American Specific Membership Rewards factors and Chase Final Rewards factors are two of probably the most extremely sought-after transferable currencies amongst journey lovers. These factors can unlock unimaginable redemptions in aspirational areas. Each packages supply a spread of journey rewards bank cards and redemption choices, together with transferring factors to airline and lodge companions or reserving journey by way of the respective card issuer’s journey portal.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to notice that not all factors maintain the identical worth. Based on TPG’s November 2024 valuations, each Amex Membership Rewards factors and Chase Final Rewards factors are valued at roughly 2 cents per level. The only option will depend on your spending habits and journey targets.
Now, let’s delve right into a comparability between these two packages to see how they measure up.
Switch companions with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final Rewards
American Specific Membership Rewards
Amex companions with a formidable 18 completely different airline packages and three lodge chains. Except indicated, factors switch at a 1:1 charge in 1,000-point increments. Here is the present record 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 Govt Membership
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Delta Air Strains 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 possibly can guide flights or inns by way of Amex Journey, however transferring factors to a associate after which redeeming them (extra on that somewhat later) sometimes leads to one of the best redemption worth.
Associated: How one can redeem American Specific Membership Rewards for optimum worth
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Chase Final Rewards
With Chase Final Rewards, you possibly can switch factors to 11 airline packages:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Govt 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 packages:
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- World of Hyatt
All switch ratios are 1:1, and you need to switch in 1,000-point increments.
To resolve which program is healthier for you, you may need to contemplate the switch companions you may use most in your journey targets.
Do not forget that it is doable 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, despite the fact that United Airways is not an Amex Membership Rewards switch associate, you possibly can guide United award flights by transferring Amex factors to Air Canada or Singapore Airways, as they’re Star Alliance companions.
Associated: How one can redeem Chase Final Rewards factors for optimum worth
Incomes factors with Amex Membership Rewards vs. Chase Final Rewards
American Specific Membership Rewards
Regardless of a once-per-lifetime coverage for welcome presents, the big selection of playing cards that earn Membership Rewards factors makes it comparatively straightforward to build up a considerable factors stability.
Listed below are among the playing cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards factors and include nice welcome presents:
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 one of the best American Specific bank card for you?
One other approach to earn Amex factors is thru focused Amex Gives. You may see all of the Amex Gives obtainable on a given card should you scroll down in your on-line account web page or by tapping the “Gives” tab within the Amex app.
These presents come from numerous retailers, together with journey suppliers, eating places, clothes and jewellery shops. Typically talking, Amex Gives are available considered one of three kinds:
- 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 presents provides you with money again for assembly a particular spending requirement, many supply factors.
In the event you maintain a number of Amex playing cards, it is necessary to examine all of them to make sure you’re maximizing the obtainable presents. Moreover, reviewing the phrases of every Amex Give you add to your playing cards is essential, as some might exclude present card purchases.
Amex Gives will be mixed with on-line procuring portals and bonus classes. Think about using a procuring portal aggregator to find out which portal presents the best return for a particular buy. This manner, you possibly can take advantage of your buy.
Associated: How one can earn bonus money again or Amex factors in your on-line procuring purchases with Rakuten
Chase Final Rewards
Chase presents 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 will let you switch factors to journey companions. Nevertheless, when you have one of many playing cards talked about above, you possibly can switch factors 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 might restrict your capacity to get accredited for these playing cards. In the event you’re new to factors and miles, your greatest 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 suggest maximizing on a regular basis spending on a number of Amex playing cards by making the most of bonus classes. For instance, the Amex Gold earns 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide (on the primary $50,000 spent per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback). As compared, the Amex Platinum earns 5 factors per greenback on airfare booked instantly with the airline or by way of American Specific Journey (on as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar yr) and 5 factors per greenback on pay as you go inns booked by way of American Specific Journey.
Chase Final Rewards
Chase presents a spread of playing cards that present ample alternatives to earn factors by way of bonus classes. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked presents 5 factors per greenback on journey booked by way of Chase Journey℠, 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 Enterprise Most well-liked extends the bonus classes with 3 factors per greenback on journey, delivery, web, cable, telephone 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 yr, then 1 level per greenback) and 1 level per greenback on every thing else.
With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you may earn 10 factors per greenback on inns and automotive leases if you guide by way of Chase Journey, 5 factors per greenback on flights booked by way of 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 whole 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 hold them simply sitting in your account — you need to redeem them. Identical 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.
As an example, should 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 would 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.
It’s also possible to use the Amex Journey portal to discover a most popular room after which pay with factors — valued at solely 0.7 cents every — or money. You possibly can guide inns together with these in Amex’s Nice Accommodations + Resorts program. You will not often earn lodge factors or elite credit for third-party bookings.
With Chase, you possibly can guide journey by way of Chase Journey and redeem factors to pay in your airplane tickets, lodge stays, rental vehicles or experiences. In the event you’re a holder of the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked or the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked, every level is value 1.25 cents. When you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your factors are value 1.5 cents apiece towards redemptions by way of the portal, which is a extra invaluable possibility than the Amex Journey portal.
Although Chase has fewer switch companions than American Specific, Chase holds its personal with some distinctive and really invaluable redemption choices that may present extra worth than Amex’s choices.
Arguably probably the most invaluable Chase switch associate 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 possibility is a key good thing about redeeming Chase factors over Amex factors, which do not supply Hyatt as a switch associate.
Associated: When and how one can switch Chase Final Rewards factors to World of Hyatt
Backside line
Selecting between these two packages will depend on your preferences, however there is not any purpose why you possibly can’t accumulate each forms of factors, as you possibly can’t go improper with both transferable forex. Each packages associate with standard switch choices at a 1:1 charge, akin to Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Govt Membership, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, JetBlue TrueBlue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and extra.
Amassing both bank card forex is a great concept should you’re trying to switch factors to those packages.
There are variations between the redemption choices of Amex and Chase factors. Chase Final Rewards is a good alternative should you’re aiming for outstanding redemptions like luxurious Hyatt stays or need the pliability of redeeming factors by way of 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 the event you’re a Delta SkyMiles, Hawaiian Airways HawaiianMiles or Avianca LifeMiles fan, solely Amex’s Membership Rewards switch to those packages, so accumulating Amex factors can be a greater possibility.
Sustaining versatile and various factors and miles balances provides you with probably the most choices when redeeming your rewards no matter your most popular forex.
