A Practical Guide to Credit Card Points Transfers

Transferring your credit card points to airline rewards programs is one of the best ways to turn your rewards points into free flights, often giving you significantly more value than cash back. This article breaks down how transfers work, the best ways to transfer points, and key details to help you Get a Free Flight.

What Are Credit Card Points Transfers?

Credit card points transfers let you move rewards points from your credit card to airline loyalty programs. For example, transferring 60,000 points from your Chase Sapphire account to Virgin Atlantic's loyalty program might get you a flight worth $1800, compared to $600 in cash back. This is a simple way for to maximize the value of your points, especially for travel. The only catch is that it requires knowing which credit cards transfer to which airline loyalty programs and which of those airlines is best for the flight you want. To make it easier, we made this tool you can use to work out which card is best for a given flight.

How Do Transfers Work?

First, you need to create a free loyalty account with the airline you'd like to transfer to. Let's say you want to use your points with Virgin Atlantic. Sign up for an account and make note of your membership number.

Then, to actually transfer points, log into your credit card account, find the "Transfer Points" section, pick "Virgin Atlantic Flying Club", and enter the amount—usually in 1,000-point chunks. You'll also be asked to enter your membership number. Most transfers happen at a 1:1 ratio, so 1,000 credit card points become 1,000 airline miles. Timing varies: Chase transfers are instant, but some airlines can take up to 2 days. (For detailed instructions for each card, see the credit card company links below)

Here are two practical tips to maximize value:

• Wait for Transfer Bonuses: Some programs offer extra points during promotions. For instance, Capital One gave a 40% bonus to Etihad Guest through March 31, 2025—so every 1,000 Capital One points became 1,400 Etihad Guest points. These promotions are pretty frequent so you'll want to check what's available before making any transfers. We keep an up-to-date list of the current transfer bonuses.
• Pick the Right Partner: Match your transfer to your travel plans. While our tool makes it easy to find the right card for your flight, you might be curious to see a full list of transfer partners for each credit card company:
  • American Express
  • Chase
  • Citi
  • Capital One

Do My Points Expire?

The short answer: probably not

Points usually don’t expire if you keep your account active by earning or redeeming them, though different programs have different definitions of "active". Chase Ultimate Rewards and Capital One Miles stay valid as long as your account is open. But some programs, like American Airlines AAdvantage, expire after 24 months of no activity. To find the details on a particular program, check our Guide to Points Expiry

Key Takeaways

• Transfers turn points into free flights, often worth way more than cash back.
• Most are instant and 1:1, but some take up to 2 days.
• Transfer bonuses can significantly boost value of your points—watch for them.
• Points generally don't expire but you'll need to check the program in question to be sure.

Disclaimer: Always use credit responsibly. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.