You get lots of travel flexibility with AMEX Membership Rewards points. Because if you don’t have set travel plans for a future trip, these transferable points give you the option to choose from multiple airline and hotel partners when the time comes.
Folks in the miles & points hobby know earning transferable points, like AMEX Membership Rewards points, are the best way to get Big Travel. This can mean a First Class adventure around-the-world, a family trip to Europe, or so many other options!
The AMEX Membership Rewards points program has 20 direct airline and hotel partners. Plus, you’ll get access to other indirect partners as well!
You Can Use Flexible AMEX Membership Rewards Points for Big Travel to Beautiful Destinations, Like Paris!
I’ll show you how quick and easy it is to link your loyalty accounts to AMEX and transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points!
The Ultimate Guide to American Express Membership Rewards Points:
- Part 1 – Transfer Partners
- Part 2 – How to Transfer Points
- Part 3 – Best Ways to Fly Within Continental US
- Part 4 – Best Ways to Fly to Hawaii
Link Airline & Hotel Loyalty Accounts
Before you transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to your loyalty accounts, you’ll need to link your airline or hotel account.
This only takes a few minutes. I recommend linking all of your airline and hotel loyalty accounts, even if you don’t have immediate plans to transfer points.
Because sometimes it can take a day or 2 to verify your accounts. So by linking your accounts sooner rather than later, you’ll be ready to transfer points when the time comes.
Here’s how you can link your accounts!
Step 1. Log-In to Your AMEX Account
First, log-in to your AMEX account. On the account summary page of any of your AMEX Membership Rewards cards, you’ll see your total points.
Underneath the points balance, click “Available Points“.
Log-In to Your AMEX Account and Click “Available Points” to Begin Linking Loyalty Accounts
Step 2. Link Airline or Hotel Loyalty Program
On the AMEX Membership Rewards summary page, you’ll see an option on the right hand side of the screen to link loyalty programs.
Click “Link Loyalty Programs” to Get Started
Step 3. Select Program to Link
Next, you can select from any of the 20 airline and hotel transfer partners. As an example, I selected Singapore Airlines.
Select an Airline or Hotel Loyalty Program You’d Like to Link to Your AMEX Membership Rewards Account
Step 4. Enter Loyalty Account Information
The next step is to verify your AMEX account by entering your credit card information. If you have multiple AMEX cards, you can just choose one and enter the required details.
At this step, you’ll also enter your airline or hotel loyalty number. This will let AMEX know where to transfer the points!
Verify Your AMEX Card Information and Enter Your Loyalty Account Number
Note: If you don’t have a frequent flyer number, there’s an option at the top of the screen to create a loyalty account with the airline or hotel.
Step 5. Confirm Account Is Linked
You’re ready to begin transferring points! You’ll see a confirmation indicating your airline or hotel account is now linked to your AMEX Membership Rewards account.
Success! You’ll See a Screen Confirming Your Account Is Now Linked
Transfer AMEX Membership Rewards Points
After your account is linked and verified, you can begin transferring points.
Here’s how to do it!
Step 1. Find Your Linked Account
On the AMEX Membership Rewards page, you can click “Link Loyalty Programs” to see all of your linked accounts.
To View Your Linked Accounts, Click “Link Loyalty Programs”
Step 2. Select Airline or Hotel to Transfer Points
Earlier, I linked my Singapore Airlines account. So that’s what shows in the list of linked loyalty programs. To transfer points, you can click at the bottom of the linked loyalty account.
Click “Transfer Points” Underneath the Desired Airline or Hotel Program
Step 3. Enter Number of Points
The next step is to enter the number of points you’d like to transfer to the airline or hotel partner.
As an example, I entered 1,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points, which will transfer to 1,000 Singapore Airlines miles.
Similar to before, you’ll also have to enter your credit card information to verify it’s you.
Keep in mind, after you click “Confirm & Transfer Points”, your points will be debited from your AMEX Membership Rewards balance. You will NOT be able to get them back to your AMEX Membership Rewards account.
Enter the Number of Points You’d Like to Transfer and Verify Your Account
Remember, if you’re transferring points to a US airline, you’ll have to pay an excise fee.
Step 4. Confirm Your Transfer
You’ll get a confirmation message that your points are being transferred to the airline or hotel partner.
Your Points Are on Their Way to Your Airline or Hotel Loyalty Account!
Remember, the time it takes to transfer to each partner can vary. In this case, AMEX says I should see the points in my Singapore Airlines account within 3 to 7 business days.
Bottom Line
To transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to any of the 20 airline and hotel partners, you’ll first need to link your accounts.
I recommend linking all of your loyalty accounts to AMEX so you can save time when you decide to transfer points in the future.
After your accounts are linked, you can transfer points in 4 quick steps. Just remember, all transfers are final. So after your points are moved to an airline or hotel partner, you will NOT be able to get them back to your AMEX account.
