Converting Chase Points to United Miles (Step-by-Step)

Converting Chase points to United miles is a simple process. It allows you to convert flexible credit card points into airline miles that can be used for award flights on United and its partners. Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for transferring, the conversion rate (points to miles ratio), current bonus promotions, how to calculate the miles you’ll receive, and a comparison of using United miles versus using Chase points directly for travel.

Conversion Rate

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio. 

This means that with Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can transfer your points to United MileagePlus and receive the same number of miles, with 1 Chase point converting to 1 United mile. Chase points must be transferred in increments of 1,000 points.

The transfer itself is free and happens almost instantly. However, sometimes it can take up to seven business days for the points to be transferred.

Chase sometimes runs transfer bonus promotions that give you extra miles when you convert points. However, don’t count on bonuses for transferring from Chase points to United miles, as they are extremely rare. We usually cover bonus news, so you can check them out here or on the Chase website.

Step-by-Step: How to Transfer Chase Points to United Miles

Converting your Chase points to United miles involves using the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth transfer:

• Sign in to your Chase online account and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards section. If you have multiple Chase cards, select one that earns Ultimate Rewards points (e.g. Sapphire Preferred/Reserve). In your Ultimate Rewards dashboard, look for the menu option labeled “Travel.”
• Under the “Travel” drop-down menu, click on “Transfer points to partners.” This will bring up a list of all airline and hotel loyalty programs to which Chase allows point transfers.

• Scroll through the airline partners and choose United Airlines MileagePlus. If this is your first time transferring to United, you’ll be prompted to link your MileagePlus account by entering your United frequent flyer number and last name. (The recipient can be you or an authorized user on your card.)

• Decide how many points to convert. Chase requires transfers in increments of 1,000 points, with a minimum of 1,000 points per transfer. Input the number of points you want to move. (For example, entering “5,000” will convert 5,000 Chase points into United miles.)

• Click “Next” to review a summary of the transfer details, which will show the partner (United) and the number of miles you’ll receive. Double-check everything, then hit “Submit” to finalize the transfer. Remember that transfers are irreversible, so ensure you’ve entered the correct amount and have a plan to use the miles. Once the transfer is confirmed, you will receive an email from Chase notifying you that the points transfer is in progress. You will also receive an email once the points transfer is complete. This way, you will know when the transfer has been completed.

Calculating Points to Miles

Because the transfer ratio is 1:1, calculating how many United miles you’ll get from your Chase points is simple. For every 1 point, you get 1 mile. In practical terms:

• 1,000 Chase points = 1,000 United miles
• 10,000 Chase points = 10,000 United miles (and so on).

To know how many miles you’ll get, it’s a direct swap. If you move 50,000 Chase points, you’ll get 50,000 United miles. One thing to remember is the 1,000-point thing. If you need 12,500 United miles, you’ll need to move 13,000 Chase points because you can’t move part of a thousand.

If there’s a bonus for moving points, you get extra miles. A 30% bonus would mean that moving 10,000 points gets you 13,000 miles. If there is a bonus, just do the math. You can use a regular calculator so you can plan to get the right amount of miles for what you want.

Chase Points vs. United Miles

Before you move your points, think about the best way to use them. You can move them to partners such as United, or you can use them to book trips through Chase’s travel site. Here’s what to think about:

Point Value on Chase’s Travel Site

If you book flights on Chase’s site, your points have a fixed worth. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, points have been worth 1.25 cents each for travel. With the Sapphire Reserve, they’re worth 1.5 cents each ($150 flight for 10,000 points). This is your baseline. If moving to United doesn’t give you better value, book through Chase directly.

Average Value of United Miles

United miles are worth about 1.2 to 1.3 cents each. So, 10,000 United miles might get you $120–$130 worth of flights. This is a bit less than what you’d get with 10,000 Chase points on the Sapphire Preferred/Reserve site ($125–$150). However, the value of United miles depends on how you use them. Sometimes, United’s prices can offer a way better value, making a transfer a good idea.

If you use United miles for expensive flights (especially international or business/first class), you can get great value. For example, booked a one-way ticket from Chicago to Europe for 44,000 United miles + $8 in taxes. The ticket would have cost about $830 in cash. The 44k miles were worth about 1.9 cents each which is better than the 1.25–1.5 cents you’d get on Chase’s site. United sometimes has deals that make your miles even more valuable.

United uses changing prices, so if plane tickets are cheap, the miles needed might be low, but sometimes they aren’t that low. For cheap flights or when United’s mileage price is high, the Chase site might be better.

Flexibility and Fees

Award tickets booked with United miles often let you change or cancel for free and you get your miles back. If you book a flight through the Chase site, any changes depend on the airline’s policy and might mean working with Chase’s travel service.

Also, when using miles, you typically only pay minimal taxes (for example, $5.60 for a one-way domestic US flight), whereas using the portal uses points to cover the whole fare (which implicitly covers taxes too). The difference isn’t huge for domestic trips, but for expensive international itineraries, the value of flexibility and potential fee waivers with miles can tilt the decision.

Conclusion

Transferring Chase points to United miles is a simple process, but the question is how beneficial it is. Read the section above on Chase Points vs. United Miles to understand whether it is worth transferring flexible points. If moving points to United lets you book a flight that’s usually expensive, it’s worth it. If the United award needs a lot of miles for a cheap flight, it might be better to use Chase’s site.