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 to you.
American Express Membership Rewards
You can currently transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Avianca LifeMiles with a 15% bonus. The promotion, which is being offered through LifeMiles, will run through March 15.
Since the offer is through LifeMiles, you'll only see the transfer bonus post after the transfer has been made. Membership Rewards points transfer to LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio, so with this promo, you'd get 1,150 LifeMiles for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points transferred.
Cathay Pacific is also offering a 10% transfer bonus when you transfer Membership Rewards points or Citi ThankYou points to your Cathay Pacific Asia Miles membership account.
You must register for the promotion and make your transfer by March 31. Cathay Pacific's website notes that it could take up to 10 weeks after the promotion ends for the bonus to make it to your Asia Miles account.
Finally, Amex has a 20% transfer bonus running with Etihad Guest. Since Membership Rewards points typically transfer to Etihad Guest at a 1:1 ratio, utilizing this bonus would turn 1,000 points into 1,200 points. The offer runs through April 4.
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avianca LifeMiles | 15% | 1:1.15 | Until March 15 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 10% | 1:1.1 | Until March 31 |
| Etihad Guest | 20% | 1:1.2 | Until April 4 |
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:
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- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
- American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first six months of card membership.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership.
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 points when you enroll in Amex Offers and shop with Rakuten.
Based on TPG's valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, and our tests indicate that they transfer instantly to most programs.
Related: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase is not currently offering any transfer bonuses.
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:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
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 $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year), worth up to $300 cash back.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
According to TPG's 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 redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value
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:
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Venture X Business: Earn up to 300,000 bonus miles: 150,000 bonus miles after spending $20,000 in the first three months and an additional 150,000 bonus miles after spending $100,000 in the first six months from account opening.
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
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: Cashing in Capital One miles? How to get the maximum value when redeeming miles
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Citi cardholders can receive a 30% bonus when transferring Citi ThankYou Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club through March 16.
Transfers must be completed in increments of 1,000. Citi ThankYou Rewards points and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points typically transfer at a 1:1 ratio, and this bonus means you'll get 1,300 Virgin points when you transfer 1,000 ThankYou points.
As mentioned above, Cathay Pacific is also offering a 10% transfer bonus when you transfer Citi ThankYou points to your Cathay Pacific Asia Miles account. The promotion ends March 31, and you must register for the promotion to earn the bonus.
It could take up to 10 weeks after the promotion ends for the bonus to make it to your account.
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 30% | 1:1.3 | Until March 16 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 10% | 1:1.1 | Until March 31 |
How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points
These Citi credit cards could make useful additions to your wallet for earning Citi ThankYou Rewards points:
- Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases with your card within 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 5 bonus ThankYou Rewards points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions on the Citi travel portal through June 30. (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 Rewards 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 185,000 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 155,000 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 five free night awards (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (limited-time offer): Earn five free night awards after you use your new card to make $8,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Each award can be used for one night at a redemption level at or under 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer ends March 20.
- 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 points, 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. 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.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
