Loyalty Register glossary
Points transfer
Moving points out of one account, either to another member of the same program or into a different program's currency.
A loyalty points transfer moves points out of one account, either to another member of the same program or into a different program’s currency. Marriott Bonvoy allows both: members can transfer up to 100,000 points a year to another Marriott Bonvoy member, and can convert points into airline miles at a designated ratio. Bank card programs are the best-known case of the second type, which is why most searches for “points transfer” are about moving credit card points to airlines and hotels.
Updated · By Loyalty Register Editorial TeamRelated terms
What types of points transfer are there?
Member-to-member transfers stay inside the same program. The points keep their value but change owner. Program-to-program transfers convert points into a partner’s currency at a set ratio, such as hotel points into airline miles, or card points into a hotel program’s points. Once converted, the partner’s rules usually take over: Marriott’s terms say that once miles are ordered the points cannot be re-credited, and the airline program’s terms govern the miles. Related features include points gifting, where a member gives points to someone else, and pooling, where a household combines balances without changing ownership.
Can you transfer points to another person?
It depends on the program’s terms. Marriott Bonvoy allows it within limits: both accounts must be in good standing and open for at least 30 days with qualifying activity, transfers are capped at two a month and six a year, and the minimum is 1,000 points. Starbucks Rewards does not: its terms say Stars and rewards are personal and may not be transferred or shared with family or friends. Card programs set their own rules on whose partner accounts can receive points, so check the issuer’s terms before you promise anything.
Why do programs offer transfers?
Member-to-member transfers let families and friends reach rewards together. Transfers to partners widen what points can buy without the program holding inventory, and they are central to bank card programs whose points are valued for their flexibility. For the issuing program, a conversion settles the liability for those points at the price agreed with the partner.
What are the costs and risks?
The issuing program pays the partner for each point converted, so the transfer ratio and the partner’s price determine the cost. Transfers are also a channel for fraud and resale, because once value leaves the account it is hard to recover. Annual and per-transaction limits, account age rules and identity checks are standard controls. Member-to-member transfers also reduce breakage, because points that might have lapsed get used.
What should members be told?
The ratio, any minimum or increment, any fee, how long the transfer takes, and whether it can be reversed. Chase, for example, says its points transfer in 1,000-point increments, should post within several business days, and that all transfers are final. Say clearly that after a transfer to a partner, the receiving program’s expiry rules, award prices and availability apply. A transfer that disappoints because the member did not know the partner’s rules damages both programs.