AMEX Membership Rewards points have long been valuable because you can transfer them into anyone’s airline account.
Chase officially says that you can only transfer to your own or your spouse’s mileage account, though people haven’t reported issues transferring Chase points to other people’s mileage accounts. (Note that people have had Chase cards closed for transferring points into other people’s Chase accounts who don’t reside at their address.)
According to several DDF reports though as of today it is no longer possible to link other people’s frequent flyer account to their AMEX account. In the past this was easily doable online but now it’s blocked.
For now you can still link and transfer to authorized user accounts, so if you do want to transfer to someone you would have to open a secondary card for them on your account. To open a secondary account they will ask for a social security number, but you can get it without providing them information by just saying that you don’t have that information on you right now.
Some people are reporting that some reps may still allow you to make transfers to others over the phone. If you have success with that post a comment! That’s likely something that will be short-lived though…
This comes on the heels of AMEX limiting bonuses on consumer cards to once per lifetime. Ouch.
HT: mordy44, via DDF and AJK, esquire.
Leave a Reply
48 Comments On "AMEX Points No Longer Transferrable To Others?"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Just did it last night… Maybe it was because I had the same last name.
what will all the brokers do now ?
@JunkYardUnz:
This happened today.
@moishe:
Try to get phone exceptions or open secondary cards?
Dunno.
Does the name have to match(First, last, or both)? the address? both?
“To open a secondary account they will ask for a social security number, but you can get it without providing them information by just saying that you don’t have that information on you right now.”
Whenever I apply online for secondary cards, it rejects the submission if there is no Ssn entered. How do I get around that? It also asks for ssn verification when activating the card. Does it skip that if it’s never entered?
I was successful into doing it a few days ago on AMEX.
The way to do this is to:
1/ Link the Airline Account online on amex website (under membership reward section). You can put the name, flying reward account # etc…
2/ Then you can tranfer the points.
Please note that this works only ONLINE and not over the phone. No need to open additional cards for this to work.
@Daniel Peikes:
Both.
@Noturbizniss:
Do it over the phone.
@LeRap:
This change happened today.
theres got to be some way around this. what can that be?
How about if the other account is already linked to the Amex account, will transfers still go through?
@chanie:
Read the post?
@Levi:
Seems like the issue is for accounts that haven’t been linked yet.
My wife has her own card as an authorized user (for which a new account number is created) for all or my AmEx cards and vice-versa. Are an authorized user card and a secondary card the same thing? Can a transfer to a secondary card be done on-line (and if so – how) or only by phone? Thanks.
Chase points value just went up! 🙂
so if i opened a platinum card to sell the points i will have to pay to open a secondary card for whichever broker i want to sell my points to?
The good old days are over! Amex points resell value is close to zero now. Repeat sign up bonuses gone. Milage runs good bye. Besides a cheap stroller on amazon, what is this site going to be about?
So if I want to transfer my amex points to my wifes account, all i have to do is make her an authorized user on my card? Or do I need to do something else?
this is bad news,their wasnt even any advance notice on this just the turn of a switch im stuck with 500k amex in my acct
its a hasstle to start opening a card in someone elses name just to switch over points guess thats what theyre counting on to discourage .
why would amex care either way the miles were earned legit?
I guess we can still transfer to, say my Delta account, and book a flight in someone else’s name from sky miles account
@TG: @TG: what do you think they are worth in the market now? Before this change they were around 1.4.
If a non-authorized user’s account is already linked will it still be a problem to transfer to that account?
Can’t help but feel we brought this on ourselves. Reminiscing of the 100k Plat +75k gold days. To the point ppl were putting up signs all over. Thousands did that as did I. I think that was the turning point where they started to Crack down
@TG: silver lining for all chase fans 🙂 #InkedByDan
does this include SPG?
@Goingtomissdan: This Site wasn’t set up to sell miles just to earn miles! so now that you cant transfer you can go on vacations like Dan goes on!
@George: As of now I would say nothing, but you can always call a broker. if they cant transfer it its worthless!
Brokers will ask account holders info to open up cards on there name
Dan I wanted to know if the Amex gold business and the amex blue business points are equally as Valuable?
@jennifer:and, you have changed your mind since?😜
will chase follow suit?
why shouldn’t we say that now when its that difficult to transfer them – and they r still very usefull – should their price just get higher?
Can someone clarify about SPG? Should I assume it will stay the same because it’s a completely different program and not Amex points?
Just curious, why did AJK get an HT?
You can say thank you to all the brokers out there for this. I guess there wont be too many more people “making 5k in just one month”…Tafasta meruba lo tofasta….
@sb: I HAD A AIRLINE ACCT ON OTHER NAME LINK BEFORE & I CAN STILL TRANSFER TO THAT ACCT
just transferred points to a delta account-not under my name without a problem
@down with amex:
online? was it linked before today, or?
@bud: i linked it today online with my name(because it was no other option) and i called in and they change it to the other name!
@down with amex: your great but if every body is going to do it it wont work
Dan, thanks for all the help! One question, if I have a spg card can I get another card and bonus points if I use a different address and a different spg # ? My social security # would obviously be the same….. Thanks!
Still worked for me today on an account that wasn’t linked before.
@Anonymous: was this with a different name from the amex account?
@Anonymous: even if it was a different name from the amex account?
Dan, can’t you just link to your own frequent flyer account and then purchase a ticket for someone else on that airline’s web site?
Oops, I see Goingtomissdan said that already.
What’s the bottom line can u still transfer ??
The terms of the Membership Rewards program have long stated that you can only transfer Membership Rewards points to frequent flyer accounts in your own name:
Points are not your property. You can’t transfer points to any other person or program account. Additionally, points can’t be transferred by operation of law, such as by inheritance, in bankruptcy or in connection with a divorce.
@malk-I would not open an account with your ss# for a broker. your credit will take a hit…
Just did a transfer on fone.. And it worked perfectly even from some else account
you can still transfer. tell them that’s your wife’s’ maiden name (if the last name and first doesn’t match the account holder or additional user) over the phone everything goes fine