Your guide to combining credit card rewards

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Combining credit card points can be a great way to add to your or your family members’ points stash to make large redemptions. You may also have accrued points across multiple cards with one issuer, but want to combine them into a single account for better tracking.

Whatever your reason is for wanting to move your points from one place to another, you’ll need to know what’s possible and how to do it. Here’s how to combine credit card points, by issuer.

Why you may want to combine points from different credit cards

When you spread your spending across multiple credit cards, your rewards are probably spread, too. For example, you might have $100 in cash back on one card and $200 worth of travel on the other — but it doesn’t always mean you can turn them into $300. That is, unless you combine the rewards. This can help you reach your redemption goals faster and sometimes even boost the value of your rewards (if you convert cash back into travel rewards, for example).

You might also want to combine rewards with family or friends. Such an option can come in handy if you shop or book trips together.

Is it possible to combine your credit card points?

Whether or not you can combine your credit card points, and how, differs from issuer to issuer. Be sure to read your cards’ terms of membership before attempting to transfer points. Better yet, consider what’s possible even before applying for a new card if you’re hoping to combine points with other cards or members of your household.

How to combine credit card points for each issuer

The following are a few rules to keep in mind for each bank when it comes to combining credit card points.

• American Express

  American Express does not allow you to pool or combine points with another person or another account. However, if you hold more than one Amex card that earns Membership Rewards, all of your points will be deposited to one account.

  Examples of American Express Membership Rewards-earning credit cards include The Platinum Card® from American Express and the American Express® Gold Card.

• Bank of America

  Bank of America allows cardholders to combine “like” rewards, meaning that points can be combined with points and cash back can be combined with cash back. The two reward types cannot be combined.

  For example, points earned with the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card cannot be combined with cash back earned from the Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards credit card. The points and cash back earned from either of these cards can only be combined with points or cash back earned from cards that earn the same type of rewards.

• Capital One

  Capital One is more flexible on how you can combine points and cash back earned from certain eligible Capital One credit cards. For instance, you can combine points earned from both personal and business Capital One credit cards like the Capital One Spark Miles for Business and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

  You can transfer cash rewards earned from select Capital One cash back cards to your miles accounts, but not vice versa. Capital One also lets you transfer Capital One miles earned from a Spark or Venture credit card to another person, with no requirement that this person be a family member or authorized user.

• Citi

  Citi allows you to transfer up to 100,000 ThankYou points per year to someone else’s ThankYou account. This person does not have to be a family member or an authorized user — they just need to have a ThankYou account.

  Citi ThankYou points-earning credit cards include the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and the Citi Prestige® Card*.

• Chase

  Chase allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards between your other cards that also earn Ultimate Rewards. Chase also allows you to transfer points to a Chase card held by another member of your household. Additionally, you might be able to initiate a transfer with someone outside your household by making a three-way phone call with Chase and the other cardholder.

  A few popular cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards include the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

• U.S. Bank

  U.S. Bank has three cards that earn points, but you can only transfer points between two of them.

  You can combine points earned from the U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card* and the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card*. However, you cannot combine points from either of those cards with the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card*.

• Wells Fargo

  Wells Fargo automatically combines points earned by the same person into one account. The issuer also allows you to transfer points to another Wells Fargo Rewards account other than your own.

  You can earn Wells Fargo Rewards from cards like the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, which earns points, or the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card*.

Pros to combining credit card points

Is combining credit card points the right move for you? The following are a few advantages to consider.

You’ll have more points to redeem

The ability to combine credit card points is a great way to top off your rewards account when you don’t have enough points for a redemption. Sometimes you just need a few more points to put you over the top, and combining points is a great way to do that without having to earn more points.

You can keep your points in an active account

You may carry two or more cards that earn the same type of points; for example, by holding both personal and business versions of credit cards that earn Membership Rewards. If you ever want to close an account that still has a points balance, transferring those points to another card is the best way to keep your points before making a change.

You can redeem points at a higher value

Sometimes, combining rewards allows you to get better value for your points. Most notably, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.5 cents per point when redeemed from the Sapphire Reserve, but only 1.25 cents per point with the Sapphire Preferred.

You cannot be the primary cardholder on both a Sapphire Preferred and a Reserve credit card. However, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards earned with your Sapphire Preferred card to a Sapphire Reserve held by another member of your household to redeem them at the higher value.

Similarly, only Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve and Chase Ink Business PreferredⓇ Credit Card cardholders can redeem their points with Chase’s travel partners (increasing their value from 1.25-1.5 cents per point to up to 2.0 cents per point, according to Bankrate’s valuations). If you hold the Chase Freedom Flex®* or the Chase Freedom UnlimitedⓇ, combining points from these cards with one of Chase’s premium cards opens up access to new redemption options and better value.

Cons to combining credit card points

That said, there are also a few caveats to be aware of when combining credit card points. You might decide against combining your credit card points because:

Your points might expire

Citi ThankYou points expire just 90 days after transferring them between accounts. If you forget to redeem those points within that time frame, you’ll lose your points.

Transfers can’t be reversed

Transfers like those between Capital One accounts cannot be reversed. For example, you can transfer cash back rewards to miles accounts, but not vice versa. This means that if you later decide that you want cash back returned to your original account for a statement credit, you’re out of luck.

The bottom line

Combining credit card points can give you additional flexibility in how you can use your rewards. Topping off your accounts for an upcoming redemption or sharing them with friends and family are two great reasons to combine credit card points.

But keep in mind that each issuer has their own rules for combining points — and that, once you’ve combined them, you may not be able to get them back to their original form. So, before you transfer any points, make sure you understand your issuer’s rules and check that you have the right rewards credit card combo to help you maximize your value.

*Information about the Citi Prestige® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card and Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.