American Express Membership Rewards factors and Chase Ultimate Rewards factors are two of probably the most extremely sought-after transferable currencies amongst journey fans. These factors can unlock unimaginable redemptions in aspirational places just like the Maldives and Bora Bora. Each applications provide a variety of travel rewards credit cards and redemption choices, together with transferring factors to airline and resort companions or reserving journey by means of the respective financial institution’s portal.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to notice that not all factors maintain the identical worth. Whereas each Amex Membership Rewards factors and Chase Final Rewards factors are valued at approximately 2 cents per point, according to TPG, your best option relies on your spending habits and journey targets. Now, let’s delve right into a comparability between these two applications to see how they measure up.
Switch companions with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final Rewards
American Specific Membership Rewards
Amex companions with 18 different airline programs and three hotel chains. This is the present checklist of Amex airline companions:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Aeromexico Membership Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- All Nippon Airways Mileage Membership
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Government Membership
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Delta Air Traces SkyMiles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Airways Visitor
- Hawaiian Airways HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Membership
- Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
And these are the Amex resort switch companions:
- Alternative Privileges
- Hilton Honors
- Marriott Bonvoy
You may guide flights or accommodations by means of Amex Travel, however transferring factors to a associate after which redeeming them (extra on that somewhat later) sometimes ends in the perfect redemption worth.
Associated: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value
Chase Final Rewards
With Chase Final Rewards, you’ll be able to transfer points to 11 airline applications:
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- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Government Membership
- Emirates Skywards
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airways Fast Rewards
- United Airways MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
Chase additionally companions with three resort applications:
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
All switch ratios are 1:1, and you will need to switch in 1,000-point increments.
To determine which program is healthier for you, you may need to contemplate the switch companions you may use most to your journey objectives.
Keep in mind that it is attainable to make use of one airline’s miles to guide award flights on one other in the event that they’re companions or a part of the identical alliance. For instance, although United Airways is not an Amex Membership Rewards switch associate, you’ll be able to guide United award flights by transferring Amex factors to Air Canada or Singapore Airlines (as they’re Star Alliance companions).
Associated: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value
Incomes factors with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final Rewards
American Specific Membership Rewards
Incomes Amex factors has turn into extra accessible due to revamped card choices such because the American Express® Business Gold Card and American Express® Gold Card, each providing beneficiant welcome gives. Regardless of a once-per-lifetime policy for welcome offers, the big selection of playing cards that earn Membership Rewards factors makes it comparatively simple to build up a considerable factors stability.
Listed below are a few of the playing cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards factors:
The knowledge for the Amex Inexperienced has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
A few of these playing cards include nice welcome gives. For instance, The Platinum Card from American Express gives 80,000 Membership Rewards factors after you spend $8,000 on purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. In accordance with TPG’s monthly valuations, Amex Membership Rewards factors are value 2 cents every, making this 80,000-point bonus value $1,600. That’s greater than double the cardboard’s $695 annual price (see rates and fees).
Associated: Which is the best American Express credit card for you?
One other solution to earn Amex factors is thru focused Amex Offers. You may see all of the Amex Affords you could have accessible on a given card for those who scroll down in your on-line account web page or by tapping the “Affords” tab within the Amex app.
These gives come from numerous retailers, together with journey suppliers, eating places, clothes and jewellery shops, and extra. Usually talking, Amex Affords are available one in every of three varieties:
- Spend $X, get Y variety of bonus factors
- Spend $X, get $Y again
- Get extra factors per greenback spent at choose retailers
Whereas some gives gives you money again for assembly a particular spending requirement, many provide factors.
In case you maintain a number of Amex playing cards, it is necessary to verify all of them to make sure you’re maximizing the accessible gives. Moreover, reviewing the phrases of every Amex Give you add to your playing cards is essential, as some might exclude present card purchases.
Amex Affords will be mixed with online shopping portals and bonus classes. Think about using a buying portal aggregator to find out which portal gives the very best return for a particular buy. This manner, you’ll be able to benefit from your buy.
Associated: How to earn bonus cash back or Amex points on your online shopping purchases with Rakuten
Chase Final Rewards
Chase gives three playing cards that earn transferable Final Rewards factors, all of which have substantial welcome bonuses:
There are additionally 4 playing cards supplied by Chase that, on their very own, do not can help you switch factors to journey companions. Nevertheless, in case you have one of many playing cards talked about above, you’ll be able to transfer points to that account after which transfer them to airline and resort companions.
The knowledge for the Chase Freedom has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Keep in mind that the Chase 5/24 rule might restrict your capacity to get authorised for these playing cards. In case you’re new to points and miles, your finest guess is to use for the Chase playing cards you need first.
Bonus factors classes with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final Rewards
American Specific Membership Rewards
We advocate maximizing everyday spending on a number of Amex playing cards by benefiting from bonus classes. For instance, the Amex Gold earns 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide. Compared, the Amex Platinum earns 5 factors per greenback on airfare booked straight with the airline or by way of Amex Journey (on as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar 12 months) and 5 factors per greenback on pay as you go accommodations booked by means of American Specific Journey.
Associated: Best credit cards
Chase Final Rewards
Chase gives a variety of playing cards that present ample alternatives to earn factors by means of bonus classes. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Preferred gives 5 factors per greenback on journey booked by means of the Chase Final Rewards portal, 3 factors per greenback on eating and choose streaming providers, 3 factors per greenback on on-line grocery purchases (excluding Goal and Walmart), 2 factors per greenback on different journey, and 1 level per greenback on all different bills.
The Ink Business Preferred extends the bonus classes with 3 factors per greenback on journey, transport, web, cable, cellphone providers and promoting purchases made with social media and search engines like google and yahoo (on as much as $150,000 in mixed purchases per account anniversary 12 months, then 1 level per greenback), and 1 level per greenback on all the pieces else.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you may earn 3 factors per greenback on all journey (excluding the $300 journey credit score) and eating worldwide, and 1 level per greenback on different bills. This contains bonus classes like ride-hailing providers and meals supply. Furthermore, Sapphire Reserve cardholders will robotically earn 10 whole factors per greenback on Lyft rides when utilizing their card, legitimate till March 2025.
Bear in mind to evaluate your spending habits to find out which program fits you finest. The Chase Sapphire Reserve or Most popular is perhaps extra appropriate for those who spend considerably on common journey. However, for those who steadily spend on airfare or eating, it is exhausting to beat the Amex Platinum’s 5 factors per greenback or the Gold card’s 4 factors per greenback on eating at eating places.
Associated: 6 little-known Chase Sapphire Reserve perks
Redemption choices with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final rewards
As simple as it’s to earn transferable factors, you do not need to maintain them simply sitting in your account — you need to burn them. Identical to the methods to earn factors, all redemption choices aren’t created equal.
American Specific Membership Rewards
With Amex, you could have some ways to attain your dream redemption. A few of these are extra priceless than others.
As an illustration, you may use Virgin Atlantic’s award chart for All Nippon Airways to fly ANA’s The Room business class for 145,000 factors round-trip from the West Coast (or 170,000 from the East Coast).
You too can use Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors to fly Hawaiian Airlines between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Enterprise-class awards price 40,000 factors one-way between Hawaii and the West Coast or 65,000 factors between Hawaii and the East Coast.
You too can use the Amex Travel portal to discover a most well-liked room after which pay with factors — valued at 0.7 cents every — or money. You may guide numerous accommodations, together with these in Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts program. You won’t usually earn hotel points or elite credits for third-party bookings.
Associated: Here are 9 of our favorite ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points
Chase Final Rewards
With Chase, you’ll be able to guide journey by means of the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal and redeem factors to pay to your airplane tickets, resort stays, rental vehicles or experiences. In case you’re a holder of the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Ink Business Preferred, every level is value 1.25 cents. When you’ve got the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your factors are value 1.5 cents apiece towards redemptions by means of the portal.
Whereas you need to use your Chase factors by means of the Final Rewards portal (and there are some situations the place it will make sense), you may often get higher worth by transferring to a journey associate. Certainly one of our favourite methods to redeem Chase factors is to switch them to World of Hyatt and redeem them at low-category or high-end properties.
As with Amex, some switch companions are extra priceless than others. For instance, we do not often advocate transferring Chase factors to accommodations (besides Hyatt), as you may sometimes get extra worth transferring your factors to airline companions. And you may often get extra bang to your factors while you redeem them for high-value first- and business-class worldwide award flights.
Associated: Sweet spots: The best ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Backside line
Selecting between these two applications relies on your preferences, however there is no motive why you’ll be able to’t accumulate each varieties of factors.
With a valuation of round 2 cents every for each Chase and Amex factors, you’ll be able to’t go improper with both transferable forex. Chase Final Rewards is a superb selection for those who’re aiming for exceptional redemptions like Hyatt stays within the Maldives or Star Alliance business-class tickets to Europe or Asia. Moreover, the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card’s 100,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $8,000 within the first three months of account opening makes it simple to build up a considerable quantity of factors rapidly.
Amex Membership Rewards is a stable possibility for reasonably priced award redemptions utilizing Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. Whereas Virgin Atlantic is a switch associate of Chase, Amex usually gives focused transfer bonuses that may provide help to safe discounted premium-cabin awards to Japan.
Sustaining versatile and various factors and miles balances gives you probably the most choices when redeeming your rewards no matter your most well-liked forex.
