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Loyalty programs: transferring your points & miles between accounts

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Loyalty programs: transferring your points & miles between accounts
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What are your options if you need to transfer miles or points to another account (spouse, friend, relative…)? Review of the different possible paths.

Foreword

It’s not always easy to use your miles when you’re traveling together. Miles and points accounts are predominantly individual accounts. Few loyalty programs offer the option of a “joint/family” account. But there are a few more or less easy ways to make transfers in order to gather points in the same account.

Why transfer points? Pros:

  • Be able to complete an account with the few points needed to make a reservation,
  • Enjoy benefits such as a free fifth night with Marriott Bonvoy
  • Take advantage of the status a family member has acquired with the loyalty program
  • Convert points into an airline program at a discounted rate, such as Marriott Bonvoy at 60,000 points

Membership number when applying for a credit card

When applying for a credit card, you may be tempted to enter your spouse’s/friend’s membership number to consolidate points into one account “at source”.

Be aware that while this is technically possible for some programs, others have put up barriers to prevent it. And what is valid today, may not be valid tomorrow. Here are some pointers to the major credit card programs and issuers:

AIR MILES


bmo air miles world elite mastercard fr 1

When you sign up for an AIR MILES credit card, issued by American Express or BMO(both offer 14!), you can provide your spouse/friend’s account number. The miles will then go into the same account.


However, if your credit card offers benefits – such as the free companion ticket for some offers BMO® AIR MILES® World Elite®* Mastercard), you will not be able to use it twice if you and your spouse sign up for the same card and provide the same AIR MILES account number.

The benefit is attached to the AIR MILES account, not the credit card.

Aeroplan


aeroplanplus gold card


When you sign up for an Aeroplan credit card, issued by American Express, CIBC or TD, such as the AeroplanPlusMD* American ExpressMD Gold Card, you will have the option to provide your Aeroplan membership number.

We strongly advise you to indicate this when you apply, to avoid the card issuer creating a new number for you. But don’t you dare give out another Aeroplan membership number: it usually won’t work, with a few exceptions!

Best Western Rewards


mbna best western rewards card

When you sign up for the Best Western Rewards Mastercard credit card, you cannot provide a membership number: MBNA will provide you with a membership number from Best Western Rewards(available at the bottom of your statement).


If you already have a Best Western Rewards membership number, you’ll need to call MBNA shortly after receiving the card to mention it. But don’t bother giving out another Best Western Rewards membership number – it usually won’t work!

And that’s not necessary: Best Western Rewards allows you to transfer points from one account to another for free, as we’ll see below!

Marriott Bonvoy


bonvoy aec2

When you subscribe to the Marriott BonvoyMD American ExpressMD* Card or the Marriott BonvoyMD Business American Express®* Card, you will have the opportunity to indicate your Marriott Bonvoy membership number.


We strongly recommend that you indicate this when you apply, so that American Express does not create a new number for you. But don’t you dare give another Marriott Bonvoy membership number: it won’t work! And it will be difficult to recover your points, lost between American Express and Marriott Bonvoy!

And it’s not really useful: Marriott Bonvoy allows you to transfer 100,000 points per year from one account to another for free, as we’ll see below!

Transferring points between accounts, program by program

Here we will study the transfer of points between accounts of the main loyalty programs:

marriott bonvoy logo

Marriott Bonvoy

Transferring Marriott Bonvoy points between accounts

Marriott Bonvoy allows all members of its loyalty program to transfer points to another member, free of charge, up to 100,000 points per year by calling +1 800 228 2100.

transfer points marriott bonvoy 1

It’s convenient for a couple to go hunting for welcome bonuses credit cards linked to the Marriott Bonvoy program ! 100,000 points per year, allows you to combine everything into one account for easier booking and/or higher status on one account than the other!

Transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to other program accounts

Marriott Bonvoy allows you to convert points to miles from airline programs like Aeroplan. But the account name must match the name of the air program.

We therefore advise against converting Marriott Bonvoy points from your account to your spouse’s Aeroplan account, for example.

logo best western rewards e1548695895348 1

Best Western Rewards

Transferring Best Western Rewards points between accounts

You can transfer your points from one account to another, free of charge! You have to call Best Western Rewards Customer Service.

transfert point best western

The only condition: Best Western Rewards accounts must be at the same address.

To call Best Western from Canada or the United States, the number is 1 (800) 237-8483. All the members of the facebook group “Travel for free (or almost…!) with your points & miles – milesopedia” who had to call customer service to transfer their points had only good comments to make about the quality of the customer service!

Transfer of Best Western Rewards points to other program accounts

Best Western Rewards allows you to convert points to miles from airline programs such as Aeroplan. But the account name must match the name of the air program. We do not recommend that you convert Best Western Rewards points from your account to your spouse’s Aeroplan account, for example.

hilton honors e1488115875520

Hilton Honors

Transferring Hilton Honors points between accounts

Great benefit of the Hilton Honors program: the ability to pool points with up to 10 other members!

This means that points from 11 Hilton Honors accounts can be combined without any fees!

Transferring Hilton Honors points to other program accounts

Hilton Honors allows you to convert points to miles from airline programs like Aeroplan. But the account name must match the name of the air program. We do not recommend that you convert Hilton Honors points from your account to your spouse’s Aeroplan account, for example.

aeroplan program

Aeroplan

Transferring Aeroplan Miles between accounts

The loyalty program is like many others: very limited because very expensive. Transferring miles between Aeroplan accounts costs between 1.5 and 2 cents per mile redeemed.

If you have an American Express Membership Rewards account then those Membership Rewards points can be transferred to a third party Aeroplan account, details in this article.

Transferring Aeroplan Miles to other program accounts

Transferring Aeroplan Miles to other programs is almost impossible, except by dealing with platforms like Points.com, but the conversion rate will not be advantageous.


aeroplan ihg points


air miles

AIR MILES

Transferring AIR MILES miles between accounts

Like Aeroplan, AIR MILES charges a very high fee for transferring miles between Collector accounts: $0.15 CAD/mile. To transfer 2,000 miles from one account to another… it would cost $310 CAD + taxes!

air miles transfer cost
Platinum credit card air miles american express logo

We strongly advise against doing so! The only way for you to do this is to provide the membership number you want when you sign up for one of the 14 AIR MILES affiliated credit cards.

The welcome bonus of 2,000 AIR MILES miles from the AIR MILESMD* American ExpressMD Platinum Credit Card can easily be paid into your account… or that of your spouse/friend.

But remember: what is valid today, may not be valid tomorrow!

Transferring AIR MILES miles to other program accounts

Transferring AIR MILES miles to other programs is not possible.

british airways club

British Airways Executive Club

Transferring Avios miles between accounts

British Airways Executive Club is one of the only airline frequent flyer programs to offer “Family & Friends Accounts”.

You will be able to group your partner/spouse into your account, but also your children. By creating this account, you will become “The Head of the Family”.

British Airways Executive Club Household Account - family

There are three components to know about your British Airways Executive Club Account:

  • My family account (7 people)
  • My family and friends (5 people)
  • My travel companions

This will allow you to transfer RBC Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards points into your own British Airways Executive Club account, and then pass them on to your family members!

That’s handy when you’re taking advantage of a welcome bonus like the 25,000 Membership Rewards points on the American ExpressMD Gold Rewards Card… which gets you the equivalent of 25,000 Avios miles!

To learn more about British Airways Executive Club family and friends accounts, check out this article!

Transferring Avios miles to other program accounts

Transferring Avios miles to other programs is not possible.

privileged points amex logo

American Express Membership Rewards

Transferring Membership Rewards points between accounts

American Express Membership Rewards points cannot be transferred between accounts.

Transferring Membership Rewards points to accounts in other programs

Membership Rewards points cannot normally be transferred to other programs that do not have your name on them… with the known exception of Aeroplan.


Aeroplan has confirmed this ability, allowing you to transfer Membership Rewards points from your account to the Aeroplan account of your choice (relative, friend, spouse).


That’s handy when you’re taking advantage of a welcome bonus like the 25,000 Membership Rewards points on the American ExpressMD Gold Rewards Card… which gets you the equivalent of 25,000 Aeroplan miles!

Bottom Line

Here’s a quick overview of how you can transfer points between accounts. For unlisted banking programs such as BMO Rewards or Scene+, please note that it is simply not possible to transfer points from one account to another.

American Express Cobalt® Card

American ExpressAmex Membership Rewards
Annual fee
$191.88
Our valuation
$255
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 15,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The American Express Cobalt® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

  • 15,000 Aeroplan points
  • 15,000 Avios points
  • 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

  • 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
  • 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
  • 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
  • 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
  • 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
  • Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
  • No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
  • Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
  • The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
  • Front Of The Line® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
  • A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

  • Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
  • Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
  • Home food delivery.
  • Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.) 5
Home food delivery 5
Restaurants and bars 5
Convenience stores 5
Streaming services 3
Service station 2
Transport 2
Travel 1
Other 1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

  • Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
  • Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
  • Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
  • Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
  • Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
  • Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt® Card fees

  • Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
  • Additional cards: $0.
  • Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
  • Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
  • Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xRestaurants
  • 5xGroceries
  • 5xConvenience
  • 3xStreaming
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828
2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

RegisterRegister

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Our featured card

Featured

Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card

American ExpressMarriott Bonvoy
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$990
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 110,000 points
Ends Sep 22, 2026
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points with the current offer:

  • Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
  • Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 5xMarriott Bonvoy hotels
  • 2xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,437
2nd Year Value$312

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.