Traveling with friends, and what happens to your miles

This is where the biggest balance usually sits, and it is the least like the airline programs. Read the timing point in the callout above before anything else here.

• American Express states in one sentence that Membership Rewards points are not the member’s property, cannot be transferred to another person’s Rewards Account, and cannot pass in a divorce — the only major issuer to name divorce, inheritance and bankruptcy together in a single prohibition.

  “Points don’t belong to you and are not your property. You can’t transfer them to someone else’s Rewards Account, you can’t sell them, and you can’t pass them on as part of a legal action, such as a divorce, an inheritance or bankruptcy.”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions (Last Updated: August 2026), ‘You agree that’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Amex forfeits the entire balance when American Express cancels the product, for any reason.

  “When we cancel your Product: If we cancel any of your Products for any reason (including your death, insolvency or bankruptcy), you’ll lose all the points in your Rewards Account”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘Lose Points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Amex forfeits the entire balance immediately when the member closes the account voluntarily, if it was the last card linked to the Rewards Account — the single most consequential sentence for anyone deciding who keeps which card.

  “You will immediately lose all of the points in your Rewards Account if you cancel or unenroll your last linked Product2. However, if your last linked Product is a Corporate Card, you may be able to redeem points for up to 30 days after cancellation or unenrollment.”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘When you cancel or unenroll your Product’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Amex gives a 90-day grace period only where the closure is for inactivity, and states points survive a closure Amex made in error.

  “If we cancel your Card Account due to inactivity, you’ll have 90 days to use the points in your Rewards Account before losing them.”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘Lose Points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Amex reserves the right to strip points and cancel the card outright on its own determination of abuse, misuse or gaming — not only fraud.

  “if we determine in our sole judgment that you engaged in fraud, abuse, misuse or gaming in connection with earning or using points or that you may attempt to do so (including, for example and without limitation, manufacturing spend or otherwise generating point earn on ineligible purchases), we may:”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘When you engage in, or attempt to engage in fraud, abuse, misuse or game the Membership Rewards program’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• The remedy Amex reserves for that determination includes canceling the card and forfeiting the balance in the same act.

  “Cancel your Product(s), including immediately forfeiting any points in your Rewards Account”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘When you engage in, or attempt to engage in fraud, abuse, misuse or game the Membership Rewards program’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• An Amex Additional Card Member has no Rewards Account of their own — the points sit entirely with the primary Card Member, which settles who holds the balance before any argument about splitting it.

  “You’re receiving this document because you’re the primary Card Account holder (a Basic Card Member) or the primary account holder of another Product. Your Product is now enrolled in the Rewards Program. Additional Card Members on Consumer Card Accounts and Business Card Accounts will not have their own Rewards Accounts.”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘About these Terms and Conditions’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Amex does permit points to be moved out to an airline or hotel program — and the partner account may be in the name of an Additional Card Member, provided the additional card was issued at least 90 days before the accounts were linked. This is the one written route by which a balance can leave the primary member’s control without breaching the terms.

  “In order to link your accounts, the partner loyalty program account must be in your name or the name of an Additional Card Member on your Card Account. An Additional Card must be issued to the Additional Card Member at least 90 days prior to linking your program account to that Additional Card Member’s partner loyalty account.”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘Transfer points to partner loyalty programs’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• An Amex transfer out to a partner program is one-way and final.

  “Once you transfer points, the transfer cannot be reversed and the partner loyalty program’s terms and conditions apply.”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘Transfer points to partner loyalty programs’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Amex charges a per-point excise tax offset fee on transfers to US airline programs, capped per transfer.

  “You’ll pay an excise tax offset fee ($0.0006 per point, up to $99) for points transferred to a U.S. airline frequent flyer program.”

  American Express — Membership Rewards® Program Terms and Conditions, ‘Transfer points to partner loyalty programs’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase states that Ultimate Rewards points are not the cardholder’s property and expressly cannot be transferred by operation of law in connection with a divorce.

  “Unless required by law, points aren’t your property. Points have no value until redeemed. You can’t transfer or move points unless expressly provided for in this agreement. Additionally, points can’t be transferred by operation of law, such as by inheritance, in bankruptcy or in connection with a divorce.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement (RPA0551_0560, 04/13/2026), ‘Other important information you should know’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase’s household-combining mechanism — the one people actually use — is written into the agreement, and is limited to one household member.

  “You can move your points, but only to another Chase card with Ultimate Rewards belonging to you or one member of your household.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘Combine points with other Chase cards with Ultimate Rewards’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase blocks the combine feature if either account is already restricted — so the moment an account is flagged, the escape route closes.

  “You can’t move points to another eligible card if either account is prohibited from earning or using points at the time you attempt to move the points.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘Combine points with other Chase cards with Ultimate Rewards’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase permits transfers to airline and hotel programs in the name of one additional household member who is an authorized user, and locks that choice to a single person.

  “You can transfer points in 1,000-point increments, but only to participating frequent travel program accounts belonging to you or one additional household member who is listed on your account as an authorized user. Once you transfer points to an authorized user, that person will be the only authorized user eligible to receive point transfers through this program.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘Transfer points to frequent travel programs’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase names moving points to an ineligible third party or account as an example of misuse — the express reservation of a right to treat an improper transfer as grounds for forfeiture.

  “moving or transferring points to an ineligible third party or account.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘Examples of misuse include, but are not limited to’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase forfeits the whole balance immediately where the account is closed for misuse or fraud (the listed reasons, which continue onto the next page of the agreement, are failure to comply with other Chase agreements, apparent inability to pay including bankruptcy, and suspected fraudulent activity).

  “Your points don’t expire as long as your account is open; however, you’ll immediately lose all your points if your account status changes, or your account is closed, for misuse, fraud, or any of the following”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘How you could lose your points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase’s ordinary-closure window is at least 30 days, after which unused points are lost — or cashed out as a statement credit where the law requires it.

  “If your account is closed for any other reason, you’ll have at least 30 days from the date your account is closed to use your points, as long as you don’t lose them for any of the reasons described in this agreement. If you don’t use your points during that time, you’ll lose them unless limited or prohibited by law, in which case your unused points will be automatically redeemed for cash in the form of an account statement credit.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘How you could lose your points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase will not put back points it has taken away, except where Chase itself made the mistake.

  “We won’t reinstate points you lose unless we’ve made an error.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘How you could lose your points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• A Chase transfer out to a travel partner cannot be undone.

  “Once points are transferred, they can’t be refunded, and the transaction can’t be canceled.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘Transfer points to frequent travel programs’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase converts the balance to cash on death rather than forfeiting it, which is a different answer from the one it gives on divorce.

  “If we’re notified of your death, your points will be automatically redeemed for cash in the form of an account statement credit.”

  Chase — Chase Sapphire Preferred® with Ultimate Rewards® Program Agreement, ‘How you could lose your points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Chase uses the same divorce prohibition on its co-brand miles cards, so the position is not specific to Ultimate Rewards.

  “Miles aren’t your property. Miles have no value until redeemed. Additionally, miles can’t be transferred by operation of law, such as by inheritance, in bankruptcy or in connection with a divorce.”

  Chase — United Explorer Card Rewards Program Agreement (RPA0480) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Citi states there are no property rights in ThankYou Points and names divorce as an event through which points cannot pass, and adds that points cannot be assigned or pledged.

  “No property rights. You have no property rights or other legal interests in Points. By operation of law, You can’t transfer Points through such events as an inheritance, bankruptcy or a divorce. Points also can’t be assigned or pledged.”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts (Last Updated: March 2022), ‘General terms’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Citi is the only issuer checked that publishes an outright person-to-person points gifting feature with a stated annual limit in both directions.

  “Points Sharing. You may give Points to another Member’s ThankYou Account. The total number of Points a Member can share is 100,000 Points in a given calendar year and the total number of Points a Member can receive from other Members is 100,000 Points in a calendar year.”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts, ‘Other ways to get Points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Citi closes off every other route: Points Sharing is the only permitted way points reach anyone else.

  “Points can’t be shared with any third party, except through the Points Sharing feature.”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts, ‘Other ways to get Points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Citi gives a 60-day window on a voluntary closure — the longest grace period among the issuers checked for a member-initiated close.

  “If You voluntarily close Your Citi Account enrolled in the Program, or convert Your Citi Account to an account that does not participate in the Program, You must use the Points within sixty (60) days after closing or converting Your account, or You will lose them.”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts, ‘When your Card Account is closed or converted’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• If Citi closes the account for anything other than inactivity, the balance is gone at once.

  “We close Your Citi Account for any other reason. If we close Your Citi Account for any reason other than inactivity, You will lose Your Points immediately.”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts, ‘When your Card Account is closed or converted’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Closing the underlying ThankYou Account, rather than the card, forfeits the balance immediately regardless of the reason.

  “When Your ThankYou Account closes. If You have Points, and Your ThankYou Account is closed for any reason, You will lose them immediately.”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts, ‘When Your ThankYou Account is closed’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Citi expressly declines to referee an argument between two people over the same points.

  “Disputes between member and other persons. We’re not responsible for disputes between joint owners of a Citibank Checking Account or a customer and a third party involving Points or any other aspect of the Program.”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts, ‘General terms’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Citi forfeits points on death and states the estate has no interest in them, subject to a narrow cash-out application within a year.

  “Loss upon death. You will lose Your Points upon Your death, and Your estate, successors and assigns have no property rights or other legal interests in such Points, except under this circumstance:”

  Citi — ThankYou® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi® Double Cash Card Accounts, ‘Loss or suspension of points’ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Capital One states there is no property right in unredeemed rewards, and pre-empts any unclaimed-property argument — but says nothing at all about divorce or a court order.

  “Account holders have no property right in unredeemed rewards. Unredeemed rewards shall not in any circumstances be considered to have been abandoned or otherwise reportable or escheatable within the meaning of the unclaimed property laws of any U.S. or foreign state or territory.”

  Capital One — Rewards Terms and Conditions (published as ‘Discover Rewards Terms and Conditions – Cash’; ‘© 2026 Capital One’) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Capital One’s forfeiture language on closure is permissive rather than automatic: a closed account may lose unredeemed rewards, and the loss is tied to standing rather than to a stated deadline.

  “Accounts that are not in good standing (e.g., suspended, restricted, delinquent, or otherwise in default) or closed may have different redemption options or may lose any unredeemed rewards.”

  Capital One — Rewards Terms and Conditions (published as ‘Discover Rewards Terms and Conditions – Cash’) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Capital One reserves forfeiture on its own sole judgment of abuse of program privileges, not only fraud.

  “We reserve the right to disqualify any account holder from participation in this rewards program in the event of fraud, abuse of program privileges, or violation of the Terms as determined by the sole judgment of Capital One. Such disqualification may result in the forfeiture of any accumulated rewards or account closure.”

  Capital One — Rewards Terms and Conditions (published as ‘Discover Rewards Terms and Conditions – Cash’) · source · read 2026-08-30

• On closure Capital One applies the rewards balance against what is owed, and refunds any surplus by check to the account holder.

  “In the event of account closure, we may apply your rewards balance to any credit balance owed. If this results in a positive balance on your account, a refund check will be mailed to you.”

  Capital One — Rewards Terms and Conditions (published as ‘Discover Rewards Terms and Conditions – Cash’) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Capital One’s death provision turns on whether there is a Secondary account holder, and cashes the balance out to the account rather than forfeiting it.

  “In the event we learn of the Primary account holder’s death and there is no Secondary account holder, we will apply any remaining rewards balance as a credit to the account at the account’s standard cash redemption rate.”

  Capital One — Rewards Terms and Conditions (published as ‘Discover Rewards Terms and Conditions – Cash’) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Capital One’s own account terms describe transfer between Capital One rewards accounts and to outside travel programs as a possibility rather than a right, with no household definition, no cap and no named partner list in the terms themselves.

  “Is my account eligible to transfer rewards? Your account may be eligible to transfer rewards. You may be able to transfer your rewards between certain Capital One rewards accounts, and to select external Travel Loyalty Programs. Not all rewards products are eligible for transfer.”

  Capital One — Capital One® Application Terms, ‘Things you should know about this rewards program’ (Venture X) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Capital One’s account terms tie survival of the balance to the account staying open, in one sentence.

  “Will my rewards ever expire? Your rewards are yours for the life of the account—they will not expire. But if your account is closed, you may lose any rewards you have not redeemed.”

  Capital One — Capital One® Application Terms, ‘Things you should know about this rewards program’ (Venture X) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Capital One repeats the closure-forfeiture rule on its public help center in slightly wider terms, adding that a closed account may stop earning.

  “Your account must be open and in good standing to be eligible to redeem rewards. Accounts that are not in good standing (e.g., suspended, restricted, delinquent or otherwise in default) or closed may stop earning rewards, have different redemption options or lose any unredeemed rewards.”

  Capital One — Help Center, Understanding credit card rewards · source · read 2026-08-30

• Discover-branded card rewards are now governed by terms sponsored by Capital One, and those terms contain no reference to divorce, a court order, or any domestic relations proceeding.

  “This program is sponsored by Capital One (“we”, “us”, “our”). Participation is restricted to active U.S. account holders only.”

  Discover Rewards Terms and Conditions – Cash (sponsored by Capital One) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Bank of America flatly bars person-to-person transfer of points but permits movement between the same customer’s Bank of America accounts, subject to qualification.

  “You can’t transfer or sell Points to another person. However, you may be able to transfer Points from one Bank of America account to another. Call the number listed on the back of your Card to see if your account qualifies.”

  Bank of America® Travel Rewards Program Rules (TV2 202511_D) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Bank of America gives 90 days on a voluntary close or an inactivity close, and forfeits immediately on any other closure by the bank.

  “If the owner(s) of the Card account voluntarily closes the Card account or We close the Card account for inactivity, you must redeem the Points within ninety (90) days after closing. If We close your Card account for any other reason you will lose your Points immediately.”

  Bank of America® Travel Rewards Program Rules (TV2 202511_D) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Bank of America ties survival of the balance to the account remaining open with charging privileges, rather than to any expiry date.

  “As long as your Card account is open and has active charging privileges, Points do not expire.”

  Bank of America® Travel Rewards Program Rules (TV2 202511_D) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Bank of America’s only named exception to closure forfeiture is death or incapacity, and it runs to an estate representative on a 57-day clock.

  “However, if the Card account is closed in connection with a death or incapacity of the Card account owner, Points eligible for redemption may be redeemed if an authorized representative of the estate, as determined by Us, requests Points redemption within 57 days of an account closure.”

  Bank of America® Travel Rewards Program Rules (TV2 202511_D) · source · read 2026-08-30

• No issuer terms read for this section — American Express, Chase, Citi, Capital One, Discover or Bank of America — contain the phrase ‘court order’, ‘divorce decree’, or any procedure equivalent to Marriott Bonvoy’s, by which a program will move points between two accounts on the strength of a court order.

  Searched across all six issuer documents cited in this section · source · read 2026-08-30

This is the section nobody writes accurately, and it is worth real money. The programs do not agree with each other, and two of them address divorce explicitly in their terms.

• Marriott Bonvoy expressly permits points to be moved between two members’ accounts on a divorce court order — the clearest ‘yes’ among the major programs.

  “In the event of a Member’s adjudicated divorce proceedings the Company allows unredeemed Points to be transferred from one Member’s Account to another Member’s account as ordered by a court.”

  Marriott Bonvoy — Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, s.1.6.c · source · read 2026-08-30

• Marriott requires the divorce order to name the transfer explicitly; a general property-division order is not enough.

  “bona fide copies of a valid divorce decree, divorce order, divorce agreement, other similar court-approved legal document (“Divorce Order”) which expressly states that one Member has been ordered to transfer Points to the other Member”

  Marriott Bonvoy — Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, s.1.6.c · source · read 2026-08-30

• Marriott will not transfer elite status, lifetime status, elite night credits or existing bookings on a divorce order no matter what the order says — only unredeemed points move.

  “Awards, hotel stays, Elite Membership Status, Lifetime Membership Status, and related benefits, including, without limitation, Elite Night Credit(s), are not transferrable and will not be transferred irrespective of any language in the Divorce Order to the contrary.”

  Marriott Bonvoy — Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, s.1.6.c · source · read 2026-08-30

• Outside a court order, Marriott caps ordinary member-to-member points transfers by transaction count per month and per year.

  “Members can complete a maximum of two (2) Points Transfer Transactions per calendar month, and up to a maximum of six (6) Points Transfer Transactions per calendar year.”

  Marriott Bonvoy — Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, s.2.8.c · source · read 2026-08-30

• Marriott sets a minimum size for an ordinary points transfer and requires the recipient’s number and name to match exactly.

  “A minimum of 1,000 Points is required for the transfer.”

  Marriott Bonvoy — Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, s.2.8.d · source · read 2026-08-30

• Delta takes the opposite position: SkyMiles are not the member’s property and are expressly non-transferable in a domestic relations proceeding.

  “Miles are not the property of any Member. Except as specifically authorized in the Membership Guide and Program Rules or otherwise in writing by an officer of Delta, miles may not be sold, attached, seized, levied upon, pledged, or transferred under any circumstances, including, without limitation, by operation of law, upon death, or in connection with any domestic relations dispute and/or legal proceeding.”

  Delta — SkyMiles Program Rules, Restrictions on Transfer · source · read 2026-08-30

• Delta permits only one person per SkyMiles account and makes membership numbers non-transferable, so a joint account is not an option and a shared balance cannot simply be re-titled.

  “Membership numbers are nontransferable. Only one person may be enrolled per SkyMiles account.”

  Delta — SkyMiles Program Rules · source · read 2026-08-30

• Delta’s only sanctioned route to move miles to another member is the paid Transfer Miles program, which charges per mile plus a flat processing fee.

  “$30 USD processing fee per transaction”

  Delta — Transfer Miles Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Delta’s per-mile transfer price makes moving a large balance expensive: buying your way out of a split balance costs a cent a mile on top of the flat fee.

  “$0.01 USD per mile”

  Delta — Transfer Miles Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Delta caps annual transfers both outbound and inbound, which limits how much of a shared balance can be moved in one year.

  “no recipient may receive more than 300,000 transferred miles from any other SkyMiles Program account or combination of accounts in any calendar year”

  Delta — Transfer Miles Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• American states that AAdvantage miles are not property and carry no residual property value — the argument a program uses to resist a division order.

  “Accrued AAdvantage® Rewards and Benefits do not constitute property of the member, do not have any residual property rights value, and are not transferable”

  American Airlines — AAdvantage terms and conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• American’s terms specifically exclude transfer as part of a domestic relations matter or by operation of law.

  “upon termination, upon cancelation, as part of a domestic relations matter, or otherwise by operation of law”

  American Airlines — AAdvantage terms and conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Despite the blanket prohibition, American reserves a discretionary route to credit miles to a person named in a court order, on satisfactory documentation and payment of fees.

  “upon receipt of documentation satisfactory to American Airlines and upon payment of any applicable fees”

  American Airlines — AAdvantage terms and conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• American’s transfer fee is described as non-refundable and transfers are capped annually, but the price per mile is not published on the FAQ page. (detail not fully verifiable)

  “the transfer fee is non-refundable”

  American Airlines — AAdvantage Pass and buy, gift or transfer FAQ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Hilton Honors takes the same ‘not property’ position as the airlines and bars transfer by operation of law except as its own terms allow.

  “Accrued Points, Reward certificates, and confirmations do not constitute property of the Members. Except as specifically provided herein, neither accrued Points nor Reward certificates/confirmations are transferable for any reason or by operation of law.”

  Hilton Honors — Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Hilton does provide for a marriage dissolution in the specific case of its Honors Mutual Fund, splitting those points equally. (detail not fully verifiable)

  “In the event of dissolution of marriage, 50% of Points in the Hilton Honors Mutual Fund will go to each Member.”

  Hilton Honors — Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Hilton caps points sent and received per calendar year across pooling and transfers combined, which limits how fast a shared balance can be unwound.

  “Each Hilton Honors Member is limited to sending no more than five hundred thousand (500,000) Points and receiving two million (2,000,000) Points via Points Pooling or Transfers combined per calendar year.”

  Hilton Honors — Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Hilton also caps the number of transfer transactions per year.

  “Each Hilton Honors Member is limited to making six (6) transfers to other member accounts and six (6) Hilton Points Pooling transactions per calendar year.”

  Hilton Honors — Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Marriott will not move miles or elite night credit between accounts even in an ordinary transfer, so status earned during the marriage cannot be shifted.

  “Miles and Elite Night Credit cannot be transferred between Membership Accounts.”

  Marriott Bonvoy — Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, s.2.8.f · source · read 2026-08-30

Per room, not per person — until it is not. The extra-person charge is set by the individual property, not the chain, which is why no chain publishes one number.

• Marriott prices a room by occupancy at property level: this Marriott-operated property caps standard rooms at two people and charges a named per-night amount for a third adult, including when that person sleeps in the existing bed.

  “Maximum occupancy for Superior and Deluxe rooms is 2 persons. 3 Guests are welcome in Imperial rooms and Suites”

  Marriott — The St. Regis Rome, hotel information / FAQ · source · read 2026-08-30

• At the same Marriott property the extra-person charge is stated as a specific nightly amount plus VAT and city tax, and it applies even if the third person uses the existing bed rather than a rollaway.

  “Extra person charge is 95.00 euros +10% VAT + 10 Euros city tax per night (an extra bed can be placed in the room on request for Imperial rooms and Suites only)”

  Marriott — The St. Regis Rome, hotel information / FAQ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Marriott property policy confirms the charge is triggered by the number of bodies, not by whether an extra bed is supplied, and that a fourth person requires a second room.

  “The extra person charge applies also if third person sleeps in existing bed (king or twin)”

  Marriott — The St. Regis Rome, hotel information / FAQ · source · read 2026-08-30

• Hyatt property policy states the rate is quoted for one or two people and each additional adult adds a fixed nightly amount; ‘adult’ is defined from age 12.

  “Room rates are based on single or double occupancy with $30 plus tax added to the nightly rate for each additional adult. Adults are considered 12 years of age and over.”

  Hyatt — Park South Hotel, JdV by Hyatt (New York), Hotel Policies · source · read 2026-08-30

• The same Hyatt property sets maximum occupancy by bed count, which is the practical ceiling on how many friends can share one room.

  “Maximum occupancy for a room with one bed is two guests and maximum occupancy for a room with two beds is four guests.”

  Hyatt — Park South Hotel, JdV by Hyatt (New York), Hotel Policies · source · read 2026-08-30

• Hilton property policy charges a flat per-person supplement for the third and fourth adult in a room.

  “Children under 13 are complimentary in-room with paying adult. Triple/ Quad Occupancy rooms: $20 per person additional charge.”

  Hilton — Hilton Cabana Miami Beach, Hotel Policies · source · read 2026-08-30

• Hilton’s own price-match terms treat the number of guests as part of the rate definition, which is why a rate quoted for two is not the rate you get for three.

  “same cancellation terms for the same number of guests and the same stay dates”

  Hilton — Price Match Guarantee · source · read 2026-08-30

• IHG’s own offer terms state that a property’s maximum room occupancy rule overrides any occupancy-based promotion, so the per-room occupancy cap is set at property level rather than by the chain.

  “Up to two (2) children stay free when sharing a room with up to two (2) adults, subject to maximum room occupancy restrictions and subject to availability.”

  IHG / Holiday Inn — Kids stay and eat free terms and conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

Who may occupy it, whose card is charged, and what the booking terms say about the people whose names are not on it.

• Hyatt property policy requires every person staying to be registered and added to the reservation, and prices per extra person — so an unregistered friend crashing in the room is a policy breach, not a saving. (detail not fully verifiable)

  “Parties are not permitted in guest rooms, the pool area, or any other hotel spaces unless booked directly through the sales team.”

  Hyatt — Hyatt Place Minneapolis/Downtown, Hotel Policies · source · read 2026-08-30

• IHG’s booking terms say the card presented at check-in must be in a guest’s name, which matters when one friend books and a different friend intends to pay.

  “The hotel property may require a major credit card, in one of the guests’ names, or a cash deposit upon check-in.”

  IHG — Hotels Anywhere Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• IHG’s terms restrict late changes to the traveler’s name, so swapping which friend is the named guest close to arrival may not be possible.

  “Changes to the name of the traveler will not be accepted within 48 hours of scheduled check-in.”

  IHG — Hotels Anywhere Terms and Conditions · source · read 2026-08-30

• Marriott Bonvoy award stays booked for a group must be in the member’s own name and the member must be staying; a member can hold up to nine rooms on this basis.

  “A Member may redeem Points or apply Free Night Awards for up to a total of nine (9) guest rooms under the Member’s name and where the Member is staying at the same Participating Property over the same dates.”

  Marriott Bonvoy — Loyalty Program Terms and Conditions, s.3.2.j · source · read 2026-08-30

• Airbnb’s Terms of Service make the person who books liable for everyone they bring.

  “you are responsible for the acts and omissions of anyone you invite to join or provide access to any Accommodation”

  Airbnb — Terms of Service · source · read 2026-08-30

• Airbnb requires that the booker or an authorized guest actually uses the booking — you cannot book a stay purely on a friend’s behalf and not go.

  “Do not book Host Services unless you, or an authorized Guest, are actually using the Host Services.”

  Airbnb — Terms of Service · source · read 2026-08-30

• On Airbnb the booking guest owes the whole amount, not a share — the platform does not split the charge between friends.

  “When you book a Listing, you are agreeing to pay all charges for your booking including the Listing price, applicable fees”

  Airbnb — Terms of Service · source · read 2026-08-30

• Airbnb hosts can set a guest threshold above which every additional person costs extra, applied as a flat fee per additional guest.

  “You can choose how many guests can book your home before an extra guest fee is charged.”

  Airbnb — Add an extra guest fee to home listings · source · read 2026-08-30

• Airbnb lists the extra guest fee as one of three standard host-set fees, charged per additional guest above a chosen default.

  “A flat fee for each additional guest beyond a default number you choose”

  Airbnb — Add additional fees to home listings · source · read 2026-08-30

• Airbnb requires guests to book for the true headcount and to clear extra people with the host in advance.

  “Guests should be truthful about the number of people coming on a trip and respect the approved number of guests.”

  Airbnb — Airbnb guest limits · source · read 2026-08-30

• Airbnb’s guest service fee is a percentage band on top of the booking subtotal, which raises the real per-head cost of a shared rental.

  “Guests pay a service fee ranging from 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal”

  Airbnb — Airbnb service fees · source · read 2026-08-30

• Vrbo puts the whole payment obligation on the person who books, including changes and cancellations, regardless of how the group intends to split it.

  “you are responsible for paying any amounts due, for making any change/cancellation requests and for all other matters relating to the booking”

  Vrbo — Guest Terms of Service · source · read 2026-08-30

• Vrbo requires the booker to have the authority of the others in the party before booking on their behalf.

  “if you book on behalf of others: you will obtain their authorization prior to acting on their behalf”

  Vrbo — Guest Terms of Service · source · read 2026-08-30

• Vrbo requires the booker to pass the property’s rules on to everyone in the party and make sure they comply.

  “you will inform them about the terms that apply to the booking (including the Rules and Restrictions) and ensure that they agree to, and comply with, such terms”

  Vrbo — Guest Terms of Service · source · read 2026-08-30

• Vrbo hosts can set an extra-guest fee as one of the standard fee types on a listing.

  “Standard fees: For extra guests, cleaning, and pets.”

  Vrbo — Manage your fees · source · read 2026-08-30

What the apps actually charge, from their own fee pages. Currency conversion is where the money quietly goes.

• Splitwise’s free tier caps how many expenses you can log per day, which matters on a trip where several small costs land daily.

  “free users can add up to 4 expenses each day”

  Splitwise Knowledge Base — What is Splitwise Pro? · source · read 2026-08-30

• Currency conversion inside Splitwise is a paid feature, not part of the free product — relevant for a trip abroad where the group settles in one currency. (detail not fully verifiable)

  “Add as many expenses as you like each day, with no interruptions”

  Splitwise — Splitwise Pro · source · read 2026-08-30

• Venmo is free to send between friends when funded from balance, bank account or debit card.

  “No fee to send money to a Venmo account or U.S. PayPal account using your Venmo balance, debit card or bank account.”

  Venmo — About Venmo Fees · source · read 2026-08-30

• Paying a friend back on Venmo with a credit card costs 3% — the single easiest way to lose money settling a trip.

  “3.00% fee for sending money to a Venmo account or U.S. PayPal account using your credit card”

  Venmo — About Venmo Fees · source · read 2026-08-30

• Getting the money out of Venmo to your bank is free if you wait, and charged a capped percentage if you don’t.

  “1.75% (minimum $0.25 fee, maximum $25 fee)”

  Venmo — About Venmo Fees (Instant Transfer) · source · read 2026-08-30

• PayPal friends-and-family transfers within the US are free from bank or balance but carry a percentage-plus-fixed fee from a card.

  “2.90% + fixed fee”

  PayPal — Consumer Fees (US) · source · read 2026-08-30

• PayPal charges a percentage international fee on friends-and-family payments abroad, subject to a stated minimum and maximum.

  “5.00% A minimum international fee of 0.99 USD A maximum international fee of 4.99 USD”

  PayPal — Consumer Fees (US) · source · read 2026-08-30

• PayPal’s real cost abroad is mostly the currency conversion spread, disclosed as a percentage above the base exchange rate.

  “3.00%, or such other amount as may be disclosed to you during the transaction”

  PayPal — Consumer Fees (US), currency conversion · source · read 2026-08-30

• Wise’s stated model is an explicit percentage fee with no markup on the exchange rate — the opposite structure to PayPal’s spread.

  “You always get the mid-market rate — it’s the one banks use to trade between themselves. Because we never mark this rate up, your recipient typically gets more money at the other end.”

  Wise Help Center — Fees for sending money · source · read 2026-08-30

• Wise does not publish one flat percentage: the fee varies by currency pair, so it must be quoted per transfer rather than assumed.

  “The Wise fee is worked out as a percentage of the amount you’re sending. The percentage varies from currency to currency”

  Wise Help Center — Fees for sending money · source · read 2026-08-30

• Revolut’s Standard plan gives a monthly fair-usage allowance of currency exchange, above which a percentage fee applies.

  “Everyone on Revolut whose base currency is USD can make up to $1,000 of exchanges at this rate each month.”

  Revolut — Personal Fees (Standard Plan) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Revolut Standard charges a fair-usage fee once the monthly allowance is exceeded.

  “Standard plan customers who exchange more than this will begin paying a fair usage fee of 0.5% on any additional amount.”

  Revolut — Personal Fees (Standard Plan) · source · read 2026-08-30

• Revolut adds a markup on exchanges made outside foreign exchange market hours, which in practice means the weekend — when most holiday spending happens.

  “1%”

  Revolut Help Center — Will I be charged for exchanging foreign currencies? · source · read 2026-08-30

• Revolut’s fair-usage allowance rises on paid plans, so which plan you are on changes the cost of a trip’s currency exchange.

  “0.5% fee charged for exchanges over $10,000”

  Revolut Help Center — Will I be charged for exchanging foreign currencies? (Premium) · source · read 2026-08-30

What changes, and what the State Department tells travelers to check.

• The State Department tells travelers to confirm with their own US health insurer whether it covers care abroad — a check worth redoing after coming off a spouse’s or family plan.

  “Check with your U.S. health insurance provider and ask if they cover emergency and routine medical care while abroad.”

  U.S. Department of State — Travel Insurance · source · read 2026-08-30

• US government health programs do not cover medical care overseas at all.

  “U.S. Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for medical care outside the United States.”

  U.S. Department of State — Travel Insurance · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department specifically recommends medical evacuation insurance for higher-risk destinations or places with limited medical care — the cost a solo traveler has no second person to absorb.

  “We strongly recommended that you buy medical evacuation insurance when traveling to areas with higher risk or limited medical care.”

  U.S. Department of State — Travel Insurance · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department’s list of things to verify in a policy includes coverage of all current medical conditions, transport home, and a 24-hour helpline.

  “All current medical conditions for you and your family”

  U.S. Department of State — Travel Insurance · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department is explicit that the US government will not pay a traveler’s costs abroad, which is the reason the insurance question falls entirely on the individual. (detail not fully verifiable)

  “The U.S. government does not provide insurance or pay for any costs”

  U.S. Department of State — International Travel Checklist · source · read 2026-08-30

Official guidance only. There is a great deal of confident advice on this subject written by people with nothing behind it.

• STEP is a free State Department service that pushes destination alerts to enrolled travelers.

  “It is a free service that sends you email updates and alerts from U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.”

  U.S. Department of State — Smart Traveler Enrollment Program · source · read 2026-08-30

• STEP’s second function is the one that matters most to someone traveling without a partner: it gives the embassy a route to reach you or your emergency contact.

  “It also helps the U.S. embassy or consulate contact you or your emergency contact in an emergency”

  U.S. Department of State — Smart Traveler Enrollment Program · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department’s checklist tells travelers to leave copies of their documents with someone they trust — the substitute for the spouse who used to hold the other passport. (detail not fully verifiable)

  “a set of copies to a trusted friend or family member”

  U.S. Department of State — International Travel Checklist · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department names informal taxis and minibuses as a specific risk to women traveling alone.

  “In many places, informal taxis or minibuses can be dangerous, particularly for women traveling alone.”

  U.S. Department of State — Women Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department advises arranging airport transport in advance with a licensed operator rather than sorting it on arrival.

  “Arrange transport to and from the airport before you arrive, from a licensed and reputable company.”

  U.S. Department of State — Women Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department advises women travelers not to disclose where they are staying.

  “Don’t tell strangers where you are staying.”

  U.S. Department of State — Women Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department advises leaving your itinerary and contact method with someone you trust — the practical replacement for a traveling companion.

  “Ensure a friend or someone you trust knows your plans and how to contact you.”

  U.S. Department of State — Women Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department states the number of countries that criminalize consensual same-sex relations.

  “More than 60 countries consider consensual same-sex relations a crime.”

  U.S. Department of State — Gay and Lesbian Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department warns LGBTQI+ travelers specifically about entrapment and extortion, including via dating apps.

  “Police in some destinations surveil websites and apps. They may create false profiles to entrap U.S. citizens.”

  U.S. Department of State — Gay and Lesbian Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department warns travelers about people who befriend them abroad with the intent to extort — a risk profile that rises when traveling alone.

  “Be wary of new-found ‘friends.’ Criminals may target or attempt to extort foreigners.”

  U.S. Department of State — Gay and Lesbian Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

• The State Department states that consular officers will not pass judgment on a traveler’s circumstances.

  “Consular officers will protect your privacy. They will not make assumptions or pass judgment.”

  U.S. Department of State — Gay and Lesbian Travelers · source · read 2026-08-30

Every rule here is quoted from the company or agency that set it — a program’s own terms and conditions, a chain’s own property page, an app’s own fee schedule, the State Department’s own guidance. Nothing is taken from a personal-finance blog or a points-and-miles site, however well informed, because those are summaries and summaries go stale silently.

Where a company publishes no company-wide figure — and none of the four big hotel chains does, for extra-person charges — we show a named property as an example of the mechanism and say so, rather than inventing a typical number.

What we could not read, and therefore did not write about: United MileagePlus program rules — transfer restrictions, whether miles can move on a divorce order, miles pooling terms and fees — united.com serves a JavaScript-only shell to both the fetch tool and direct HTTP requests; the rules text we could not read. Direct requests returned empty replies or HTTP/2 stream errors. No non-United source was used. Section 6 is therefore incomplete for United.; Splitwise Pro subscription price (monthly and annual) — Splitwise does not display the Pro price on its public marketing or subscription pages; the price appears only inside the authenticated sign-up flow. No figure recorded rather than sourcing one from a review site.; American Airlines AAdvantage transfer-miles price per mile and transaction fee — The FAQ confirms a fee exists and is non-refundable, and states a 300,000-mile annual cap, but does not publish the price. Pricing is shown only in the live purchase flow.; Chain-wide occupancy and extra-person policy for Marriott, Hilton and IHG — Marriott’s help center and IHG’s customer-care pages render via JavaScript and returned no article text; Hilton’s corporate hotel-policies help page states only that policies vary by hotel. Property-level pages on the chains’ own domains were used instead and are labeled as such.; Vrbo’s own statement of the guest service fee percentage and of how the additional-guest fee is calculated — The specific Vrbo help articles returned ‘Sorry we’ll be right back’ error pages on repeated attempts. Only the fee-category language from the Manage your fees article could be read.; Hyatt corporate occupancy policy — Hyatt returns HTTP 403 to direct requests (bot protection). The Minneapolis property policy was readable only through the fetch tool and the extra-person wording could not be independently confirmed character-for-character, so it is marked partial. The Park South (New York) property policy was read cleanly and is the entry relied on.; Citi’s current consolidated ThankYou Rewards terms for a card with airline transfer partners (Strata Premier / Strata Elite) — thankyou.com serves a JavaScript redirect shell and returns no terms text to direct requests; the partner program listing page returns an empty document. The Citi document relied on here is the ThankYou Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi Double Cash Card Accounts, hosted on citi.com, which carries the program-wide Points Sharing, property-rights, divorce and closure language quoted above but does not itself cover airline point transfers. The Citi Strata Premier Card Terms and Conditions on cardbenefits.citi.com were read and cover earning rates only. Citi’s own annual limit or fee for transfers to airline partners we could not read from a Citi source and is therefore not recorded.; Citi ThankYou terms currency — The Citi document relied on states ‘Last Updated: March 2022’ and carries a 2022 copyright line, although it is the version Citi currently serves at that citi.com URL. Flagged in case it has been superseded by a version Citi publishes only inside the authenticated ThankYou site.; A standalone Capital One rewards program agreement covering miles, transfer partners and household transfers — Capital One does not publish a single consolidated rewards program agreement at a stable public URL. Its rewards terms are split between per-card application/account terms PDFs on disclosures.capitalone.com, a help center summary, and the program terms page on ecm.capitalone.com that is titled for Discover cards but sponsored by Capital One. All three were read and are cited. Capital One publishes no terms language on transferring miles to another person, no household definition, no transfer cap and no partner list; the only statement found is that an account ‘may be eligible’ to transfer.; Discover’s own pre-acquisition Cashback Bonus terms on discover.com — discover.com returns HTTP 404 on its former rewards terms paths following the Capital One acquisition. The live Discover rewards terms are served from ecm.capitalone.com and state that the program is sponsored by Capital One; that document is what is cited here.; Bank of America points-transfer eligibility rules between Bank of America accounts — The Program Rules say points may be transferable ‘from one Bank of America account to another’ but direct the customer to telephone to find out whether their account qualifies. No published eligibility criteria, cap, fee or definition of which accounts qualify could be found on a Bank of America domain, so none is recorded.; Whether any issuer will act on a divorce court order in practice despite the written prohibition — Out of scope for a terms-based page and not verifiable from any program’s own documents. American Airlines is the only program found across this project that reserves discretion to credit miles to a person named in a court order, and it is an airline, not an issuer. No card issuer document read contains an equivalent reservation, so nothing is recorded either way..

Terms change. If something here no longer matches what you are shown, tell us and it goes on the corrections page with the date.

• Traveling as one — the single supplement and the four ways round it
• The operator directory — who waives it, in their own words
• Getting your finances in order — the rest of the money picture