This thread is for discussing the mechanics of points transfer: qualifying Chase cards, eligible partners, and typical speed of transfer. For advice on which partner to transfer to for a given travel goal, see Ultimate Rewards - Which airline/hotel should I transfer points to? and the master threads compiled there.

• Sapphire Reserve
• Sapphire Preferred
• JP Morgan Reserve
• JP Morgan Palladium (discontinued)
• JP Morgan Select (discontinued)
• INK Preferred
• INK Plus (discontinued)
• INK Bold (discontinued)

Holders of non-premium Chase UR cards,

• Freedom
• Freedom Unlimited
• Freedom Flex
• Sapphire (discontinued; different from Sapphire Preferred)
• INK Cash
• INK Classic (discontinued)
• INK Unlimited

may not transfer directly to airline/hotel programs. However, if you hold both a premium and non-premium UR card, you may freely combine your UR points into the account of the premium card. (Similarly, if your spouse/domestic partner holds one of the premium cards, you can make an internal UR-to-UR transfer to his or her account. See below.) Even though Freedom, Freedom Unlimited and INK Cash are marketed as "cash back" cards they actually earn UR points.


Q. What airline or hotel programs can I transfer UR points into?

A. UR points may be transferred at no charge to these airline programs at a 1:1 exchange rate:

ONEWORLD

• British Airways Executive Club (BA)
• Iberia (IB)

SKYTEAM

• Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) (AF)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS)

STAR ALLIANCE

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (SQ)
• United Airlines MileagePlus (UA)
• Air Canada Aeroplan (AC)
  • Chase Aeroplan credit cardmembers get a 10% transfer bonus after transferring 50,000 or more Ultimate Rewards points in a single transaction from an eligible Chase credit card to their Aeroplan account. Maximum of 25,000 bonus points per calendar year. This offer was previously scheduled to end on 12/31/23, but has now been made permanent.
  • 20% bonus on transfers ended Jan. 15, 2024

INDEPENDENT

• Aer Lingus (EI)
• Emirates Skywards (EK)
• JetBlue (B6) - 25% bonus on transfers ended on Jan. 10, 2024
• Southwest Rapid Rewards (WN)

and to these hotel programs:

• IHG Rewards Club - 60% bonus on transfers through March 1, 2024
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

Transfers to Amtrak were previously available, but ended permanently on December 8, 2015. See Announcement regarding Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Q. Are transfers instant?

A. In many cases, yes, although transfers to at least one partner (Marriott) may take several days. A summary:

• AC: Variable. Generally posts instantly (as noted in this July 2023 post). On the other hand, a report from August 2021 indicated a delay of 72-96 hours and a June 2023 post reflects a delay of roughly 30 hours.
• BA: usually Instant
• SQ: "Most Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer point transfers process within 2 business days." Several reports suggest it takes 24-48 hours, although there appears to be a lot of variation.
  Post #128 reports 7 business days; post #214 reports a turnaround of 2hrs 15mins. NOV 2017 - 24 hours
• WN: Normally Instant but see posts starting at #451 about delays
• UA: Normally instant, but see this thread: UR to United transfer is not reliably instant
• AF: Instant
• VS: Instant.
• Hyatt: Occurs within a minute or less (numerous reports)
• IHG: One business day. Instant on 10/30/19. Instant on 9 March 2022.
• Marriott: Transfers "will process by the next business day"; actual experience is approx. 2 business days
• Ritz:

Q: After I transfer, when will my miles expire at that airline/hotel program? Is there anything I can do to avoid expiration there?

The Miles/Points that Do and Don't Expire wiki now lists all of the above Chase UR airline/hotel transfer partners and their respective expiration policies.


Q. Can I transfer to another person's airline or hotel program account?

A. Ultimate Rewards rules explicitly permit transfers to a spouse or domestic partner's frequent traveler account, and prohibit all other transfers. On November 13, 2015, Chase announced the further complication (and perhaps additional restriction) that effective November 15, 2015, as a holder of a UR-earning business card "you can only transfer points to yourself or an owner of the company who is listed as an authorized user on your card account." For discussion of this policy statement and its impacts, see this thread.

Transferring UR points from one household member to another's FF account:
If, for instance, you'd like to transfer UR points from your spouse to your United Airlines account, here are the rules: To transfer directly from [her] UR account to your UA account you would have to be members of the same household -and- you would have to be an Authorized User on [her] Chase card account.

Points can only be transferred to yourself, or one additional household member who is listed as an authorized user on your card account. Once you transfer points to an authorized user, that person will be the only authorized user on your account eligible to receive point transfers.

Combining UR point accounts: To combine points from a UR account with your UR account you would have to be members of the same household. Here are the rules:

You can move your points, but only to another Chase card with Ultimate Rewards belonging to you, or one member of your household. If we suspect that you've engaged in fraudulent activity related to your credit card account or Ultimate Rewards, or that you've misused Ultimate Rewards in any way (for example by buying or selling points, moving or transferring points with or to an ineligible third party or account, or repeatedly opening or otherwise maintaining credit card accounts for the sole purpose of generating rewards) we may temporarily prohibit you from earning points or using points you've already earned. If we believe you've engaged in any of these acts, we'll close your credit card account and you'll lose all your points.

Q. I heard that Chase has closed accounts for unauthorized transfers. What's the story?

A. Those reports involve sharing (aka combining) points from one Ultimate Rewards account to another Ultimate Rewards account. Ultimate Rewards rules explicitly permit combining points with a spouse's or domestic partner's UR account, and prohibit all other internal sharing of UR points. See this thread:

Chase closed my Sapphire Preferred account due to transfers to other UR accounts.

Credit card and rewards accounts may also be closed if Chase decides to close your personal or business bank accounts for any reason.