When you’re trying to enhance your journey recreation this 12 months, there’s one vital technique you’ll be able to pursue: Deal with incomes (after which redeeming) transferable credit card rewards.
Transferable rewards are, merely put, probably the most beneficial kind of foreign money to earn on the earth of factors and miles. That is solely attributable to their versatility. American Express, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo supply rewards credit cards that earn factors or miles you’ll be able to switch to numerous airline and resort companions.
This may be particularly beneficial once you hope to journey in a premium cabin or need to reduce the variety of factors or miles you redeem for an award. As a substitute of being restricted to a single airline (and its companions) or one resort program, you’ll be able to leverage your rewards to e book one of the best out there possibility for the bottom attainable worth.
And in case you’re trying to optimize your redemptions this 12 months, studying easy methods to switch your bank card rewards might be one of the crucial vital steps.
This is why you need to give attention to transferable rewards — and which playing cards to contemplate.
Why are transferable factors so beneficial?
Briefly, transferable factors or miles supply flexibility when it’s time to make use of your rewards to e book journey. For instance, you probably have a big stash of American Airlines AAdvantage miles, you’ll be able to solely redeem your miles on American and its companions.
Nevertheless, you will have many extra choices you probably have an enormous steadiness of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Listed below are only a few:
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
You possibly can additionally transfer points to World of Hyatt for luxurious resort stays.
You’re within the driver’s seat, as you’ll be able to maintain on to your hard-earned rewards till you discover a particular journey you need to e book.
When must you switch factors?
From flights and resort stays to reward playing cards, merchandise and extra, there are seemingly infinite methods to make use of your factors. It may be fairly complicated. When you shouldn’t take into account your loyalty program account balances as long-term investments, you ought to make sure that you spend your factors simply as you’ll hard-earned cash: strategically and effectively. Figuring out when to switch factors to companions over different redemptions turns into crucial.
Once you need to redeem your transferable factors for journey, there are a number of methods to go about it. You should purchase flights and resort stays by way of the journey website particular to the financial institution (just like the Chase Travel portal or Amex Travel), or you’ll be able to switch your factors to a loyalty program and e book primarily based on that program’s award charges. Whereas your finish aim is identical — reserving journey utilizing your rewards — the prices can range extensively.
For instance, when TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen booked a visit to New Orleans, he wished to remain at Maison Metier (previously Maison de la Luz and now part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection). Reserving instantly with Hyatt would have value $690.
In the meantime, as a Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) cardholder, his factors are price as much as 2 cents apiece (relying on the precise redemption) when used by way of Chase Journey. (See your rewards program settlement for full particulars.)
With a slight distinction in money charges, reserving instantly and thru Chase’s portal, he would’ve wanted to make use of practically 50,000 factors for the keep.
Nevertheless, since he can switch Chase factors to my World of Hyatt account at a 1:1 ratio, he can e book that very same room for simply 29,000 factors per evening. At a redemption fee of two.38 cents apiece, he’ll recover from TPG’s December 2025 valuation of Chase factors at 2.05 cents.
Now, it’s price noting that reserving a flight instantly with an airline or through a bank card portal means you’d earn miles on that flight, and whereas this sometimes is not true with accommodations, we’ve seen Chase add this option for select properties. Moreover, there is no assure that transferring offers you extra worth than reserving instantly.
Nevertheless, in lots of conditions — particularly for premium-cabin flights or luxurious resort stays — you’ll be able to actually maximize your redemptions this fashion.
Fortunately, transferring your factors or miles is comparatively easy, and the overwhelming majority of transfers put up immediately. Remember to assessment our full information on how to transfer credit card rewards to partner programs.
So, what sort of factors are you able to earn to ultimately switch to your favourite airline program? Let’s dive into the 5 most well-known bank card rewards currencies so you understand your choices.
American Categorical Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards factors are a favourite transferable rewards foreign money, with a worth of two cents per level in line with TPG’s December 2025 valuations. These factors can get you some unimaginable awards due to Amex’s array of switch companions, together with ANA Mileage Club and Delta SkyMiles — each distinctive to Amex.
It’s additionally price noting that American Categorical affords frequent transfer bonuses for its airline and resort companions, although these are typically focused. So, keep watch over your account for these affords to pop up.
With a wide range of choices to make use of these factors, maximizing Membership Rewards factors can really feel a bit tough, so refer to our guide in case you need assistance.
In fact, earlier than you redeem American Categorical factors, you first must earn them. Listed below are the preferred playing cards that earn Membership Rewards factors:
Don’t overlook so as to add Amex Offers to your card(s). You may earn 1000’s of extra bonus factors or lower your expenses on choose purchases.
Lastly, you may also use Rakuten to earn bonus factors once you purchase gadgets on-line. This online shopping portal companions with 1000’s of outlets to award bonus money again in your purchases. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to elect to earn Membership Rewards points instead. You may sign up and earn a one-time bonus of $50 by spending no less than $50 at collaborating retailers within the first 90 days of becoming a member of.
Associated: The best time to apply for these popular American Express cards based on offer history
Bilt Rewards
Bilt Rewards permits cardholders to earn Bilt Factors for paying hire (as much as 100,000 factors per calendar 12 months). That is nice information since renting can amount to thousands of dollars spent per year. Though Bilt Rewards is a comparatively new entrant to this aggressive house, this system affords a powerful checklist of switch companions, together with Atmos Rewards and World of Hyatt.
Presently, Bilt has one bank card: the Bilt Mastercard® (not accepting new candidates).
The data for the Bilt Mastercard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Cardholders earn 1 level per greenback spent on hire (as much as 100,000 factors per calendar 12 months) with out the transaction charge, 2 factors per greenback spent on journey (flights, accommodations, cruises and rental automobiles) and three factors per greenback spent on eating. You have to make no less than 5 transactions every month to earn factors. Better of all, the Bilt Mastercard has no annual charge.
In line with the opposite main applications which have transferable currencies, Bilt Rewards often affords switch bonuses, typically throughout its month-to-month Rent Day promotion.
Associated: Should you use the Bilt Mastercard? Why it could be a game changer for renters
Capital One miles
Capital One has change into a powerful participant on the earth of transferable factors and miles. Whereas its playing cards had been as soon as primarily related to easy, fixed-value rewards, the issuer has expanded its choices by introducing a broad community of switch companions — dramatically rising the worth potential for cardholders.
Among the many standout merchandise is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which mixes premium journey advantages with the flexibility to switch miles to 15-plus airline and resort companions. Cardholders additionally take pleasure in entry to Capital One Lounges and a novel eating idea referred to as The Touchdown, including additional attraction to the portfolio.
The Capital One Venture X Business card builds on this momentum by catering to small-business house owners, pairing a profitable welcome bonus with beneficial ongoing rewards and journey perks.
Fashionable Capital One transfer partners embrace Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles and British Airways Membership. There are additionally occasional switch bonuses.
Listed below are the playing cards that at the moment earn transferable Capital One miles:
The data for the Capital One Spark Miles Choose has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
When you’re sitting on a stash of Capital One miles, transferring them to airline companions can unlock some nice awards. For full particulars on these choices, try our guides on how to transfer Capital One miles and when it makes sense to transfer as a substitute of redeeming at a set worth.
Associated: Tips and tricks to get maximum value from your Capital One miles
Chase Final Rewards
Chase doesn’t have as many switch companions as American Categorical, however Final Rewards factors are nonetheless fairly beneficial.
You may switch these factors to 10 airline and three resort companions, all at a 1:1 ratio. These embrace Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.
Listed below are the playing cards that earn totally transferable Final Rewards factors:
The data for the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
You too can maximize incomes rewards on different private and enterprise playing cards and convert cash back to points utilizing one of many 4 playing cards above.
Associated: The power of the Chase Trifecta
Citi ThankYou Rewards
Citi additionally has a transferable foreign money with its ThankYou Rewards program. Whereas most of Citi’s switch companions are worldwide carriers, the issuer has now added American Airlines AAdvantage to its program, which creates much more worth.
Both method, leveraging alliances and partnerships may also help you get great worth out of your factors. For instance, you need to use a program like Avianca LifeMiles to fly on United or a program like Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership to fly on Delta.
Switch ratios between Citi ThankYou and its companions depend upon the cardboard you maintain. Citi has provided switch bonuses to a handful of its companions up to now, together with Avianca and Virgin Atlantic.
You will obtain increased ratios — in addition to the flexibility to switch to AA — with the next playing cards:
The data for the Citi Status Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
That stated, like with Chase Final Rewards, you’ll be able to mix your Citi ThankYou Rewards factors in a single account for choose merchandise, permitting you to successfully “convert” your fixed-value earnings from playing cards just like the Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees) or Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) into totally transferable ThankYou factors.
Associated: Redeeming Citi ThankYou points for maximum value
Wells Fargo Rewards
Wells Fargo Rewards is a more moderen entrant within the realm of transferable bank card currencies, with a modest list of partners.
With solely two playing cards that earn transferable factors, this system is small however affords important potential — and certain has extra room to develop. These playing cards are:
Associated: Why the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card took home a trophy at the most recent TPG Awards
Backside line
Incomes and redeeming factors takes effort, however transferring them to airline and resort companions is the important thing to unlocking most worth. It stretches your rewards far past fixed-rate choices and offers you flexibility — particularly for last-minute or premium bookings.
For the highest choices that make this attainable, see our guide to the best travel credit cards with transferable rewards.
Associated: 10 easiest credit card welcome bonuses to earn
Trending Merchandise
