What’s a Credit Card Transfer Bonus?

If you’ve ever seen an offer like “Transfer your points and get 25% more Flying Blue miles,” you might have wondered what that actually means in the simplest of terms.

That’s a credit card transfer bonus.

Instead of receiving the normal number of airline miles or hotel points when you transfer rewards, a transfer bonus gives you a little something extra for making the same transfer.

Here’s how transfer bonuses work, when they can be useful, and how to keep track of current offers.

What Is a Credit Card Transfer Bonus?

A credit card transfer bonus is a limited-time promotion that increases the number of airline miles or hotel points you receive when transferring rewards from an eligible credit card program.

For example, imagine you transfer 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

Under normal circumstances, 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points become 10,000 Flying Blue miles.

During a 25% transfer bonus, those same 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points become 12,500 Flying Blue miles.

You’re transferring the same number of credit card points. The transfer bonus simply gives you more airline miles or hotel points once the transfer is complete.

Those extra miles or points may not sound like much at first, but they can reduce the number of credit card points needed for a trip. And those savings can add up over time.

Which Credit Card Programs Offer Transfer Bonuses?

Transfer bonuses are most commonly offered by flexible rewards programs (credit card rewards that can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs).

These often include:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards (typically on the first of the month as part of Rent Day promotions)
• Capital One Miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards

Each program runs promotions throughout the year, and the participating airline or hotel partners can vary from one offer to the next.

How to Find Current Transfer Bonuses

Transfer bonuses come and go throughout the year, and each bank runs promotions on its own schedule.

Understandably, keeping track of them across multiple rewards programs can quickly become a chore.

PointsYeah keeps an up-to-date list of current credit card transfer bonuses. This makes it easy to see which bank programs and airline or hotel partners are currently offering promotions.

Even better, when you’re searching for award flights with PointsYeah, eligible transfer bonuses are automatically factored into your search results. That means you can compare your options without having to calculate the bonus yourself.

Should You Transfer Points During a Bonus?

Not necessarily.

A transfer bonus can make an award booking more attractive, but it doesn’t automatically mean you should transfer your points.

Before you do anything with your credit card points, it’s worth considering a few things:

• Is the award flight or hotel actually available?
• Does transferring points cost less than paying cash?
• Are you ready to book?

These questions matter because point transfers can’t be reversed. Once your credit card points become airline miles or hotel points, you can’t transfer them back.

Put differently, a transfer bonus is best viewed as an opportunity and not a reason to book a trip. If you’ve already found the award you want, a bonus can help your points go a little further. If you haven’t, it’s usually better to keep your points where they are until you’re ready to book.