Transfers
How a card transfer actually works
Ratios, minimums, increments and the wait. What moves instantly, what takes three days, and why a transfer can never be undone.
257
transfer routes modelled
17
card currencies they start from
2
that land in an hour or less
A transfer is one way
Points leave the card programme and arrive in the airline's. Nothing sends them back. That single fact is why this site prices the seat before it suggests the transfer: once your HDFC points are Singapore KrisFlyer miles, they can only ever buy a Singapore award.
Four numbers decide whether it is worth it
The ratio is what arrives for what leaves. The minimum is the smallest transfer allowed, and it is often larger than the shortfall you were trying to cover. The increment rounds you up beyond that. The wait decides whether the seat is still there when the points land.
The transfer page shows all four for every route, because a 1:1 ratio with a 10,000 minimum is worse than a 2:1 with a 1,000 minimum when you are 900 points short.
Transfer last, not first
Award seats are inventory. Confirm the seat exists at the price you expect, then move the points. Doing it the other way round is the most expensive ordinary mistake in this hobby.