If you really want to maximize your points and miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer exciting opportunities for awesome award redemptions. You can sometimes get significantly more value by transferring your rewards to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of these bonuses.
However, this is a limited time offer.
We’ve compiled transfer bonuses for major programs with transferable rewards to make it easy to track these offers. Just note that transfer bonuses are sometimes targeted, so some may not be available to you.
American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Bonus
American Express does not currently offer any transfer bonuses.
How to Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
If you want to get more of these valuable points, below Amex cards can be useful additions to your wallet:
Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re eligible for a higher welcome offer (subject to change at any time).
You can also earn extra Membership Rewards points when you enroll in Amex offers and shop with Rakuten.
Based on TPG’s June 2024 valuation, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, and our tests indicate they transfer instantly to most of Amex’s transfer partners.
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Related: How to Redeem American Express Membership Rewards for Maximum Value
Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Bonus
This summer, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air Canada Aeroplan with a 20% bonus. Since Ultimate Rewards points typically transfer to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio, this bonus means 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points will turn into 1,200 Aeroplan points.
If you are one Aeroplan® Credit Card Holder, you can stack the current transfer bonus with the 10% bonus you normally get when transferring 50,000 or more Chase points. So, if you transfer 50,000 points to Aeroplan, you will get a 30% bonus for a total of 65,000 Aeroplan points.
Chase also offers an 80% transfer bonus when you move points to IHG One Rewards. This means that 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points will become 1,800 IHG One Rewards points, which you can redeem for a free stay.
Both these transfer bonuses expire on July 31.
| Partner Program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Airplane | 20% | 1:1.2 | Till 31 July |
| IHG One Rewards | 80% | 1:1.8 | Till 31 July |
How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points
If you’re looking to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the following Chase cards can make great additions to your wallet:
If you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points into one account. Then, you can effectively convert cash-back earnings on the following cards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points:
- Chase Freedom Flex®: Get $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Get an extra 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make in the first year (up to $20,000 spent), up to $300 cash back.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn up to $750 bonus cash back: $350 after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Get $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents when maxed out with travel partners, according to TPG’s June 2024 valuation. Most Ultimate Rewards transfers will process instantly.
Related: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value
Capital One Mile Transfer Bonus
Capital One does not have any active transfer bonuses at this time.
How to earn capital a mile
For future transfer bonuses, the following Capital One cards are good options to consider:
TPG’s June 2024 valuation for Capital One miles is 1.85 cents per mile, and most transfers from Capital One will process immediately.
For more details, see our guides to Capital One transfer partners and how to transfer Capital One miles to airline partners.
Citi ThankYou Rewards Transfer Bonus
| Partner Program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 15% | 1:1.15 | Until July 20 |
How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points
These Citi credit cards can make useful additions to your wallet to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points:
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (See Rates and Fees): Earn 70,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases with your card within three months of account opening. Higher offers may be available through citi.com.
- Citi Rewards+® Card (See Rates and Fees): Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 within three months of account opening. Plus, earn 5 bonus ThankYou Rewards points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions on the Citi Travel Portal through December 31, 2025. (Note: You must pair this card with the Premium Citi ThankYou Card, a transferable ThankYou points account, to receive the full benefit.)
TPG’s June 2024 Citi ThankYou Rewards points are valued at 1.8 cents each. However, note that some Citi transfers won’t process immediately, so be sure to factor in transfer times if you’re trying to book an award with rare availability.
Marriott Bonvoy Transfer Bonus
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 rewards (each night worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening. Some hotels have a resort fee.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn five free night rewards after you use your new card to make $8,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. The redemption level is up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points for each bonus free night award at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Resort fees may apply.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: Earn 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of account opening.
According to TPG’s June 2024 valuation, Marriott Bonvoy points are worth 0.85 cents each. Before transferring points, review our test of Marriott transfer times as some airlines take a few days (or even weeks) to receive points.
RELATED: Marriott Bonvoy Program: How to Redeem Points for Hotel Stays, Airfare and More
Should you transfer points?
We recommend transferring points or miles only if you have short-term plans to use them. Many programs have implemented depreciation over the past few years, so any speculative transfer may be a losing proposition.
Transfers are irreversible, and you don’t want to be stuck with thousands of points or miles in a program that you have little use for.
If you don’t have a specific redemption in mind but still want to earn points or miles, you’re more likely to earn rewards with Card welcome bonus and everyday spending.
Bottom line
When a program with transferable currency offers a transfer bonus, it’s important to run the numbers to determine if it’s worth it.
In general, you don’t want to transfer your points or miles regardless of specific redemption. After all, a large part of the value of transferred points and miles comes from their flexibility – which you give up the moment you convert them to a partner’s currency. However, if you use the partner program frequently or plan to redeem soon, transfer bonuses can help you get more value out of your points and miles.