What Is a Transfer Partner? (And Why It's the Key to Free Travel)
The single most important concept in credit card points — explained so clearly that you'll wonder why nobody told you this years ago.
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Category: Educational (Points 101)
Cluster: Cluster 1 — Beginner's Guide
Internal Links: Pillar 1 (Beginner's Guide), Pillar 3 (Business Class on Points), Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide, Amex Membership Rewards Guide, Capital One Miles Guide, Hotel Loyalty Programs blog, Travel Score Quiz
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Meta Title: What Is a Transfer Partner? (And Why It's the Key to Free Travel) | WanderWise
Meta Description: Transfer partners are the secret to getting 2–5x more value from your credit card points. Here's how they work, explained in plain English for travelers 55+.
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If you've been reading about credit card points for any length of time — on our site or anywhere else — you've probably encountered two words that make your eyes narrow with suspicion:
Transfer partners.
It sounds technical. It sounds complicated. It sounds like something designed for people who spend their weekends building spreadsheets about airline award charts.
It's not.
A transfer partner is actually a remarkably simple concept. And understanding it — even at a basic level — is the single biggest thing you can do to get more travel out of the points you already have. We're talking about the difference between a $500 flight and a $5,000 flight. Same points. Same account. Just a different door to walk through.
So let's open that door.
The Simplest Explanation We Can Give
Here's the concept in one paragraph:
Your credit card points (Chase, Amex, or Capital One) can be converted into airline miles or hotel points at partner companies. Often, those converted miles can book travel that would cost far more than what you'd get using your points directly through the credit card company's own travel site.
That's it. That's the whole idea.
Now let's make it concrete with an analogy that actually sticks.
The Gift Card Analogy
Imagine you have a $100 bill. You can spend it at any store — it's worth $100 everywhere. Straightforward.
Now imagine someone offers you a deal: trade that $100 bill for a gift card to a specific store, and at that particular store, the gift card is worth $300.
Would you do it? Of course you would — as long as you want to buy something at that store.
Transfer partners work exactly the same way:
- Your credit card points are the $100 bill. They have a base value — usually about 1–1.5 cents per point when used through your card's travel portal.
- The airline or hotel program is the store. When you transfer your points into their loyalty currency, those points can suddenly be worth 2, 3, even 5+ cents each — because the airline values their award seats differently than the open market does.
The key insight: A business class seat from New York to Paris costs $4,500 in cash. Through the Chase travel portal, it might cost 300,000 points (at 1.5¢ each with a Sapphire Reserve). But transfer those points to Air France's loyalty program? The same seat costs 55,000 miles. That's the same points, used five times more efficiently.
That gap — between portal value and transfer value — is why transfer partners matter. It's where points stop being "pretty good" and become genuinely transformative.
How It Actually Works (Step by Step)
Let's walk through a real transfer, using Chase Ultimate Rewards as the example. The process is nearly identical for Amex and Capital One.
Step 1: Log Into Your Credit Card Account
Go to chase.com and sign in. Navigate to your Ultimate Rewards dashboard. You'll see your points balance — let's say it's 80,000 points.
Step 2: Click "Transfer Points"
In the Ultimate Rewards section, there's an option to transfer points to travel partners. Click it, and you'll see a list of airlines and hotels — these are Chase's transfer partners.
Step 3: Choose a Partner
Let's say you want to fly to London. You click "British Airways" from the list.
Step 4: Enter the Number of Points to Transfer
You type in 60,000 (that's what a round-trip business class ticket to London costs through British Airways' Avios program). You confirm.
Step 5: The Points Move
Within a few minutes (sometimes instantly), 60,000 Chase points disappear from your Chase account and 60,000 Avios appear in your British Airways frequent flyer account. The conversion is 1:1 — one Chase point becomes one Avios.
Step 6: Book Your Flight
Now you log into BritishAirways.com, search for your London flight, and book it using your 60,000 Avios.
Total time: About 15 minutes.
Difficulty level: If you can shop online, you can do this.
Value gained: That business class seat would have cost 200,000+ points through the Chase portal, or $4,500 in cash. You just got it for 60,000 points.
Which Transfer Partners Should You Actually Care About?
Every points program has a dozen or more transfer partners. That's overwhelming — and honestly, most of them aren't relevant to most travelers. So here are the ones that matter for the kinds of trips WanderWise readers actually take:
Chase Ultimate Rewards — The Big Five
| Partner | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | Airline | Flights to Europe, Asia, and domestic routes. Can book partner airlines like Lufthansa. |
| Hyatt (World of Hyatt) | Hotel | Luxury hotel stays at extraordinary value — consistently the best hotel transfer. |
| British Airways (Avios) | Airline | Short-haul flights (Caribbean, domestic) and transatlantic premium cabins. |
| Southwest Airlines | Airline | Domestic flights and visiting grandkids. No blackout dates. |
| Air Canada (Aeroplan) | Airline | Business class to Europe on Star Alliance carriers. Very flexible routing. |
If you only learn one transfer partner, make it Hyatt. A night at a luxury Hyatt property might cost $400–$800 in cash but only 15,000–25,000 points through World of Hyatt. Since Chase points transfer 1:1, your points are suddenly worth 2.5–5¢ each instead of the standard 1.25¢. That's three to four times the value.
Amex Membership Rewards — The Big Five
| Partner | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | Airline | Extensive US route network. Flash sales can be excellent value. |
| British Airways (Avios) | Airline | Same short-haul sweet spots as with Chase. |
| Air France/KLM (Flying Blue) | Airline | Business class to Europe, especially France and Netherlands. Monthly promo awards. |
| ANA (All Nippon Airways) | Airline | Premium cabin flights to Asia at remarkable prices. |
| Hilton Honors | Hotel | Transfer at 1:2 ratio (1 Amex point = 2 Hilton points). Good for Hilton loyalists. |
Capital One Miles — The Best Three
| Partner | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Airlines (Miles&Smiles) | Airline | Business class to Europe at some of the lowest point costs available anywhere. |
| British Airways (Avios) | Airline | Caribbean and domestic short-haul flights. |
| Air Canada (Aeroplan) | Airline | Star Alliance business class to Europe. Flexible and powerful. |
For a complete guide to Capital One's program, including when to use transfers vs. the Purchase Eraser, see our Capital One Miles guide.
When Should You Transfer (and When Shouldn't You)?
Transfer partners aren't always the right move. Here's a simple framework:
✅ Transfer When:
- You're booking premium cabins (business or first class). This is where the value gap is enormous — often 3–5x better than using the portal.
- You're booking a Hyatt hotel. The value is almost always better through World of Hyatt than through the Chase portal.
- You've found a specific sweet spot. British Airways for short Caribbean flights. ANA for Japan in business class. Turkish Airlines for cheap business class to Europe.
- You've already searched and confirmed availability. Always check that the award flight or hotel night is available before you transfer points. Transfers are usually one-way — once points become airline miles, they can't come back.
❌ Don't Transfer When:
- You're booking a cheap domestic flight. A $150 flight through the portal costs 10,000–12,000 points. Transferring to an airline for the same route often costs the same or more. Not worth the extra steps.
- You're booking a non-Hyatt hotel. Most hotel transfer ratios (except Hyatt) are mediocre. The portal is usually better.
- You're not sure of your travel dates. Portal bookings can often be cancelled and refunded. Award bookings through airlines sometimes have change fees or limited flexibility.
- The math doesn't work out. Always do the quick comparison: what does this cost through the portal vs. through a transfer? If the portal is close to the same value, save yourself the effort.
The One Rule That Matters Most
Never transfer points until you've confirmed the award flight or hotel is available.
This deserves its own section because it's the most important thing we can tell you about transfer partners.
Here's why: when you transfer points from Chase to United, or from Amex to Delta, or from Capital One to Turkish Airlines — that transfer is permanent. Those points become airline miles. If it turns out the flight you wanted isn't available on points, you're stuck with airline miles you may not want.
The safe process:
- Search the airline or hotel's website first
- Confirm the award booking you want is available
- Then transfer the points
- Book immediately
This takes an extra five minutes but eliminates the only real risk in the transfer process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a transfer take?
Most transfers are instant or take a few minutes. Chase to United, for example, is typically instant. Some partnerships take up to 24–48 hours. We recommend transferring at least a day before you need to book, just in case.
Can I transfer points back if I change my mind?
In almost all cases, no. Transfers are one-way. This is why we stress confirming availability first. Think of it like exchanging currency — once your dollars become euros, you can't easily reverse it.
Do I need a frequent flyer account with the airline?
Yes — but these are free and take two minutes to create. Before your first transfer, go to the airline's website (United.com, BritishAirways.com, etc.) and sign up for their loyalty program. You'll get a membership number, which you'll enter when initiating the transfer from your credit card account.
What if I have points in multiple programs?
That's actually great. Having Chase points and Amex points (or Capital One) gives you access to different transfer partners, which means more options when searching for award availability. Many WanderWise readers use the two-card strategy to earn in multiple programs.
Is this really free? What's the catch?
No catch. Transfer partners are a feature of flexible points programs — they want you to transfer because it builds engagement with the overall credit card ecosystem. You're not gaming the system. You're using it exactly as designed. The only "cost" is the points themselves.
Should beginners use transfer partners?
Not necessarily right away. If you're just getting started with points, use the travel portal for your first few bookings. It's simpler and builds confidence. When you have a bigger trip on the horizon — business class to Europe, an all-inclusive in the Caribbean, a luxury hotel stay — that's when transfer partners become worth the small extra effort.
The Bottom Line
Transfer partners are not a secret. They're not a trick. They're not "hacking" anything.
They're simply a feature of your credit card points program that lets you get more value — sometimes dramatically more — from the points you've already earned. Like finding out your local grocery store has a back aisle with better prices. The front aisle (the travel portal) is perfectly fine. But if you walk a few steps further, the same money buys more.
You don't need to memorize transfer charts. You don't need to become an expert. You just need to know that this option exists, and that when the right trip comes along — the big trip, the dream trip, the "we've been waiting for this" trip — transfer partners are how you make it happen for a fraction of what you'd expect.
That's not complicated. That's just smart.
Not sure how many points you have or what they're worth? Take our free 60-second Travel Score Quiz — we'll show you exactly what's possible with what you've already earned.
Want the full picture on how credit card points work? Our Complete Beginner's Guide is the starting point that's helped thousands of WanderWise readers go from overwhelmed to empowered.