Hotels are a different points game

Start inside your Amex account, then jump into the Membership Rewards portal so the transfer and redemption options load against the right card.

For flights and hotels, move through the transfer flow first. Only use statement credit or generic catalogue redemptions when you intentionally want lower value but higher flexibility.

Enter the exact number of points you need for the booking, review the transfer ratio and partner account details, then confirm the transfer and return to the airline or hotel site to complete the booking.

Use SmartBuy when you want to redeem directly against travel inventory. This is the clean path for portal bookings and fixed-value hotel redemptions.

After you pick the itinerary, move through the booking flow and adjust the rewards points you want to burn before you pay with your linked HDFC card and OTP.

If Alfi recommends a transfer partner instead of a SmartBuy booking, HDFC documents the transfer flow through NetBanking rather than through the travel checkout.

Axis officially documents the mobile path first. From there you can branch into Rewards Store, Travel EDGE, or partner deals depending on the redemption type.

If you are redeeming toward travel inventory, jump into Travel EDGE rather than the generic rewards catalogue so you can search travel and use points in the booking flow.

When you want a partner transfer instead of a portal booking, Axis documentation points cardholders to the Travel EDGE transfer area inside the portal.

ICICI's official flow starts inside Internet Banking. Once you are signed in, the rewards section is nested under Cards and Loans.

After the rewards page loads, choose the card you want to redeem against, then enter the redemption catalogue or travel path and confirm the order or booking.

ICICI also supports the same redemption journey inside iMobile Pay, which is useful if you want to handle travel redemption from your phone.

IndusInd points users normally redeem through IndusMoments for catalogue and travel-style redemptions. Premium cards may also have dedicated transfer pages for airline programs.

When a supported checkout offers Pay with Rewards, IndusInd redirects you into a points-selection step during payment so you can burn points against part of the bill.

If you are moving points into an airline or hotel program, use the relevant IndusInd transfer page for that partner and confirm the ratio and fee before you submit.

SBI's documented path is app-first. Use it when you are redeeming through the rewards catalogue or other standard SBI Card redemption options.

After you enter the rewards area, choose Redeem, add the product or option to your cart, then move through Redeem Cart and Checkout.

SBI documents statement credit separately from catalogue checkout, so use the helpline or email path if you want a cash-style adjustment instead of a travel or catalogue redemption.

YES Bank welcome material points cardholders to YES Rewardz first, with NetBanking and phone support as secondary redemption channels.

For travel, move into the dedicated booking area rather than cash credit so you can see the points-plus-pay limits for your card.

YES Bank has published redemption caps for flights and hotels, especially on premium cards, so verify how much of the invoice can be covered with points before you complete the payment.

Standard Chartered officially documents both. Online Banking is the clearer desktop flow, while SC Mobile gives you a fast app path for the same portal.

The mobile path is similar: open the app, choose Credit Card Rewards from the left-side menu, then continue into the portal.

Once the 360 Rewards page loads, confirm whether you are redeeming against catalogue value or statement value, then follow the portal prompts to finish the redemption.