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The most valuable use of U.S. credit card points is usually not cash back, but transferring them to airline miles or hotel points and then redeeming for business class, first class, and premium hotels. That said, transfer partners vary a lot by bank. Even when two points currencies can transfer to the same airline, the ratios may differ. For example, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is usually 1:1 when transferred from Citi, Capital One, Bilt, and Wells Fargo, while AMEX Membership Rewards is only 5:4. This article summarizes the transfer partners and base ratios for the six major credit card points programs:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards, abbreviated UR;
- American Express Membership Rewards, abbreviated MR;
- Citi ThankYou Points, abbreviated TYP;
- Capital One Miles;
- Bilt Points;
- Wells Fargo Rewards.
The tables in this article list only long-term standard ratios and do not include limited-time transfer bonuses. Banks may add or remove partners or adjust ratios at any time, so be sure to log in to your own account and confirm again before actually transferring. Bottom line
- Widest airline-partner coverage: AMEX Membership Rewards;
- Strongest partner lineup: Bilt, with exclusive or hard-to-find partners including Alaska, JAL, United, and Hyatt;
- Easiest for American Airlines redemptions: Citi, which can transfer directly to American Airlines at 1:1;
- Easiest for Delta redemptions: AMEX, which can transfer directly to Delta SkyMiles;
- Easiest for Alaska redemptions: Bilt, which can transfer directly to Alaska Atmos Rewards;
- Best for United and Southwest: Chase or Bilt;
- Best overall for hotel transfers: Bilt, followed by Chase;
- No-annual-fee transfer setup: Wells Fargo Autograph is the simplest;
- Fast everyday earning: Capital One 2x cards and the Wells Fargo Active Cash + Autograph combination are both very practical.
Quick comparison of the six points systems
| Points program | Most notable partners | Main strengths | Main drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | United, Southwest, Hyatt | Useful partners, simple transfers, good for U.S. domestic travel and Hyatt hotels | Not a huge partner list; some cards transfer to Hyatt at 4:3 |
| AMEX Membership Rewards | ANA, Delta, Aeroplan | The most airline partners, great for international business and first class | Some partners have been devalued; transfers to U.S. airlines may incur taxes and fees |
| Citi ThankYou Points | American Airlines, EVA, Turkish | Can transfer directly to AA; strong Asia and Middle East partners | You need an eligible premium card to access the full partner list and transfer ratios |
| Capital One Miles | JAL, Finnair, TAP | Many airline partners transfer at 1:1, and points are easy to earn through everyday spending | Some partners such as JAL and EVA are not 1:1; hotel partners are average |
| Bilt Points | Alaska, JAL, United, Hyatt | Many exclusive partners, and most transfers are 1:1 | Points are earned relatively slowly, and the minimum transfer threshold for standard members is fairly high |
| Wells Fargo Rewards | Choice, Wyndham | Hotels can be transferred at up to 1:2, with transfers in 1-point increments | Fewer airline partners, and there are currently no transfers to the Big Three U.S. airlines |
Airline miles transfer partner master list
The ratios in the table below are shown as “credit card points : airline miles.” For example, 5:4 means that transferring 1,000 credit card points gets you 800 airline miles. The Citi column is based on accounts with full transfer features, such as Citi Strata Premier, Citi Strata Elite, or the older Citi Prestige. No-annual-fee Citi cards may have fewer partners and lower ratios.
| Airline program | Chase UR | AMEX MR | Citi TYP | Capital One | Bilt | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 | 1:1 | — | — | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Aeromexico Rewards | — | 1:1.6 | — | 1:1 | — | — |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1:1 | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | — |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | — | — | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | — | — | 1:1 | — | — | — |
| ANA Mileage Club | — | 1:1 | — | — | — | — |
| Avianca LifeMiles | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| British Airways Club | 1:1 | 1:1 | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | — | 5:4 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Delta SkyMiles | — | 1:1 | — | — | — | — |
| Emirates Skywards | — | 5:4 | 5:4 | 4:3 | 1:1 | — |
| Etihad Guest | — | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | — |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | — | — | 1:1 | 4:3 | — | — |
| Finnair Plus | — | — | — | 1:1 | — | — |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Iberia Club | 1:1 | 1:1 | — | — | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank | — | — | — | 4:3 | 1:1 | — |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | 5:4 | 1:1 | 5:3 | — | 1:1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | — | — |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | — |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | — | — |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | — | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| Spirit Airlines Free Spirit | — | — | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | — | — | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | — |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | — | — | 1:1 | — | — | — |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | — | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | — |
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | — | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club／Virgin Red | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
Hotel points transfer partner master list
Hotel transfer ratios and value are generally a bit lower, so we usually transfer less often. The only especially valuable options are Hyatt and Leading Hotel; the rest are mainly for topping off balances.
| Hotel program | Chase UR | AMEX MR | Citi TYP | Capital One | Bilt | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL – Accor Live Limitless | — | — | 2:1 | 2:1 | 3:2 | — |
| Choice Privileges | — | 1:1 | 1:1.5 | 1:1 | — | 1:2 |
| Hilton Honors | — | 1:2 | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| IHG One Rewards | 1:1 | — | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| I Prefer Hotel Rewards | — | — | 1:2 | 1:2 | 1:2 | — |
| Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club | — | 4:1 | 5:1 | — | — | — |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1:1 | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| World of Hyatt | 1:1／4:3* | — | — | — | 1:1 | — |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | — | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:2 |
* The transfer ratio from Chase to Hyatt depends on which card you hold. New Chase Sapphire Preferred applications submitted after June 15, 2026 already use 4:3; earlier Sapphire Preferred accounts, as well as Ink Business Preferred, Ink Plus, and some business cards, will switch to 4:3 starting October 1, 2026. Chase's official list for this change does not include Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Reserve Business, so those two cards can still transfer to Hyatt at 1:1 for now. Before transferring, always use the ratio shown on your account page.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase does not have the largest partner list, but it is very practical. United, Southwest, and Hyatt are all programs US users commonly use, and most partners transfer at a standard 1:1 rate. Chase usually requires a minimum transfer of 1,000 points each time, and transfers cannot be reversed once completed.
Current major airline partners include:
- Air Canada Aeroplan;
- Aer Lingus AerClub;
- British Airways Club;
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue;
- Iberia Club;
- JetBlue TrueBlue;
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer;
- Southwest Rapid Rewards;
- United MileagePlus;
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Hotel partners include Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Wyndham. Wyndham was added in 2026, while Emirates Skywards is no longer on the current official partner list. Chase's biggest value has always been Hyatt, but the 2026 rate changes weakened the long-term value of Sapphire Preferred and Ink Preferred. If your main goal is to transfer UR to Hyatt, it is worth comparing again: Bilt to Hyatt: 1:1; Chase Sapphire Reserve: currently 1:1; some Sapphire Preferred and Ink Preferred accounts: 4:3.
Relevant core cards include
American Express Membership Rewards
Amex MR has the richest set of international airline partners among the six points currencies, making it especially useful for award redemptions.
These include:
- ANA business class;
- Air Canada Aeroplan Star Alliance awards;
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue European routes;
- Avianca LifeMiles Star Alliance awards;
- British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Avios;
- Delta SkyMiles domestic U.S. and promotional awards.
Amex's unique advantage is that it can transfer directly to ANA and Delta at 1:1. However, a few partners are no longer 1:1:
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 5:4;
- Emirates Skywards: 5:4;
- JetBlue TrueBlue: 5:4.
When transferring to U.S. airline programs, Amex typically also charges a Federal Excise Tax Offset Fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99 per transfer. Commonly affected partners include Delta and JetBlue. Amex's transfer partnership with Etihad Guest ended on June 30, 2026, so this article no longer lists Etihad as an MR transfer partner. On the hotel side, Hilton at 1:2 looks like the best rate, but because Hilton points are relatively low in value, large transfers are usually not recommended unless there is a transfer bonus or you only need a small top-up.
Relevant core cards include
Citi ThankYou Points
Citi's transfer ecosystem became much more useful after adding American Airlines AAdvantage in 2025. Citi is now the only bank points currency among the six that can transfer directly to AA. Recently, Citi ended the ability for members to transfer ThankYou Points to one another, but eligible accounts under the same cardholder can usually still combine points.
Good uses for Citi TYP include:
- Transfer to AA to book partner flights such as JAL, Qatar, and Cathay;
- Transfer to EVA Air to book EVA Air flights;
- Transfer to Turkish Airlines for Turkish Airlines and Star Alliance awards;
- Transfer to Cathay Asia Miles for Cathay and oneworld awards;
- Transfer to Qatar Airways for Qsuite;
- Transfer to Choice, Wyndham, or I Prefer for hotel stays.
Note that the full rates in the table usually require holding Citi Strata Premier, Citi Strata Elite, or the old Prestige. If you only hold no-annual-fee cards such as Citi Double Cash or Custom Cash, some partners may not be transferable, or the rate may be lower. Citi's more distinctive hotel partners currently include:
- Choice Privileges: 1:1.5;
- I Prefer Hotel Rewards: 1:2;
- Wyndham Rewards: 1:1;
- Accor ALL: 2:1;
- Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club: 5:1.
Relevant core cards include
Capital One Miles
Capital One's biggest advantage is how easy it is to earn points in everyday spending. Cards like Venture, Venture X, and Spark Miles typically earn 2x Miles on regular purchases without needing to optimize spending categories.
Most of Capital One's airline partners are currently 1:1, including:
- Air Canada Aeroplan;
- Avianca LifeMiles;
- British Airways Club;
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles;
- Etihad Guest;
- Flying Blue;
- Qantas Frequent Flyer;
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club;
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer;
- TAP Miles&Go;
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles;
- Virgin Red.
However, the following are not 1:1:
- Emirates Skywards: 4:3;
- EVA Air: 4:3;
- Japan Airlines JAL: 4:3;
- JetBlue TrueBlue: 5:3.
Being able to transfer directly to JAL is an important advantage of Capital One, but 1,000 Capital One Miles only gets you 750 JAL miles. By comparison, Bilt transfers to JAL at 1:1, so if you have both point currencies, you should use Bilt first. There are not many hotel partners. Choice and Wyndham are 1:1, Accor is 2:1, and I Prefer is 1:2. In general, only I Prefer or specific high-value Accor redemptions are worth prioritizing.
Relevant core cards include
Bilt Points
Bilt may not earn points the fastest, but its partner lineup may be the strongest of any program right now.
The most distinctive partners include:
- Alaska Atmos Rewards: 1:1;
- Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank: 1:1;
- United MileagePlus: 1:1;
- Southwest Rapid Rewards: 1:1;
- World of Hyatt: 1:1;
- Emirates Skywards: 1:1.
Among them, Alaska can currently only be transferred to directly from Bilt; JAL can also be transferred from Capital One, but Bilt's 1:1 ratio is better; after Hyatt on some Chase credit cards was devalued to 4:3, Bilt's 1:1 ratio is even more valuable. Bilt's hotel partners are also fairly extensive, including Hyatt, Hilton, IHG, Marriott, Wyndham, Accor, and I Prefer. Keep in mind:
- Accor transfers at 3:2, not 1:1;
- I Prefer transfers at 1:2;
- Standard Blue members usually need to transfer at least 2,000 points;
- Members with higher Bilt Status can usually start transfers at 1,000 points.
Relevant key cards include
Wells Fargo Rewards
Wells Fargo has the fewest partners. However, Wells Fargo allows transfers in 1-point increments, so you do not need to round up to 1,000 points each time like most banks. This is especially useful when you are only short a few dozen or a few hundred miles. As long as you have a Wells Fargo Autograph or Autograph Journey account that supports point transfers, you can usually combine cash rewards earned from cards like Active Cash and then transfer them as travel points to airline and hotel partners.
There are two clear advantages:
- Choice Privileges 1:2;
- Wyndham Rewards 1:2.
Both ratios are better than what other banks offer. For example:
- 10,000 Wells Fargo Points can be transferred into 20,000 Choice points;
- 10,000 Wells Fargo Points can be transferred into 20,000 Wyndham points.
The current airline partners mainly include:
- Aer Lingus AerClub;
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue;
- Avianca LifeMiles;
- British Airways Club;
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles;
- Iberia Club;
- JetBlue TrueBlue;
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club／Virgin Red.
Relevant key cards include
What should you watch out for before transferring points?
Don't focus only on transfer bonuses
A 20% or 30% transfer bonus does not automatically mean it is worth taking. You need to compare:
- how many miles the award ticket actually costs;
- taxes and fuel surcharges;
- change and cancellation rules;
- whether another airline program requires fewer miles;
- whether the miles are easy to let expire after transfer.
Compare award pricing across different partners
For the same partner flight, you may be able to book with miles from several airlines. For example, JAL business class can be booked through:
- JAL Mileage Bank;
- American Airlines AAdvantage;
- Alaska Atmos Rewards;
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles;
- British Airways Avios.
Mileage pricing, fuel surcharges, booking windows, and change/cancellation fees can all differ. Before transferring points, you should first decide which program you will actually use to book the ticket, rather than only looking at which bank points can transfer in.
Keep one credit card that supports transfers
At some banks, you can transfer points to airline and hotel partners only if you hold a specific annual-fee card. For example:
- Chase usually requires a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Preferred, or another eligible premium card;
- To get the full partner list and best transfer ratios at Citi, you usually need Strata Premier, Strata Elite, or the old Prestige;
- Wells Fargo usually requires Autograph or Autograph Journey.
Before closing or downgrading a credit card, make sure the remaining points can still be transferred.
Other things to keep in mind
- Once bank points are transferred to an airline or hotel program, they usually cannot be reversed. Award seats can also be booked by someone else at any time, so it is best to search for the exact flight and actual price first, then transfer immediately.
- The names on the bank account and the airline or hotel loyalty account usually need to match. A name mismatch may cause the transfer to fail, trigger manual review, or lead to an account freeze.
- Many partners can post instantly, but some programs may take several hours or even several days. Peak periods, first-time transfers, or large transfers may also trigger additional review.
Which points should you focus on earning?
If you do not have a clearly defined travel goal, you can choose based on the following approach:
- If you fly American Airlines often: prioritize Citi TYP;
- If you fly United often or stay at Hyatt: prioritize Chase UR or Bilt;
- If you want to book international business class: prioritize AMEX MR, Capital One, and Bilt;
- If you want to book JAL or Alaska Airlines: prioritize Bilt;
- If you want an easy 2x return on everyday spending: consider Capital One Venture X／Venture, or Wells Fargo Active Cash＋Autograph;
- If you mainly stay at Choice and Wyndham: prioritize Wells Fargo Rewards.
For most users, the best strategy is not to accumulate just one type of points, but to keep two or three complementary flexible points currencies. For example:
- Chase＋AMEX: covers United, Hyatt, ANA, and many international airline partners;
- Citi＋Bilt: covers AA, Alaska, JAL, United, and Hyatt;
- Capital One＋Bilt: easy to earn through everyday spending, while adding rare partners like JAL and Alaska;
- Wells Fargo＋AMEX: use Wells Fargo for Choice/Wyndham, and AMEX for international flights.