American Express Membership Rewards Points can be transferred to 20 travel partners. Depending on the partner you transfer your points to, this will generally give your AMEX Points more value than redeeming them at the fixed rate of 1 cent per point for airfare through American Express Travel.
AMEX transfer partners
Membership Rewards points can be transferred to 20 travel partners with most partners being at a 1:1 ratio meaning that every 1,000 points you transfer, you'll receive 1,000 airline miles or hotel points.
AMEX Excise Tax Offset fee
When transferring to a U.S. airline frequent flyer program, American Express will charge you $0.0006 cents per point transferred. This means that for every 10,000 points you transfer, you will be charged $6.
You can also pay the fee using Membership Rewards Points at a value of 0.5 cents per point (not recommended). You will be charged the Excise Tax Offset Fee for transferring points to the following U.S.-based airlines:
- Delta Airlines
- JetBlue Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
The maximum amount AMEX will charge you is $99 per transfer which comes from transferring 165,000 Membership Rewards Points. This is not a large fee, but something you should take note of.
AMEX Point transfer calculator
Use the conversion calculator to calculate the transfer of AMEX points to airline miles and hotel points with American Express travel partners.
How to earn AMEX points
AMEX credit cards
AMEX points can be earned through welcome bonuses and everyday spending across AMEX's Membership Rewards credit cards. They offer several of the best travel cards in the market that earns a solid return across popular categories such as restaurant, supermarket, and airfare.
Here are our top picks for earning Membership Rewards points:
| Credit Card | Intro Bonus | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|
Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Travel
|
Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $695 |
Best For Restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets
|
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. | $250 |
Best For Lounge Access & Luxury Business Travel
|
Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. | $695 |
Best For Business Rewards
|
Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. | $295 |
Best For Small Business & Miscellaneous Purchases
|
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. | $0 |
Earn points shopping online with Rakuten Rewards
You can earn up to 10X Membership Rewards Points or more shopping online through Rakuten Rewards.
Rakuten is an online cash back portal that pays you for starting your online shopping session through their website and making an online purchase. When you do this, Rakuten gets paid a commission from that retailer (a referral) and they share part of that commission with you, the user.
Rakuten allows you to opt in to earn Membership Rewards Points instead of cash back which is fantastic because you're able to earn points at a 1:1 ratio. This means if Rakuten is offering 10% cash back with a retailer, this would be equal to 10X Membership Rewards Points which is superb.
You can sign up for a free Rakuten Rewards account through us and receive 3,000 Membership Rewards Points (or $30 cash back) the first time you use their portal.
FAQ
Are American Express Points transferable?
Yes. American Express Membership Rewards Points can be transferred to over 15 partners which consists of airline and hotel rewards programs.
How do I transfer Amex Points?
American Express Points can be transferred through the Membership Rewards portal.
What hotels can you transfer AMEX Points to?
Membership Rewards Points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy (1:1), Hilton Honors (1:2), and Choice Privileges (1:1).
Which airlines accept AMEX Membership Rewards points?
Membership Rewards Points can be used to book travel through American Express Travel at a value of 1 cent per point. This means that you can use them towards a flight on any airline that you find in the portal.
