Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses: How to Get More Value From Your Points (Updated Monthly)
** We will update this monthly as the bonuses change
📌 Bookmark this page! I update it each month as new transfer bonuses are announced and old offers expire.
➡️ SKIP TO: THIS MONTH’S CURRENT TRANSFER BONUSES
Updated monthly with the latest transfer bonuses from Chase, American Express, Capital One, Citi and more.
One of the biggest things I wish more people understood about credit card points is this: You do not necessarily have to book your flight or hotel through your credit card’s travel portal.
In fact, sometimes the best value comes from doing something called transferring your points to a travel partner. And every so often, credit card companies make that deal even better by offering a transfer bonus. That might mean the 50,000 points sitting in your account suddenly become 60,000 airline miles. Or 100,000 points become 120,000. Same points. More miles. And if you’re trying to book flights for an entire family, those extra points can make a BIG difference. This page is where I’ll keep track of the current credit card transfer bonuses worth knowing about, and I’ll update it as offers change.
I want to mention, reading all of this might make it sound harder to understand than it really is. That is why I want to fully explain it and I have added some pictures for reference.
But first, let’s talk about what a transfer bonus actually is — because I know this part can sound much more complicated than it really is.
What Does It Mean to Transfer Credit Card Points?
Several major credit card programs allow you to move your points from the credit card program into participating airline or hotel loyalty programs. Instead of just booking the hotel or flight in your credits card portal.
Think: Credit card points → airline miles or hotel points
For example, instead of using your points directly through your credit card travel portal, you might transfer them to an airline loyalty program and then book an award flight through that airline because it can be a better use of your credit card points.
The major transferable points programs include:
Chase Ultimate Rewards®
American Express Membership Rewards®
Capital One Miles
Citi ThankYou® Points
Bilt Points
Each program has its own list of airline and hotel transfer partners. And this is one reason I personally LOVE flexible points. You're not necessarily earning points for one airline. You're earning a currency that can potentially be transferred to multiple different travel programs, depending on where you're trying to go.
So What Is a Transfer Bonus?
Normally, many credit card points transfer to travel partners at a set ratio often 1:1, although that varies by program and partner.
So if the transfer ratio is 1:1: 50,000 credit card points = 50,000 airline miles
But during a 20% transfer bonus, those same:
50,000 credit card points → 60,000 airline miles
With a 30% bonus:
50,000 points → 65,000 miles
And with a 40% bonus:
50,000 points → 70,000 miles
You didn't earn any additional credit card points.
You simply transferred them while a promotion was running.
Why does that matter?
Because when you're paying for multiple airline tickets, those bonuses add up FAST.
Let's say you found 4 award flights that cost 30,000 miles each. You need: 120,000 airline miles
If there's a 20% transfer bonus, you may only need to transfer: 100,000 credit card points to end up with the 120,000 airline miles you need.
You just saved 20,000 credit card points simply by taking advantage of the bonus. And THAT is why I pay attention when these offers pop up.
Why Transfer Points Instead of Booking Through the Credit Card Portal?
Here's where I think people sometimes get confused. A transfer bonus does not automatically mean transferring your points is the best option.
Sometimes booking directly through your credit card's travel portal is easier, sometimes paying cash is the better deal. But MOST times transferring points to an airline or hotel program can unlock significantly better redemption opportunities.
The important part is knowing you have options. Before I book a flight with points, I generally want to compare:
1. What would this flight cost in cash?
2. How many points would it cost through my credit card's travel portal?
3. How many miles would the airline charge if I transferred my points?
4. Is there currently a transfer bonus that makes option #3 even better?
Then I can see which option actually makes the most sense. Because the goal isn't just to say: “I booked this with points!”
The goal is to use the fewest valuable points possible for a trip we actually want to take.
A Real-Life Example of Why Transfer Partners Can Be So Valuable
This is one of my favorite ways to explain this because this is the EXACT thing that has happened to me! I was booking flights from Washington D.C to London.
Let's pretend you find a flight on Virgin Atlantic Airways to Europe that costs: $800 per person. For a family of four, that's: $3,200. Through your credit card travel portal, the same flight requires a large number of points to cover those four tickets. Let’s says 50,000 points per ticket so 200,000 points all together.
Now, you find out Virgin Atlantic is a tranfer partner from your credit card meaning you can transfer your points to their portal and book directly on their website. (You need to have an account with Virgin but it’s free to make). On the Virgin Atlantic website you find the same flights but for 8,000 points per ticket so 32,000 points for 4 people. (one way).
Now imagine there's also a 25% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic from your card right now. Instead of transferring 32,000 credit card points, you'd only need to transfer: 25,600 points! That is only 6,400 points per ticket for a flight to London! This is why transferring your points out of your credit card portal to a transfer partner can make the BIGGEST difference!
But there is an important catch.
You have to actually find the award availability first. Which brings me to probably the most important rule in this entire post.
🚨 DO NOT Transfer Your Points Until You Find the Flight or Hotel
Seriously!!!!! This is one of the biggest mistakes beginners can make. Transfers are generally one-way. Once you've moved your flexible credit card points into an airline or hotel loyalty program, you generally cannot move them back into your credit card account. So I would NOT transfer 100,000 points to an airline just because you see a 30% bonus and think: We might use these someday.
Instead:
1. Find the trip first.
2. Search for the award seats.
3. Confirm the number of miles you need.
4. Make sure you understand the taxes and fees.
5. THEN transfer the points.
6. And ideally, book immediately.
7. Transfer bonuses are great.
Speculatively transferring points just because there's a bonus? I generally would advise against it.
A Bigger Transfer Bonus Isn't Always a Better Deal
This is another thing I want to make really clear. Seeing: 40% BONUS! sounds much more exciting than: 20% BONUS! But that doesn't necessarily mean the 40% offer is more valuable. The most important question is: Can you actually use those miles for the trip you're trying to book? I'd rather get a 20% bonus into a program that has 4 flights available for my family than a 40% bonus into a program where I can't find a single seat.
Also pay attention to:
Award pricing
Taxes and fees
Cancellation/change policies
Transfer times
Whether the airline has availability for your dates
Whether you can book partner airlines through that program
The percentage is only one part to consider.
One of My Favorite Things About Airline Transfer Partners
Here's another piece that took me a while to understand when I first started learning about points: You don't always have to transfer your points to the airline you're actually flying.
Airlines have partnerships and alliances. That means you may sometimes be able to use miles from Airline A's loyalty program to book a flight actually operated by Airline B.
For example, you might find a United flight but book that flight using miles from another Star Alliance partner. This is where points travel can get a little more advanced — but it's also where some incredible deals can show up. So when I list a transfer bonus below, I’ll also try to include why I think that particular program could be useful, rather than simply throwing a bunch of percentages at you.
Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses
Last updated: September 20206
Transfer bonuses change frequently. Always verify the promotion inside your credit card account and confirm award availability before transferring points.
🔘 American Express → British Airways Club, Iberia Club or Aer Lingus AerClub
Current bonus: 30%
Ends: Septemeber 27th, 2026
What that means:
Transfer 1,000 points equals 1,300 Avios miles.
Why I’d pay attention to this one:
[2–3 sentences explaining useful routes, alliance partners, family travel opportunities, etc.]
Who this could be good for:
[Europe / Hawaii / business class / hotels / domestic travel/etc.]
🔘 American Express → Hilton Honors
Current bonus: 30%
Ends: October 14th, 2026
What that means:
Transfer 1,000 points equals 2,600 points in your Hilton account
Why I’d pay attention:
[Short explanation.]
🔘 Chase → Air Canada Aeroplan
Current bonus: 20%
Ends: September 30th, 2026
What that means:
Transfer 1,000 points → receive 1,200 miles.
Why I’d pay attention:
[Short explanation.]
🔘 Chase → Marriott Bonvoy
Current bonus: 70%
Ends: October 15th, 2026
What that means:
Transfer 1,000 points equals 1,700 points
Why I’d pay attention:
[Short explanation.]
Capital One miles
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
30%
Sept. 30
1,000 miles equals 975 miles
How I Decide Whether a Transfer Bonus Is Worth Using
Before transferring any points, I would walk through these five questions:
1. Do I have an actual trip in mind? A transfer bonus isn't really saving you anything if you didn't need those miles in the first place.
2. Is there award availability? Find the flight or hotel FIRST.
3. How many credit card points will I actually need? Do the transfer-bonus math before sending anything over.
4. What are the taxes and fees? A flight costing 40,000 miles + $50 is very different from one costing 40,000 miles + $600.
5. Is transferring better than my other options? Compare the award booking against the cash price and any other way you could book with points.
If the numbers work? THEN I transfer.
How to Calculate a Transfer Bonus
If you're trying to figure out how many miles you'll receive, use: Points transferred × (1 + bonus percentage) = miles received
For example: 50,000 × 1.20 = 60,000. So a 20% bonus turns 50,000 points into 60,000 miles. But here's the calculation I actually find MORE useful:
How many credit card points do I need to transfer?
Let's say your flight costs 60,000 miles and there's a 20% transfer bonus.
Divide: 60,000 ÷ 1.20 = 50,000. You only need to transfer about 50,000 credit card points. This is especially important because I wouldn't just transfer a nice round number and accidentally strand extra miles in an airline account.
Are Transfer Bonuses Worth It?
They absolutely can be. Some of our best points redemptions have come from understanding transfer partners rather than simply treating credit card points like cash. But I don't think you need to chase every bonus. The best transfer bonus is the one that helps you book a trip you actually want to take for fewer points than you would have otherwise spent. That's it. You don't need to become a points expert.
You just need to know enough to stop automatically clicking “Book with Points” before checking whether there might be a better way.
A Few Things to Know Before You Hit Transfer
Transfer bonuses can be SO valuable — but once you move those points, you generally can’t move them back. Before you transfer anything, I always recommend checking these first:
- Confirm the transfer ratio.
- Verify the promotion is showing in your account.
- Search for award availability before transferring.
- Check the taxes and fees on the booking.
- Make sure names and account information match where required.
- Check how long the transfer is expected to take.
- Remember that transfers generally cannot be reversed.
- Don’t transfer extra points “just in case” unless you’re comfortable leaving them in that loyalty program.
Never transfer points based only on a screenshot you saw on Instagram. 😂
Offers change. Always confirm the current details directly inside your credit card account or loyalty program before moving any points.
Frequently Asked Questions About Transfer Bonuses
Q: What is a credit card transfer bonus?
A: A transfer bonus is a limited-time promotion that gives you additional airline miles or hotel points when you transfer flexible credit card points to a participating travel partner. For example, a 20% bonus could turn 50,000 transferable points into 60,000 airline miles.
Q: Do transfer bonuses happen regularly?
A: Yes. Major credit card programs periodically offer bonuses to certain airline and hotel partners throughout the year. The partners, percentages and expiration dates change, which is why I update this page regularly.
Q: Should I transfer points as soon as I see a bonus?
A: Usually, no. I prefer to find the award flight or hotel I want to book first and then transfer the points needed to make the reservation. Transfers generally cannot be reversed.
Q: Do transferred points expire?
A: Once your points move into an airline or hotel loyalty program, they follow that program's rules, including its expiration policy.
Q: How long do point transfers take?
A: Some transfers happen almost instantly while others can take hours or days. Always check the expected transfer time before moving points—especially if you're looking at limited award availability.
Q: Can I transfer points back to Chase, Amex, Capital One or Citi?
A: Generally, no. Transfers to travel partners are usually final.
Q: Is it always better to transfer credit card points?
A: No. Sometimes a travel portal or cash booking will make more sense. I compare the options before transferring.
Q: What is a good transfer bonus?
A: There's no single percentage that automatically makes a transfer “good.” A 15–20% bonus can be extremely valuable if it helps you book the flight you need, while a much larger bonus can be useless if the program doesn't have availability for your trip.
A few things I would add later visually
When you get to the visual part, I would not overwhelm this with credit-card screenshots. I’d use visuals mainly to make the confusing concepts obvious.
I’d add a simple graphic near the top that says:
50,000 POINTS
↓
20% TRANSFER BONUS
↓
60,000 AIRLINE MILES
Then another screenshot/graphic showing something like:
Flight requires 120,000 miles
20% transfer bonus
Only 100,000 credit card points needed
And for every monthly offer, I'd ideally show a screenshot of the actual offer from the bank/app so readers can visually verify what you're talking about.
One other thing I'd do for SEO
I would title the page something evergreen like:
Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses: Updated Monthly
and use an SEO title like:
Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses September 2026 | Chase, Amex & More
Then each month you change September → October, update the offers and the “last updated” date, but keep the same URL:
/trip-recaps/current-credit-card-transfer-bonuses
That way you're building authority to one evergreen page instead of creating a new post every month.
And I would put this right underneath the title:
Bookmark this page! I update it each month as new transfer bonuses are announced and old offers expire.
That gives people an actual reason to come back.
