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 programs with transferable rewards 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 transfer bonus
American Express has one active transfer bonus right now.
Amex is offering a 15% bonus when you transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Avianca LifeMiles through the month of June. Since you can typically transfer Membership Rewards points to Avianca at a 1:1 ratio, this transfer bonus raises the value of 1,000 Membership Rewards points to 1,150 LifeMiles.
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avianca LifeMiles | 15% | 1:1.15 | Through June 30 |
Just note that this bonus is being granted by Avianca, so you won't see it reflected in your American Express account.
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 some of these valuable points, the following Amex cards could be useful additions to your wallet:
- 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 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 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).
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You can also earn extra Membership Rewards points when you enroll in Amex Offers and shop with Rakuten.
Based on TPG's June 2024 valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, and our tests indicate that they transfer instantly to most of Amex's transfer partners.
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 that 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points would turn into 1,200 Aeroplan points.
If you're an Aeroplan® Credit Card holder, you can stack the current transfer bonus with the 10% bonus you'd normally get when transferring 50,000 or more Chase points. So if you transferred 50,000 points to Aeroplan, you'd get a 30% bonus, for a total of 65,000 Aeroplan points.
This Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonus expires July 31.
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 20% | 1:1.2 | Until July 31 |
How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points
If you want to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the following Chase 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 in the first year (on up to $20,000 spent), worth 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 from 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 June 2024 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 transfer bonus
Capital One does not have any active transfer bonuses at this time.
How to earn Capital One miles
For future transfer bonuses, the following Capital One cards are good options to consider:
- 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 150,000 bonus miles after spending $30,000 in the first three 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 June 2024 valuations peg Capital One miles at 1.85 cents apiece, 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.
Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer bonus
Citi ThankYou Rewards members currently have access to a transfer bonus to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. ThankYou points normally transfer to Asia Miles at a 1:1 ratio, but with this bonus, you'll receive 15% more miles when you transfer points through July 20.
| Partner program | Transfer bonus | Effective transfer ratio | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 15% | 1:1.15 | Until July 20 |
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 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. A higher offer 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 Dec. 31, 2025. (Note: You must pair this card with a premium Citi ThankYou card to access a full-fledged, transferable ThankYou points account.)
As of June 2024, TPG values Citi ThankYou Rewards points at 1.8 cents each. However, note that some Citi transfers will not process instantly, so be sure to factor in the transfer time if you're trying to book an award with scarce 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 awards (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: 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. The redemption level is up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for each bonus free night award at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. 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 from account opening.
Per TPG's June 2024 valuations, Marriott Bonvoy points are worth 0.85 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: Marriott Bonvoy program: How to redeem points for hotel stays, airfare and more
Should you transfer points?
We only recommend transferring points or miles 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 or miles in a program 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 likely better off earning rewards through credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending.
Bottom line
When a program with a transferable currency offers a transfer bonus, it is important to run the numbers to determine whether it is worthwhile.
Generally, you won't want to transfer your points or miles without a specific redemption in mind. After all, a large part of the value of transferable points and miles comes from their flexibility — which you'll give up the moment you convert them to a partner's currency. However, a transfer bonus can help you get more value from your points and miles if you use a partner program frequently or plan to redeem soon.
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.
