Compare Amex, Chase, Citi, Capital One, Bilt and Wells Fargo transfers

How the six transfer programs differ#

The table highlights documented differences rather than assigning a universal winner. It is a selection of relevant features, not an exhaustive partner directory. The linked issuer pages and the transfer screen for your account provide the available partners and actual conversion terms.

Direct transfer, partner booking and travel portal are different paths#

A direct transfer converts bank rewards into the named program's currency. A partner booking then spends that currency to issue an award on an airline participating in that program. The bank does not have to transfer directly to the operating airline for that airline's flights to be bookable through a partner.

A travel-portal redemption uses the issuer's travel booking channel instead. Frequent Miler's transfer guidance notes that paying through a portal can sometimes use fewer points than an award transfer. Compare the actual itinerary and terms in both channels; a headline transfer ratio does not establish which booking costs less.

A shared airline alliance does not make mileage balances interchangeable. Confirm that the program receiving your transfer offers the particular flight as an award. The airline's cash listing or another program's search result does not reserve that flight in the receiving program.

Ratios, minimums and card eligibility can change the comparison#

Capital One explicitly lists several different conversion rates. Frequent Miler's Citi coverage distinguishes card-dependent conversion rates. Amex's U.S. directory also shows rates that differ by partner. These facts make a blanket assumption that every transfer is 1:1 unreliable.

Chase requires an eligible card and usually transfers in 1,000-point increments. Bilt publishes membership-tier minimums and partner conditions. Wells Fargo advertises the Autograph transfer feature in any amount, subject to its terms. A small shortfall can therefore require different amounts of source points across accounts.

Recent Chase coverage and issuer announcements also distinguish Hyatt rates by card. Verify the rate displayed for your account instead of carrying forward an old all-cards 1:1 table. These are transfer comparisons, not credit-card application recommendations.

Transfer timing and bonuses need separate checks#

Reported fast transfers are observations, not seat holds. Chase's own guidance allows processing to take up to seven business days. Amex instructs members to finish the booking with the partner after the estimated transfer time. Check the stated processing window for your specific transfer before relying on a time-sensitive award.

Transfer bonuses are temporary and can be restricted to particular accounts or partners. Check the offer's end date, registration requirements, crediting method and posting time in the issuer's account. This guide does not turn an expired article's promotion into an active offer.

Frequent Miler emphasizes preserving flexibility until an award is available and you are ready to book. Chase and Capital One explicitly state that finalized transfers cannot be reversed. Canceling an award and refunding miles to the airline account does not, by itself, reverse the original bank transfer.

Source dates and the limits of this comparison#

Recent editorial coverage helps identify changes and useful comparisons; current issuer terms verify the underlying transfer feature. The sources below preserve publishers' stated dates where available. Our review date records when this synthesis was checked, and does not imply every source was newly published that day.

The September Frequent Miler overview also discusses currencies outside these six. This page therefore covers AwardTool's six-program transfer scope and does not claim to list every transferable currency available in the United States. Where an issuer requires sign-in for account-specific terms, the public sources cannot confirm the rate or offer available to an individual reader.