[arepo24]

If a player has less than 8 points and has no major suit to make a transfer bid, can the partner pass or is it mandatory to respond?

[smerriman]

If partner wanted to force you to bid, they'd open 2♣. You can certainly pass 1NT if you have no obvious way to improve the contract.

There are other ways to improve the contract with weak hands other than transfers to a major; eg there also minor transfers, and some play garbage stayman where you can respond 2♣ with weak hands of certain shapes like 4441, planning to pass any response. But that is really besides the point in terms of the original question; many weak hands will simply pass.

[apollo1201]

1NT is a *non forcing* opening. Therefore, responder is not obliged to bid. That is because it is a very narrowly defined opening, both in terms of shape (balanced) and point count (usually in a 2-point range).

If, as responder, you hold weakish values and no long suit, you probably can’t improve the situation and have to pass.

True, you might have a better contract in a suit if you have a 4-4 fit somewhere, but you can’t investigate that, since if the search for a fit isn’t successful, you’ll end up in a shaky contract (2NT with insufficient resources, 2 or 3 something in 4-3 fit...) while 1NT was safer.

So, statistically, it will be better to pass. Also, remember that the bidding is not finished. Your LHO still has to bid after you.