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Get more from your points with this transfer bonus

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Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

If you truly want to maximize your miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer lucrative opportunities for fantastic points redemptions. You can sometimes get up to 50% more value from your points by transferring them to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of these bonuses.

To make tracking these offers easier, we’ve compiled all of the transfer bonuses for the major transferable rewards programs in this article. Just note that transfer bonuses are sometimes targeted, so some bonuses may not be available to you.

American Express Membership Rewards

Right now, there are no transfer bonuses from American Express Membership Rewards.

How to earn Amex points

You’ll need Membership Rewards points to take advantage of American Express transfer bonuses. If you’re looking to earn Membership Rewards points, the following Amex cards could be useful additions to your wallet:

Card Welcome offer Bonus category earning rates Annual fee
The Platinum Card® from American Express 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $6,000 on your new card in your first six months of cardmembership. Terms apply. 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (earn 5 points per dollar on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year).

5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.

 $695 (see rates and fees).
American Express® Gold Card 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in your first six months of cardmembership. Terms apply. 4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point per dollar) and on dining at restaurants.

3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel.

 $250 (see rates and fees).
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first three months of cardmembership. Terms apply. 5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.

1.5 points per dollar on eligible purchases in select business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more; on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar).

 $695 (rates and fees).

You can also earn extra Membership Rewards when you enroll in Amex Offers and by shopping with Rakuten. You can even earn Amex points when buying or selling a home with RBN. Based on TPG valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each.

Membership Rewards transfer instantly to most programs.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Right now, there are no transfer bonuses from Chase Ultimate Rewards.

How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards

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 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: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
  • Chase Freedom Unlimited: Earn an additional 1.5% on all categories on up to $20,000 spent in the first year. That’s a value of up to $300 cash back.
  • Ink Business Cash Credit Card: Earn $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 $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.

To maximize your earnings with Chase, consider making the Chase trifecta (or quartet) a part of your card strategy. According to TPG valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2 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 Venture Miles

Capital One is not running any transfer bonuses at the time of publishing.

How to earn Capital One miles

If you want to utilize a future transfer bonus offer, 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. For more details, check out our guides to the Capital One transfer partners and 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

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Partner program Transfer bonus Transfer ratio Dates Notes
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. 30%. 1:1.3. Feb. 19-March 18. Could be a good use of Citi ThankYou points for Virgin’s sweet spots

 

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:

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, 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 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:

TPG’s valuations peg the value of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents each. 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 only recommend transferring points if you have a short-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 important to run the numbers to see whether it 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, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here.

Additional reporting by Ehsan Haque, Andrew Kunesh, Katie Genter, Joseph Hostetler, Summer Hull, Liz Hund, Jason Stauffer and Kyle Olsen.