For those who wish to earn rewards for their spending, the Amex EveryDay Credit Card and the premium Amex Platinum Card, among other American Express cards, are popular options since they earn Membership Rewards points. The number of points you earn depends on your card and spending habits. And there are multiple ways to use your points — although transferring them to a participating airline loyalty program often offers the best value. Given the flexibility cardholders enjoy through the American Express rewards program, it qualifies as one that’s worthy of your attention.
American Express Membership Rewards: Program Guide
Various American Express cards let you earn Membership Rewards points, and there are several ways to redeem them. Your points tend to offer the best value when redeemed for travel rewards.
Updated: October 23, 2024
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- The rate at which you earn Membership Rewards points depends on your Amex card.
- The value of Amex Membership Rewards points depends on the redemption method.
- American Express Membership Rewards points come with no expiration date.
How to Earn American Express Points
American Express Membership Rewards is a loyalty program offered by American Express to its cardholders. The specific ways you can earn Membership Rewards points might vary slightly based on the region or country in which you have your account. However, generally speaking, here are some of the most common methods to earn points:
- American Express Membership Rewards: This is a loyalty program offered by American Express to its cardholders. The specific ways you can earn Membership Rewards points might vary slightly based on the region or country in which you have your account. However, generally speaking, here are some of the most common methods to earn points:
- Credit Card Spending: The primary way to earn Membership Rewards points is by using an eligible American Express card for your purchases. The number of points you earn per dollar spent will depend on the specific card and category of purchase. Some cards may offer bonus points for spending in certain categories such as travel, dining, or supermarkets.
- Special Promotions: American Express will occasionally run promotions offering bonus points for spending in certain categories or with specific merchants.
- Amex Offers: Check your Amex online account or mobile app for "Amex Offers" These are targeted promotions where you can earn extra points or get cashback for shopping at certain merchants.
- Shopping Through the Amex Portal: American Express may have an online shopping portal that allows cardmembers to earn extra points when shopping through their links.
- Refer a Friend: Some American Express cards have a referral program. You can earn bonus points if you refer friends or family members and they get approved.
- Travel: Booking travel, including flights, hotels and car rentals, through American Express Travel or with certain partners may also allow you to earn extra points.
- Adding Additional Card Members: Some promotions might offer bonus points for adding authorized users to your account.
- Partnerships with Retailers and Services: Occasionally, American Express forms partnerships with various businesses, allowing you to earn points when purchasing their goods or services.
- Special Events: American Express sometimes hosts or sponsors events where members might have opportunities to earn bonus points.
- Charging Recurring Bills: Setting up automatic payments or charging your recurring bills, like utilities or subscriptions, to your Amex card can also accumulate points over time.
- Buying Points: In some circumstances, American Express might allow you to purchase Membership Rewards points, though this usually isn't the most cost-effective way to obtain them.
Remember to always read the terms and conditions associated with your specific card and the Membership Rewards program. Point values, redemption options and earning rates can vary based on the card and region. Also, make sure to pay off your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges and maximize the value of your points.
How to Redeem American Express Membership Rewards
What you need to do to redeem Amex points depends on the desired redemption method. Remember that while the value of Membership Rewards points from all sources are the same, their worth varies based on how you use them.
Log in to the membershiprewards.com website.
Select earn and redeem on the homepage.
Choose the desired redemption method.
Follow the prompts.
In some cases, you might have to complete the process by visiting an Amex partner’s website.
You need to use the Membership Rewards website to redeem your points for gift cards, cover your card charges, make charitable donations and transfer them to an Amex travel partner. If you wish to use the Pay With Points at Checkout method, you might need to link your eligible Amex credit card with the partner merchant first. You may also use the Amex Shop With Points platform to purchase through various merchant partners.
How Do You Get the Most Value From American Express Membership Rewards?
The value of your Membership Rewards points depends on the redemption method you select, so looking at how to make the most of the points you earn might be worthwhile. While the number of points you earn depends on the card you have, their worth remains the same across all cards. For instance, the value of 1,000 Amex Platinum points is the same as that of 1,000 points you earn through the EveryDay Preferred Card, provided you redeem them in the same manner. The American Express points calculator helps give you an indication of the worth of your Membership Rewards points.
- Pay With Points at Checkout: 10,000 Membership Rewards points are worth $70 in most instances. They are worth $100 when you use them with New York City taxis and $50 through Ticketmaster.
- Redeem for Gift Cards: 10,000 Membership Rewards points can get you a gift card of up to $100.
- Cover Card Charges: 10,000 Membership Rewards points are worth $60. Book or Upgrade Travel: The value of 10,000 Membership Rewards points typically varies from $70 to $100. If you use your points to cover excise tax offset fees when transferring points to a U.S. airline frequent flyer program, 10,000 points are valued at $50.
- Shopping: When you use your Membership Rewards points to shop through any Amex merchant partner, or if you use them to cover all or part of your purchases, you get $50 in value for 10,000 points.
- Transfer to a Travel Partner: In most cases, transferring points to an Amex travel partner comes at a 1:1 ratio. Exceptions include the JetBlue rewards program, where you get 200 TrueBlue points for 250 Membership Rewards points; the Aeromexico Club Premier, through which you get 1,600 Premier points per 1,000 Membership Rewards points; and the Hilton Honors program, which offers 2,000 Hilton Honors points for 1,000 Membership Rewards points. Bear in mind that you need to pay a fee of $0.0006 per point when transferring your points to a U.S. airline’s frequent flyer program. While most such transfers take place at a 1:1 ratio, the value of your points also depends on the loyalty program you transfer your points to and other variables such as travel dates and routes. Some popular Amex transfer partners include British Airways Executive Club, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards and Singapore KrisFlyer.
More: How Much Are American Express Membership Rewards Points Worth?
When you have multiple American Express cards, all of your Membership Rewards points are automatically saved in one bucket. This makes it easier to keep track of your rewards and save up for a large redemption. And, if you close one of your Membership Rewards cards, you don't need to worry about losing your points as long as you have at least one account open. — Lee Huffman, credit card expert at BaldThoughts.com
Are American Express Membership Rewards Worth It?
One distinct advantage of the American Express Membership Rewards program is that it allows you to earn additional points in different ways. For instance, if you use Rakuten, an online shopping portal, you may choose to earn Membership Rewards points instead of cash back as long as you have an eligible Amex card. You need a minimum of 500 points before you may carry out a transfer from Rakuten to your Membership Rewards account. You may also earn points faster when you use your card at participating merchants and by signing up for Amex offers.
However, the fact that you don’t get any bonus points when you redeem your points through the Amex Travel Center works as a drawback.
Next Steps
Now that you know how the American Express rewards program works, determine if you might benefit by becoming a member. If you decide to move forward, consider which Amex card linked to the Membership Rewards program suits you best based on factors such as annual fees, reward rates, welcome bonuses and added perks.
FAQ About American Express Membership Rewards
Go through answers to other commonly asked questions about Membership Rewards from American Express to determine if this rewards program might work well for you.
You may redeem your American Express Membership Rewards points to cover eligible charges from your current statement. You may also use them to make online purchases through the Amex Shop With Points platform or to pay at online partner merchants such as Amazon.com, Best Buy, Newegg and Staples.
American Express Membership Rewards points do not expire as long as an eligible card or checking account is linked to the Membership Rewards program. If you miss or make a late payment, you stand to forfeit the points you earn in the given billing cycle. However, you can request to reinstate those points once you pay the amount due, plus a $35 fee for each card and billing cycle. In this case, you must submit your request within 12 months of the billing period in which you forfeited them.
You may use your Membership Rewards points to cover eligible charges from the current statement. In this case, 10,000 points will translate to $60.
As long as you have an eligible credit card or checking account linked to the Amex Membership Rewards program, closing an Amex credit card account does not result in the loss of any points you've earned through the card in question. However, once you cancel the last linked card/checking account, you will lose all your points immediately, with one exception: if the last linked account is a corporate card, Amex lets you redeem your points for up to 30 days after you cancel the card.
No. You cannot transfer your Amex points to another person.
No. You do not lose your Membership Rewards points if you downgrade.
If you return a purchase or it's credited back to your account, the points you initially earned from that purchase will be deducted from your total Membership Rewards balance.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
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