Get more from your credit card points with these current transfer bonuses
If you truly want to maximize your points and miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer lucrative opportunities for fantastic award redemptions. You can sometimes get significantly more value from your rewards by transferring them to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of these bonuses.
However, these are limited-time offers.
We’ve compiled the transfer bonuses for the major transferable rewards programs to make tracking these offers easier. Just note that transfer bonuses are sometimes targeted, so some may not be available.
American Express Membership Rewards current transfer bonuses
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors | 30% | 1:2.6 | Until Dec. 31 | You can potentially combine this bonus to work toward Hilton’s elite standard fifth night free. |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 30% | 1:1 | Until Dec. 31 | Virgin has offered generous Promo Awards a few times each year. |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 20% | 1:1 | Until Dec. 31 | This offer is targeted, so check your Membership Rewards account to see if you are eligible. |
How to earn American Express Membership Rewards points
You’ll need Membership Rewards points to maximize Amex transfer bonuses. If you’re looking to earn Membership Rewards points, the following Amex cards could be useful additions to your wallet:
Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for an even higher welcome offer (subject to change at any time).
You can also earn extra Membership Rewards when enrolling in Amex Offers and shopping with Rakuten.
Based on TPG valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, and our tests indicate that they transfer instantly to most programs.
Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value
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Chase Ultimate Rewards current transfer bonuses
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 20% | 1:1.2 | Until Jan. 15 | If you also have the Aeroplan® Credit Card, you can get another 10% bonus by transferring at least 50,000 points in a single transaction. |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 25% | 1:1.25 | Until Jan. 10 | Even with the transfer bonus, which will increase the worth of JetBlue TrueBlue miles from 1.4 to about 1.75 cents apiece, this may still not be the best use of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which TPG values at 2.05 cents. |
How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points
If you want to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the following cards could make good additions to your wallet:
If you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points in 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℠: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Use your card for all your purchases, and at the end of your first year, Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned. There is no limit to how much you can earn.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn a $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn a $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from 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 will process instantly.
Related: How to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Capital One miles
There are currently no transfer bonuses for Capital One miles.
How to earn Capital One miles
For a future transfer bonus, the following Capital One cards could make good additions to your wallet:
TPG’s valuations peg the value of Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, and most transfers from Capital One will process instantly.
For more details, check out our guides to the 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
There are currently no transfer bonuses for Citi ThankYou points.
How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points
These Citi credit cards could make useful additions 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 spend $1,500 on purchases with your card within three months of account opening. Plus, earn a total of 5 ThankYou points on hotels, car rentals and attractions, excluding air travel, on the Citi Travel portal now through June 30, 2024. (Note: You must pair this card with 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. However, note that some Citi transfers will not process instantly. So, 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?
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy is not running any transfer bonuses at this time.
How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points
If you’re looking to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points, the following Marriott Bonvoy cards may be of interest:
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card: Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $5,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Earn three free night awards (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months of card membership. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn three free night awards after you use your new card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for each bonus free night award at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: Earn 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months from account opening.
TPG’s valuations peg the value of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents each. Before transferring, review our tests of Marriott transfer times since some airlines take a few days (or even weeks) to receive the points.
Related: How to redeem points with the Marriott Bonvoy program
Should you transfer points?
We only recommend transferring points if you have a short-term plan to use them. After all, many programs have implemented devaluations over the last few years, so any speculative transfers could be a losing proposition.
Transfers are irreversible, and 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 rewards through credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending.
Bottom line
When a transferable currency program offers a transfer bonus, running the numbers is important to see whether it is worthwhile.
Generally, you won’t want to transfer your points without a specific redemption in mind. After all, a large part of the value of transferable points comes from their flexibility — which you’ll give up the moment you convert them to a partner’s currency.
However, if you use the program frequently or plan to redeem soon, 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.
