You are currently viewing Current credit card transfer bonuses: 15% bonus when transferring Amex points to Avianca LifeMiles

Current credit card transfer bonuses: 15% bonus when transferring Amex points to Avianca LifeMiles

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Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers; some offers may be expired. Citi is a TPG advertising partner.

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

patio furniture and umbrellas looking out over ocean
Hilton San Diego Bayfront. HILTON

American Express has one active transfer bonus right now.

Amex is offering a 15% transfer 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

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:

Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for an even higher welcome offer (subject to change at any time).

You can also earn extra Membership Rewards points when you enroll in Amex Offers and shop with Rakuten.

Based on TPG’s 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

Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350 A330 London Heathrow LHR Terminal 3
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

You can currently transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Marriott Bonvoy with a bonus.

Chase is offering a 30% bonus when you transfer to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Since Ultimate Rewards points typically transfer to Virgin Atlantic at a 1:1 ratio, this bonus means that 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points would turn into 1,300 Virgin points.

You can also get a 40% bonus if you transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy. Ultimate Rewards points usually transfer to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio, so 1,000 Chase points will convert into 1,400 Marriott points with this bonus. TPG values Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each — much higher than Marriott Bonvoy points (0.85 cents each) — meaning 1,000 Chase points are worth roughly $20 while 1,400 Marriott Bonvoy points are worth closer to $12.

Both of these Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonuses expire June 15.

Partner program Transfer bonus Effective transfer ratio Dates
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club 30% 1:1.3 Until June 15
Marriott Bonvoy 40% 1:1.4 Until June 15

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:

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 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 currently have any active transfer bonuses.

How to earn Capital One miles

For future transfer bonuses, the following Capital One cards are good options to consider:

TPG’s valuations peg Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, 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 have access to a transfer bonus to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.

You can receive a 50% bonus when you transfer ThankYou points to Turkish before June 15. This transfer bonus is a little different as it is offered by Miles&Smiles rather than Citi, so Miles&Smiles has declared the 50% bonus miles will only be credited after the promotion period ends. This makes the promotion not ideal if you have a redemption in mind and want to book it as soon as you transfer your ThankYou points to Miles&Smiles.

Partner program Transfer bonus Effective transfer ratio Dates
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles 50% 1:1.5 Until June 15

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.)

Based on TPG’s valuations, Citi ThankYou Rewards points are worth about 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

woman and girl at Marriott pool
FAIRFIELD ANAHEIM RESORT/FACEBOOK

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 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.