American Express Membership Rewards points are a valuable transferable rewards currency that can be redeemed for flights and hotel stays through the American Express Travel portal, gift cards and at online merchants like Amazon and Dell.
When redeeming your Amex points this way, you will typically get 0.5 to 1 cent per point. However, TPG values Amex points at 2 cents per point, per our August 2026 valuations — and here’s why.
American Express Platinum Card®: Find out your offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $12,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
American Express offers an impressive roster of 16 airline partners and four hotel transfer partners. Therefore, by transferring your points to a partner loyalty program, you can often squeeze more value out of your hard-earned rewards.
So, whether you want to fly first class to Asia or book a family vacation to Spain, keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the value of American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners.
Who are the American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners?
You can transfer your Membership Rewards points to the following airline programs:
There are also four hotel transfer partner options:
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Related: Best hotel rewards programs in the world: Which one is right for you?
How to transfer Membership Rewards points to partners
You’ll need an open and valid Amex account to transfer points. You can then link each transfer partner to your Membership Rewards account and transfer Membership Rewards points in increments of 1,000 to any partner you wish, with a minimum of 1,000 points.
Most transfers process at a 1:1 ratio, but select partners like Aeromexico Rewards and Hilton Honors process at higher rates, while JetBlue TrueBlue, Emirates Skywards and Leaders Club process at lower rates.
American Express occasionally offers bonuses on transfers to select partners.
However, there are a few important restrictions to be aware of:
- Transfers to travel partners are not reversible, so make sure you are certain you have a use for the points before you transfer them.
- The first and last names must match across your Amex account and your loyalty program accounts.
- You can transfer points to your own loyalty account or to an authorized user’s account. However, authorized users must be on your account for at least 90 days to be eligible for transfers.
- You’re charged a federal excise tax offset fee when you move Membership Rewards points to U.S. frequent flyer programs — namely, Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue. You’ll pay 60 cents (or 120 points) for every 1,000 points you transfer, up to a maximum of $99 (or 19,800 points). However, you can potentially avoid this fee by using international partners to book flights on domestic carriers. For example, using Virgin Atlantic to book a Delta Air Lines flight.
Related: Credit card transfer partners: Guide to transferring points and miles to airlines and hotels
Is it worth transferring Membership Rewards points?
With so many different options, deciding where and when to transfer your Membership Rewards points can be difficult. The great thing about transferable points is that you can keep them in your Amex account until you’re ready to transfer them.
With the right redemption, your points will be worth significantly more than if you used them for other redemptions, like cash back or gift cards. At TPG, we believe transferring your rewards is almost always worth it, whether you’re booking a dream trip or a yearly family vacation.
You’ll get the best value when you transfer points to book high-end business-class or first-class flights, or expensive last-minute flights during peak travel seasons. Likewise, you can also get value when you transfer points to Hilton Honors to book hotel stays, since transfers process at a 1:2 ratio.
For some inspiration, here are five of our favorite transfer options:
- Book ANA first-class flights to Japan with Virgin Atlantic: You can book a one-way flight to Japan flying ANA from the West Coast for 52,500 points (business class) or 72,500 points (first class).
- Book Oneworld economy flights using British Airways Avios: Many routes from the East Coast to Dublin on Aer Lingus can be booked in economy class for just 26,000 Avios round-trip on off-peak dates by transferring your Membership Rewards points to British Airways Club.
- Fly round-trip to Madrid on Iberia: Iberia is still a solid sweet spot for business-class flights from the northeastern U.S. to Spain, costing just 40,050 Iberia Club Avios each way on off-peak dates when you book through Iberia Club.
- Fly Singapore Airlines business class on the world’s longest flights: You can book Singapore’s nonstop service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) for 117,000 KrisFlyer miles one-way in business class. These flights clock in at nearly 19 hours, making them the world’s two longest nonstop passenger routes. You’ll also sometimes even see business-class awards on shorter routes included in the carrier’s Spontaneous Escapes promotion.
- Transfer to Flying Blue for flights to Europe and North Africa: Flying Blue is Air France and KLM’s joint loyalty program. Flights to Europe start at 25,000 miles one-way in economy and 60,000 miles one-way in business class. Also, keep an eye out for the program’s monthly Promo Rewards, where select routes are discounted for last-minute travel.
- Fly to London with Virgin Atlantic: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club uses dynamic pricing for awards on its own flights, with transatlantic economy flights starting at just 6,000 points plus taxes and fees. Depending on when you book, you may be able to book premium economy or business-class flights at a steep discount, too.
Related: Best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points, from business-class flights to Europe to budget-friendly hotel stays
How to earn American Express Membership Rewards points
To earn Membership Rewards points, you need an eligible American Express card. Here are several popular Amex points-earning cards offering generous welcome bonuses:
American Express Platinum Card
Welcome offer: Find out your offer — new applicants for the Amex Platinum may be eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Annual fee: $895 (see rates and fees)
Earning rates:
- 5 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly with airlines or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel
- 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases
To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Platinum.
Apply here: American Express Platinum Card
American Express Gold Card
Welcome offer: New applicants for the American Express® Gold Card can find out their offer and see if they are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Annual fee: $325 (see rates and fees)
Earning rates:
- Earn 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™
- Earn 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- Earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- Earn 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline, amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
- Earn 2 points per dollar spent on car rentals booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
- Earn 2 points per dollar spent on cruises booked on amextravel.com
- Earn 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases
To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Gold.
Apply here: American Express Gold Card
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Welcome offer: New applicants for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can find out their offer and see if they are eligible for as high as 300,000 bonus points after spending $20,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Annual fee: $895 (see rates and fees)
Earning rates:
- 5 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com
- 2 points per dollar spent in U.S. construction materials and hardware suppliers, U.S. electronic goods retailers, U.S. software and cloud system providers, U.S. shipping providers and on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases
To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.
Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express
American Express Business Gold Card
Welcome offer: New applicants for the American Express® Business Gold Card can find out their offer and see if they are eligible for as high as 200,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases in the first three months of card membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer.
Annual fee: $375 (see rates and fees)
Earning rates:
- 4 points per dollar spent in the two eligible categories your business spends the most in each billing cycle, from six eligible categories (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™
- 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases
To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Business Gold.
Apply here: American Express Business Gold Card
American Express Classic Green Card
The American Express® Classic Green Card is no longer accepting new applications, but existing cardmembers can continue to use the card and its benefits.
Annual fee: $150
Earning rates:
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.), travel and transit
- 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases
To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Classic Green.
The information for the American Express Classic Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Best frequent flyer programs for US travelers
Bottom line
American Express Membership Rewards points are among the most valuable on the market. This is mainly due to Amex’s extensive selection of airline and hotel transfer partners.
There are plenty of valuable ways to use them; the flexibility to decide when, where and how many points to transfer at your convenience is one of the reasons why we rate this rewards currency so highly.
Related: This might be the best Amex card combo: Amex Gold and Amex Business Platinum
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold Card, click here.