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Editor's note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.
If you truly want to maximize your miles, periodic transfer bonuses offer some of the most lucrative opportunities for fantastic points redemptions. Specifically, you can sometimes get up to 40% more value for your points by transferring them from your credit cards to specific airline or hotel loyalty programs at the right moment. And we've recently seen an increase in available transfer bonuses as travel ramps back up.
To help make it easier for you to track these offers, we've compiled all of the current transfer bonuses for the major transferable rewards programs.
To give you an idea of the value of these bonuses, let's say you transfer 76,000 American Express Membership Rewards to Avianca LifeMiles with a 15% bonus. This would give you 87,400 Avianca LifeMiles - enough to book a Lufthansa first-class ticket from the U.S. to Europe. These flights often cost around $4,500 each way, so you could get a value of about 6 cents per point.
Now that you have an idea of why you should care about transfer bonuses, let's take a look at the current offerings. Note that some transfer bonuses may be targeted, so not all bonuses noted will necessarily be available to you.
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In This Post
American Express Membership Rewards
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Transfer ratio | End date | Note |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 15% | 1,000 = 1,150 | May 31, 2021 | You can fly business class to Europe on carriers such as Swiss for as low as 55,000 miles with this offer. |
| Hilton Honors | 40% | 1,000 = 2,800 | June 15, 2021 | Hilton has announced loyalty program extensions for 2021. |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 40% | 1,000 = 1,400 | June 15, 2021 | Earn double points and elite night credits when you register for the Better Two-gether promotion. |
Cards that earn Amex points
If you want to take advantage of transfer bonus offers with American Express, you'll need Membership Rewards points. And, if you're looking to earn Membership Rewards points, the following Amex cards could be useful additions to your wallet:
| Card | Welcome bonus | Bonus category earning rates | Annual fee |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $5,000 on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership. | 10x points on eligible purchases on your new card at U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of account opening. 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (starting Jan. 1, 2021, earn 5x points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) 5x points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel | $550 (see rates & fees) |
| American Express® Gold Card | 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in your first six months of account opening. Terms apply. | 4x points on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; then 1x) 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com | $250 (see rates & fees) |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | 125,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms apply. | 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com 1.5x points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more (on up to 1 million additional points per calendar year) | $595 (see rates & fees) |
| American Express® Green Card | 30,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $2,000 in your first three months of account opening. Terms apply. | 3x points on takeout and delivery, transit and travel | $150 (see rates & fees) |
The information for the Amex Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
You may even be targeted for a higher welcome bonus (recently as high as 125,000 points) through the CardMatch Tool. Keep in mind that CardMatch offers are subject to change at any time.
© The Points Guy(Photo by John Gribben for The Points Guy)
Other ways to earn Amex points
You can also earn extra Membership Rewards points when you enroll through Amex Offers and by shopping with Rakuten. Based on TPG valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth about two cents each.
Most Membership Rewards transfer instantly to most programs.
Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase doesn't run transfer bonuses very often. It offered its first transfer bonus to British Airways Avios back in 2019, then a 60% bonus on IHG Rewards Club transfers in August 2020 and a 30% transfer bonus to Avios at the end of 2020.
Unfortunately, it isn't offering any transfer bonuses at the moment. We'll update this page when there's a new bonus.
Cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards
© Provided by The Points Guy(Photo by Eric Helgas for The Points Guy)
If you want to utilize any future bonus offers with Chase, the following cards could make good additions to your wallet.
Other ways to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points
However, if you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points into a single account. Then, you can effectively convert the cash-back earnings on the following cards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points:
- Chase Freedom Flex: $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months of account opening. Finally, earn 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories on up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter you activate, 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining and 3% at drugstores.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited: $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% on dining, 3% at drugstores and 1.5% on everything else.
- Ink Business Cash Credit Card: $750 bonus after spending $7,500 in the first three months of account opening. Earn 5% cash back on up to $25,000 in combined purchases at office supply stores and telecommunications providers each account anniversary. Finally, earn 2% cash back on up to $25,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and gas stations each account anniversary.
- Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card: $750 bonus after spending $7,500 in the first three months of account opening. Earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
To truly maximize your earnings with Chase, consider making the Chase quartet or Chase trifecta a part of your card strategy. According to TPG's valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth two cents each. And, most Ultimate Rewards transfers will process instantly.
Related: How to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Unfortunately, Citi isn't currently offering any transfer bonuses. But, we'll update this page if there's a new transfer bonus.
How to earn Citi ThankYou points
If you don't want to miss out on a future bonus offer, these Citi credit cards could make useful additions to your wallet:
- Citi Prestige® Card: 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn 5x points on air travel and restaurants and 3x ThankYou points on cruise lines and hotels.
- Citi Premier® Card: 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. You'll earn 3x ThankYou points per $1 on air travel, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, as well as 1x ThankYou points on all other purchases.
- Citi Rewards+® Card: 15,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within three months of account opening. Plus, earn 2x ThankYou points at supermarkets and gas stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1x point after that. Earn 1x ThankYou points on all other purchases. Finally, the points earned on each purchase are rounded up to the nearest 10 points. However, note that you must pair this card with the Citi Prestige or Citi Premier to access a full-fledged, transferable ThankYou points account.
The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Based on TPG's valuations, Citi ThankYou points are worth about 1.7 cents each. However, note that some Citi transfers will not process instantly. So, be sure to factor in the transfer time if you're trying to book an award with scarce availability.
Related: Is Citi ThankYou Rewards the most underappreciated and misunderstood program?
Capital One
Unfortunately, Capital One isn't currently offering any transfer bonuses. But, we'll update this page if there's a new transfer bonus.
How to earn Capital One miles
There aren't any transfer bonuses currently. But, if you want to utilize a future transfer bonus offer, the following Capital One cards could make good additions to your wallet:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 miles if you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earn 2x miles on every purchase.
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business: 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months of account opening. 2x miles on purchases.
TPG's valuations peg the value of Capital One miles at 1.4 cents each. For more details, check out our guide to all of the Capital One transfer partners, as well as how to transfer Capital One miles to airline partners. Finally, note that most transfers from Capital One will process instantly.
Related: Best ways to maximize Capital One miles
Marriott Bonvoy
© Provided by The Points GuySt. Regis Langkawi (Photo by Ethan Steinberg/The Points Guy)
Marriott Bonvoy isn't currently offering any limited-time transfer bonuses. But, Marriott Bonvoy points convert to more than 40 airline partners at a 3:1 ratio. And, you'll receive 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred. TPG's valuations peg the value of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cents each.
How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points
If you're looking to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points, the following Marriott Bonvoy credit cards may be of interest:
- Marriott Bonvoy BrilliantT American Express® Card: Earn 125,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after using your new card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first three months. Plus, earn up to $200 in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants within the first six months of card membership. Offer expires 5/12/2021. Earn 6x points at participating Marriott hotels, 3x points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2x points on all other eligible purchases. However, this card has an annual fee of $450 (see rates and fees). Terms apply.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn up to 17x Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2x points on everything else. However, this card has a $95 annual fee.
- Marriott Bonvoy BusinessT American Express® Card: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your new Card to make $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/12/21. Earn 6x points at participating Marriott hotels and 4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. Finally, earn 2x points on all other eligible purchases. However, this card has an annual fee of $125 (see rates and fees). Terms apply.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in your first three months of account opening. Earn up to 14x points at participating Marriott hotels, 2x points on other travel purchases and 1x points on everything else. However, this card has no annual fee.
But, be sure to review our tests of Marriott transfer times. After all, some airlines take a few days (or even weeks) to receive the miles.
Related: How to redeem points with the Marriott Bonvoy program
Should you transfer points now?
We generally only recommend transferring points if you have a near-term plan to use them. With the travel industry turning to rewards programs to drum up cash, promotions like these could spell out devaluations in the future. Transfers are irreversible, so you don't want to be stuck with thousands of points in a program you have little use for.
If you don't have a specific redemption in mind but still want to earn miles, you're likely better off earning points and miles through credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending.
Bottom line
When a transferable currency program offers a transfer bonus, it's worth considering whether the bonus is worthwhile. Generally, you won't want to transfer your points without a specific redemption in mind. After all, transferable points are usually more valuable when they remain transferable. If you use the program frequently or plan to make a redemption soon, utilizing a transfer bonus can help you get more value from your points.
Did we miss any? Feel free to let us know by emailing tips@thepointsguy.com.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Green Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, please click here.
Additional reporting by Carissa Rawson, Katie Genter, Joseph Hostetler, Summer Hull, Liz Hund and Jason Stauffer.
Featured photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.