American Express’ loyalty rewards program gives credit card users a lot of flexibility in how they spend their points. However, most redemption options don’t offer much value, so you’ll need to be a little smart to maximize your rewards.
If you’re considering a card for membership rewards, or already have one and want to learn more about your options, here’s everything you need to know.
Program Overview and Curriculum
American Express’s loyalty program was created in 1991 and was originally called loyalty miles. According to American Express, it is the largest credit card rewards program in the world.
You can use any of the following 9 personal and business credit cards to earn Membership Rewards points:
- American Express Gold Card
- American Express Green Card
- Amex EveryDay Credit Card from American Express
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card from American Express
- Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express
- American Express Business Gold Card
- Business Green Rewards Card from American Express
- Business Platinum Card from American Express.
You can redeem Membership Rewards points in a number of ways, but when redeemed directly with American Express, each point is worth up to 1 cent. However, if you want more value, you can transfer your points to one of American Express’s airline or hotel partners.
| Type of rewards currency | Flexible |
|---|---|
| Investopedia’s point value | 1.19 cents |
| Redemption options | Bill Points, Online Shopping, Gift Cards, Travel, Merchandise, Transfer to Other Rewards Programs |
| Minimum redemption amount | Varies |
| Travel redemption bonuses | None |
| Points expiration | None |
| Can you pool points? | The points you earn on all Membership Rewards credit cards are automatically aggregated. However, you cannot share points with other cardholders |
| Transfer options | All Membership Rewards credit cards allow you to transfer points to 22 airline and hotel brands |
| Best used for |
Flexible redemption options Redeem premium travel with point transfers |
Remember, to get a Membership Rewards program credit card with a FICO score of 670, you generally need to have good or excellent credit.
Additionally, American Express only allows welcome benefits once per card lifetime. So if you had one of his cards in the past, received a welcome offer, and later gave up the card, if you apply for the second time, you will no longer be eligible for the offer.
An annual fee applies to some AMEX cards. Cardholders should weigh the cost of the program against the rewards they receive. 2
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Daily Blue Cash: $0
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Blue Cash First: $95
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Green: $150
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Gold: $250
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Bonvoy Brilliant: $450
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Platinum: $695
How to Earn Membership Rewards Points
There are many ways to earn Membership Rewards points, but some cards offer the potential to earn more rewards than others. Here’s how you can earn:
- Welcome Offer
- daily expenses
- American Express Deals
- Referral bonus
- Limited Time Offer
Welcome Offer
Most cards in the loyalty rewards program come with welcome benefits, but not all. Usually, when you get a card with a welcome offer, you have to spend a certain amount to get it.
| Kredi kartı | Welcome Offer |
|---|---|
| American Express Blue Business Cash | Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your card in the first three months. |
| American Express Green Card | Earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months |
| American Express Gold Card | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first six months |
| Amex EveryDay Credit Card | Earn 10,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months |
| Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card | Earn 15,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months |
| The Platinum Card | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first six months |
| Blue Business® Plus Credit Card | Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases in three months |
| Business Green Rewards Card | Earn 15,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months |
| American Express Business Gold Card | Earn 70,000 bonus points after you spend $10,000 in the first three months |
| Business Platinum Card | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 in the first three months |
Daily expenses
While not all Membership Rewards credit cards offer welcome benefits, all credit cards include a rewards program for your everyday purchases. Bonus rates and bonus categories vary by card.
| Kredi kartı | Rewards Rates |
|---|---|
| American Express Blue Business Cash | 2% cash back on all eligible purchases up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1% cash back will be automatically applied to your statement |
| American Express Green Card | Earn 3 points per dollar on dining, public transportation and travel, and 1 point per dollar on everything else |
| American Express Gold Card | Earn 4 points per $1 at restaurants, up to $25,000 per year at US supermarkets, 3 points per dollar on flights booked through airlines and direct through Amex Travel, and anything else per dollar Earn 1 point and earn up to 1,000,000 bonus points per year |
| Amex EveryDay Credit Card | Earn 2 points per dollar on $6,000 or less per year spent at U.S. supermarkets and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Plus, earn 20% extra points when you make at least 20 purchases with your card in a billing cycle |
| Amex Everyday Preferred Credit Card | Spend up to $6,000 a year at US grocery stores at 3 points per dollar, 2 points per dollar at US gas stations, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Plus, earn 50% extra points when you make at least 30 purchases with your card in a billing cycle |
| The Platinum Card | Earn 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly through airlines and through Amex Travel, and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| Blue Business Plus Card | Earn 2 points per $1 on the first $50,000 spent annually, then 1 point per dollar thereafter |
| Business Green Rewards Card | Earn 2 points per dollar on eligible purchases through Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| American Express Business Gold Card | Earn 4 points for every $1 you spend in the two selected categories where you spend the most per month, up to a total annual spend of up to $150,000. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| Business Platinum Card | Earn 5 points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Earn 50% more points on purchases of $5,000 or more |
To maximize your rewards with a loyalty program, take some time to consider how much you spend and in which categories. This way, you can see which card gives you the most rewards for your everyday spending without changing your shopping habits.
It may also make sense to apply for more than one card in the program. For example, the American Express Gold Card offers great rewards at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, but you may only get 1 point per dollar on most purchases. If you own a small business and have business expenses, you can pair the American Express Gold Card with the Blue Business Plus Card and use the latter for all purchases for which you can’t earn rewards with the Gold Card, ensuring you always spend at least $1 per dollar Earn 2 points.
Remember, no matter how many Membership Rewards credit cards you have, Amex will automatically aggregate your points from all of them, so you don’t have to worry about moving your points around to make sure you have enough points to redeem.
American Express Deals
All American Express credit cards are eligible for the American Express Offers Program, which allows you to add specific benefits to your card at various retailers – including shopping, travel, and dining.
Once you’ve added an offer to your card and made an eligible purchase, you’ll be eligible for statement credit or Rewards Membership Rewards points.
Rewards points often come in the form of extra points per dollar spent at certain retailers.
Referral bonus
With most American Express credit cards, you can earn bonus points if you refer a friend to apply and get approved. For example, you can earn 15,000 bonus points for each approved friend who applies for the Blue Business Plus card, up to a maximum of 55,000 points per year.
Your friends can also earn bonus points if they apply through your referral link and meet certain spending requirements. However, if you have the card, you can only view rewards information for that specific card through the Amex Refer a Friend page. Also, bonuses are subject to change.
Limited Time Offer
From time to time, American Express may email you opportunities to earn bonus points. For example, if you add authorized users to your account and let them spend a certain amount over a set period of time, you can earn bonus points—similar to your card’s welcome offer. Some limited-time offers are also posted online for new applicants. For example, in the past, American Express’s American Express Blue Business Cash Card and Blue Business Plus credit cards offered bonus offers of up to $300 each on bank statements.
How to Redeem Membership Rewards Points
One of the most powerful features of this plan is its flexibility with redemption options. However, most of these redemption options will set you back less than 1 cent per value point — a standard minimum for many credit card rewards programs.
Redemption options include:
- Bank statements
- Online Shopping
- gift card
- travel
- fan shop
- Transfer to other incentive programs
Bank statements
If you want to credit any charges you pay on your card, you can do so at a rate of 0.6 cents per point.
Online Shopping
You can use Membership Rewards points to pay for online purchases at multiple retailers for anywhere from 0.5 cents to 1 cent per point, depending on the retailer. Options include:
- Amazon: 0.7 cents per point
- Boxed: 0.7 cents per point
- Best Buy: 0.7 cents per point
- Dell.com: 0.7 cents per point
- JustGiving: 0.7 cents per point
- Grubhub: 0.7 cents per point
- Newegg: 0.7 cents per point
- PayPal: 0.7 cents per point
- NYC Taxi: 1 cent per point
- Rite Aid: 0.7 cents per point
- Staples: 0.7 cents per point
- Saks Fifth Avenue: 0.7 cents per point
- Walmart: 0.7 cents per point
- Ticketmaster: 0.5 cents per point.
Gift card
Cardholders can redeem their Membership Rewards points for gift cards at numerous travel, hotel and shopping retailers. The value can vary by retailer, but is usually between 0.5 cents and 1 cent per point.
Travel
You can use your points to book travel through Amex Travel, which works like discount travel sites like Expedia and Orbitz. Your points may be worth between 0.7 cents and 1 cent per item, depending on the type of travel booked:
- Flights and flight upgrades: 1 cent per point
- Fine Hotels & Resorts group bookings: 1 cent per point
- Other prepaid hotels: 0.7 cents per point
- Cruise: 0.7 cents per point
- Expedia.com bookings: 0.7 cents per point
- Planned Holidays: 0.7 cents per point
If you have a Business Platinum Card and use your points to pay for some or all of your eligible flights, you’ll earn 35% of those points, up to a maximum of 500,000 points per calendar year.
In other words, if you use 100,000 points to pay for a $1,000 flight, you’ll get 35,000 points, effectively reducing your redemption to 65,000 points. This results in a redemption rate of 1.54 cents per point.
Fan shop
If you wish to use your points to purchase items through the loyalty rewards site, these redemptions are usually only 0.5 cents per point.
Transfer to other incentive programs
American Express works with 22 airlines and hotel chains, so you can transfer points to all airlines. Most transfers have a 1:1 ratio, but some offer more or less. Below is a breakdown of the partners and how many points or miles you will earn when you transfer Membership Rewards points.
| Transfer Partner | Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1.6 |
| Air France / KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 |
| Alitalia MilleMiglia | 1:1 |
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 |
| El Al Israel Airlines Frequent Flyer Club | 1:0.02 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 1:1 |
| Iberia Plus | 1:1 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:0.8 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 |
| Choice Privileges Rewards | 1:1 |
| Hilton Honors | 1:2 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 |
From time to time, American Express may offer promotions that allow you to earn additional points or miles with certain partner airlines or hotel chains. For example, at the end of 2019, you can earn 30% more miles with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, so if you transfer 1,000 points, you will earn 1,300 points.
American Express charges a GST adjustment fee of $0.0006 per point, up to a maximum of $99, each time you transfer points to American Airlines’ frequent flyer program. So if you transfer 100,000 points, the fee is $60.
You can pay for this out of your own pocket, or, if you have the opportunity, use your points to pay for 0.5 cents per point.
Rolling over your points doesn’t guarantee you’ll be worth more than 1 cent per point, but the potential is there. It is often possible to exceed this baseline, especially on international first and business class flights.
Maximizing your points in this way can be time-consuming and requires a lot of research. Airline and hotel loyalty programs have dynamic pricing, which means the value of your points or miles may vary each time you redeem them. Therefore, to get the most value from your rewards, you may need to compare several different itineraries to find the best one.
If you don’t have the time or desire to do all of this, Investopedia has done the research for you. We found the best redemption options in the following loyalty programs:
- Air Canada: 2.16 cents per mile
- Avianca Airlines: 2.16 cents per mile
- Air France / KLM: 1.6 cents per mile
- British Airways: 2.1 cents per mile
- Hawaiian Airlines: 1.23 cents per mile
- Delta Air Lines: 1.6 cents per mile
- JetBlue Airways: 1.3 cents per point
- Marriott: 1.43 cents per point
- Virgin Atlantic Airways: 1.6 cents per mile.
If you transfer your points to one of these partners, you can earn more than 1 cent per point without doing a lot of research.
What can you do with American Express Membership Rewards?
You can use American Express Membership Rewards in a number of different ways. You can earn billing points, travel rewards, gift cards, referrals to other rewards programs, and use rewards for online purchases. You can also transfer points to 22 airline and hotel brands.
What qualifications do you need to meet to receive American Express Membership Rewards?
To be eligible for American Express Membership Rewards, you must first earn a FICO score of at least 670 and receive only one Welcome Offer per card in your lifetime. You must also be at least 18 years old and meet other criteria set forth by American Express, such as credit history and income.
Are American Express Membership Rewards worth it?
There are many different types of American Express cards with different reward options. If you use a credit card, the rewards are worth it. You can also collect rewards for items you have already purchased. However, keep in mind that if you only pursue rewards, you may end up spending more than the rewards are actually worth.
When can I use Amex Rewards?
After a purchase, Amex Rewards points will usually appear as pending on your statement. This usually takes about 72 hours after your rewarded purchase. However, you cannot use the points until you receive the minimum payment on the payment due date. After your payment is received, it usually takes 24 to 72 hours for the payment to be credited to your account and the points to be released for your use.
The Bottom Line on American Express Membership Rewards Points
American Express’ loyalty rewards program offers a lot of flexibility, but unfortunately, if you don’t choose your rewards carefully, you’ll lose some value, When redeeming directly with American Express, you’ll get the most value when you use your points to buy gift cards from select merchants, book flights with American Express, or book hotels in the Fine Hotels & Resorts portfolio.
However, if you want to maximize the value of your points, your best bet is to transfer them to one of American Express’s airline or hotel transfer partners. Just keep in mind that you may need to do some research to make sure you’re getting enough value to make it worth it.
If you want to go all-in on membership rewards, sign up for more than one credit card with the program. This way, you can always be sure to get the most out of your day-to-day expenses.
The Membership Rewards program isn’t the only one of its kind. Chase Ultimate Rewards also offers plenty of flexibility and offers more value than Amex4 when it comes to redemption. Additionally, the CitiThankYou Rewards program offers similar flexibility and point value to the Membership Rewards program.
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