Transfer Partners India Credit Card: Complete Database 2026

Introduction

Transfer partners determine how much flexibility an Indian cardholder has with accumulated points. A card that earns well but transfers only to one airline locks you into that program's award inventory and pricing. A card with ten or more partners gives you routing options across multiple alliances and hotel chains.

Three structural facts define the 2026 Indian transfer landscape. First, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is the dominant program with 21 participating cards; it is available on virtually every travel card in India. Second, British Airways Avios is the second-largest program with 19 cards, but transfer ratios vary widely; SBI Aurum holders lose 80 percent of their value at 5:1. Third, the top of the card count leaderboard now has two names with different stories: SBI Miles Elite carries 26 verified transfer partners per the official SBI Miles Rewards Program T&C, the broadest raw count in India; HSBC TravelOne carries 20 partners, but is the only Indian card that transfers to Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Accor Live Limitless, and scores 74/100 on the Partner Quality Score versus SBI Miles Elite at 62/100.

Hotel programs are broader than in prior years. Ten hotel loyalty programs now accept points from Indian credit cards, up from six. SBI Miles Elite alone accounts for four new entries: ITC Hotels Club ITC, Jumeirah One, Orchid Rewards, and Radisson Rewards. Despite this expansion, Hilton Honors remains accessible only through Amex Platinum at a below-par 0.9:1 ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy remains the most broadly accessible hotel program at nine cards.

Airline Transfer Partners

Twenty-two airline loyalty programs accept points from Indian credit cards. Standard transfer ratio means 1 card point equals 1 loyalty mile. Non-standard ratios are listed explicitly. Programs marked as HSBC TravelOne only are available exclusively through that card among flexible-point cards; co-branded direct-earn cards are noted separately.

Hotel Transfer Partners

Ten hotel loyalty programs accept points from Indian credit cards. Marriott Bonvoy and IHG are the most broadly accessible. SBI Miles Elite added four new hotel programs to the database in 2026: ITC Hotels Club ITC, Jumeirah One, Orchid Rewards, and Radisson Rewards.

Transfer Partners by Card

Sorted by transfer partner count descending. Cards with zero transfer partners (HDFC Swiggy, Scapia, IDFC Mayura) operate closed-loop reward systems with no transfer capability and are not included. Non-standard ratios are noted inline with a dagger (†).

† Non-standard ratio. See program table above for exact conversion. * Transfer partnership status unconfirmed from public primary sources as of July 2026; verify with the issuer before transferring. Ratios verified July 2026 from primary issuer sources and official program T&C documents.

Transfer Partner Leaderboards

Three separate leaderboards measure different dimensions of transfer partner value. Raw count, quality score, and KrisFlyer ecosystem strength each produce a different ranking. The card that wins one leaderboard does not automatically win another.

Leaderboard 1: Most transfer partners by count

Leaderboard 2: Partner quality score

Partner Quality Score measures the average tier weight of a card's transfer partners. Each program is assigned a tier from ★★★★★ Global Premium (weight 5) to ★☆☆☆☆ Limited Utility (weight 1). Score = total weighted sum divided by maximum possible (all partners at 5 stars) times 100. A card with three ★★★★★ programs scores 100; a card with 26 partners that are mostly niche programs scores lower despite the larger count.

Quality Score tiers: ★★★★★ Global Premium = KrisFlyer, Avios, Flying Blue, Emirates Skywards, Qantas, Marriott Bonvoy. ★★★★☆ Strong International = Air India, Qatar, Etihad, JAL, Cathay, IHG, Accor, Hilton. ★★★☆☆ Regional Useful = Thai, AirAsia, Vietnam, EVA, United, Turkish, Wyndham, Aeroplan. ★★☆☆☆ Niche = Air Arabia, Ethiopian, Saudia, Hainan, Shangri-La, Radisson, Jumeirah, ITC Hotels. ★☆☆☆☆ Limited Utility = SpiceClub, Orchid Rewards.

Leaderboard 3: Best KrisFlyer ecosystem

Ranked by transfer ratio (1:1 only), then by estimated earn rate at Rs1 lakh per month. Cards with non-standard KrisFlyer ratios are excluded from this leaderboard; use the KrisFlyer guide for full tier analysis.

KrisFlyer earn estimates are approximate; actual miles depend on spend category mix, portal usage, and fee structures. See the KrisFlyer India Guide for full calculations.

Partner Quality Score: Program Tier Reference

The five quality tiers reflect a program's global redemption footprint, award availability, and routing utility for Indian travelers. Tier assignment is independent of the transfer ratio from any specific card.

Key Insights

Breadth versus quality: SBI Miles Elite versus HSBC TravelOne

SBI Miles Elite has 26 verified transfer partners per the official SBI Miles Rewards Program T&C dated February 2026. This makes it the broadest-coverage card in the Indian market by raw count. HSBC TravelOne has 20 partners but scores 74/100 on the Partner Quality Score versus SBI Miles Elite at 62/100. The gap explains itself: SBI Miles Elite has no KrisFlyer (the largest Indian program), no Marriott Bonvoy (the most accessible hotel program), and 11 of its 26 partnerships carry non-standard 2:1 or worse ratios. HSBC TravelOne is the only Indian card with Qatar Airways and Accor, and 15 of its 20 airline and hotel programs transfer at standard rates. For a traveler who wants maximum routing flexibility, SBI Miles Elite wins by count. For a traveler who wants the best programs per partner slot, HSBC TravelOne wins outright.

HSBC TravelOne is exclusive on two programs that matter

Among all Indian credit cards in 2026, HSBC TravelOne is the only card that transfers to Qatar Airways Privilege Club and the only card that transfers to Accor Live Limitless at 1:1 after Axis Bank removed Accor in April 2026. SBI Miles Elite now transfers to Accor at 2:1, meaning HSBC TravelOne retains the superior ratio. With 15 airline and 5 hotel partners plus these two exclusives, TravelOne's partner set has no direct competitor on quality, even after SBI Miles Elite's 26-partner disclosure.

The Amex KrisFlyer and Avios penalty compounds over time

Amex Membership Rewards transfers at 2:1 to both KrisFlyer and Avios. On a standard HDFC or ICICI card, 10,000 points yield 10,000 KrisFlyer miles. On Amex MRCC, the same 10,000 points yield 5,000 miles. Over a year of spending, this gap is material. The one exception is Marriott Bonvoy, where Amex MRCC transfers at 1:1; this is the most favorable Amex transfer for hotel redemptions.

Amex Platinum shares the same 2:1 KrisFlyer and Avios ratios. Its unique options are Hilton Honors (at 0.9:1) and access to a broader point ecosystem. For most Indian travelers, Marriott Bonvoy at 1:1 remains the best Amex transfer destination.

SBI Aurum Avios is the worst confirmed transfer in India

SBI Aurum transfers to British Airways Avios at 5:1. Five SBI Reward Points equal one Avios. A cardholder with 50,000 SBI points receives 10,000 Avios. The same 50,000 points from HDFC Infinia would produce 50,000 Avios at 1:1. SBI Aurum's KrisFlyer transfer ratio has not been confirmed from primary source; the program's KrisFlyer path is rated unfavorable. Air India Maharaja Club is the recommended transfer destination for SBI Aurum cardholders. SBI Miles Elite is a separate card with a separate program; its Avios transfer is at 1:1.

IHG and Accor coverage concentrated in Axis and HSBC; SBI Miles Elite adds IHG

IHG One Rewards — covering InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Voco — is now available from five Indian cards: Axis Horizon, Axis Magnus Burgundy, HSBC TravelOne, HSBC Premier, and SBI Miles Elite. No HDFC or ICICI card transfers to IHG. Accor is now available from HSBC TravelOne at 1:1 and SBI Miles Elite at 2:1. For travelers who stay at IHG or Accor properties, card selection remains narrow but slightly broader than in prior years.

Frequently Asked Questions