Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to track transfer bonuses and verify their dates
Transfer bonus is the extra miles or points an issuer adds when you move credit card rewards to a named airline or hotel partner, and a transfer bonus calendar is the record of which partner, which window and which eligibility rules apply to each offer. Because a completed points transfer is final and cannot be reversed, the calendar is only worth keeping if the partner and the end date are confirmed with the issuer on the day you transfer. [6]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Every entry needs three facts: the issuer programme the points leave, the partner programme they arrive in, and the window in which the transfer must be completed. [6]
- Points can only move to a partner on the issuer's participating list, so the partner list and the end date both need rechecking before you transfer. [6]
- Transfers are final. Availability and the number of points required should be checked before you press the button, not after. [6]
- Once the miles land, the partner programme's terms take over, and those terms may carry their own expiry and extension deadlines. [6] [7] [8]
What makes a transfer bonus worth tracking?
A bonus rides on top of an ordinary points transfer, so the first question is whether the transfer itself is possible. American Express Membership Rewards in the United States lets eligible customers move points to participating frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programmes, and the Rewards Account has to be linked to the partner account before anything moves. [6]
That gives the two fixed columns of any tracking sheet: the issuer side, which decides which partners are open, and the partner side, which decides what the miles are worth once they arrive. The variable column is time. A promotion's window is set by the promotion, so the date printed on the issuer's own page is the one that governs — a figure copied into a spreadsheet weeks earlier is a reminder, not a rule.
How do you tell a public bonus from a targeted one?
A public bonus is announced to everyone eligible in the programme; a targeted bonus is offered to a particular account. The practical test is where you found it. An offer sitting on the issuer's public transfer page is one you can plan around. An offer that appears only inside your logged-in account, on a statement message or in mail addressed to you is an account-level offer until the issuer publishes it more widely.
Eligibility is checked against the account rather than against the advertisement. American Express requires the partner account receiving the points to be held by you or by an Additional Card Member linked to your Rewards Account, and an Additional Card must have been issued at least 90 days before the link is made. [6] A promotion advertised openly still will not apply if the receiving account fails those checks, which is why the eligibility column of the calendar matters as much as the date column. For how these offers are usually framed and marketed, see targeted transfer bonus offers.
How do you verify dates and partners before transferring?
- Check the partner is currently participating. Transfers go to participating frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programmes, so an old partner list is not evidence of anything. [6]
- Check the names match. The name on the card and the name on the partner account must be identical for the accounts to link and the transfer to succeed. [6]
- Check the receiving account holder. It must be you or an Additional Card Member linked to the Rewards Account, under the 90-day rule. [6]
- Check the award, not just the bonus. If the transfer is for a flight or a hotel room, confirm availability and the points needed before completing the transfer. [6]
- Re-read the end date on the day itself. All points transfers are final and cannot be reversed, so the last safe moment to notice a change is before the transfer is submitted. [6]
The same discipline covers value. Work out what the extra percentage is actually worth against the award you intend to book before the points leave, using transfer bonus effective value, and run the full sequence in the transfer bonus verification checklist.
How do you build the calendar?
One row per offer, and a date beside every claim. The fields below are enough to keep an entry honest.
| Field | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Offer and issuer | The programme the points leave, and the promotion's name as the issuer writes it |
| Partner programme | The airline or hotel scheme named in the offer |
| Where it was published | Public page, account message or email — so an account-level offer is not logged as public |
| Last confirmed | The date you last opened the issuer's page and saw the offer live |
| End date | The closing date as the issuer displays it |
| Eligibility notes | Name match, linked accounts and any Additional Card timing |
| Availability checked | The award you intend to book and the points it needs |
| Transfer date | The day the points moved |
| Arrival and expiry | When the miles landed, and the partner's own expiry or extension deadlines |
Put the arrival date on the calendar too
After the transfer, the miles are governed by the partner programme's terms and conditions rather than the issuer's. [6] Those terms can carry their own dated windows. Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles, for example, lets a member extend bonus miles that are about to expire provided the request is made within six months before the expiry date; the extended miles are then valid for twelve months from the first expiry date and carry no status value. [8] If the expiry date has already passed, the member has to use reinstatement instead, which is available within six months of expiry, with the restored miles valid for six months from the successful transaction. [7] Both are sold in packages of 500 miles at 125,000 Vietnamese dong per package in Vietnam excluding VAT, or USD 5 per package abroad, and Lotusmiles states that fees and terms may change. [7] [8]
Exceptions and limits
- No undo. Once points are transferred they cannot be reversed, and the bonus does not create a correction path if the award you wanted is gone. [6]
- Name mismatches block the link. The card name and the partner account name must be the same, so a nickname or a maiden name on one side is a problem to fix before the promotion ends. [6]
- The 90-day rule is a hard gate. An Additional Card issued late in a promotion may not qualify in time for the transfer. [6]
- Scope. The transfer mechanics described here are American Express Membership Rewards (United States) rules for its participating partners. [6] The expiry example is Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles. [7] [8] Other issuer programmes and other airline or hotel schemes set their own terms.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reverse a transfer if the bonus does not appear?
No. American Express states that all points transfers are final and cannot be reversed, which is why availability and the number of points needed should be confirmed before the transfer is completed. [6]
Does a transfer bonus apply to every airline and hotel partner?
No. Points move to participating frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programmes, so the relevant partner list is the one showing when you transfer. [6]
Whose name has to be on the partner account?
The name on your card and the name on the partner loyalty account must be the same for the accounts to be linked and the transfer to go through. [6]
Can points go to someone else's frequent flyer account?
Only if that person is an Additional Card Member linked to your Rewards Account, and the Additional Card must have been issued at least 90 days before the link is made. [6]
How do I confirm the miles arrived?
Check the frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programme account to confirm the transfer, then redeem those partner points directly with the airline or hotel. [6]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other card issuers' rewards programmes are not covered here, and neither are the transfer, purchase or extension rules of airline and hotel schemes beyond the Lotusmiles example cited below.
- American Express Membership Rewards: how do I transfer points?, checked 18 October 2026
- Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles: reinstating expired bonus miles, checked 18 October 2026
- Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles: extending bonus miles, checked 18 October 2026