What do I do with leftover Amex Rewards?

American Express Rewards is a super flexible program with airline partners, hotel partners and more. You can even buy gift cards, donate to charity and travel with your points. So what to do if you have some leftover points sitting in your account? You need to spend them before you close your card or you will lose them.
So here are some options:
1. You can use your points to buy a gift card. The point values are a bit strange and differ depending on each store. For example, a $25 Starbucks gift card cost 3,571 points and a $50 cost 7,143. But a $50 Nordstrom gift card cost 5,882. So you will have to search around to find your best value. No matter what you do, it's less than a penny per point. Gift cards range from retail to travel to entertainment to dining.
2. You can transfer your points to about a dozen different airlines including Delta, British Airways, Jet Blue, Aero Mexico, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia and a few more. Most are 1,000 Amex Rewards = 1,000 in miles, but some of the programs are not equal so be sure to look carefully. For example, 250 American Express points equals 200 British Avios.
3. You can transfer your points to Hilton and Starwood. Hilton is 1,000 American Express rewards to 1,500 Hilton points. The number of Hilton points needed for a free night stay varies from 5,000 to 80,000 depending on the location. For example, I am staying in a Hilton in Krakow Poland for 5,000 points per night this summer. Last year, I stayed in a Hilton in Quito Ecuador for 20,000 points per night. Starwood gives you 333 points per 1,000 American Express rewards which might not be the best option unless you are trying to top off your account. However, you can transfer from Starwood to Marriott at 1:3 so those American Express reward points actually transfer to Marriott at 1:1. And remember, once you transfer to Starwood, you can transfer to dozens of airlines and for every 20,000 points you transfer, you will earn a 5,000 bonus.
4. You can use your American Express rewards points to book flights and hotels. You can even pay cash and points.
5. You can link your Amazon account to your rewards account and use your points to pay for your purchases.

Bottom line, there are lots of ways to use these points so don't lose them. Just figure out what's the best value for you and your family. That's how we do it at almost free family travel.