvoy Borderless Credit Card: Earn three free night prizes (worth up to 50,000 points each night) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of your card membership.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first six months of your card membership. Offer ends November 1, 2023.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using the card to spend $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months.
TPG’s valuations peg the value of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents each. Before you switch, though, check out our tests of Marriott transfer times, as some airlines may take a few days (or even weeks) to receive the points.
Related: Redeem points with the Marriott Bonvoy program
Do you need to transfer points?
We only recommend transferring points if you have a short-term plan to use them. After all, many programs have implemented devaluations in recent years, so speculative transfers could be a losing proposition.
Transfers are irreversible, so you don’t want to be stuck with thousands of points in a program that is of little use to you.
If you don’t have a specific redemption in mind but still want to earn miles, you’re probably better off earning rewards through credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending.
In short
When a transferable currency program offers a transfer bonus, running the numbers is important to see if it is worth it.
In general, you don’t want to transfer your points without a specific redemption. After all, much of the value of transferable points comes from their flexibility – which you give up once you convert them to a partner’s currency.
However, if you use the program often or plan to redeem soon, a transfer bonus can help you get more value from your points.
Did we miss something? Please let us know by sending an email to tips@thepointsguy.com.