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Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.
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The best way to get top per-point value out of your Amex Membership Rewards is transfer to a travel partner for free travel. Thankfully, this is fairly easy, as Amex has an extensive list of transfer partners for travelers of all kinds.
Let's take a look at the full list of partners, as well as how to earn and transfer your Membership Rewards.
Which cards earn Membership Rewards?
There are currently three personal Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards points.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Welcome Offer:
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Welcome Offer:
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000 Membership Rewards® points
Welcome Offer:
Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
40,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Rewards Program:
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Rewards Program:
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points
Rewards Program:
3X Membership Rewards® Points on Restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery. 3X Membership Rewards® points on all eligible travel, from subway swipes and window seats to hotel stays and city tours. The 1x points on other purchases.
1x - 3x points
Intro APR:
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Intro APR:
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Intro APR:
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
APR:
See Pay Over Time APR
APR:
See Pay Over Time APR
APR:
See Pay Over Time APR
Annual Fee:
$695
Annual Fee:
$325
Annual Fee:
$150
Highlights:
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
$200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
$199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
Terms Apply.
Highlights:
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
Terms Apply.
Highlights:
Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
$189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Receive up to $189 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express® Green Card.
$100 LoungeBuddy: No airport lounge membership? No problem! Purchase lounge access through the LoungeBuddy app using the American Express® Green Card and receive up to $100 in statement credits annually.
Payment Flexibility: When it comes to paying your bill, you have options. You can always pay in full. You also have the flexibility to carry a balance with interest or use Plan It® to split up large purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. You may be able to keep spending beyond your limit – you’ll just need to pay for any new purchases in full when your bill is due.
Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you’re traveling, when you use your American Express® Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Trip delay and cancellation insurance and cell phone protection underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Extended warranty, purchase protection, car rental insurance, and baggage insurance underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
• Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
• Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
• Trip delay insurance underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
• Extended warranty, baggage insurance plan, car rental loss & damage insurance, and purchase protection warranty underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
What are the best Amex transfer partners?
The best transfer partner is the one that lets you redeem your rewards for a good value for travel you want. This is going to vary significantly depending on where and when you travel. That said, airline redemptions are almost always going to be a better value than hotel redemptions.
For exclusive partners, Amex is the only major rewards program that transfers to Delta SkyMiles. This can be very handy for domestic award flights.
Folks that are interested in international travel should check out these particular programs, which are regularly recommended by experts and experienced Amex travelers:
Air Canada Aeroplan: Low fees and good availability, especially from eastern North America to Europe.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue: Fees can be a little pricey but availability from the U.S. to Europe is excellent.
Avianca LifeMiles: In addition to routes to Central and South America, you can use these miles for Star Alliance flights on partner airlines.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: This is another Star Alliance member, and you can find good deals on partner airlines domestically, as well as routes to Europe.
Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners
The American Express Membership Rewards program has 22 transfer partners including both airlines and hotels. Most transfer at a 1:1 rate.
A transfer rate of 1:1 means you get one airline mile or hotel point per Amex point you transfer.
A higher transfer rate is better; a rate of 1:2 means you would get 2 airline miles or hotel points per Amex point on your transfer. Conversely, a rate of 2:1 would mean it takes two Amex points to get one airline mile or hotel point.
Amex Membership Rewards airline partners
Amex's list of airline partners includes both domestic and international airlines. A few are exclusive to Amex, while others are common to several credit card travel rewards programs.
Here are the current airline partners and transfer rates:
Transfer partner
Transfer rate
AeroMexico Rewards
1:1
Air Canada Aeroplan
1:1
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
1:1
Alitalia MilleMiglia
1:1
Aer Lingus AerClub
1:1
ANA Mileage Club
1:1
Avianca LifeMiles
1:1
British Airways Executive Club
1:1
Cathay Pacific
1:1
Delta SkyMiles
1:1
Emirates Skywards
1:1
Etihad Guest
1:1
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
1:1
Iberia Plus
1:1
JetBlue
1:0.8
Qantas Frequent Flyer
1:1
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
1:1
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
1:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
1:1
Data source: Amex
Amex Membership Rewards hotel partners
Amex has three hotel transfer partners. All have good transfer rates, though hotel points are generally considered to be less valuable than airline miles.
Here are the current hotel partners and transfer rates:
Transfer partner
Transfer rate
Choice Privileges
1:1
Hilton Honors
1:2
Marriott Bonvoy
1:1
Data source: Amex
Membership Rewards transfer bonuses
Amex will occasionally offer a bonus on transfers to a specific partner. This is an excellent time to transfer points provided you have a specific use already in mind.
Typical transfer bonuses are 30%. For transfers that are normally 1:1, a 30% bonus would mean you get 1.3 airline miles or hotel points for every one Amex Membership Rewards point you transfer.
I've never found any way to predict when you'll get a bonus, so you'll be essentially relying on luck if you're trying to wait for a specific transfer bonus.
How to choose an Amex transfer partner
The first step to deciding on a transfer partner is to figure out where you're going. Airlines and hotels operate in specific areas, so you'll need to choose travel brands that service your destination.
Most airlines are part of an airline alliance and will allow you to redeem miles for flights on other airlines in the alliance. For instance, you can use Air Canada Aeroplan miles to book flights on TAP Portugal.
I would start by checking the popular award programs we've listed above, as they're known to offer reasonable award rates and fees. If you can't find an itinerary that matches your needs, explore other travel partners. Just make sure to consider the per-point value of your ultimate redemption.
How to transfer your Membership Rewards
You can transfer your Membership Rewards from your Amex account online or in the Amex mobile app. This step-by-step process is for the mobile app, but the desktop experience is essentially the same:
1. Log into your Amex account 2. Go to the Membership tab 3. Click the blue Redeem Rewards button 4. Choose Transfer Points
Transfer points option from Redeem Rewards screen. Image source: Amex, captured by author.
5. Select a transfer partner
Transfer partners options from the Transfer Points screen. Image source: Amex, captured by author.
6. Connect your frequent flyer or hotel rewards account
Example of how to link a transfer partner account. Image source: Amex, captured by author.
7. Next, decide how many points to transfer 8. Choose how to pay the excise tax fee, if applicable (more on this below) 9. Review and then finalize your transfer
You're all set!
TIP
Proceed with caution
All points transfers are one-way only, no refunds or returns! Don't transfer your Amex points until you're ready to redeem them.
How long do Amex points transfers take?
The majority of Amex points transfers will go through more or less immediately (well, within a few minutes). However, some transfers may take longer than others, though nearly all should be completed within a few business days.
Amex transfers and the excise tax offset fee
Transferring Amex points to a U.S. airline frequent flyer program comes with a small "excise tax offset fee." This fee covers the federal excise tax that Amex is charged when you transfer points.
The excise tax offset fee is $0.0006 per point transferred, with a maximum fee of $99 (so the fee caps out at 165,000 points). You can use additional points -- up to 19,800 of them, to be exact -- to cover this fee.
Common mistakes when transferring Amex points
Maximizing travel rewards can be a tough game, and we all make mistakes as we get started. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid.
Overlooking award fees
A lot of folks (myself included) get carried away with calling award redemptions "free" travel. In reality, there are a lot of costs that can crop up on even (mostly) free award redemptions.
Every airline award I've ever seen at least charges taxes and fees; these are usually small amounts in the $5 to $50 range. However, some airlines/routes will come with huge fuel surcharges that could top $500 per flight.
Hotel award nights aren't exempt from these hidden fees, either. I've seen many a "resort fee" that gets tacked onto an award and requires a payment at check-in/out.
Transferring without a plan
It can be really tempting to take advantage of transfer bonuses to boost your miles or hotel points at a better rate. But if you don't have a plan to use those rewards, you may regret this choice.
That's because transfers are one-way streets, and you eliminate all of your other possibilities when you make a transfer. Additionally, airlines and hotel programs are constantly changing their award requirements, meaning your miles or points could lose value while you figure out how to use them.
The best course is to transfer your points a few days before you want to redeem them, at the earliest. Most transfers are quick -- nearly instant -- so you won't generally have to wait long to make your bookings.
There is no need to transfer points between Amex cards, as all of your Membership Rewards points automatically pool.
No, Amex points can only be transferred to an eligible partner to a loyalty account that's in your name.
The exception is if the person has been an authorized user on your card account for at least 90 days. In this case, you can transfer points to a partner program in the authorized user's name.
Alternatively, some airline or hotel programs may allow you to transfer your rewards, so you could potentially transfer Amex points to a partner, then gift the resulting points or miles to another person afterwards.
No, Amex points transfers to travel partners are not reversible or refundable.
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American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Brittney Myers has positions in American Express. The Motley Fool recommends Marriott International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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