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Accidental transfer · Amex to Air Canada Aeroplan

Accidentally transferred Amex points to Air Canada Aeroplan? Here's how to sell the points

No bank reverses a points transfer, and Amex is no exception. The Membership Rewards program terms say that once you transfer points the transfer cannot be reversed and the partner program's terms apply, and that points transferred to a partner account cannot be converted back into Membership Rewards points. The American Express Membership Rewards points you moved are Air Canada Aeroplan points now, and Air Canada Aeroplan's rules decide what can happen to them.

If you will not fly on them, Points Plug buys Air Canada Aeroplan points from 50,000 points at 1.02¢ to 1.23¢ per point, depending on the balance, with payment in 24-48 hours: 100,000 points fetch about $1,090. This page covers what the points are worth, what Air Canada Aeroplan lets you do with them instead, and how to sell.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .

Can Amex reverse it?
No
Stated on its own pages
Transfer ratio
1:1
Amex points to Air Canada Aeroplan points
Points expiry
After 18 months without activity
Points Plug pays
1.02¢ to 1.23¢ per point
From 50,000 points

Can a Amex transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan be reversed?

The Membership Rewards program terms state that once you transfer points, the transfer cannot be reversed and the partner loyalty program's terms and conditions apply, and that points transferred to a partner account cannot be converted back into Membership Rewards points. Amex's transfer FAQ says the same in plainer words: transfers are final, so check award availability and the points needed before you move anything.

Amex's international help pages answer the exact question, "I transferred points to my airline account but can't get the booking I want, can I transfer them back?", with no. The US terms leave no more room than that, and the excise fee charged on transfers to US airlines is not refunded either.

How Amex transfers work

  • Most airlines are 1:1 in 1,000-point increments; Cathay Pacific and Emirates are 5:4. Transfers to US airline programs such as Delta and JetBlue carry an excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point, capped at $99.
  • The airline account must be in your name or the name of an Additional Card Member whose card was issued at least 90 days before you link it.
  • Amex says transfers typically take up to 48 hours; British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Delta and Aeroplan usually post within minutes, while Cathay Pacific, Etihad and KrisFlyer can take several business days.

If the points have not posted, or went somewhere you did not expect

  • If the points have left your Membership Rewards balance but have not reached the airline after 48 hours, contact Amex through the chat or the number on your account with the transfer confirmation, and check the airline account for a pending credit.
  • Amex's pages describe no process for moving points that posted to the wrong partner. From that point the airline's rules decide what can be done with them.

What your Air Canada Aeroplan points are worth now

Published valuations put Air Canada Aeroplan points at 1.40¢ to 1.50¢ each, about 1.45¢ on average, as of September 22, 2026. American Express Membership Rewards points were valued at 1.30¢ to 2.20¢ before the transfer. At 1:1, each point you moved is now worth about 1.45¢ as Air Canada Aeroplan points, against about 1.74¢ as a transferable point: a loss of roughly 17% on paper, which a well-chosen award can still recover. The published figure assumes the points go on flights; what you actually get depends on the award, and the Air Canada Aeroplan valuation page lists the redemptions behind the range.

Before the transfer, Amex would have paid about 0.60¢ per point as statement credit, and that option is gone. For the points you hold now, Points Plug pays 1.02¢ to 1.23¢ per point, rising with the balance; 100,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points, roughly what 100,000 Amex points became at 1:1, fetch about $1,090. The quote form on this page shows the exact figure for your balance.

BalanceRate per pointExample offer
50,000 to 99,999 points1.02¢50,000 points: $510
100,000 to 199,999 points1.09¢100,000 points: $1,090
200,000 to 499,999 points1.16¢200,000 points: $2,320
500,000+ points1.23¢500,000 points: $6,150

Offers are a share of the program's typical published value; our rates page explains how they are set for every program.

How to sell Air Canada Aeroplan points

  1. Get a quote. The form on this page is preset to Air Canada Aeroplan; enter your balance and the offer and price per point appear before you give up anything.
  2. Accept the offer. Our team reaches out to confirm the details and explain how the booking will be handled. You keep your account and your login.
  3. The points are used to book last-minute travel for pre-qualified customers through your account, usually in one or two bookings rather than many small ones.
  4. You are paid through the method you choose, typically within 24-48 hours of the booking.

The minimum is 50,000 points in one program, and balances of 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 earn higher rates. You never pay anything: the quote is free and the offer you accept is the amount you receive. Read how it works and the guide to selling airline miles for the detail.

Airline programs' terms restrict selling miles. Our Air Canada Aeroplan Q&A quotes Air Canada Aeroplan's own rule, so you can read it before you decide.

Other ways to use the points

Fly on them

  • Business class to Europe and Asia on Star Alliance partners such as Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, ANA and EVA Air, with no fuel surcharges.
  • Stopovers: adding a stopover to a one-way award costs a small fixed number of points, making two-destination trips cheap.
  • Awards on unusual partners, including Emirates and Etihad, which are otherwise hard to book with points.

The Air Canada Aeroplan award chart shows what the balance books and which redemptions return the most per point, and the Air Canada Aeroplan program guide covers the traps.

Share or pool them

Family Sharing pools the balances of up to eight members with a family relationship at no charge, and a paid transfer to any other member runs through the Points.com portal linked from Your Aeroplan.

Move them to another program

Not under Aeroplan's terms. Points converted in from another program are meant to be used for redemptions within Aeroplan, and unless Aeroplan permits otherwise, points cannot be transferred or converted to or from another loyalty program's currency.

Points Plug can also convert Air Canada Aeroplan points into another airline program from 50,000 points, with the fee built into the rate the quote shows.

Will the points expire?

Aeroplan points expire after 18 months with no earning, redemption or transfer activity, with a six-month window to recover them. Air Canada paused expiry and resumes it on November 30, 2026. Primary holders of a TD, American Express or CIBC Aeroplan credit card, and Aeroplan Elite Status members, are exempt.

Converting points in from another program is on Aeroplan's list of activity that keeps points active, so the transfer itself restarted the 18-month inactivity clock. Air Canada has paused expiry and resumes it on November 30, 2026.

Source: Aeroplan inactivity policy. See do airline miles expire for every program's rule.

Avoiding the same mistake next time

  • Find the award seat first and confirm it books with Air Canada Aeroplan at the price you expect. Only then transfer, and only the amount the award needs; the rest keeps its flexibility in Amex.
  • Read the partner name on the confirmation screen before you confirm. Several partners have similar names (Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Red, the four Avios programs) and a mis-tap lands the points somewhere else for good.
  • Hold Amex points in Amex until a trip is certain. There they keep their cash option and their choice of partners, and transfer bonuses of 20 to 40 percent come round several times a year.
  • Keep the confirmation email until the miles post, and check the airline account under the same name before assuming a transfer failed; posting times run from minutes to two weeks depending on the issuer and the airline.
  • Our guide to transferring credit card points to airlines covers ratios, timing and fees for every issuer.

Amex to Air Canada Aeroplan: FAQ

Can I reverse a Amex transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan?
No. The Membership Rewards program terms say that once you transfer points the transfer cannot be reversed and the partner program's terms apply, and that points transferred to a partner account cannot be converted back into Membership Rewards points. The points are Air Canada Aeroplan points now and follow Air Canada Aeroplan's rules.
Can I move Air Canada Aeroplan points back to American Express Membership Rewards?
Not under Aeroplan's terms. Points converted in from another program are meant to be used for redemptions within Aeroplan, and unless Aeroplan permits otherwise, points cannot be transferred or converted to or from another loyalty program's currency.
Will Amex refund the transfer if the award seat is gone?
No. Amex's pages make no exception for award seats that disappear after a transfer, which is why the usual advice is to find the seat and confirm the price before moving points. Once the points post, the choice is between waiting for new availability, using them another way or selling them.
How much are my Air Canada Aeroplan points worth now?
Published valuations put Air Canada Aeroplan points at 1.40¢ to 1.50¢ each when redeemed for flights, with partner premium-cabin awards above that and cash-style redemptions below. As cash, Points Plug pays 1.02¢ to 1.23¢ per point depending on the balance, so 100,000 points fetch about $1,090.
How does selling Air Canada Aeroplan points to Points Plug work?
Enter your balance in the quote form for an instant offer and price per point. Accept it, and our team confirms the details, books last-minute travel for pre-qualified customers through your account and pays you by your preferred method, typically within 24-48 hours of the booking. The minimum is 50,000 points in one program, and the quote is free with no obligation.
Can I give the points to someone else or pool them?
Family Sharing pools the balances of up to eight members with a family relationship at no charge, and a paid transfer to any other member runs through the Points.com portal linked from Your Aeroplan.
Do Air Canada Aeroplan points expire after a transfer?
Aeroplan points expire after 18 months with no earning, redemption or transfer activity, with a six-month window to recover them. Air Canada paused expiry and resumes it on November 30, 2026. Primary holders of a TD, American Express or CIBC Aeroplan credit card, and Aeroplan Elite Status members, are exempt. Converting points in from another program is on Aeroplan's list of activity that keeps points active, so the transfer itself restarted the 18-month inactivity clock. Air Canada has paused expiry and resumes it on November 30, 2026.

Sources

Other accidental transfers

Every bank's rule on reversing transfers, with a page for each transfer route.

More on Air Canada Aeroplan

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