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American Express Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards is the original premium transferable currency, and still one of the deepest. You earn it on Amex's charge and credit cards - heavy on the Platinum and Gold - and cash it out by moving points to 16 airline and 4 hotel partners, most at 1:1. The roster leans international and premium-cabin: ANA, Singapore, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, and Avianca are where the outsized value lives. As always, the points are worth the most when you have a specific award in your sights - transfers are one-way, instant for most partners, and final.
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
Show me the picks →
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
- ANA Mileage Club (1:1) - some of the best business and first-class pricing to Japan and beyond (round-trip pricing only, but exceptional rates).
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1) - book Delta One and ANA first class at sweet-spot rates; watch for frequent transfer bonuses.
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1) - fixed partner pricing plus a free stopover; strong for Star Alliance premium cabins to Europe and Asia.
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1) - no fuel surcharges on Star Alliance partners, often the cheapest way into Lufthansa and Swiss business.
- Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1) - the most reliable route to Singapore Suites and long-haul premium on its own metal.
Transfer out
20 places to send these points. Where the currency goes.
20 programs this transfers out to.
Meet the partners →
Transfer out
20 places to send these points. Where the currency goes.
20 programs this transfers out to.
American Express Membership Rewards transfers points or miles OUT to these programs.
| To | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios | |
| 1:1.6 | 1,000 MR = 1,600 AeroMexico Rewards points | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Aeroplan points | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 ANA Mileage Club miles | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 LifeMiles (1:1). Only transfer with a redemption in mind. | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios (The British Airways Club) | |
| 1:0.8 | 1,000 MR = 800 Asia Miles | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 SkyMiles | |
| 1:0.8 | 1,000 MR = 800 Skywards Miles | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Flying Blue miles (Air France-KLM) | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios | |
| 250:200 | 250 MR = 200 TrueBlue points (5:4 ratio) | |
| 1:1 | 500 MR = 500 Qantas Points | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios (Qatar Privilege Club) | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 KrisFlyer miles | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Virgin Points base. 30% transfer bonus through July 31, 2026: 1,000 MR = 1,300 Virgin Points. | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Choice Privileges points | |
| 1:2 | 1,000 MR = 2,000 Hilton Honors points (1:2). Hilton points are low-value, so this is a fair trade at best. | |
| 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (base 1:1). Only transfer with a redemption in mind. | |
| 1:0.25 | 1,000 Membership Rewards points = 250 Leaders Club points. US only. |
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
Get the playbook →
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners - the highest-value play (see sweet spots).
- Book travel through Amex Travel using Pay with Points.
- Statement credits, gift cards and shopping checkouts are all weaker options; use them only if you are not chasing travel.
- Avoid the default "use points at checkout" on Amazon and similar; it is among the worst values.
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
Spill the gotchas →
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
- Transfers are one-way and final - you cannot move points back to Amex.
- Most partners are instant; a few (notably ANA and some hotels) take up to a couple of days.
- Transfers to US airline programs (Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue) carry an excise tax offset fee of 0.06 cents per point, capped at USD 99 per transfer. Transfers to foreign airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, and to hotel partners have no fee.
- Hawaiian's program is winding into Alaska - confirm status before transferring.
- Points pool across your eligible Amex cards under one login, but cannot be moved to another person's account.
- Membership Rewards cardholders get complimentary access to point.me's award-flight search tool (point.me/amex) - it surfaces which transfer partners actually have award space, so you only move points when you have a confirmed redemption. Amex co-brand cards (Delta, Hilton, Marriott) earn those partners' points, not Membership Rewards, and don't qualify.
First non-travel transfer partner coming: Amex announced a partnership with Fanatics (May 2026) and plans to add Fanatics FanCash as a transfer partner, which would be the first non-travel Membership Rewards transfer partner in the program's history. It is not yet live for transfers, so treat it as forthcoming rather than bookable today.
Cards that earn into American Express Membership Rewards
Cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards directly, or that transfer into it from a flexible-currency program.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Amex cards earn Membership Rewards? The Platinum, Gold, and Green personal cards and the Business Platinum, Business Gold, and Blue Business Plus. The older EveryDay cards still earn them but are closed to new applicants, and co-brand cards (Delta, Hilton, Marriott) earn those partners' points instead.
- How many transfer partners does Amex Membership Rewards have? 20 in all: 16 airline programs, most transferring at 1 to 1, plus 4 hotel programs, including Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy.
- Does Amex transfer to Hilton, and at what ratio? Yes, at 1 to 2 (1,000 Membership Rewards points become 2,000 Hilton Honors points). Hilton points are worth roughly half of other hotel currencies, so it is a fair trade at best.
- Is there a fee to transfer Membership Rewards points? Usually no. The only charge is a small excise-tax fee, capped per transfer, when you move points to a U.S. airline partner (currently Delta and JetBlue). Transfers to other partners have no fee, and every transfer is one-way and final.
- Do Membership Rewards points expire? No, not while you hold at least one Membership Rewards card that is open and in good standing.
- Does Amex have a non-travel transfer partner? Not yet. Amex has announced Fanatics FanCash as its first non-travel transfer partner, but it is not live for transfers yet.
Alerts
Amex MR → Hilton Honors 30% Transfer Bonus, Ends Oct 14
Amex Membership Rewards is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Hilton Honors through October 14, 2026, turning the usual 1 to 2 rate into 1 to 2.6.
Delta Reserve Amex: Two Delta Comfort Flight Certificates Plus 50,000 Miles, a First for the Card
For the first time, new Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex Card Members can earn two round trip Delta Comfort Flight Certificates plus 50,000 bonus miles after $10,000 in purchases in the first six months, through November 4, 2026.
Amex Just Added 350+ Hotels to Fine Hotels + Resorts
Amex Platinum and Centurion cardholders have 350 more places to cash in their Fine Hotels + Resorts perks.
Your Amex Unlocks point.me Award Search for Free
Amex cardholders with Membership Rewards get free access to point.me's award-search tool, normally $129 a year, at amex.point.me.
Amex Folds Tock Into Resy: One Place to Trigger Your Dining Credit
Amex merged its Tock dining platform into Resy; from September 15, eligible Tock purchases count toward the Resy dining credit on cards like the Platinum and Gold.
Amex Transfer Bonus: 30% to Avios (BA, Iberia, Aer Lingus) Through Sept 27
American Express is running a 30% transfer bonus to Avios (British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus) through September 27, 2026, its first meaningful Amex-to-Avios bonus in about a year.
Amazon Will Take Your Amex Points (But Should It?)
Amex is running targeted offers to save on Amazon by redeeming Membership Rewards points (anywhere from 15% to 50%, minimum 1,429 points). Worth a quick check, but paying for Amazon with points is usually a weak use of them.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Loyalty programs change rules, fees, transfer ratios, and award pricing all the time — sometimes without warning. We do our best to keep these pages current, but the program's own site is always the final word. Always confirm specifics directly with American Express Membership Rewards before transferring miles or booking an award. Treat anything on this page as a starting point, not a guarantee. Crazy4Points is not responsible for actions taken based on information here — see our Terms of Service for full details.