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Depending on the Amex card you have, you might be able to transfer your reward points to any of its travel partners. Popular Amex transfer partners include British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy.
Examples of cards that let you transfer points to American Express transfer partners include the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, the Amex Platinum Card and the Amex Gold Card. American Express also offers several business credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points. Before you can transfer points, you need to link the airline or hotel loyalty program that's receiving the points to your Membership Rewards program account.
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MoneyGeek’s Takeaways
You may transfer your Membership Rewards points to 20 different airline and hotel loyalty programs.
In most cases, you can take advantage of a 1:1 transfer ratio when transferring points to an Amex travel partner.
In some cases, you may get more value for your points when you redeem them through amextravel.com.
Which American Express Cards Earn Membership Rewards?
American Express Cards With Transfer Partnerships
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American Express rewards its cardholders in different ways. For instance, you may earn cash back, Membership Rewards points or miles/points linked to a specific airline or hotel. If your card comes with Membership Rewards points, you may transfer them to any of Amex's Membership Rewards transfer partners. The top cards that fit this bill include:
- The Platinum Card. The top-of-the-line American Express Platinum Card comes with an annual fee of $695. Spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months earns you a welcome bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards points. You earn up to 5X points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 in purchases per year). Additionally, you can earn 5X points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel. Other benefits include complimentary airport lounge access, Uber Cash, statement credits toward different types of purchases and fee credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
- American Express® Gold Card. The Amex Gold Card charges a $250 annual fee. You earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 Membership Rewards points if you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first six months. Spending at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and grocery stores (on up to $25,000 in purchases annually) lets you earn up to 4X points per dollar. Plus, flights booked via the airlines directly or via Amex Travel earn you 3X points per dollar. Other eligible purchases earn 1X points per dollar. Additional benefits come in the form of Uber Cash, a dining credit and complimentary travel insurance coverage.
- Amex EveryDay Credit Card. The no-annual-fee Amex EveryDay Credit Card comes with a welcome offer that lets you earn 10,000 Membership Rewards points by spending $2,000 in purchases in the first six months. You get 2X points per dollar on groceries at U.S. supermarkets (on purchases of up to $6,000 per year) and on eligible travel purchases made through amextravel.com. All other purchases earn 1X points per dollar.
- Business Platinum Card. The Business Platinum Card comes with a $695 annual fee. Like the Platinum Card for individuals, this card comes with a sizable spend-based welcome bonus. You also earn 5X points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel and 1.5X points per dollar on purchases in certain business categories. Purchases of $5,000 or more (up to a total of $2 million per year) enjoy a higher earning rate, too: you can earn 1.5X points per dollar on those as well. All other spending earns 1X points per dollar. The card includes an annual airline fee credit and other statement credits. Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection is complimentary, as is Hilton Honors Gold Status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status.
- Blue Business Plus Credit Card. The Blue Business Plus Credit Card has no annual fees and offers employee cards at no additional cost. If you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, you get a welcome bonus of 15,000 Membership Rewards points. You earn 2X points per dollar on the first $50,000 you spend on all purchases each year and 1X points per dollar thereafter.
MAXIMIZE YOUR REWARDS WITH THE AMEX TRIFECTA
Why not earn more rewards by going for the trifecta? The Amex trifecta is made of the American Express® Gold Card, the Platinum Card from American Express and the Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express. By having these cards, you can maximize your rewards-earning potential by pairing these cards together to take advantage of a range of spending categories and perks.
Can Amex EveryDay Transfer to Partners?
Yes, points earned with the Amex EveryDay card can transfer to Amex transfer partners. If you wish to transfer the Membership Rewards points you earn through your Amex EveryDay card, you need to link the loyalty program in question to your Membership Rewards account first.
Who Is American Express Partnered With?
People who have American Express cards with Membership Rewards points may transfer their points to any Amex travel partner loyalty program. These include airline and hotel partners.
American Express’s Airline Partners
No matter which part of the world you fly to regularly, you’ll likely find an American Express airline partner to take you there.
Top Airline Partners
American Express’s Airline Partners | Explanation of Benefits |
|---|---|
Transfers must be carried out in increments of 1,000 Membership Rewards points (with a minimum of 1,000). One Membership Rewards point translates to one Avios point. Your transfer cannot result in more than 999,000 Avios points. | |
You need to transfer at least 1,000 Membership Rewards points in increments of 1,000. 1,000 Membership Rewards points are valued at 1,000 SkyMiles. You need to account for excise tax offset fees. | |
You need to transfer a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points in increments of 1,000. The value of one Membership Rewards point is one Skywards Mile. You cannot carry out transfers that result in more than 999,999 Skywards Miles. | |
Your transfer needs to be in increments of 1,000 Membership Rewards points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points get you 1,000 KrisFlyer miles. | |
You need to carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 Membership Rewards points. One Membership Rewards point is valued at one Virgin point. Your transfer will not go through if it results in more than 999,999 Flying Club Miles. |
Other Airline Partners
- AerClub. You need to transfer at least 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points get you 1,000 Avios points. You cannot carry out transfers that result in more than 999,000 Avios points.
- AeroMexico. You need to transfer points in increments of 1,000. 1,000 Membership Rewards points convert to 1,600 Premier Points.
- Aeroplan. You may carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points are worth 1,000 Aeroplan points.
- ANA Mileage Club. You need to carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points are worth 1,000 ANA Mileage Club miles.
- Asia Miles. Transfers need to take place in increments of 1,000 points with a 1:1 transfer ratio.
- Etihad Guest. You need to transfer in increments of 1,000 points. One Membership Rewards point gets you one Etihad Guest mile.
- Hawaiian Airlines. Transfers need to be carried out in increments of 1,000 points. One Membership Rewards point is worth one HawaiianMile. Your transfer cannot result in more than 999,999 HawaiianMiles.
- Flying Blue. You need to transfer at least 500 points. Transfers come with a 1:1 ratio.
- Iberia Plus. You need to transfer a minimum of 1,000 points. One Membership Rewards point is valued at one Avios point.
- LifeMiles. You may carry our transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points equate to 1,000 LifeMiles.
- Qantas Loyalty. You need to transfer in increments of 500 points. One Membership Rewards point translates to one Qantas point.
- TrueBlue. You need to carry out transfers in increments of 250 points. 250 Membership Rewards points are worth 200 TrueBlue points.
American Express’s Hotel Partners
People who wish to use their Membership Rewards points for hotel stays may consider transferring their points to any of three Amex hotel partners.
Top Hotel Partners
American Express’s Hotel Partners | Explanation of Benefits |
|---|---|
You need to carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points translate to 2,000 Hilton Honors points. | |
You may carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points are valued at 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. | |
You may carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 points. One Membership Rewards point is equal to one Choice Privileges point. |
MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP:
Before transferring points, make sure that award space is available in the hotel or airline program you're targeting. Once the points are transferred, the action cannot be undone. — Lee Huffman, credit card expert at BaldThoughts.com
What Is the Benefit of Transferring Points to Amex Travel Partners?
If your Amex card comes with Membership Rewards points, you may transfer them to any of its travel partner loyalty programs. In most cases, you get a 1:1 points transfer ratio. However, if you wish to book flights or hotels, checking how far your points take you at amextravel.com might be worth your while. This is because points on this platform are typically worth one cent each for air travel and a little less for hotels and other forms of travel.
It pays to compare values before booking hotels with your points. In some cases, your points are worth more when redeemed through amextravel.com than through a partner hotel loyalty program. This is because the value of hotel points tends to vary from 0.5 to 0.7 cents per point. However, keep in mind that third-party reservations (like through Amex Travel) may not qualify for elite status credits or perks.
MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP
Transfers to airline partners tend to be more lucrative than other partners, although it depends on several factors. If you live in the U.S., you could transfer your miles to Singapore KrisFlyer and use its Star Alliance partner United Airlines to take a domestic flight. In this case, depending on where you reside, you could fly to Hawaii by using as little as 11,500 KrisFlyer miles. If you were to use United MileagePlus miles instead, you might have to spend more than double this number.
Similarly, transferring your Amex points to British Airways Executive Club and using oneworld alliance members American Airlines or Alaska Airlines for domestic flights within the U.S. may lead to significant savings. By using alliance partners, you can book flights with airlines that aren't direct transfer partners with American Express.
Premium cabin international flights generally offer the highest value when redeeming airline miles. Make sure that there is award space available before making a transfer. Some airlines allow customers to place tickets on hold so that they can transfer points to complete their reservations without losing their seats.
How to Use Amex Membership Rewards With Transfer Partners
Regardless of which Amex travel partner you wish to transfer your points to, you will need to follow the same process.
1
Use the American Express website to log in to your account.
2
Select Earn and Redeem, followed by Redeem.
3
Next, select Transfer Points.
4
Choose a travel partner to initiate the transfer.
5
If you haven't linked the loyalty program to your Amex Membership Rewards account, you'll need to do it at this stage by providing the account number in question.
6
Once linked, enter the number of points you wish to transfer (in increments of 1,000).
7
Accept the Terms and Conditions and confirm the transfer.
8
Wait for the transfer to complete, which may take up to 48 hours.
9
Remember that you cannot reverse the transfer of points.
MONEYGEEK QUICK TIP
If you plan to transfer your Membership Rewards points to an American Express travel partner and use them to pay for airline tickets or hotel stays, compare their worth by using amextravel.com and the travel partner's website to make the same booking.
FAQs About American Express Transfer Partners
Take a look at answers to commonly asked questions about Amex transfer partners before deciding how to redeem your points.
Next Steps
Now that you know who Amex transfer partners are and how to carry out your points transfer, determine if this is the best path to take after accounting for how you may get the best value for your points. If you don't have an Amex card with Membership Rewards points yet, consider applying for one after comparing your options based on reward rates, annual fees and added perks.
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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.