Which Indian credit cards transfer points to airlines and hotels? Axis EDGE, HDFC Infinia and Diners Black, SBI Air India: ratios, caps, fees and when a transfer pays.
Quick Verdict
Only a few Indian credit cards let you move points to airlines and hotels. The clearest are Axis Bank's EDGE cards (Magnus, Reserve, Burgundy Private, Olympus, Atlas, Horizon and others) and HDFC's Infinia and Diners Club Black, which transfer through SmartBuy. SBI's Air India cards convert points to Maharaja Points, but they are closed to new customers.
That is the short answer tocredit card transfer partners India. The catch is the ratio: the same 10,000 points can become 1,000 miles or 8,000 miles depending on your card. Transfers are final, and caps and partners change without much notice. This guide is as of November 2026.
Bank | Cards | How you transfer | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
Axis Bank | Burgundy Private, Magnus, Reserve, Olympus, Atlas, Horizon, Select, Privilege, Rewards and others | Travel EDGE portal or Axis app | Yearly caps by card; ₹199 + taxes per transfer |
HDFC Bank | Infinia, Diners Club Black | SmartBuy "Miles Transfer" | 1,50,000 points a month across flights, hotels and miles |
SBI Card | Air India SBI Platinum and Signature | Convert SBI points to Maharaja Points | New issuance stopped 10 October 2024 |
Airline co-brands | IndiGo Axis and Kotak, BOBCARD Etihad Guest | Points credited directly to the airline | Locked to one airline |
What Are Credit Card Transfer Partners?
A transfer partner is an airline or hotel loyalty programme that your bank lets you send points to. Your bank points turn into the partner's miles or hotel points at a fixed ratio, such as 5 bank points for 2 miles. After that, you book the award ticket or stay in the partner's own system.
This is different from an airline co-brand card, where the airline's own currency is earned directly. It is also different from redeeming on the bank's own travel portal. For the basics readReward Points 101.
Before you transfer, check:
the ratio for your exact card and the exact partner
the yearly or monthly cap on transfers
the fee per transfer
whether award seats exist on the dates you want
that your name on the card matches your loyalty account
Which Indian Credit Cards Let You Transfer Points to Airlines?
Axis Bank EDGE cards
Axis has the widest list. Its Travel EDGE terms name airline and hotel partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Air India Maharaja Club, British Airways Club, Cathay, Etihad Guest, Qantas, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Turkish Airlines and United. Hilton Honors, Miles & More and Accor ALL appear as well. Club ITC is no longer listed. Axis says the list can change at its discretion.
The ratio depends on the card and its currency. Premium cards earn EDGE REWARD Points. Atlas, Olympus, Horizon and IndianOil Axis Premium earn EDGE Miles. These are the ratios Axis lists for Aeroplan, which is a typical airline partner. The first number is your points or miles; the second is partner points.
Card | Ratio (Aeroplan) | 10,000 points or miles become |
|---|---|---|
Burgundy Private | 5:4 | 8,000 |
Magnus for Burgundy | 5:4 | 8,000 |
Reserve, Magnus | 5:2 | 4,000 |
Select, Privilege, Rewards | 10:1 | 1,000 |
Other eligible cards | 20:1 | 500 |
Olympus (EDGE Miles) | 1:4 | 40,000 |
Atlas (EDGE Miles) | 1:2 | 20,000 |
Horizon (EDGE Miles) | 1:1 | 10,000 |
Some partners, such as Accor, sit in a lower-ratio tier, so check each partner. SeeAxis EDGE transfer partners: Accor returns, ITC removed.
HDFC Infinia and Diners Club Black
HDFC's metal-edition pages say points can be converted to air miles, up to 1 air mile per reward point. Transfers run on the SmartBuy portal under "Miles Transfer". Three partners are priced worse: since 15 January 2024, 2 reward points convert to 1 loyalty point for Turkish Miles & Smiles, Accor and Avianca LifeMiles.
HDFC's rewards terms cap flight, hotel and air-mile redemptions on SmartBuy at 1,50,000 points per calendar month. They also say the airline may take 5 to 7 working days to confirm, and a redemption cannot be cancelled. We could not confirm the full current partner list from HDFC's own documents, so open SmartBuy before you plan around a specific airline.
SBI Air India cards
The Air India SBI Platinum and Signature cards earn SBI Reward Points, which you convert to Maharaja Points. Air India's partner page lists the ratio as 1 SBI point for 1 Maharaja Point. SBI stopped issuing these cards on 10 October 2024. From 31 March 2025 the Signature card's rate on Air India tickets was cut from 30 to 10 points per ₹100. Air India has announced a new co-branded card with SBI Card, but as of November 2026 we found no official fees or launch date.
American Express
Amex's Etihad Guest transfer from Membership Rewards has been discontinued. Seethe news post. We did not find a current India partner list on Amex's own pages, so check Amex India before relying on any transfer.
How Much Is a Transfer Worth in Rupees?
A transfer is only good if the miles buy more than the points would on the bank's own portal. The test is simple: value per point = rupees saved on the ticket divided by bank points spent.
Take a hypothetical ₹30,000 economy fare that needs 20,000 airline miles plus taxes. Taxes and fees are paid in cash, so we ignore them here.
Card | Bank points needed (Aeroplan ratio) | Value per bank point |
|---|---|---|
Burgundy Private (5:4) | 25,000 | ₹1.20 |
Reserve (5:2) | 50,000 | ₹0.60 |
Select (10:1) | 2,00,000 | ₹0.15 |
The numbers are illustrative; real award prices move by route and date. The point is that the same ticket costs eight times more points on a mass card than on a top-tier one. Axis says each Atlas EDGE Mile is worth ₹1 on Travel EDGE, so for Atlas the transfer only wins if each partner mile you get (two per Atlas Mile at 1:2) is worth more than ₹0.50. For more, readhow to calculate the real value of 1 reward point.
What Limits and Fees Apply?
Rule | Axis | HDFC |
|---|---|---|
Cap | Yearly, by card: Atlas 1,50,000; Olympus 7,50,000; Burgundy Private 15,00,000; most others 5,00,000 | 1,50,000 points a calendar month |
Group split | Group A (smaller cap) and Group B | Not stated in documents read |
Fee | ₹199 + taxes per transfer | Check SmartBuy |
Reversal | Not allowed | Not allowed |
Timing | Hotels up to 1 working day | Airlines 5 to 7 working days |
Axis's Group A cap is the small one and is shared by most airline partners. An Atlas holder can move only 30,000 EDGE Miles a year to all Group A partners combined.
Who Should Care About Transfer Partners?
This topic is for travellers and frequent flyers. If you fly two or three times a year on one airline, an airline co-brand or a plain cashback card is simpler. Transfers pay off when you fly long-haul in business or use an award chart with fixed prices.
If you fly abroad, also check the forex markup: use theforex markup calculator.
Checklist
Look up your exact card's ratio for your exact partner.
Check the Group A or monthly cap before you plan.
Confirm award space before moving points.
Match the name on your card to the loyalty account.
Transfer only what you need; it cannot be reversed.
Add the transfer fee and cash taxes to your cost.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Transferring before checking award availability.
Assuming one ratio applies to every partner.
Spending the small Group A cap on a low-value partner.
Ignoring that airlines change award prices.
Forgetting that hotel partners can be removed, as Club ITC was.
Related on benchmarksutra
Credit cards in India: every benchmarksutra guide in one place
Reward Points vs Cashback Credit Cards in India: Which Wins?
FAQs
Which Indian credit cards let you transfer points to airlines?
Axis Bank's EDGE cards, HDFC's Infinia and Diners Club Black, and the Air India SBI cards (closed to new customers). Airline co-brands credit the airline directly instead.
Can you transfer credit card points to hotels in India?
Yes. Axis and HDFC list Accor ALL, at weaker ratios than most airlines. Axis lists Hilton Honors as well. Club ITC is no longer on Axis's list.
What is the Axis Bank transfer fee?
₹199 plus taxes per transfer, as listed on Axis card pages. Transfers cannot be reversed.
Is there a limit on HDFC miles transfers?
HDFC caps flight, hotel and air-mile redemptions on SmartBuy at 1,50,000 reward points per calendar month.
Are SBI points transferable to Air India?
On the Air India SBI cards, 1 SBI Reward Point converts to 1 Maharaja Point, but those cards are no longer issued to new customers.
How long does a transfer take?
Axis lists up to 1 working day for hotels. HDFC says airlines may take 5 to 7 working days. Timing differs by partner.
Is a transfer better than redeeming on the bank portal?
Only if the award is worth more per point. Compare both before you move points.
Do transfer ratios change?
Yes. Banks can change partners, ratios and caps. HDFC changed three partner ratios in January 2024.
Official Sources and Editorial Note
Data checked as of: November 2026
Axis Bank Travel EDGE terms and conditions (partners, ratios, caps)
https://traveledge.axis.bank.in/travel/common/termsandcondition
Axis Bank Atlas credit card page
https://www.axis.bank.in/cards/credit-card/axis-bank-atlas-credit-card
Axis Bank EDGE Rewards page
https://www.axis.bank.in/offers-rewards/axis-edge-rewards/credit-card
HDFC Bank Infinia rewards points programme terms and conditions (PDF)
HDFC rewards terms (PDF)
HDFC Bank Infinia credit card page
https://www.hdfc.bank.in/credit-cards/infinia-credit-card
Air India Maharaja Club: SBI partner page
https://www.airindia.com/in/en/maharaja-club/partner-offers/sbi.html
SBI Card customer notices
https://www.sbicard.com/en/customer-notices.page
This article is written from official sources and does not rely on third-party wording.
Editorial note:Partner lists, ratios and caps change without notice. Ratios in this guide are the Aeroplan ratios Axis lists, used as an example. Check your bank's live portal before transferring, because transfers are final.
