New American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Partner: Qatar Airways

Rejoice travelers, because you have another Amex Membership Rewards transfer partner: Qatar Airways Privilege Club. Without any announcement from American Express, Qatar Airways simply showed up in the Amex transfer partners portal today, July 26, 2023.

Membership Rewards points transfer to Qatar Privilege Club at a 1:1 transfer ratio, and you'll need to transfer in increments of 1,000 Amex points. For every 1,000 Amex points transferred, you'll get 1,000 Qatar Avios. Remember that Qatar Airways adopted Avios as its points currency in early 2022.

To transfer, log into your account and head to the transfer page. You'll need to provide your Qatar Airways Privilege Club number the first time to link with your Amex Membership Rewards account. I received a code via email to confirm my identity, then I was able to finish linking my accounts.

A spokesperson for American Express confirmed that this transfer is new as of July 26, 2023.

Related: How to Transfer Amex Points: A Step-by-Step Guide

How Long Does It Take to Transfer Amex Points to Qatar?

When I completed a test transfer from Amex Membership Rewards to Qatar Privilege Club, the Avios showed up in my Qatar account instantly.

Remember that you also can transfer Avios freely and instantly between Qatar Airways and British Airways, then onwards to Aer Lingus and Iberia. Thanks to this ability to transfer Avios between accounts, Qatar Airways was already effectively an Amex transfer partner. Now that Amex added Qatar as a transfer partner, you'll save a step in the process.

Related: All of the Cards That Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points

Is It Worth Transfering Amex Points to Qatar?

Having additional options for how to use your Amex points is great. Qatar Privilege Club isn't the most famous of programs, but it provides extra access to its own flights for redemptions, which might be your ultimate goal. And don't forget to take advantage of Qatar's partnership with Accor for extra rewards and shortcuts to status.

While you're likely excited about transferring Amex points directly to Qatar, rather than the extra steps needed previously, Qatar Avios expire without 36 months of activity. Thus, transferring speculatively isn't a great idea.

Don't have a Qatar Privilege Club account yet? The program offers new member bonuses regularly, so look for one while enrolling. And, of course, you should track your account with AwardWallet to get notifications when your points transfer is complete, when Avios are about to expire, or other useful information.