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If you're an AwardWallet reader, you know by now that one of the best ways to get outsized value from points is by leveraging transfer partners. But part of the reason transferring points to partners remains more valuable than cashing out your points for cash back or a gift card is that transferring them isn't as straightforward.
If you're new to transferring points, you might be wondering how to do it. We'll walk you through the ins and outs of transferring Amex points to hotel and airline programs, linking your loyalty accounts, and cover a handful of other transfer rules and details you should note.
Page Contents
How to Transfer Amex Points to a Partner Program
To get started with transferring your Amex points, log in to your account at americanexpress.com. This will take you to the accounts dashboard.
If your default card is a co-branded card, such as a Delta SkyMiles card or Marriott Bonvoy card, click on the highlighted card in the top right corner and switch to one of your Membership Rewards-earning cards instead. It generally doesn't matter which one since all your Amex points are aggregated into one account. However, you'll want to use a card on hand for two-factor authentication.
If your default card is a Membership Rewards-earning card, you should see a “Membership Rewards Points” box with a button labeled “Explore Rewards.” Click on it.
Clicking the “Explore Rewards” button takes you to your Membership Rewards dashboard. You will see your total available points, how many of those you've earned in the current year, and all of the functionalities within Membership Rewards.
Scroll down until you see a section titled “Redeem Rewards” listing all the ways you can do so. In the ‘Travel' subsection, you'll find an option named “Transfer Points.” Clicking on this section will expand it, and clicking on “View all partners” will reload the page to display all current transfer partners.
Here, you'll see a list of all the Amex transfer partners. Assuming you haven't linked any, none should say “Enrolled” under the program name. If American Express is offering a transfer bonus to any of its partners, you'll see it displayed in the list on the right side.
Due to their low per-point value, transferring Amex points to hotel partners rarely yields outsized value. Instead, most Amex airline programs offer better value.
Related: How to Redeem American Express Membership Rewards Points — And Which Options Are Best
How to link your accounts
To link your airline or hotel loyalty accounts, you'll need to know your partner account number. Hopefully, you're using AwardWallet to track your accounts and can easily log in and copy it from there. You will only need to link accounts the first time you initiate a transfer.
If you don't already have an account, Amex provides a link that will direct you to the partner's page, where you can create one. Once you have your loyalty number, enter it in the box provided. Note that the name on your card must match the name on the loyalty account.
To complete the link, American Express will ask for the card security code (CSC) from the card account you logged in with. (That's why you'll want to start by selecting a card you have on hand.) You may also need to receive a one-time passcode via text message or email to complete the security verification.
It can take a few minutes for the accounts linking to process. If this is successful, the site will show a success message. If it wasn't, you'll see an error message asking you to check the name on the account or the account number.
Related: Do American Express Membership Rewards Points Expire?
Steps to transfer Amex points
Now, the step you've been waiting for: Transferring your Amex points to an airline or hotel program. To initiate a transfer, go to the list of transfer partners and click on the program you want to use. You'll then be asked the number of points you want to transfer. The box will show linked account numbers.
Notice the minimum, maximum, and transfer increments to the left. Amex will correct you if you try to transfer too many, too few, or an oddball number of points. Most programs require you to transfer points in increments of 1,000. American Express also displays typical transfer times, but most transfers process faster than stated. Some transfers are instant, but others take a little while.
Once you settle on the number of points to transfer, click “Review Transfer.” Finally, confirm and submit the transfer request if you're satisfied.
Once the transfer is processed, check your program account for the miles or points. Hopefully, you see them immediately and can book your trip!
If the transfer isn't immediate — like in the British Airways case shown above — use the AwardWallet Balance Watch feature to be notified when your transfer is complete.
Paying the Excise Tax Offset Fee, if applicable
If you're transferring miles to a U.S. airline, there is one additional step: paying the excise tax offset fee. This fee isn't collected on transfers to foreign carriers. But if you want to transfer your points to Delta, Hawaiian, or JetBlue, you'll pay $0.60 per 1,000 points — with a maximum fee of $99. It's a pesky little fee, but it's what American Express charges.
The transfer screen will look like the following:
But please do not pay the fee with points. You only get 0.5 cents per point in value if you do so. AwardWallet users typically get 1.95¢ in value from Membership Rewards points (a.k.a. much more than half a cent each), so suck it up and pay the fee with your card.
How to Link Amex Authorized User Accounts
Need to top off the points balance of your Player 2‘s account instead of your own? The good news is that Amex allows point transfers to authorized user accounts. However, it's only possible to link loyalty programs in the names of authorized users if you follow this rule:
“The person must have been an authorized user on one of your cards for at least 90 days.”
American Express added this limiting verbiage a few years ago to combat suspected fraud and the selling of points. If you want to transfer points to family members, you'll need to first add them as authorized users to get the clock started.
And remember, even if you have a card like The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can add authorized users for no annual fee. Don't add them as “Platinum” cardholders. Instead, add them as an additional “Companion Platinum Card” member on your account. This version doesn't come with many perks, but it also doesn't charge an annual fee (Rates & Fees).
- 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.
- With American Express Global Lounge Collection® eligible Card Members can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Use the dedicated CLEAR Lane to confirm your identity without taking out your passport or ID - this can mean shorter lines, less waiting. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- 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.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $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.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
Once your authorized user account is eligible, linking is exactly the same as for the primary card member. Just make sure the name on the loyalty account matches the authorized user's name on the Amex card account.
Since Amex doesn't allow you to pool points with others, this is a great way to put points into family members' accounts.
Related: All About The Platinum Card® from American Express
Can you transfer Amex points to another person?
You can't transfer Amex points to another cardmember. However, you can transfer your Amex points to another person's airline or hotel loyalty program account if that person is an authorized user (for at least 90 days) on one of your Amex Membership Rewards card accounts.
Bottom Line
Now that you've seen how easy it is to transfer Amex points to travel partners, you can start daydreaming about your next travels and how these points can help get you there. While the transfers can be a bit involved the first time, as there are multiple steps required to link your loyalty accounts, it does feel easier the more you do them.
American Express has a great set of transfer partners and often runs points transfer bonuses. Bonuses change all the time, but they're a great opportunity to get even more value from your points. Make sure to keep tabs on the blog for the latest Amex points transfer promotions.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
