Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to use a transfer partner directory
Transfer Partner Master Directory is a reference list of the airline and hotel loyalty programmes that a transferable-currency programme lets you move points into, read column by column for the partner, the conversion ratio, the smallest amount you can move and the transfer time given for the move. At American Express in the United States, eligible customers can transfer Membership Rewards® points to participating frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programmes, and every such transfer is final and cannot be reversed. [7]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Points move only to a participating frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programme, and only after the rewards account has been linked to that partner account. [7]
- American Express states that all points transfers are final and cannot be reversed, so availability and the number of points needed are confirmed before the transfer is completed. [7]
- The name on the card and the name on the partner account must be the same, and a partner account held by an Additional Card Member can be linked only if that card was issued at least 90 days earlier. [7]
- Once transferred, the points are subject to the partner loyalty programme's terms and conditions, not the issuer's. [7]
What does a transfer partner directory show?
A directory entry is built around four questions: which partner programme is involved, at what ratio the points convert, what the smallest number of points you can move is, and how long the transfer is said to take. Answering them for one named pair of programmes is more useful than answering them in the abstract, because the same working habits apply to every entry you read.
The procedural side sits with the issuer. American Express describes the destinations for a United States Membership Rewards transfer as participating frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programs, and treats the link between the rewards account and the partner account as the precondition for any transfer. [7]
Read the minimum and the ratio together with the award you intend to book. Because nothing about the transfer can be undone afterwards, the check on availability and on the points required comes first and the transfer comes second. [7]
How do you link an account and move points?
American Express sets out the order of operations for its United States Membership Rewards programme. [7]
- Confirm eligibility. The transfer route is described for eligible Membership Rewards customers. [7]
- Link the accounts. The rewards account must be linked to a participating partner frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programme account before points can be transferred. [7]
- Match the names. The name on the card and the name on the partner account must be the same for the accounts to be linked and the transfer to succeed. [7]
- Decide whose partner account it is. It must be held by you or by an Additional Card Member linked to your rewards account, and the Additional Card must have been issued at least 90 days before you link that member's partner account. [7]
- Price the award first. Availability and the number of points needed are checked before the transfer is completed, since the transfer is final. [7]
- Confirm arrival. After the transfer, check the partner account to confirm the points have arrived. [7]
- Redeem with the partner. The booking is then made directly with the airline or hotel using those partner points. [7]
What happens after the points reach the partner?
Transferred points are subject to the terms and conditions of the partner's loyalty programme. [7] That division explains how to read a directory: the partner, ratio, minimum and transfer time describe the move itself, while everything about using the points belongs to the airline or hotel programme you moved them into. [7]
There is no reversal step. American Express states that all points transfers are final and cannot be reversed, which is why the award is priced before the points leave the rewards account rather than after. [7]
Exceptions and limits
- Eligibility. The instructions address eligible Membership Rewards customers in the United States; they are not written as a route for every cardholder of every issuer. [7]
- Additional Card Members. A partner account held by an Additional Card Member can be linked only if that Additional Card was issued at least 90 days before the link is made. [7]
- Name mismatch. If the name on the card and the name on the partner account differ, the accounts cannot be linked and the transfer will not succeed. [7]
- No cancellation. All transfers are final and cannot be reversed, whatever happens to the booking that prompted them. [7]
- Partner rules take over. Once the points sit in the partner account, that programme's terms and conditions apply to them. [7]
- Scope. This page covers the United States American Express Membership Rewards programme only.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reverse a Membership Rewards transfer?
No. American Express states that all points transfers are final and cannot be reversed. [7]
Whose airline or hotel account can receive my points?
One held by you or by an Additional Card Member linked to your rewards account, provided that Additional Card was issued at least 90 days before you link the account. [7]
Do the names on the two accounts have to match?
Yes. The name on the card and the name on the partner account must be the same for the accounts to be linked and for the transfer to go through. [7]
What should I check before starting a transfer?
Availability and how many points the award needs, because the transfer cannot be reversed once it is made. [7]
Which rules apply once the points arrive?
The partner loyalty programme's terms and conditions; the points are then redeemed directly with the airline or hotel. [7]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Only the United States American Express Membership Rewards programme is covered here; Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and other transferable-currency programmes are not covered on this page.
- American Express Help Center: How do I transfer Membership Rewards points?, checked 18 October 2026