What is the most worth it to use Amex points on?

You'll typically yield more value by transferring your points to airline partners and booking flights, but using points for hotel stays can be smart too. You'll do well when redeeming points for luxury hotels or when demand for hotels is high which translates into high cash prices.



The highest-value way to redeem American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points in 2026 is almost exclusively through transferring points to airline partners for international Business or First Class travel. When transferred at a 1:1 ratio to partners like Air Canada (Aeroplan), British Airways (Avios), or Singapore Airlines (KrisFlyer), you can often achieve a value of 2.0 to 10.0 cents per point (CPP). For example, booking a $6,000 Business Class flight to Europe for 60,000 points yields a massive 10 CPP value. Conversely, using points to "Pay with Points" for Amazon purchases or gift cards is considered a "poor" value, typically offering only 0.5 to 0.7 CPP. Another "worth it" option for Business Platinum cardholders is the 35% points rebate on flights booked through the Amex travel portal, which guarantees a floor value of about 1.54 CPP. For those who prefer cash, the Charles Schwab Platinum card allows you to "invest with rewards" at a rate of 1.1 CPP into a brokerage account. Ultimately, if you want the "biggest bang for your buck," save your points for long-haul "lie-flat" seats where the retail price of the ticket is disproportionately high.

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While 200K Amex points will typically only give you about $2,000 in value when you shop for flights in the Amex travel portal, you can sometimes find Business or First Class flights — that can normally cost over $10,000 — for only 200K points, when transferred to a frequent flyer program.

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As a general guide, the point value can range from 0.5 cents per point to more than 2 cents per point, depending on how you redeem them. Therefore, 1 million AMEX points could be worth anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on the redemption method.

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Consider transferring them to one of Amex's three hotel partners ? Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio, Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio, or Choice Privileges (Choice Hotels) at a 1:1 ratio, though there's a special promotion now through October 31, 2021, that bumps up Hilton and Marriott transfers by 30 percent.

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Flight redemptions are worth 1 cent per point on the Amex travel portal but you may be able to spend fewer points on the same or similar flight by transferring them to a travel partner. Short of that, you can offset the cost of flight tickets on your billing statement at a fixed rate of 0.6 cents per point.

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So what can 421,860,000 AmEx points get? According to the American Express Co.'s website, they can be converted to more than 28 million frequent flyer miles or about $180,000 worth of vouchers at Hong Kongretailer ParknShop.

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When it comes to air miles, a balance of 300,000 points opens up a world of destinations, from the beaches of the Seychelles to the buzz of San Francisco. Transfer your points to Avios to enjoy two return business class flights to some of British Airways most coveted US destinations.

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