Tool

Transfer Bonus Calculator

Plug in your bank points, the base transfer ratio, and the bonus percentage. See your effective ratio, the partner points you actually receive, and how much cpp uplift you earned versus no bonus.

Calculate your bonus

Base transfer ratio (bank → partner)
Bonus percentage
Without bonus
60,000
partner points
Ratio1 : 1
cpp on bank points4.00 cpp
With 30% bonus
78,000
partner points
Effective ratio1 : 1.3
cpp on bank points5.20 cpp
Bonus points gained
+18,000
Cpp uplift
+23.1%
For a seat worth $2,400.00 cash, the bonus moves you from 4.00 cpp to 5.20 cpp on your bank-point cost.

How the math works

A transfer bonus multiplies the base ratio. The cpp uplift is the percentage improvement on your effective bank-points cost — equal to bonus / (1 + bonus). A 25% bonus is a ~20% cpp uplift; a 50% bonus is a ~33% cpp uplift.

partner_points = bank_points × base_ratio × (1 + bonus%)
effective_ratio = base_ratio × (1 + bonus%)
cpp_uplift_% = bonus / (1 + bonus)

FAQ

What is a transfer bonus?
A transfer bonus is a limited-time promotion where a bank rewards program (Amex MR, Chase UR, Citi TY, Capital One, Bilt) gives you extra partner points when you transfer to a specific airline or hotel. A 30% bonus means 10,000 bank points becomes 13,000 partner points instead of 10,000. They run for two to six weeks and are program-specific.
How do I calculate my effective transfer ratio?
Multiply the base ratio by (1 + bonus percentage). For a 1:1 program with a 25% bonus, your effective ratio becomes 1:1.25. For a 1:1.5 program with a 30% bonus (rare, but it happens with British Airways), the effective ratio is 1:1.95. Our calculator does this automatically and shows the partner points you actually receive.
Should I always wait for a transfer bonus before transferring?
No. Transfers are usually irreversible, so only transfer when you have a specific award ticket on hold or you are very confident you will use the partner points. Waiting for a bonus is great if you have time and flexibility, but a bonus is worth nothing if the saver seat you wanted disappears. The rule of thumb: book first, then optimize.
Which programs typically offer the biggest transfer bonuses?
Amex MR runs the most frequent bonuses, including periodic 30-40% bonuses to Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, and British Airways. Citi ThankYou runs aggressive 25-30% bonuses to Avianca LifeMiles, Turkish, and Wyndham. Chase UR is the stingiest — bonuses are rare, but when they appear (Air Canada Aeroplan, Hyatt) they are usually 25-30%.
How much cpp uplift does a transfer bonus give me?
Roughly proportional to the bonus. A 25% transfer bonus lifts your cpp by ~20% (because the same redemption now costs 20% fewer bank points). A 4 cpp redemption becomes a 5 cpp redemption — meaningful but not transformative. The calculator shows your effective bank-point cpp before and after the bonus side by side.

Related tools