Get more from your points with these transfer bonuses

If you truly want to maximize your miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer lucrative opportunities for fantastic points redemptions. You can sometimes get significantly more value from your points 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.

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:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in your first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
• American Express® Green Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first six months of card membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit. Terms apply.
• 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. Terms apply.

You can also earn extra Membership Rewards when enrolling in Amex Offers and shopping with Rakuten. You can even earn Amex points when buying or selling a home with RBN. Based on TPG valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each.

Membership Rewards points transfer instantly to most programs.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value

If you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points into 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 a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited: Earn an additional 1.5% on all categories on up to $20,000 spent in the first year. That’s a value of 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 after account opening.

According to TPG valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2 cents each when maximized with travel partners. Most Ultimate Rewards transfers will process instantly.

Related: How to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Capital One isn’t offering any transfer bonuses right now.

How to earn Capital One miles

If you want to earn more Capital One miles, the following Capital One cards could make good additions to your wallet:

TPG’s valuations peg the value of Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each. For more details, check out our guides to the Capital One transfer partners and how to transfer Capital One miles to airline partners. Finally, note that most transfers from Capital One will process instantly.

Related: Tips and tricks to get maximum value from your Capital One miles

Citi ThankYou Rewards isn’t currently offering any transfer bonuses.

How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points

These Citi credit cards could make useful additions to your wallet for earning Citi ThankYou points:

• Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 ThankYou bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within three months of account opening. Plus, earn a total of 5 ThankYou points on hotels, car rentals and attractions, excluding air travel, on the Citi Travel portal now through June 30, 2024. (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 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 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 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 points after you stay six eligible nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 9.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card: Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 points after you stay six eligible nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 9.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus points after using your card to spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 bonus points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 10.
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of card membership.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after using your card to spend $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 bonus points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 10.

TPG’s valuations peg the value of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents each. However, before transferring, 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

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.

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. 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.

Did we miss any? Feel free to let us know by emailing tips@thepointsguy.com.

Additional reporting by Ehsan Haque, Andrew Kunesh, Katie Genter, Joseph Hostetler, Summer Hull, Liz Hund, Jason Stauffer and Benji Stawski.