American Express Permanently Increases Transfer Ratio to Hilton Honors
To start off 2018, American Express and Hilton have increased the transfer ratio when converting your Amex Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors points. As TPG reader Nolan B. points out, the transfer ratio from Amex MR points to the Hilton Honors program has been increased to 1:2.
Effective immediately, you can transfer Membership Rewards points to the Honors program at a 1:2 ratio. The new transfer ratio is 33% better than its previous rate of 1:1.5. Now, for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer, you'll get 2,000 Honors points deposited in your account.
Hilton has confirmed that as of January 1, 2018, this change is permanent. There is a 1,000-point minimum required to transfer.
In recent months, we've seen plenty of transfer bonuses, encouraging members to transfer MR points to Hilton, the most recent being 34%. This elevated transfer ratio makes sense, given Hilton's decision to drop Citi to make Amex its exclusive credit card issuer. In the aftermath of that announcement, consumers have one less transfer option to the Honors program, as Citi ThankYou dropped the Honors program as a transfer partner in December 2017.
While this increased transfer ratio is a nice change for both programs, transferring Membership Rewards points to the Honors program probably still isn't the best way to get the most value out of your points. Based on TPG's most recent valuations, Hilton points are worth 0.6 cents apiece whereas Amex Membership Rewards points are worth more than triple that at 1.9 cents apiece. So, even with this 1:2 transfer ratio, you're still losing out on some value here. Say, for example, you transfer 10,000 Amex points (worth $190) — you would get 20,000 Hilton points, which are worth $120.
Of course, transferring Amex points to Hilton isn't always a bad decision. If you have a specific redemption in mind, this new transfer ratio could mean good news for you. But keep in mind it's never recommended to transfer points or buy points without a specific redemption in mind, as there's no way to reverse the transfer or sell points back after they're bought. Check out this post for how to maximize double-dipping with the Honors program, and this guide for everything you need to know about the program as a whole.
*Update 1/2/18 3:55pm: This story has been updated to reflect that the transfer ratio is permanent.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.