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American Express Membership Rewards® points are generally worth 1 cent apiece when redeemed for flights directly through AmEx. But you can often find better value by transferring points to travel partners.
Based on NerdWallet's most recent analysis, points are worth 1.3 cents when transferred to AmEx's most valuable transfer partner.
For the best value, use your points for travel and avoid redeeming them for a statement credit, which gives you just 0.6 cent per point.
» Learn more: Best American Express credit cards
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The value when booking travel through the portal
The math is simple when you book through AmEx's travel portal — your Membership Rewards points are worth:
1 cent apiece when booking flights.
0.7 cent when booking most hotels (not a good deal).
1 cent apiece when booking a stay in AmEx's Fine Hotels & Resorts program (with an eligible card).
For example, a $210 flight will cost 21,000 points, while a stay at a $210 standard hotel would cost 30,000 points. There’s no way to “maximize” AmEx points when used in this way.
» Learn more: Comparing AmEx points vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards®
The biggest benefits to using the travel portal are convenience and simplicity. You don’t have to spend time researching partner transfers and award availability. You simply search for a flight or hotel and book your trip.
The big drawback is cost-effectiveness. You’re accepting a lower value for your points as a trade-off for this convenience. You'll also have the same limitations as other third party reservations, including change, cancellation and refund policies that are set by AmEx, not the hotel or airline.
The value when transferring AmEx points to partners
The AmEx Membership Rewards program has some excellent transfer partners that allow you to grab more value for your points.
Full list of AmEx transfer partners
Airlines
Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1 ratio).
AeroMexico Rewards (1:1.6 ratio).
Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio).
Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio).
ANA Mileage Club (1:1 ratio).
Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio).
British Airways Club (1:1 ratio).
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (5:4 ratio)
Delta SkyMiles (1:1 ratio).
Emirates Skywards (1:0.8 ratio).
Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio).
JetBlue TrueBlue (2.5:2 ratio).
Qantas Airways Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio).
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
Choice Hotels (1:1 ratio).
Hilton Hotels & Resorts (1:2 ratio).
The Leading Hotels of the World (4:1 ratio).
Marriott Hotels & Resorts (1:1 ratio).
For details on transfer ratios, see AmEx's website.
Based on the transfer partners we analyzed, Avianca Airlines is AmEx's most valuable partner with points worth 1.3 cents each. To arrive at the value, we compared cash and points prices for a main cabin economy seat across 40 flights booked 15, 60, 90 and 180 days before departure.
Avianca offers good value on Star Alliance partners like United Airlines, and you won't pay carrier-imposed surcharges when you book partner awards.
You can also can use a limited-time credit card transfer bonus to get even more value from a points transfer.
Here are the values of some of AmEx's most useful transfer partners.
Transfer partners | Estimated point value (October 2026) | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|---|
1.1 cents | 1:1 | |
1.0 cent | 1:1 | |
1.3 cents | 1:1 | |
1.2 cents | 1:1 | |
0.8 cent | 1:1 | |
1.2 cents | 1:1 | |
1.0 cent | 5:4 | |
0.4 cent | 1:2 | |
1.4 cents | 5:4 | |
0.7 cent | 1:1 | |
0.8 cent | 1:1 |
Always search for availability on your preferred travel dates and destinations before transferring points. Some programs offer excellent value but limited routes and award availability.
The easiest way to search for award availability is to check out one of our favorite award travel search tools.
AmEx points to dollars calculator
Use our AmEx points calculator below to convert AmEx points to dollars and determine the value of your stash of points, based on both the baseline and NerdWallet estimated values.
Cards that earn AmEx points
More than a dozen American Express cards earn Membership Rewards. Here are some of our favorites.
Popular AmEx cards
Annual fee
Earn rate on travel
• 5 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express, on up to $500,000 spent per year.
• 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked through American Express.
• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels made through American Express' travel portal.
• 4 points per $1 at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per year).
• 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in purchases per year).
• 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express' travel portal.
• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 5 points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at AmexTravel.com.
• 2 points per $1 in key business categories and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2,000,000 in purchases per year).
• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
Welcome offer
Other AmEx cards that earn Membership Rewards points include:
Terms apply.
» Learn more: The best travel credit cards
How did we determine our AmEx points value?
For our NerdWallet estimate of 1.3 cents per Membership Rewards point, we used the point valuation of AmEx's transfer partner with the highest value points: Avianca Airlines.
We searched for cash and award prices across 40 flights booked at 15 days, 60 days, 90 days and 180 days until departure.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page.
To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
