Score up to 40% more miles with an Amex transfer bonus

If you have an American Express Platinum Card®, American Express Gold Card®, or American Express Green Card®, you’re probably trying to get more Membership Rewards points. Score up to 40% more miles

Because Amex only gives new cardholders one chance to earn an introductory bonus, it’s important to look for other ways to earn and maximise points if you want to get the most out of Membership Rewards. Score up to 40% more miles

Transfer bonuses, in particular, can help you get more out of your Membership Rewards points. American Express often has transfer bonuses on its website. If you transfer your points to the right airline or hotel partner at the right time, you could get up to 20% more value from your points.

Read on to find out how transfer bonuses work and how to get the most out of them. Score up to 40% more miles

What is a transfer bonus?

A transfer bonus is a limited time offer that awards you additional points or miles for transferring your points to an outside loyalty program. Most of the time, these bonuses are doled out as an additional percentage of rewards earned – for example, you might earn 15% to 40% more miles when you transfer rewards to a certain airline or hotel partner. Amex adds new transfer bonuses to its site pretty frequently, so it’s worth checking in on a regular basis to see what kinds of deals you can score. Score up to 40% more miles

Current Amex transfer bonuses

To show you what kinds of offers you can get, the list below includes all American Express transfer partners and the current transfer bonuses available as of the publish date: Score up to 40% more miles

Which Amex cards are eligible for a transfer bonus?

American Express offers a wide range of credit cards, some of which are co-branded with airlines and hotels. However, only certain American Express credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points are eligible to transfer points to airline and hotel partners: Score up to 40% more miles

How do you know when Amex is offering a transfer bonus?

The best way to find out if American Express is offering a transfer bonus is through your online account management page. Start by signing in to your American Express credit card account at AmericanExpress.com and clicking on the heading that says “Rewards.” Score up to 40% more miles

From there, you’ll see a variety of options for redeeming your points. You’ll want to click on “Transfer Points” to see all the transfer partners and transfer bonuses available to you.

After you click on “Transfer Points,” you’ll see the transfer bonuses that are currently available at the top of the page.

Keep in mind that transfer bonuses change frequently and may not be available if you take too long to take advantage of it.

How do you transfer Membership Rewards points?

Once you’ve followed the above steps to find the current list of point transfer options, all you have to do is click on “View All” to see every partner available to you.

To transfer points to airline and hotel partners, click on the partner you want to transfer to. From there, you’ll enter the information for the hotel program or frequent flyer number, including your loyalty program account number. You’ll also need to enter the security codes on your corresponding American Express credit card.

How to maximize an Amex transfer bonus

While all American Express Membership Rewards transfer bonuses can be lucrative, some bonuses are definitely better than others. Here are some steps you can take to get more value when you transfer points to airline and hotel partners: Score up to 40% more miles

• Keep an eye out for lucrative offers: Occasionally, American Express offers transfer bonuses of up to 40%. Keeping an eye out for the most generous bonuses can help you get more value out of the points you worked so hard to earn.
• Only transfer points to programs with a plan: Make sure you have a plan to use the points you plan to transfer over. Because American Express airline and hotel partner transfers are one-way and cannot be undone, your points may go to waste if you transfer to earn bonus miles but find you can’t actually use your newfound points.
• Double dip with special frequent flyer promotions: Keep an eye out for special promotions that can help you get the most out of miles within a new program. For example, Delta SkyMiles Deals and Flying Blue Promo Rewards let you book award flights at a considerable discount.
• Double-check the point value before you transfer: Don’t be fooled by a large number of points – make sure that the program you’re transferring to offers a good value on those points. For instance, you may get 300 more points by transferring them to Marriott Bonvoy, but since Marriott points are only worth around 0.8 cents apiece, you might be better off sending your points elsewhere.

is a financial expert and award-winning writer who is obsessed with frugality, budgeting and travel. In addition to serving as contributing editor for The Simple Dollar, Johnson owns Club Thrifty and is the co-author of “Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You’ll Love.” Score up to 40% more miles