American Express Membership Rewards factors and Chase Ultimate Rewards factors are two of essentially the most extremely sought-after transferable currencies amongst journey lovers. These factors can unlock unimaginable redemptions in aspirational places. Each applications supply a variety of travel rewards credit cards and redemption choices, together with transferring factors to airline and lodge companions or reserving journey via the respective card issuer’s journey portal.
Nevertheless, it is essential to notice that not all factors maintain the identical worth. In accordance with TPG’s November 2024 valuations, each Amex Membership Rewards factors and Chase Final Rewards factors are valued at roughly 2 cents per level. Your best option depends upon 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 Categorical Membership Rewards
Amex companions with a powerful 18 different airline programs and three hotel chains. Until indicated, factors switch at a 1:1 charge in 1,000-point increments. Here is the present listing of Amex airline companions:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Aeromexico Membership Premier (1:1.6)
- 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 (250:200)
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Membership
- Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
And these are the Amex lodge switch companions:
- Selection Privileges
- Hilton Honors (1:2)
- Marriott Bonvoy
You’ll be able to guide flights or resorts via Amex Travel, however transferring factors to a companion after which redeeming them (extra on that just a little later) usually ends in the perfect redemption worth.
Associated: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value
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Chase Final Rewards
With Chase Final Rewards, you possibly can transfer points to 11 airline applications:
- 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 Speedy Rewards
- United Airways MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
Chase additionally companions with three lodge applications:
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
All switch ratios are 1:1, and you should switch in 1,000-point increments.
To resolve which program is best for you, you may need to contemplate the switch companions you may use most on your journey objectives.
Do not forget 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, though United Airways is not an Amex Membership Rewards switch companion, you possibly can guide United award flights by transferring Amex factors to Air Canada or Singapore Airways, as they’re Star Alliance partners.
Associated: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value
Incomes factors with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final Rewards
American Categorical Membership Rewards
Regardless of a once-per-lifetime policy for welcome affords, the big selection of playing cards that earn Membership Rewards factors makes it comparatively straightforward to build up a considerable factors steadiness.
Listed below are a number of the playing cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards factors and include nice welcome affords:
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.
Associated: Which is the best American Express credit card for you?
One other approach to earn Amex factors is thru focused Amex Offers. You will see all of the Amex Gives out there on a given card in case you scroll down in your on-line account web page or by tapping the “Gives” tab within the Amex app.
These affords come from varied retailers, together with journey suppliers, eating places, clothes and jewellery shops. Typically talking, Amex Gives are available considered one of three varieties:
- Spend $X, get Y variety of bonus factors
- Spend $X, get $Y money again as an announcement credit score
- Get extra factors per greenback spent at choose retailers
Whereas some affords will provide you with money again for assembly a particular spending requirement, many supply factors.
In case you maintain a number of Amex playing cards, it is essential to verify all of them to make sure you’re maximizing the out there affords. Moreover, reviewing the phrases of every Amex Give you add to your playing cards is essential, as some could exclude present card purchases.
Amex Gives might be mixed with online shopping portals and bonus classes. Think about using a buying portal aggregator to find out which portal affords the best return for a particular buy. This fashion, you possibly can take advantage of your buy.
Associated: How to earn bonus cash back or Amex points on your online shopping purchases with Rakuten
Chase Final Rewards
Chase affords three playing cards that earn transferable Final Rewards factors, all of which have beneficiant welcome bonuses:
There are additionally 5 playing cards provided by Chase that, on their very own, do not mean you can switch factors to journey companions. Nevertheless, if in case you have one of many playing cards talked about above, you possibly can transfer points to that account after which transfer them to airline and lodge 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.
Do not forget that the Chase 5/24 rule could restrict your skill 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 Categorical Membership Rewards
We advocate maximizing everyday spending on a number of Amex playing cards by profiting from bonus classes. For instance, the Amex Gold earns 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide (on the primary $50,000 spent per calendar 12 months, then 1 level per greenback). Compared, the Amex Platinum earns 5 factors per greenback on airfare booked instantly with the airline or by way of American Categorical Journey (on as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar 12 months) and 5 factors per greenback on pay as you go resorts booked via American Categorical Journey.
Chase Final Rewards
Chase affords a variety of playing cards that present ample alternatives to earn factors via bonus classes. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Preferred affords 5 factors per greenback on journey booked via Chase Journey℠, 3 factors per greenback on eating and choose streaming companies, 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, delivery, web, cable, cellphone companies and promoting purchases made with social media and search engines like google (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 every part else.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you may earn 10 factors per greenback on resorts and automotive leases if you guide via Chase Journey, 5 factors per greenback on flights booked via Chase Journey, 3 factors per greenback on different journey (excluding the $300 journey credit score) and eating and 1 level per greenback on different bills. Furthermore, Sapphire Reserve cardholders will earn 10 complete factors per greenback on Lyft rides when utilizing their card, legitimate till March 2025.
Redemption choices with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final Rewards
As straightforward as it’s to earn transferable factors, you do not need to preserve them simply sitting in your account — you need to redeem them. Similar to the methods to earn factors, all redemption choices aren’t created equal, although Membership Rewards and Final Rewards have a big overlap of the identical switch companions.
For example, in case you switch both forex to Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program on dates with much less demand, you possibly can fly from North America to Europe from as little as 20,000 miles one-way in economic system, 35,000 miles in premium economic system and 50,000 miles in enterprise class.
Singapore Airways operates two of the world’s longest flights: Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) and John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK). You might switch your Amex or Chase factors to KrisFlyer at a 1:1 charge to guide one-way business-class Saver fare flights for simply 111,500 Singapore Airways KrisFlyer factors plus taxes and charges one-way — a small worth for consolation on such an epically lengthy flight.
You can even use the Amex Travel portal to discover a most popular room after which pay with factors — valued at solely 0.7 cents every — or money. You’ll be able to guide resorts together with these in Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts program. You won’t usually earn hotel points or elite credits for third-party bookings.
With Chase, you possibly can guide journey via Chase Travel and redeem factors to pay on your aircraft tickets, lodge 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. You probably have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your factors are value 1.5 cents apiece towards redemptions via the portal, which is a extra worthwhile choice than the Amex Journey portal.
Although Chase has fewer switch companions than American Categorical, Chase holds its personal with some distinctive and really worthwhile redemption choices that may present extra worth than Amex’s choices.
Arguably essentially the most worthwhile Chase switch companion is World of Hyatt, a lodge forex TPG values extremely. With its low fixed-rate award chart and no vacation spot charges on award nights, the Hyatt switch choice is a key good thing about redeeming Chase factors over Amex factors, which do not supply Hyatt as a switch companion.
Associated: When and how to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt
Backside line
Selecting between these two applications depends upon your preferences, however there is not any purpose why you possibly can’t accumulate each kinds of factors, as you possibly can’t go mistaken with both transferable forex. Each applications companion with well-liked switch choices at a 1:1 charge, equivalent to Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Government Membership, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and extra.
Gathering both bank card forex is a great concept in case you’re seeking to switch factors to those applications.
There are variations between the redemption choices of Amex and Chase factors. Chase Final Rewards is a superb alternative in case you’re aiming for outstanding redemptions like luxurious Hyatt stays or need the pliability of redeeming factors via Chase Journey for just about any flight or lodge for as much as 1.5 cents per level, relying on the kind of Chase card you maintain.
In case you’re a Delta SkyMiles, Hawaiian Airways HawaiianMiles or Avianca LifeMiles fan, solely Amex’s Membership Rewards switch to those applications, so gathering Amex factors could be a greater choice.
Sustaining versatile and various factors and miles balances will provide you with essentially the most choices when redeeming your rewards no matter your most popular forex.