Credit card transfer bonuses (February): New Chase bonus to Virgin, American Express bonus to Avianca

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers; some offers may be expired.

If you truly want to maximize your points and miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer lucrative opportunities for fantastic award redemptions. You can sometimes get significantly more value from your rewards by transferring them to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of these bonuses.

However, these are limited-time offers — so act fast if you find one that suits your travel plans.

We’ve compiled transfer bonus updates for most major programs with transferable rewards to make tracking these offers easier. Just note that transfer bonuses are sometimes targeted, so some may not be available.

American Express Membership Rewards transfer bonus

There is currently a transfer bonus running for American Express Membership Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles members who transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to LifeMiles this month can get 15% additional LifeMiles.

Since this is offered by LifeMiles, you won’t be targeted in your American Express account; rather, you’ll find it when you log in to your LifeMiles account, as shown below.

Per the stated terms and conditions, members must transfer a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28 for an additional 15% LifeMiles, which should appear in your account within 72 hours.

How to earn American Express Membership Rewards points

If you’re looking to earn more of these valuable points, the following Amex cards could prove useful additions to your wallet:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership.

Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for an even higher welcome offer (subject to change at any time).

You can also earn extra Membership Rewards points when you enroll in Amex Offers and shop with Rakuten.

Based on TPG’s January 2025 valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, and our tests indicate that they transfer instantly to most of Amex’s transfer partners.

Related: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonus

Chase Ultimate Rewards recently unveiled a new transfer bonus for Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members to earn a 30% bonus when converting Chase points into Virgin points. So, for example, transferring 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points would yield 1,300 Virgin points through this promo.

U.S.-based Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members are eligible for this promo from Feb. 3-17. Virgin points can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, cruises and experiences through Virgin Red and Flying Club.

How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

If you want to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the following Chase cards could make good additions to your wallet:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

If you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points in a single account. Then, you can effectively convert the cash-back earnings on the following cards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points:

• Chase Freedom Flex®: Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy in the first year (on up to $20,000 spent), worth up to $300 cash back.
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn up to $750 bonus cash back — $350 after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn $750 bonus cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG’s January 2025 valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each when maximized with travel partners. Most Ultimate Rewards transfers will process instantly.

Related: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value

Capital One transfer bonus

Unfortunately, Capital One is not offering any transfer bonuses at the moment.

How to earn Capital One miles

If you’re looking to earn more transferable miles, the following Capital One cards are solid options to consider:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

TPG’s January 2025 valuations peg Capital One miles at 1.85 cents apiece, and most transfers from Capital One will process instantly.

For more details, check out our guides to the Capital One transfer partners and how to transfer Capital One miles to airline and hotel partners.

Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer bonus

Citi ThankYou Rewards isn’t offering any transfer bonuses right now.

How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points

These Citi credit cards could make useful additions to your wallet for earning Citi ThankYou Rewards points:

• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases with your card within three months from account opening.
• Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 within three months from account opening. Plus, earn 5 bonus ThankYou Rewards points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions via the Citi travel portal through Dec. 31, 2025. (Note: You must pair this card with a premium Citi ThankYou card to access a full-fledged, transferable ThankYou points account.)

Marriott Bonvoy transfer bonus

Marriott Bonvoy is currently not offering any transfer bonuses.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

If you’re looking to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points, the following Marriott Bonvoy cards may be of interest:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Earn a $150 statement credit after making the first purchase in the first 12 months from account opening, and earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn three free night awards after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. Each free night award has a redemption level of up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at participating hotels. Resort fees and terms apply.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus one free night award after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The free night is valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.

According to TPG’s January 2025 valuations, Marriott Bonvoy points are worth 0.85 cents each. Before transferring points, review our tests of Marriott transfer times, since some airlines take a few days (or even weeks) to receive the points.

Related: Marriott Bonvoy program: How to redeem points for hotel stays, airfare and more

Should you transfer points?

We only recommend transferring points or miles if you have a short-term plan to use them. Many programs have implemented devaluations over the last few years, so speculative transfers could prove a losing proposition.

Transfers are irreversible — and you don’t want to be stuck with thousands of points or miles in a program you have little use for.

If you don’t have a specific redemption in mind but still want to earn points or miles, you’re likely better off earning rewards through card welcome bonuses and everyday spending.

And we always recommend you ensure award availability before transferring your rewards.

Bottom line

When a program with a transferable currency offers a transfer bonus, it’s important to run the numbers to determine whether it is worthwhile.

Generally, you won’t want to transfer your points or miles without a specific redemption in mind. After all, a large part of the value of transferable points and miles comes from their flexibility — which you’ll give up when you convert them to a partner’s currency. However, a transfer bonus can help you get more value from your points and miles if you use a partner program frequently or plan to redeem soon.

Related reading:

• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
• The best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations