Whether you’re a rewards points pro or just starting out, you’ve almost certainly heard of the American Express Membership Rewards program. But how familiar are you with all it has to offer?
With its wide range of cards, uncapped points, and numerous bonus offers, the American Express Membership Rewards program is a favourite among points savvy spenders. You’ll be able to earn points on eligible purchases you make with your Amex card, which you can then exchange for a whole heap of freebies, including flights and gift cards. The Amex rewards program is consistently one of the better value programs out there.
With Amex, you’ll get access to a range of rewards, including flights and shopping opportunities, but there are plenty of other ways you can put your points to use.
Amex offers a long list of cards to suit a range of customers. The cards differ in terms of points earning potential, fees, and interest rates, plus some of the more exclusive cards come with a minimum income requirement.
Platinum and premium cards don’t just come with a higher points earn rate than most other Amex cards, they deliver much greater benefits and services.
If you spend much of your time up in the clouds, an Amex Frequent Flyer card deserves a spot in your wallet. You’ll be able to earn points on most purchases, plus access a number of perks, like airport lounge access and complimentary travel insurance.
With Amex rewards credit cards, you can receive shopping gift cards, use points to pay for everyday purchases, and access a number of goodies to make your next holiday all the more relaxing.
You can earn Amex Rewards Points every time you make an eligible purchase using your American Express rewards card, so whether you’re doing your weekly grocery shopping, trawling the internet for clothing, or treating your friends to drinks, you’ll see your points balance grow.
There are a few ways you can earn extra points too, such as by linking additional cards. This allows you to share the one account across multiple cards, so your family can all chip in to help get those benefits faster.
Another way to score points quickly is with a bonus points offer, which you can usually nab when you first sign up for a new American Express rewards card. You’ll usually have to meet a minimum spend criteria, and the points on offer will depend on which card you choose, so click through to each card below to check out what’s on offer.
You can also count on extra points when you refer a friend. Each time you make a successful referral, you’ll receive an extra 15,000 points in your balance.
If you’ve downloaded the American Express Mobile App, you’ll be able to earn Bonus Points when you play Local Champion, a feature which rewards you for supporting for favourite local businesses. All you’ll need to do is select a local merchant from the list provided, and set out to use your card there more times than any other American Express member for the next 30 days. If you succeed, you’ll earn 1 Bonus Membership Rewards point per $1 spent, with a limit of 10,000 bonus points.
To redeem your hard-earned points, you can log into the American Express website and browse the rewards available. Once you’ve found something you like, simply click ‘redeem,’ sign in if you haven’t already, and click through to the confirmation page.
If you’re making a purchase at a partner retailer, you can also choose to pay with points right there in the store. You’ll need a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points to do so and you should receive a prompt with the option to pay using your points at the checkout.
If you’d like to see how Amex fares next to the rewards cards on offer from other providers, be sure to visit our rewards credit cards comparison page.
