Can I Convert Chase Ultimate Rewards to Starwood Points?

Aug. 10, 2014

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3 min read

Can I Convert Chase Ultimate Rewards to Starwood Points?

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TPG reader Suzette sent me a message on Facebook asking:

"Hey - need your help, how can I convert my Chase Points to SPG Points?"

I always get questions from people wanting to convert one type of frequent flyer mile, hotel point, or credit card point into another. Generally you don't do that - once you accrue miles and points in a certain currency, it's usually pretty difficult to turn it into another currency.

Unfortunately for Suzette, you can't convert Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Starwood Preferred Guest points, at least not at a ratio that will make any sense whatsoever. Points.com will allow you to trade with other people or convert your points between currencies, but you're going to lose a majority of the value and you'll have to pay fees to do it, so it's not worthwhile.

Points.com will allow you to buy and transfer points to other people. — Points.com allows you to buy and trade points, but not at a good ratio.

If you need SPG points I would get the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express which comes with 25,000 StarPoints when you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months. Starwood Preferred Guest points are the most valuable points currency out there per my monthly valuations, and that's for good reason. SPG points are also really hard to get, but once you earn them, you can transfer to 32 different airlines or use them for hotel stays.

The main credit card programs American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest allow you to transfer out, but you can't transfer back in at any ratio that would make sense. In general, if you want to accrue points in a certain currency, you have to have a strategy in place and it can't just be last minute shuffling of your points or you'll lose a lot of value.

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook, or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
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