One of the most powerful features of Chase Ultimate Rewards is the ability to transfer points to airline and hotel partners — often unlocking 2-5x more value than booking through the Chase portal. But if you’ve never done a transfer before, the process can feel intimidating.
Don’t worry. I’ve transferred millions of Chase points over the years, and I’m going to walk you through exactly how to do it, step by step. If you’re still building your points stash, start with our beginner’s guide to points and miles.
What You Need to Transfer Chase Points
Before you can transfer points to partners, you need:
- A premium Chase card — Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred, or Ink Business Premier
- An account with the partner program — You must create a free frequent flyer or hotel loyalty account before transferring
- Matching name — The name on your Chase account must match the partner loyalty account exactly
Important: If you only have Chase Freedom, Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, or Freedom Rise, you can’t transfer directly. You’d need to first move those points to a Sapphire or Ink Preferred account (if you have one in the same household).
All Chase Transfer Partners (March 2026)
Chase currently offers 14 transfer partners — 11 airlines and 3 hotels:
Airline Partners
| Partner | Transfer Ratio | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | Instant |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways Avios | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 12-24 hours |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia Plus | 1:1 | Instant |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | Instant |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | Instant |
Hotel Partners
| Partner | Transfer Ratio | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt | 1:1 | Instant |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 | Instant |
Most transfers happen instantly, but Singapore and Marriott can take 1-2 days, so plan ahead.
Step-by-Step: How to Transfer Chase Points
Here’s exactly how to do it:
Step 1: Create Your Partner Account First
Before you transfer a single point, create a free account with your target program. Go to the airline or hotel’s website and sign up.
Critical: Your name must match exactly. If your Chase account says “Robert Smith” but you sign up as “Bob Smith,” the transfer may fail or get stuck in limbo.
Write down your loyalty account number — you’ll need it.
Step 2: Log Into Chase Ultimate Rewards
Go to ultimaterewards.chase.com or use the Chase mobile app.
Click on the card you want to transfer points from (if you have multiple Chase cards).
Step 3: Navigate to “Transfer to Travel Partners”
On the main Ultimate Rewards dashboard, look for “Transfer to Travel Partners” or “Transfer Points” in the menu.
Click it, and you’ll see a grid of all available transfer partners.
Step 4: Select Your Partner and Enter Amount
Click on the partner you want to transfer to (for example, Hyatt or United).
Enter:
- Your loyalty program number (frequent flyer number or hotel member ID)
- The number of points you want to transfer
Minimum transfer is typically 1,000 points.
Step 5: Confirm the Transfer
Review the details carefully:
- Correct partner program
- Correct account number
- Correct point amount
Then click “Confirm and Submit” (or similar).
Step 6: Wait for Points to Arrive
Most transfers are instant — check your airline/hotel account within a few minutes.
For Singapore KrisFlyer and Marriott Bonvoy, expect 12-48 hours. Don’t panic if they don’t show up immediately.
Pro tip: Take a screenshot of the confirmation page for your records.
Best Practices for Chase Transfers
After doing hundreds of transfers, here’s what I’ve learned:
Only Transfer When You Have a Specific Redemption in Mind
This is the golden rule. Never transfer points speculatively.
Why? Once points leave Chase, they’re locked in that program forever. You can’t move them back or to a different partner.
The workflow should be:
- Find the award flight or hotel you want to book
- Verify availability on the airline/hotel website
- Check that you have (or will have) enough miles
- THEN transfer the points
- Book immediately
Transfer Just Enough — Plus a Small Buffer
If your flight costs 60,000 miles, transfer 65,000 just in case taxes/fees require miles, or availability changes and you need to book a slightly different option.
Don’t transfer your entire Chase balance “just in case.”
Check for Transfer Bonuses First
Chase regularly offers 20-40% bonus points when transferring to select partners. These promotions can appear:
- On your Ultimate Rewards dashboard
- In Chase emails
- Through targeted offers
Right now (March 2026), Chase is offering 20% bonus when transferring to British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus through March 31. That means 10,000 Chase points becomes 12,000 Avios.
Always check the current offers before transferring!
Account Names Must Match Exactly
I cannot stress this enough. If your Chase account says “JAMES WILSON” and your United account says “Jim Wilson,” the transfer can get rejected or, worse, disappear into the void.
Fix any name discrepancies before you transfer.
You Cannot Transfer to Someone Else’s Account
Chase only allows transfers to loyalty accounts in YOUR name (matching your Chase account). You can’t transfer to your spouse’s account or your parents’ frequent flyer number.
Workaround: You can book award travel for anyone using your miles — you just can’t give them the miles directly.
When to Transfer vs. Book Through Chase
This is the million-point question. Here’s my framework:
Transfer to Partners When:
- You want premium cabin flights — Transfer to partners for business/first class awards worth 3-10+ cents per point
- You’re booking Hyatt hotels — Hyatt transfers almost always beat portal bookings
- There’s a transfer bonus — 20-40% extra points tips the math significantly
- You found a sweet spot redemption — Partner award charts have outsized value at certain price points
Book Through Chase Portal When:
- You have CSR and the flight is reasonably priced — 1.5 cents per point on any flight is solid
- No partner covers the route — Not every airline is a Chase partner
- You need flexibility — Portal bookings can be cancelled; award tickets often can’t
- Cash prices are cheap — If the cash price is low, portal redemption might beat complicated partner bookings
- Points Boost shows enhanced value — Edit hotels and some flights offer 2cpp+ in the portal
For the full breakdown on when to use the portal vs. transfer, see our Chase Travel Portal Complete Guide.
Best Transfer Sweet Spots (2026)
Here’s where your Chase points go furthest:
World of Hyatt (1:1)
- Category 1-4 hotels for 5,000-15,000 points/night
- Park Hyatt Tokyo for 30,000 points (worth $800+)
- Hyatt all-inclusives at 20,000-35,000 points/night
United MileagePlus (1:1)
- Star Alliance partner awards (ANA, EVA, Lufthansa)
- Excursionist Perk for free stopovers
- 88,000 points roundtrip to Europe in business class
- For oneworld partner options, see our American Airlines award sweet spots
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1)
- ANA First Class for just 55,000 miles one-way (normally 120K+ through other programs!)
- Delta flights for less than Delta charges
- No fuel surcharges on partner awards
British Airways/Iberia Avios (1:1)
- Short-haul flights starting at 6,000 Avios
- American Airlines flights (partner airline)
- Off-peak Iberia business class to Spain 34,000 Avios
Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1)
- Promo Rewards sales (30-50% off)
- SkyTeam partner access
- Good Europe-Africa routing
Common Transfer Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake #1: Transferring Without Checking Availability Always verify the award seat exists BEFORE transferring. I’ve seen people transfer 200,000 points only to find zero availability.
Mistake #2: Forgetting Name Matching Get your names aligned across all accounts. Middle names, suffixes (Jr., III), and abbreviations all matter.
Mistake #3: Transferring During System Outages If the partner program is having technical issues, wait. Points stuck in limbo for days is stressful.
Mistake #4: Missing Transfer Bonuses Check for active bonuses before every transfer. That 20% can save you tens of thousands of points.
Mistake #5: Transferring Too Many Points Transfer what you need, not your entire balance. Flexibility has value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer Chase points back after sending them?
No. Once points transfer to a partner, they’re permanent. You cannot reverse the transfer or move them to a different partner.
How do I combine points from multiple Chase cards?
Log into Ultimate Rewards, go to “Combine Points,” and move points between your own Chase cards. This is free and instant.
Can I transfer points to my spouse’s airline account?
No. Chase requires the loyalty account to match the Chase cardholder’s name exactly. You can book travel FOR your spouse using your miles, but you can’t deposit miles into their account.
Is there a limit to how many points I can transfer?
There’s no official cap, but large transfers (500,000+) may trigger a verification call from Chase. Not a problem, just a security check.
Why haven’t my points arrived yet?
Most transfers are instant. Singapore takes 12-24 hours. Marriott takes 1-2 days. If it’s been longer than 48 hours, contact both Chase and the partner program.
Do transferred points ever expire?
That depends on the partner program, not Chase. United miles don’t expire with any activity. British Airways Avios expire after 36 months of no activity. Check each program’s policies.
Bottom Line
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points is one of the most valuable skills in the points world. It takes your 100,000 points from being worth $1,000-1,500 (via portal) to potentially $3,000-10,000+ in premium travel.
The key principles:
- Create partner accounts with matching names first
- Only transfer when you have a specific booking in mind
- Check for transfer bonuses before every transfer
- Transfer just enough — don’t drain your account
- Book immediately after points land
Master this process, and you’ll unlock the true power of Chase Ultimate Rewards. For more strategies, check out our complete Chase Ultimate Rewards guide.
Have questions about transferring points? Trying to figure out which partner is best for your specific trip? Drop a comment below — I read them all.
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