If you've got a bunch of airline miles, you generally can't combine them with a friend or family member – at least not without paying a hefty fee that makes those transfers nearly worthless. But Chase Ultimate Rewards points are different.
Chase allows you to combine Ultimate Rewards points with a member of the same household – more on that soon. That's what makes Chase points so great for families looking to pile up points for their travels.
So if you and a family member, spouse, or partner are trying to combine points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Freedom, read on.
Chase's Rules
It's Chase's world, and we're just living in it. And that means you have to play by the bank's rules – or else.
In this case, Chase makes the rules crystal clear for transferring to other Chase account holders. Here's a snippet, with our emphasis added.
You can move your points, but only to another Chase card with Ultimate Rewards belonging to you, or one member of your household. If we suspect that you've engaged in fraudulent activity related to your credit card account or Ultimate Rewards, or that you've misused Ultimate Rewards in any way (for example by buying or selling points, moving or transferring points with or to an ineligible third party or account, or repeatedly opening or otherwise maintaining credit card accounts for the sole purpose of generating rewards) we may temporarily prohibit you from earning points or using points you've already earned. If we believe you've engaged in any of these acts, we'll close your credit card account and you'll lose all your points.
Translation: You can add one, and only one, household member to your account for the purpose of combining points. And that means you have to share the same billing address. But whether that person is a relative, spouse, partner, or roommate, it works. Just don't try to outwit Chase with this, as the consequences clearly aren't worth the risk.
Thrifty Tip: If you've got a Chase business card, you can freely transfer points to co-owners and accountholders of the business.
Other banks handle it somewhat differently. In the case of American Express, you can transfer Membership Rewards points directly to the frequent flyer accounts of your authorized users. Chase also offers the same option.
But this setup with Chase could be even better.
How to Combine Points with a Household Member
If you're ready to combine points within your household, you've come to the right place. The process starts just the same as if you're trying to combine points between your own Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points.
Head to Chase.com and log in to your account, then head to the Ultimate Rewards portal. From there, you may need to click “See All” before you find “Combine Points.” That's what you want.
From here, you'll see the option to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points between your own Chase cards. But you'll also have the option to “add household member.” Click that, and you'll get the following, brief form to fill out.
Fill it out and hit continue, and the addition is quite fast. So long as you share the same billing address, there should be no hiccups or issues. If it's not instant, you should be able to start transferring points by the following business day.
From there, simply choose to transfer points to your new household member. Unlike when you transfer Chase points to airline accounts, there's no need to transfer in 1,000-point quantities. Any number is fine.
These points transfers are also instantaneous.
Another Option to Send Chase Points to Others
Much like American Express, you can also transfer Chase points directly to an authorized user's frequent flyer account.
Of course, that could come with a cost. If you've got the Chase Sapphire Preferred, it's free to add an authorized user. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, however, it's another $75 per year on top of the card's $550 annual fee.
And beware: Becoming an authorized user counts towards Chase's dreaded 5/24 restriction, which could make it harder to get approved for Chase cards in the future.
But once you've added an authorized user, it's simple to transfer points directly to that person's airline accounts. Here are the options:
| Program | Type | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France/KLM | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| British Airways | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Emirates | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia Plus | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| JetBlue | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Air | Airline | 1:1 | 12-24 hours |
| Southwest Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| United Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| World of Hyatt | Hotel | 1:1 | Instant |
| IHG | Hotel | 1:1 | 1 day |
| Marriott Rewards | Hotel | 1:1 | 2 days |
Of course, this option really only works if you're looking to consolidate points within a specific airline account. If you'd rather use your Chase points to book a flight deal directly, you're better off adding a household member.
Bottom Line
It's fairly easy to combine Chase points between accounts – at least as long as you're part of the same household. And that's a great way to pool your points together and book some amazing travel on the cheap.