The Master List of Credit Card Transfer Partners

Credit card points from banks like Amex, Chase, and Capital One are more valuable than any single airline mileage program for one simple reason: You can transfer them to a dozen or more different airlines and hotel chains. Welcome to the world of credit card transfer partners.

Leveraging these transfer partners can require a bit more legwork, but it’s by far the best way to squeeze even more value out of your points – especially if you’re aiming to fly business class. But with seven transferrable points programs and a dizzying array of 50-plus partner airlines between them all, even we struggle to keep track of which points can move where.

Consider this story your one-stop guide on where you can send your points, no matter what you’ve got. Before we dive in, we need to cover a few ground rules.

The cardinal rule of transferring points is that it’s a one-way street: Once you’ve sent your credit card points out the door, you can’t get them back. That makes it critical to scope out award availability and ensure the seat you want is available before initiating a transfer. Until you’ve got a plan, you’re much better off saving those points in your credit card account until you’ve got a solid way to use them.

Read next: Get More From Your Points with These Current Transfer Bonuses

Chase Transfer Partners

Chase is a titan in the travel rewards industry, and that’s due in large part to some excellent transfer partners.

With more than a dozen travel partners in total, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are practically a must for any frequent or aspiring traveler. The *chase sapphire preferred* is easily the best place to begin for travelers just getting started with points and miles, while the *chase sapphire reserve* packs a huge punch with premium travel benefits on top of the same great array of transfer partners.

No matter which card you’ve got or where you’re sending your points, they transfer at a 1:1 ratio. That means 1,000 Chase Ultimate Reward point gets you 1,000 hotel points or airline miles. Some of our favorites on this list include Hyatt, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, and Singapore Airlines.

Read up on Chase transfer partners, including how to transfer your points and which options here are best!

How to Earn Chase Points

The best place to start is the *chase sapphire preferred*: bonus_miles_full

Read up on the best ways to use Chase points, including utilizing some of these transfer partners!

The recently revamped *chase sapphire reserve* also has a big welcome bonus offer: bonus_miles_full

With one of the Sapphire Cards in your wallet, you can earn even more Ultimate Rewards points by pairing them with the Chase Freedom Flex and *freedom unlimited* cards. These two Chase credit cards have no annual fee, and while they typically earn cashback, you can transfer that cashback to points on your Sapphire card to earn those points even faster.

Read more on why you should pair a Preferred Card with a Chase Freedom Card!

American Express Transfer Partners

American Express has more than 20 airline transfer partners and three hotel partners – more than anyone else.

While that flexibility and easy earning opportunities make Membership Rewards points a must for any frequent traveler, there are a few downsides to keep in mind – and one tremendous perk.

First, American Express charges a very small fee (.06 cents per point) on transfers to U.S.-based airlines. So if you transfer 100,000 points to Delta or JetBlue, you’ll get charged $60. These fees are capped at $99.

And note that, unlike Chase, there are a few partners to which your Amex points don’t transfer on a 1:1 basis. For example, transferring 1,000 points to JetBlue would get you 800 TrueBlue points.

But it gets better. Moreso than any other bank on this list, American Express frequently offers transfer bonuses: giving you 20% to 50% or more miles when you transfer to a specific airline. Some examples include as much as a 30% bonus on transfers to British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus and a recent whopping 40% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic.

Here’s the full list:

Program	Type	Transfer Ratio	Transfer Time
Aer Lingus	Airline	1:1	N/A
AeroMexico	Airline	1:1.6	2-12 days
Air Canada Aeroplan	Airline	1:1	Instant
Air France/KLM	Airline	1:1	Instant
ANA	Airline	1:1	1-2 days
Avianca	Airline	1:1	Instant
British Airways	Airline	1:1	Instant
Cathay Pacific	Airline	1:1	Instant
Delta	Airline	1:1	Instant
Emirates	Airline	1:1	Instant
Etihad	Airline	1:1	Instant
Hawaiian	Airline	1:1	Instant
Iberia	Airline	1:1	1-3 days
JetBlue	Airline	1.25:1	Instant
Qantas	Airline	1:1	Instant
Qatar Airways	Airline	1:1	Instant
Singapore	Airline	1:1	Instant
Virgin Atlantic	Airline	1:1	Instant
Choice Privileges	Hotel	1:1	Instant
Hilton Honors	Hotel	1:2	Instant
Marriott Bonvoy	Hotel	1:1	Instant

 

Read our full guide to Amex transfer partners, how they work, and how to get the most out of them!

 

How to Earn Amex Points

Now you just need some American Express points. You’re in luck: American Express has a handful of credit cards to earn Membership Rewards points.

We love *amex platinum card*. It starts with a welcome bonus offer as high as 175,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first six months. After you submit your application, but before you accept the card (if you are approved) and your credit is pulled, Amex will let you know the exact welcome offer you are eligible for.

There’s also the *amex gold* which comes with a big welcome offer of its own: bonus_miles_full

With its 4x on dining (including takeout and delivery in the U.S., up to $50,000 annually, then 1x) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in spending each year, then 1x), it’s one of the best all-around credit cards, period.

Capital One Transfer Partners

Capital One has steadily added more partners and improved its program, becoming one of the best in the travel world. 

You can transfer miles from great credit cards like the *venture x* or the *capital one venture card* to more than a dozen airline partners and three hotel chains. And for all but a few of them, they all transfer on a 1:1 basis. That means 1,000 Capital One Venture miles will almost always get you 1,000 airline miles or 1,000 hotel points.

Here’s the list of options:

Read our guide on how to transfer Capital One miles!

How to Earn Capital One Miles

The *venture x* might just be the all-around best travel card we’ve ever seen. Think of it as a souped-up version of the ever-popular *capital one venture card*  that’s chock full of extra benefits: Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges, a $300 annual travel credit, a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, great travel and rental car insurance protection, and more. The annual fee clocks in at $395 a year, but the benefits can easily outweigh that.

Then there’s the *capital one venture card*, which has been a fan-favorite among travelers for years – and for good reason. It’s truly one of the best travel credit cards for beginners.

You earn 2x miles on every purchase and still get a credit that covers the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck – all for a card with a $95 annual fee.

Citi Transfer Partners

Citi is a mixed bag. On one hand, there aren’t as many lucrative transfer partners as other travel programs on this list – though there are some gems, like Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways. Their hotel transfer partner options are fairly lackluster, but points do transfer to Choice at a 1:2 ratio.

Citi has a handful of cards which make it far easier to pool points with friends and family members to book a ticket. While Chase requires members to share a billing address to pool points, you can transfer Citi points to any Citi ThankYou account holder: A family member, friend, or stranger. Just beware that those points transferred between accounts expire within 90 days.

Check out our full walkthrough on Citi transfer partners and how they work!

How to Earn Citi Points

Citi ThankYou points can be earned from the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, which is currently offering 75,000 Citi ThankYou points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of card membership. 

You can also earn ThankYou points with the Citi Double Cash® Card, one of the best cards that doesn’t charge an annual fee. You’ll earn 2% cash back or 2x points on every dollar you spend (1x point after making the purchase, and another 1x point after paying your bill).

Finally, we think the Citi Custom Cash® Card is one of the best cashback credit cards … but it can also earn you Citi ThankYou points, which will unlock a ton of value. You earn 5x points on purchases made in your top eligible spending categories each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent. After that, you’ll earn 1x points on all other purchases. Best of all, there’s no annual fee.

Bilt Rewards Transfer Partners

Bilt Rewards might still be considered the new kid on the block, but you could argues its the best loyalty program of all.

One of our favorite ways to use these points is to transfer them to Bilt’s stable of airline and hotel partners on a 1:1 basis (1 Bilt Rewards point gets you 1 airline mile or hotel point). Bilt’s growing list of transfer partners rivals its competitors, boasting some of the most valuable airline and hotel programs like United Airlines, World of Hyatt, and most recently, Alaska Airlines.

Read more: Bilt Rewards Overhauls Rewards Program to Earn More Points on Rent Payments

Here are the airline and hotel programs where you can currently move your Bilt points.

Check out our guide to Bilt transfer partners for full details on how and where to transfer your points! 

How to Earn Bilt Points

Bilt started as a program that awards renters with valuable points for making their monthly payments, but unless you live in a Bilt Rewards Alliance property, you’ll need the Bilt Mastercard® (for full disclosure, this is a personal referral link) to earn points on rent. With the Bilt Mastercard, you’ll earn 1x point for every dollar you spend on rent payments (up to 100,000 points per year) with no added transaction fees, so long as you use your card at least five additional times each statement period.

But even if you’re not a renter, the Bilt Mastercard could still make a lot of sense. First and foremost, the card has a $0 annual fee and earns bonus points in popular spending categories like 3x points per dollar spent on dining, 2x points per dollar spent on travel, and 1x points on other purchases. And once a month, Bilt sweetens the deal further with what it calls Bilt Rent Day.

But paying rent and swiping the Bilt Mastercard are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to earning Bilt points. From dining out to buying a new house, and soon paying your mortgage, Bilt wants to reward you for all your spending. 

Wells Fargo Transfer Partners

Gone are the days of only redeeming your Wells Fargo points for cash back, gift cards, or through the bank’s travel portal.

Travelers with the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph Visa® Card or the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa® Card can now transfer their points to a handful of airline and hotel programs to book flights or hotels – often for far greater value.

The lineup of Wells Fargo Rewards transfer partners is easily the smallest of all, but the bank has alluded that more will be added in the future.

Here’s a look at the airline and hotel partners where you can currently transfer your Wells Fargo points.

How to Earn Wells Fargo Points

None of the above will mean a thing if you don’t have any Wells Fargo points to your name. Luckily, it’s easy to pile up points, especially with the welcome offer on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card. 

The $95-a-year Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa® Card is currently offering a 60,000-point bonus for new cardmembers who spend $4,000 in the first three months of opening the card.

On top of the card’s big welcome bonus, you’ll earn an unlimited 5x points on hotels, 4x on flights, and 3x on travel and dining. That’s pretty much unheard of for a card in this price range, especially compared to the 2x points you’ll earn on travel purchases with the *chase sapphire preferred* or even the 3x points you’ll get on airfare and hotels with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card – two cards with identical $95 annual fees.

Then there’s the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card, which debuted in 2022, but hasn’t generated much buzz as it gets largely overshadowed by travel rewards stalwarts like the *chase sapphire preferred* and the *amex gold*. With this card, you can earn 3x points at restaurants, on travel (including transit), at gas stations, and even select streaming services and phone plans. All other purchases earn a standard 1x point per dollar spent. Not bad for a no-annual-fee card! 

Finally, like Chase and Capital One, you could pool any cash back earned from Wells Fargo’s cash rewards credit cards into points to boost your points balance to transfer to airline frequent flyer programs to book your flights!

Marriott Transfer Partners

Marriott Bonvoy isn’t a bank, but Bonvoy points are equally versatile. With nearly 40 airline partners, Marriott Bonvoy points can be moved more places than any other type of points. 

The downside is that Marriott points transfer to nearly all these airlines at a poor 3:1 ratio – meaning 30,000 Bonvoy points would equal 10,000 airline miles.

Marriott sweetens the deal when you transfer to select airlines in 60,000-point increments, though, by kicking in an extra 5,000 miles. That means a transfer of 60,000 Bonvoy points nets you 25,000 airline miles. That excludes American Airlines, Avianca LifeMiles, and Delta SkyMiles.

But the bonus is even bigger with United. For every 60,000 points you transfer to your MileagePlus account, Marriott will throw in an extra 10,000 miles. That means a 60,000-point transfer to United would yield 30,000 miles, a much better 2:1 ratio. 

It’s also important to know that Marriott transfers often takes longer than credit card points, so expect a wait between one day … or as long as two weeks. Plan accordingly if you’re looking to book an award ticket immediately. 

Read the master guide to transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to airlines

How to Earn Marriott Points

Let’s start with the obvious: You’ll earn Bonvoy points by staying in Marriott-branded hotels. Exactly how many points you’ll earn depends on the hotel chain you’re staying with and whether or not you have any level of elite status.

But that’s not the only way: You can earn Bonvoy points far quicker with a Marriott co-branded credit card. Marriott has a half-dozen cards to choose from, ranging from the ultra-premium *bonvoy brilliant* all the way down to the no-frills Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link). Scoring a big welcome offer bonus and swiping one of these cards for your everyday purchases makes racking up Bonvoy points relatively easy.

Additionally, you can get Bonvoy points by transferring from many of the programs listed above – but in most cases, transferring credit card points to Marriott, just to transfer them to a different airline partner, won’t make sense. 

All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Bold was collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

Bottom Line

Mastering the ins and outs of credit card transfer partners, and piling up the right points to do so, is a key in the world of miles and points. But keeping track of all the different options at your disposal can feel like a full-time job.

Bookmark this page and reference it any time you need a refresher on the different options you’ve got to use your credit card points (or hotel points)!