Amex to Avios,
the smart way.

Membership Rewards move to Avios at 1:1, usually within a day. Here's the ratio, the timing, and how to let a transfer bonus do the heavy lifting.

2 min read · Facts checked September 2026

Short answer

American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Avios at 1:1, so 10,000 points become 10,000 Avios. Transfers are usually instant once your Avios account is linked, though Amex asks you to allow up to 72 hours. Periodic transfer bonuses of roughly 15 to 30 per cent are the easiest way to boost the rate.

Key takeaways
  1. One Membership Rewards point transfers to one Avios.
  2. Transfers are usually instant once linked, but American Express asks you to allow up to 72 hours.
  3. A transfer is one-way and cannot be reversed.
  4. Periodic bonuses of roughly 15–30% turn the same points into more Avios.
  5. Transfer against a specific booking, not on spec.
Wait for the bonus

The same points, worth more.

A 1:1 transfer is fine; a 1:1 transfer during a 30% bonus is a bargain. The trick is knowing a bonus is running before you move points — miss the window and you leave Avios on the table. Nanvero watches transfer bonuses for the programs you hold, so the right moment finds you.

1 Amex point → 1 Avios, in about a day
Transfer bonuses of ~15–30% appear periodically
Transfers are one-way — move with a plan

Transfer bonus watched for you

10,000 Amex10,000
+30% bonus13,000
+3,000 Avios for the same points · timing pays
On this page
  1. What is the Amex to Avios transfer rate?
  2. What a transfer bonus adds
  3. When should you transfer?

What is the Amex to Avios transfer rate?

American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Avios at 1:1 — one Amex point becomes one Avios — so 10,000 Membership Rewards points become 10,000 Avios. Transfers are usually instant once you have linked your Avios account, but American Express asks you to allow up to 72 hours — so never transfer against a seat you have not already held. American Express also runs periodic transfer bonuses, commonly around 15–30% extra, and moving points during one of those windows is the single easiest way to boost your Avios. Because Amex points are flexible, the advice is to transfer only when you have an Avios redemption in mind rather than speculatively.

Work out your transfer

Enter the Membership Rewards points you would move, and a bonus if one is running.

10,000 Membership Rewards points become 10,000 Avios at the standard 1:1 rate. Transfers are one-way, so move points against a seat you have already found.

What a transfer bonus adds

The ratio never changes; a bonus adds a percentage on top for a limited window. Across a real balance that percentage is not small: a 30% bonus on 50,000 points is 15,000 extra Avios, worth about £150 at the typical 1p an Avios is worth on a reward booking.

Avios received for a given number of Membership Rewards points. The bonus columns show what a bonus of that size would add — whether one is running today is on American Express’s offer page, not here.
Amex pointsAt 1:1+15% bonus+20% bonus+30% bonus
10,00010,000 Avios11,500 Avios12,000 Avios13,000 Avios
25,00025,000 Avios28,750 Avios30,000 Avios32,500 Avios
50,00050,000 Avios57,500 Avios60,000 Avios65,000 Avios
100,000100,000 Avios115,000 Avios120,000 Avios130,000 Avios

When should you transfer?

Transfer against a specific booking, not on spec. Membership Rewards points are flexible and a transfer to Avios is one-way, so points moved early give up their options for nothing — and because American Express asks you to allow up to 72 hours, hold the seat first where the airline lets you.

Within that, wait for a bonus if one is likely. A 1:1 transfer is fine; a 1:1 transfer during a 30% bonus is a bargain, and missing the window simply leaves Avios on the table.

  • 1 Amex point becomes 1 Avios, usually within a day.
  • Transfer bonuses of roughly 15–30% appear periodically.
  • Transfers are one-way, so move with a plan.

Deciding whether to move the points at all? Avios vs Membership Rewards sets the two side by side.

Amex to Avios — common questions

10,000 Avios, at the standard 1:1 rate — one Membership Rewards point transfers to one Avios. During a transfer bonus of, say, 20%, the same 10,000 Amex points would become 12,000 Avios.

Sources & method

The 1:1 ratio and the 72-hour timing are American Express’s published transfer terms, as reported by the source below and dated when it was checked. The bonus table and the calculator are plain arithmetic on that ratio: they show what a bonus would add, not that one is running. Avios values use the same typical rate as What are Avios worth?.

Where these numbers come from: AwardWallet 1:1 standard ratio; transfers usually immediate but up to 72 hours; a 30% bonus for US cardmembers running to 27 September 2026 (September 2026). Transfer bonuses are temporary and ratios can change; check the live offer before moving points.

Catch the bonus,
not the regret.

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