Tutorial: List of major points transfer programs in Canada

Not all Reward Points are transferable.

A points transfer is one of the most effective strategies for maximizing the value of your rewards in Canada. This option allows you to convert your points to other loyalty programs.

Generally, assume that airline points and miles (Air Canada Aeroplan points, British Airways Club Avios, Delta SkyMiles, Flying Blue miles, etc.) cannot be transferred elsewhere. Once deposited into your loyalty account, these miles are a one-way street. Therefore, think twice before transferring your American Express Membership Rewards points there or your Marriott Bonvoy points.

One exception: since 2024, Aeroplan has offered the possibility of transferring Aeroplan points to Marriott Bonvoy. But this is only available to Aeroplan members with Elite status.

On the other hand, there are a number of other programs that we refer to as “hybrid” reward point programs: these are programs whose points can be used in the program in question or transferred to another loyalty program.

The best-known reward transfer programs in Canada are..:

In this comprehensive guide, discover the best transfer programs available in Canada, their key partners and our expert strategies for optimizing your transfers.

American Express Membership Rewards

Points transfer partners

In Canada, American Express Membership Rewards partners with various airline and hotel loyalty programs. This allows you to transfer your Membership Rewards into points or miles.

For Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy, and Delta SkyMiles, the transfer is immediate.

For others, it may take up to 10 business days.

American Express Membership Rewards points are considered THE most valuable points currency in Canada, thanks to their ability to be converted into a number of particularly attractive programs.

However, not every conversion is worthwhile:

Credit Cards

Here is the list of credit cards with Membership Rewards in Canada:

Articles

Here is the list of Milesopedia’s main articles on the Membership Rewards program:

RBC Avion Rewards

Points transfer partners

With RBC Avion Rewards, you have access to these reward point transfer partners:

RBC Avion Rewards points can be used to top up your balance of WestJet points, British Airways ClubAvios or Asia Miles.

However, not every conversion is worthwhile:

Credit Cards

The following is a list of RBC Rewards (Avion) credit cards that can be used to transfer points to airline partners:

Articles

Here is a list of Milesopedia’s top articles on the RBC Rewards program:

Marriott Bonvoy

Points transfer partners

With Marriott Bonvoy, you can transfer your points into miles from various airline programs.

The transfer rate is generally 3:1 (30,000 Marriott points = 10,000 miles). And for every 60,000 points transferred, Marriott adds a bonus of 15,000 points (equivalent to 5,000 miles).

So 60,000 points = 25,000 miles (bringing the transfer rate to 2.4:1).

Note that Marriott Bonvoy and United have a special relationship: point transfers to United have a 10% bonus.

I often advise you to use loyalty program points ONLY for what they were originally intended :

However, it may be worthwhile to use Marriott Bonvoy to earn miles, especially at certain rare times of the year when you can take advantage of conversion bonuses ! Aeroplan and British Airways Club run some annual promotions, where you can earn 15-30% more miles by converting your hotel points.

It’s also a good way to earn miles from foreign airline programs like United MileagePlus, Singapore KrisFlyer, Emirates Skywards, etc.

Credit Cards

Here is the list of Marriott Bonvoy credit cards in Canada:

It’s also possible to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points into Marriott Bonvoy points at a rate of 1:1.2 (or 5:6).

So 50,000 Membership Rewards = 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

If your goal is to go through the Marriott Bonvoy program to earn airline miles, the best credit card will be the. American Express Cobalt^® Card.

With this card, you can earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent in certain categories of stores: grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants. And in grocery and convenience stores, you can buy gift cards for many other stores (SAQ, Amazon, Walmart, Ikea, etc.) to earn 5 points per dollar.

And since 5 Membership Rewards points = 6 Marriott Bonvoy points = 2 airline miles, that means that at these stores you earn 2 miles per dollar of purchase! Which is incredible!

Here is the list of credit cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy Points in Canada:

Articles

Here is the list of Milesopedia’s top articles on the Marriott Bonvoy program:

Best Western Rewards

Points transfer partners

With the Best Western Rewards program, you can redeem your points for airline miles. Let me warn you right away: the exchange rate is far from the best.

However, if you have Best Western Rewards points that you don’t need, you might as well put them to good use!

A minimum of 5,000 Best Western Rewards points is required to transfer to this Best Western page.

Conclusion

With these 4 programs, you can easily transfer your points to dozens of other loyalty programs and travel the world with your reward points!

Do you start with the points? With one of these five credit cards, you will earn transferable points:

Go further with American Express Membership Rewards

To maximize your Membership Rewards earning, check our complete American Express Membership Rewards program guide and our best American Express Membership Rewards credit cards ranking, updated monthly by the Milesopedia team.