American Express Membership Rewards points are one of the most useful flexible loyalty currencies out there. Not to mention, it’s pretty easy to earn if you have the cards Platinum Card® from American Express And American Express® Gold Card in your wallet.
While this isn’t your only redemption option, you’ll typically get the most value by transferring your points to a travel partner. The program offers 17 airline and three hotel transfer partners, with each major alliance including at least one useful option – SkyTeam, Star Alliance and OneWorld. All but three of Amex’s partners have a 1:1 transfer ratio.
Transfer times vary by partner, so the TPG team regularly tests each one. You could be left high and dry if you don’t leave yourself enough time to transfer points from your Membership Rewards account to your desired program. Your experiences may vary, but here’s what we found.
Related: American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Partners: Maximize Your Points
American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Time
| program | ratio | Transfer time |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 | Instant |
| Aeromexico Awards | 1:1.6 | Instant |
| Air Canada Airplane | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Instant |
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 | 48 hours |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | Instant |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 | Instant |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | Instant |
| HawaiianMiles | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia Plus | 1:1 | Instant |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.25:1 | Instant |
| Qantas frequent flyer | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | Instant |
| Prerogatives of choice | 1:1 | Instant |
| Hilton Honors | 1:2 | Instant |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | Instant |
Note that the times listed above represent our personal experiences and should not be taken as hard and fast rules. However, other users have reported similar timelines when transferring points from Membership Rewards. Your transfers may be faster or slower, but you can use these times as a guide when planning your trips. Instant transfers are obviously always preferred, and Amex does a good job of making that happen compared to competitors. Citi ThankYou Rewards.
RELATED: How (and Why) You Should Earn Transferable Credit Card Points
Things to Consider Before Transferring Membership Rewards Points
The biggest risk when transferring points is that award availability can change while you’re waiting for points to appear in your account. Transfers are irreversible, so in the worst case scenario, you’ll be stuck with thousands of points in a program that you’ll use for little other than your original intended award ticket or hotel stay. Here are some tips to help you avoid that situation:
- Make sure the name on your Amex credit card exactly matches the name on your loyalty program account.
- Link all your transfer partner accounts to your Membership Rewards account now to prevent delays when you need to make a quick transfer.
- Place your award reservation on hold (if possible) before transferring. Very few programs allow you to do this, but those that do make things much easier.
- Choose flights that have more than one available award seat in case someone else books before your miles show up. Use tools like ExpertFlyer (owned by Red Ventures, TPG’s parent company) to find out how many award seats are available on a flight. You can also do a single search for three or four passengers – this way, you can determine exactly how many seats are available.
- Improve your chances of finding award space by choosing less popular routes or routes originating from non-hub airports, as these often have better award availability. An example is American Airlines’ transatlantic flight from North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR). For transpacific flights, check out all Nippon Airways flights from California’s San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT).
If your original flights have disappeared, don’t panic. Remember that award availability changes frequently and can increase dramatically as you get closer to your departure date. Check regularly, and be ready to act quickly when seats open up.
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Related: Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses
Can you transfer Membership Rewards points to someone else’s account?
Unlike Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards, American Express does not allow the transfer of Membership Rewards points to other accounts, even for family members living under the same roof. However, there is a solution for this: add them as Authorized users.
Although you cannot transfer points to another Amex account, you can transfer points to someone else’s travel loyalty account as an authorized user. American Express allows authorized users to add all of its membership rewards-earning cards. You can add virtually anyone as an authorized user on your account — even if you don’t share the same address — but you’ll be responsible for their costs.
Platinum Card® from American Express Charges $195 per year to add authorized users to an account (see Rates and Fees). In addition to being able to transfer points to their loyalty account, authorized users receive all of the card’s benefits, such as lounge access and hotel elite status. However, if benefits don’t matter and you just want the ability to transfer points, you can add Gold Card authorized users to your Platinum account at no charge (see Rates and Fees).
on American Express® Gold CardThe first five authorized users are free to add, and additional users cost $35 each (see rates and fees). The American Express® Green Card charges $40 per year for each authorized user (see Rates and Fees).
Information for the Amex Green Card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Top Value Credit Cards for Authorized Users
Is there a fee for transferring Membership Rewards points?
American Express charges an excise fee of 0.06 cents per point (capped at $99) when you transfer points to a US airline. For example, if you transfer 30,000 Membership Rewards points to Delta Air Lines, you’ll need to pay an $18 fee. This is in addition to any taxes and fees charged by the airline when redeeming your miles.
To reduce this fee and increase your Amex points, transfer your points to a foreign frequent flyer program such as Avianca LifeMiles or British Airways Executive Club.
How to Earn Membership Rewards Points
You have some solid options for earning Membership Rewards points on a variety of common spending categories like groceries, dining, and travel. These cards are also offering great welcome bonuses that can give your Membership Rewards account a big boost:
- American Express Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Plus, earn 20% back ($100 back) in statement credit on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first six months of card membership.
- American Express Green Card: Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
- American Express Platinum Card: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
The information for The Amex Green Card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Best American Express Credit Cards
The bottom line
American Express Membership Rewards points transfer instantly for most partners. Lagardes also take a maximum of 48 hours to transfer, which is significantly better than some other programs. Just keep in mind that the transfer times listed above are based on what we’ve seen and may vary from person to person.
With a wide variety of membership rewards transfer partners, it’s hard to pick just a few of the best options. Some sweet spots include transferring 50,000 Membership Rewards points Air France-KLM Flying Blue will fly to Europe in business class on off-peak dates. You’ll also get fantastic value by transferring to Choice Privileges for award stays starting at 8,000 points. See our guide to redeeming Amex points for maximum value on all best-value transfers.
For Amex Platinum Card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Gold Card rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Green Card rates and fees, click here.