How to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta

05.08.2024 - 16:28 / thepointsguy.com / Delta Skymiles

If you want solid value from your Amex points, transferring them to partner hotel or airline loyalty programs is often your best bet.

Did you know you can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to 18 airline and three hotel partner programs? Plus, Membership Rewards are easy to earn and redeem.

Here's how to transfer Amex points to Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles program and other things you should know before transferring your Membership Rewards points.

Before learning how to transfer Membership Rewards points to Delta, make sure you have a SkyMiles account. If you don't, head to Delta's website, click "Sign Up" and create an account.

Then, to transfer Amex points to SkyMiles, log in to your Membership Rewards account, click on the "Rewards" tab at the top and select "Transfer Points" from the drop-down box.

You'll then see a list of transfer partners to choose from. Select "Delta SkyMiles," and then you'll need to link your account to your Membership Rewards account by entering your SkyMiles account number, ensuring the name on your SkyMiles account exactly matches the name on your Membership Rewards account.

You'll then be prompted to enter the 3-digit card security code on the back of your Amex card.

Once you enter that you should receive a confirmation that your accounts are now linked.

Then click "Get Started" and select how many Amex points you would like to transfer to SkyMiles in increments of 1,000, with a minimum of 1,000 and a maximum of 999,000, using the slider to reach your desired number. Unfortunately, you will be charged a small excise tax offset fee.

Once you've selected your ideal transfer amount, click "Review Transfer" and then "Submit Transfer" on the next screen. The excise tax offset fee will be charged directly to your card.

While Amex claims transfers will take 48 hours, the transfers from Membership Rewards to Delta SkyMiles have been instant in our testing.

The Amex to Delta transfer ratio is 1:1. You must transfer American Express points in increments of 1,000, which means you can convert 1,000 Amex points into 1,000 Delta SkyMiles. You might occasionally find a transfer bonus that boosts the Amex to Delta transfer ratio, but these are rare.

Based on TPG's August 2024 valuations, Amex points are worth 2.0 cents each, and SkyMiles are worth 1.15 cents each. Since transferable points are more valuable, you'll lose theoretical value when you transfer Amex points. But, as we'll discuss in the next section, this doesn't mean you shouldn't transfer Amex points to Delta.

Related: Best American Express credit cards

Delta SkyMiles isn't the most valuable transfer partner based on our valuations. For example, fellow SkyTeam member Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club has a