Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners

The Chase credit cards for consumers that let you transfer your reward points to its travel partners include the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. For businesses, the Ink Business Preferred Card fits the bill as well.

A few of the 14 travel partners you may transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to include British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Marriott Bonvoy.

You can transfer your points to all Chase travel partners at a 1:1 ratio. And there is no fee to complete a transfer. Transferring points requires that you log in to the Ultimate Rewards platform. While you may redeem your rewards points in different ways — including as a statement credit or for gift cards — transferring them to a travel partner might work well for you if you are also a member of a Chase partner’s loyalty program.

• Which Chase Cards Allow Transfer Partners?
• Who Is Chase Partnered With?
• Benefits of Using Chase’s Transfer Partners
• How to Use Chase Ultimate Rewards With Transfer Partners

Chase credit cards linked to the Ultimate Rewards program let you transfer your points to the bank’s travel partners. These do come with annual fees, however. At one end of the spectrum, consumers can choose the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, which has an annual fee of $550 and offers several premium benefits. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, on the other hand, charges a $95 annual fee and offers fewer perks. Business users may consider getting the Ink Business Preferred Card, which has an annual fee of $95. Each of these cards is ideal for use outside of the U.S. since they charge no foreign transaction fees.

If you wish to make the most of your spending and don’t mind keeping track of multiple cards, you may also consider getting a Chase trifecta. This refers to getting three Chase cards to earn higher reward rates on category-based spending. In this case, you may even choose to add a cash back card to the mix because Chase lets you combine your cash back with other eligible Chase cards that have Ultimate Rewards.

While Chase markets some of its cards as cash back cards, they’re essentially part of the Ultimate Rewards program and earn reward points. Only, they offer fewer redemption options. What helps is you may move your reward points between different Chase cards you have for free. So, if you move the cash back/points you earn through a Chase Freedom Unlimited Card to a Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, you may then transfer the points to any of the Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.

By moving your points from one Chase card to another, you also have the ability to increase their value. For instance, while the value of one point you earn by using either of the Chase Freedom cards is 1 cent, transferring your points from these cards to the Sapphire Reserve card ups their value to around 1.5 cents per point when booking travel or using the Pay Yourself Back feature.

>>MORE: BEST CREDIT CARD COMBINATIONS TO MAXIMIZE REWARDS

While Chase allows you to make travel bookings through the Ultimate Rewards platform, you may get better value if you transfer them to a Chase Ultimate Rewards partner. Whether you transfer your points to an airline or a hotel partner, you get a 1:1 ratio. This means 1,000 Ultimate Reward points convert to 1,000 airline miles or hotel points.

Cardholders can choose from 11 airline frequent flyer programs and three hotel reward programs. Making the transfer is relatively easy through the Ultimate Rewards platform.

Chase Ultimate Rewards faces stiff competition from reward programs of other card issuers such as Capital One, Amex and Citi. But it manages to hold its own by ensuring its points are of good value and giving cardholders considerable freedom in how they use their points. Providing significant spend-based welcome bonuses through some of its cards also benefits them.

Chase’s airline partners include local as well as international airlines. Some of these are also part of popular airline alliances. That gives you the ability to use your points with even more airlines.

• Aer Lingus AerClub. Transferring your points to AerClub might work well if you travel to Ireland. Its award chart categorizes travel based on peak/off-peak redemptions and zones.
• Air Canada Aeroplan. If your travels take you to Canada, Air Canada’s Aeroplan might be the way to go. Even if Canada is not on your travel itinerary, you might benefit from it being a part of the Star Alliance.
• Emirates Skywards. Emirates is ideal if you wish to travel to the United Arab Emirates. In addition, while this program is not a part of any alliance, it has 15 airline partners.
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Flying Blue offers up to 50% off on reward tickets across specific routes. It is Chase's only airline partner from the SkyTeam alliance, which has 18 other member airlines.
• Iberia Plus. Spain-based Iberia consistently offers affordable economy fares for transatlantic flights. It is part of the Oneworld alliance.
• JetBlue TrueBlue. This low-cost American airline also has a presence in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, it partners with over 10 other airlines.
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. KrisFlyer award tickets come in the form of Advantage and Saver. While the former cost more, they are easier to come across. Singapore Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance.
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Virgin Atlantic’s reward flights from the U.S. to Europe can turn out to be good deals, but you need to account for the high fees and taxes you might need to pay. It partners with over 20 other airlines.

Transferring your Chase reward points to a hotel partner might work well for you if you favor using any of the brands in question over others.

The value of your Ultimate Rewards points depends on the card you use and how you choose to redeem them. If you wish to get cash back, each point is valued at 1 cent. If you use your points to make travel bookings through the Ultimate Rewards platform, their worth typically varies from 1 cent to 1.5 cents per point. The benefit of transferring points to Chase travel partners is that you may get even more value for your points, although this is not necessarily the case.

Using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points with its transfer partners requires that you transfer them to the partner in question first. For example, if you wish to use your Ultimate Rewards points with the British Airways Executive Club, you’ll need to get online and carry out a points transfer first.

Bear in mind that the value of your points doesn’t always increase when you transfer them to a travel partner. In some cases, you might get better value by using your points through the Ultimate Rewards platform instead of an airline or hotel rewards program. For example, if you have a Sapphire Reserve Card and wish to fly JetBlue, you may get better value for your points through the Ultimate Rewards platform than through the JetBlue TrueBlue program.

It's also important to note that the value of your points may vary based on the routes, dates and class you wish to fly. Once you decide to transfer your Ultimate Reward points to a Chase travel partner, you need to follow a relatively straightforward process.

Understanding the answers to other commonly asked questions about Chase rewards transfer partners will help you determine how best to use your points when the time comes.

Now that you know how you may transfer Chase reward points to its travel partners, determine if doing so might be in your best interest. If you wish to get a new Chase credit card to increase your reward-earning potential, pay due attention to factors such as reward rates, welcome bonuses and annual fees. You may also consider learning how to make the most of your points before it's time to redeem them.