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Offers for the
Eligibility is limited for the Amex Offers discussed in this post. Enrollment is required in the Amex Offers section of your account before redeeming.
American Express Membership
Whether you're just getting started with Amex points or looking for a refresher, this guide covers the basics of earning, redeeming, and maximizing Membership Rewards.
How To Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
Most people earn Membership Rewards points through an eligible American Express card. You can grow your balance through everyday spending, welcome offers, referrals, Amex Offers, and even Rakuten. Amex Business Checking customers can also earn Membership Rewards points on eligible debit-card purchases.
If you have more than one Membership Rewards-earning card, Amex automatically pools all your points into a single Membership Rewards account.
Amex Membership Rewards
Amex offers several Membership Rewards-earning
The best card — or combination of Amex
A few of our favorite American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards include:
- American Express® Gold Card: Strong earning at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, plus monthly credits.
- American Express Platinum Card®: Best suited to travelers who can take advantage of its premium travel perks and credits.
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Earns 2X points on the first $50,000 in purchases each calendar year, then 1X, with no annual fee.
- American Express® Business Gold Card: Earns 4X points in your top two eligible spending categories each month, subject to the annual cap.
$325
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on cruises booked and paid through amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
$895
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
$375Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)
- U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
- U.S. purchases at gas stations
- U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
Amex Offers
Amex Offers can help you earn extra Membership Rewards points or statement credits on eligible purchases. Offers are targeted, so what you see can vary by card and by account.
To use one, add the offer to your card before making the qualifying purchase. If you have multiple Amex cards, you may see different offers across them, although the same offer can typically only be added to one card.
Eligibility is limited for the Amex Offers discussed in this post. Enrollment is required in the Amex Offers section of your account before redeeming.
Related: Current Travel-Related Amex Offers
Earn Membership Rewards by shopping through Rakuten
Rakuten is another way to boost your Membership Rewards balance. If you have an eligible Membership Rewards-earning card, you can choose to earn Amex points instead of cash back when shopping through the portal.
The earning rate is straightforward: 1% cash back turns into 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar, 5% becomes 5 points per dollar, and so on.
Refer-A-Friend bonus
You can earn bonus Membership Rewards points by referring American Express credit cards to friends and family. Referral bonuses vary by card and offer, so it’s worth checking your account to see what’s available.
The person you refer doesn’t always have to apply for the exact card tied to your referral link. As long as they apply through your link for an eligible card, you can still earn the referral bonus.
Additional cardholder bonus
American Express will sometimes offer extra Membership Rewards points when you add an authorized user to your card.
These offers typically require the new cardholder to spend a certain amount within a set period to earn the bonus.
The offer, spending requirement and authorized-user fee — if any — vary by card, so check the terms before adding someone.
Targeted offers
Amex also sends targeted offers that can help you earn extra Membership Rewards points. These vary by account and may include bonuses for enrolling in features like Pay Over Time or meeting a specific spending requirement.
Note: Eligible charges can be included in a Pay Over Time balance, up to the Pay Over Time Limit. All charges not added to a Pay Over Time balance or monthly payment plan or Cash Advance balance must be paid in full each month by the payment due date. Pay Over Time only applies to eligible charges meeting minimum transaction amounts for certain cards.
Retention offers
If you're considering closing an Amex card, you may be offered an incentive to keep it open. Retention offers can include bonus points, statement credits, or extra rewards for meeting a spending threshold.
They aren't guaranteed. However, they can be worth the few minutes it takes to contact Amex and ask, especially as part of your long-term credit card strategy.
How Much Are Membership Rewards Worth?
The value of Amex points depends heavily on how you redeem them. AwardWallet users average 2.03¢ per point in recent redemptions, but your actual value can vary quite a bit.
In general, transferring points to airline partners is where you’ll find some of the best redemption opportunities. Options like statement credits, booking through the Amex Travel portal, and merchandise generally won’t stretch your points nearly as far. These redemption options typically return around 1 cent per point or less.
Best Ways To Use Membership Rewards
American Express offers many ways to redeem Membership Rewards points. However, not all are created equal.
You can redeem points for:
- Statement credits
- Gift cards
- Donations through JustGiving
- Merchandise
- Purchases with select online merchants
- Travel booked through American Express Travel®, including flights, hotels and cruises
- Transfers to airline and hotel partners
Transferring your points to airline partners will oftentimes give you the best opportunity to get strong value. Hotel transfers can be useful in some cases, but they typically don’t offer the same upside.
You can also get solid value if you have a card like The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and utilize the 35% Pay With Points rebate. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Related: 5 Excellent Redemption Strategies for Amex Membership Rewards
American Express transfer partners
Transfer partners are one of the biggest reasons Membership Rewards are so valuable. Amex partners with a wide range of airline and hotel
Below are the current 16 airline and four hotel transfer partners, along with transfer times based on AwardWallet user data.
Before transferring, make sure the award you want is available. Membership Rewards transfers are generally final, so once you move your points to an airline or hotel program, you typically can't move them back.
One thing to watch for: Amex charges an excise-tax offset fee when you transfer points to U.S. airline programs. The fee is $0.0006 per point, up to $99 per transfer.
Amex also regularly offers transfer bonuses that can give you more airline miles or hotel points for the same number of Membership Rewards points. These promotions are limited-time offers, so they can make an already-good redemption even better.
Related: How To Transfer Amex Points: A Step-by-Step Guide
Do Amex Points Expire?
No. Amex Membership Rewards points don't expire, although you can lose points in some situations. For example, you may forfeit your points if you close your last Membership Rewards-linked product or if Amex closes your account for certain reasons.
Final Thoughts
American Express Membership Rewards remains one of the most flexible points programs around. Between the number of ways to earn points and the range of airline and hotel transfer partners, there are plenty of opportunities to get strong value from your rewards.
Once you understand how the program works, it’s quite easy to tailor your Membership Rewards to your spending habits and travel goals. And with the right redemptions, those points can go a long way.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
