- How to earn Amex points
- American Express personal cards
- American Express business cards
- How to use Amex points
- Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners
- Other ways to use American Express points
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Updated
2022-09-16T21:23:50Z
Insider's experts
choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this
page. Amex Membership Rewards points are some of the most valuable credit card rewards you can earn because they're flexible — you can redeem them for a wide variety of rewards, including travel, or cash them in for other redemption like gift cards or statement credits. Top cards like The Platinum Card® from American
Express
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</desc> , the American Express® Gold Card
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</desc> , and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earn Membership Rewards (MR) points, and each has different bonus categories and benefits to suit your spending and travel habits. Whether you're just getting started with American Express cards or are looking for new ways to use rewards, here's everything you need to know about earning and redeeming Amex points. We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card.
These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay. When you open an
American Express card, you can often earn a large welcome bonus offer, in addition to being able to rack up points quickly through your normal, everyday spending. Best for frequent travelers The Platinum Card® from American Express Intro offer 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend
$6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership Rewards Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. The Platinum Card® from American Express Intro offer 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership Rewards Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership
Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. On American Express's website On American
Express's website Rewards Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. Annual Fee $695 See Rates and Fees Show more
Intro offer 100,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first 6 months of card membership Recommended Credit Good to Excellent Regular APR See Pay Over Time APR Editor's Rating 4.75/5 Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit
cards available. Show more
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Long list of travel benefits, including airport lounge access and complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott (enrollment required)
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual statement credits with Saks and Uber
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section. Bonus categories leave something to be desired
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section. One of the highest annual fees among premium travel cardsHow to earn Amex points
American Express personal cards
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Details
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best for dining rewards
American Express® Gold Card
Intro offer
60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other purchases.
American Express® Gold Card
Intro offer
60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other purchases.
On American Express's website
American Express® Gold Card
On American Express's website
Details
Rewards
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® points on all other purchases.
Annual Fee
$250
See Rates and Fees
Show more
Intro offer
60,000 points after you spend at least $4,000 in your first 6 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
18.99% - 25.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Great rewards for dining and for shopping at US supermarkets
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Monthly statement credit for eligible dining purchases recoups some of the annual fee
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Underwhelming welcome bonus
Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required.
- Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best for bonus points on travel
American Express® Green Card
Intro offer
40,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants including takeout and delivery in the US. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, and more. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases
American Express® Green Card
Intro offer
40,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants including takeout and delivery in the US. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, and more. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases
On American Express's website
American Express® Green Card
On American Express's website
Details
Rewards
Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants including takeout and delivery in the US. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on transit including trains, buses, ferries, subway, and more. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, and more. Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases
Intro offer
40,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening
Regular APR
See Rates & Fees
Pros & Cons
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3x bonus categories of travel and restaurants that rival the more-expensive Chase Sapphire Reserve
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Reasonable annual fee compared to many other travel rewards cards
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Annual statement credits with CLEAR and LoungeBuddy won't be useful to everyone
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Underwhelming welcome bonus
Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- The information related to the American Express® Green Card has been collected by Business Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
- Earn 40,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on all eligible travel, from subway swipes and window seats to hotel stays and city tours.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide.
- Receive up to $100 per year in statement credits when you use the American Express® Green Card to pay for your CLEAR® membership at select airports and stadiums across the U.S. and Permissible Biometric Scanning Technology terms: eye scanning, irises scanning and fingerprints scanning.
- Use the American Express® Green Card to purchase lounge access through LoungeBuddy to any of the lounges in the LoungeBuddy network – no memberships, elite statuses, or first class tickets required. Earn up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year on your LoungeBuddy purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $150 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best with no annual fee
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
Intro offer
10,000 Membership Rewards® Points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
Rewards
Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
Intro offer
10,000 Membership Rewards® Points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
Rewards
Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
On American Express's website
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
On American Express's website
Details
Rewards
Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
10,000 Membership Rewards® Points when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
Regular APR
12.99% to 23.99%
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening
Pros & Cons
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20% points bonus when you make at least 20 purchases in a billing period
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
No annual fee
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Access to Amex Offers
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Limited bonus categories
Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- The information related to the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express has been collected by Business Insider and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
- 2X points at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6K in purchases
- 1X points on your other purchases
- Membership Rewards® Pay with Points
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening, then a variable APR, 12.99% to 23.99%
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best bonus categories for families
Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
Intro offer
15,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. gas stations. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
Intro offer
15,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. gas stations. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
On American Express's website
Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
On American Express's website
Details
Rewards
Earn 3x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points at U.S. gas stations. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
15,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening
Recommended Credit
Excellent
Regular APR
15.99% - 25.99% Variable
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers (made in the first 60 days) for 12 months from the date of account opening
Pros & Cons
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Strong rewards at US supermarkets
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
You can earn a 50% points bonus each billing period when you make at least 30 purchases
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Annual cap on earning bonus rewards at US supermarkets
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Not the best option for earning rewards outside of US supermarkets and US gas stations — especially if you don't make at least 30 purchases per billing statement to earn the bonus
Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- The information for the Amex EveryDay Preferred Card has been collected independently by Business Insider, and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer
- 3x points at US Supermarkets
- 2x points at US gas stations
- 1x points on all other eligible purchases
- Use your Card 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 50% extra points on those purchases less returns and credits. Terms apply.
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Any of the Amex personal cards that earn Membership Rewards allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners.
American Express business cards
The following small-business cards earn Amex Membership Rewards points:
Best no-annual-fee business card
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Intro offer
15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points on everyday eligible business purchases (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Intro offer
15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points on everyday eligible business purchases (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
On American Express's website
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
On American Express's website
Details
Rewards
Earn 2x Membership Rewards® Points on everyday eligible business purchases (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the card within your first 3 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
16.24% - 24.24% Variable
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months from account opening
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
The rare no-annual-fee card to earn Amex Membership Rewards points
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Solid earning rate on the first $50,000 in purchases each year
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
For spending above $50,000 each year, you will only earn 1 point per dollar
Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
- You've got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
- *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.24% - 24.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply
- See Rates & Fees
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best business card for travelers
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
On American Express's website
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
On American Express's website
Details
Rewards
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Intro offer
120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first 3 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
17.24% - 25.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
More travel benefits than you'll find on any other business credit card
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Generous airport lounge access options, from American Express Centurion Lounges to Priority Pass (enrollment required)
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Complimentary hotel elite status (enrollment required)
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Access to Amex concierge services
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Very high annual fee
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Limited opportunities to earn bonus points
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
Annual statement credits won't be useful for everyone
Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Best business card for big spenders
American Express® Business Gold Card
Intro offer
70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points on the top 2 business categories where your business spent the most each billing cycle. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
American Express® Business Gold Card
Intro offer
70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
Rewards
Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points on the top 2 business categories where your business spent the most each billing cycle. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
On American Express's website
American Express® Business Gold Card
On American Express's website
Details
Rewards
Earn 4x Membership Rewards® Points on the top 2 business categories where your business spent the most each billing cycle. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular APR
17.24% - 25.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
You can bonus points on the categories where you make the most purchases (from a list of options)
Check mark iconA check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
25% points rebate when you use rewards to book an eligible flight through Amex Travel
Dash iconA dash. It often indicates an interaction to shrink a section.
High annual fee
Highlights
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- Welcome Offer: Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
- More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. **
- **4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
- Airline Bonus: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*
- Pay Over Time Option: Decide whether you want to pay eligible purchases in full each month-or pay over time with interest.*
- *Terms Apply
Additional Reading
Chevron iconIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.Some cards come with lucrative travel and shopping benefits that can make paying their annual fees more than worthwhile. For example, the Amex Platinum charges an annual fee of $695, but in return, you get top-notch benefits.
Other Amex cards without as high an annual fee don't come with as long a list of benefits, but still offer perks like secondary rental car insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty, and more. Read our guide to the best American Express cards to help decide which card is right for you.
Once you have a healthy stash of Amex points, you've got plenty of options for using them. Be sure to log in and look at the Amex Membership Rewards portal for all the options available on your cards.
How to use Amex points
Amex Membership Rewards points are worth, on average, 1.8 cents each based on Insider's latest points and miles valuations, but the exact value you'll get depends on how you redeem your rewards.
Transfer points to a hotel or airline partner
Just like with any transferable points program, the best potential value you can get is from transferring your Amex points to a partner program. Amex has 17 airline and three hotel loyalty program partners, and you can transfer points to any of them.
This is particularly valuable for flying, as opposed to hotel stays. In many cases, the cash price and the miles price of a ticket aren't linked, so it's possible to get exponentially increased value from your points by transferring them and booking an award ticket instead. That means potentially being able to fly long-haul in first or business class with points, among other things.
Ultimately, remember to compare pricing between the Amex Travel Portal (more on that below) and how many points you would need to transfer to a frequent flyer program for an award flight. Because award tickets sometimes have cash taxes and fees — occasionally rising into the hundreds of dollars — it's good to compare.
Use Amex points for flights, hotels, and more through American Express Travel
Amex Travel is essentially a travel-booking website operated by American Express. It works similarly to travel booking sites like Expedia or Orbitz. The Amex Travel Portal allows you to book flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises, and more with your Membership Rewards points.
Airfare is the best option when you're paying with points. When you book a flight through Amex Travel, you'll get a value of 1 cent per point. You may also find "Insider Fares," which generally offer a slightly better value — a lot of these fares are on Delta.
Unfortunately, if you want to book anything else through the Amex Travel portal — like hotels, cruises, rental cars, or vacation packages — you'll only get 0.7 cents per point.
This is in contrast to Chase, which offers the same price for anything through its Ultimate Rewards travel portal — 1 cent per point if you have a basic card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠, 1.25 cents per point if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, or 1.5 cents per point if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Bid for upgrades on your next flight
American Express lets you use points to bid for discounted upgrades to first class, business class, and premium economy on participating airlines.
A number of airlines offer an option to place cash bids on upgrades before your flight — if there are available seats in premium cabins, you can snag them at a potentially steep discount. Most airlines that offer this manage it through a third-party service called Plusgrade.
Under the Amex partnership with Plusgrade, you can use Membership Rewards points to place bids on over 20 airlines, including Aeromexico, Air Canada, Etihad, Qantas, Ethiopian Airlines, and TAP Portugal.
Each Membership Rewards point is worth $0.01 toward a bid, according to a spokesperson for Amex. So 1,000 points are worth $10 — a solid valuation. The best value from points, however, can be had by transferring them to one of Amex's airline or hotel partners, and booking flights or hotel stays that way.
To bid for an upgrade using your Membership Rewards points, visit americanexpress.com/upgrade and enter your reservation details. If your bid is accepted, you'll receive an email.
Redeem points for cash or gift cards
You can exchange Membership Rewards points for cash or gift cards, but keep in mind that this is usually a pretty terrible value compared to other redemption options.
Different merchant gift cards have different prices and values for your points. Some offer a not-horrible 1 cent per point — meaning a $25 gift card costs 2,500 points — but the others are as low as 0.5 cents per point — so that $25 gift card would cost 5,000 points.
You can also redeem points as statement credits against specific charges — essentially, cash back used to pay your card. However, this is a similarly poor value, only offering 0.6 cents per point.
Use points to check out online at major retailers
When you check out online at a growing list of major retailers and enter your American Express card number, you can opt to pay in part or in full with points.
Merchants that currently let you pay with Amex points at checkout include:
- Amazon
- Best Buy
- Boxed
- Dell.com
- Newegg
- PayPal
- RiteAid
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Staples
While promotions occasionally make this worthwhile — for instance, there have been deals where you could save $30 at Amazon by using a single Membership Rewards point at checkout — it's generally a poor value of 0.7 cents per point.
Buy merchandise through Amex or tickets through Ticketmaster
Amex offers a shopping portal that has a wide range of different products, all of which can be purchased with Membership Rewards points. However, you'll only get 0.5 cents per point, so if you were set on using points for merchandise, you'd be better off going through a shopping partner like Amazon, or possibly buying a gift card.
To redeem points at Ticketmaster, you'll need to call Amex after using your card to pay for your Ticketmaster purchase, then use points at a rate of 0.5 cents each to cover the charge.
Other ways to use American Express points
There are a few other, little-known options for redeeming your American Express rewards, including:
- Donating points to charity through JustGiving (0.7 cents per point)
- Redeeming points for food delivery through GrubHub or Seamless (0.7 cents per point)
- Paying for NYC Taxi fare with points (1 cent per point)
David is a Senior Transportation Reporter for Business Insider. He primarily covers airlines and air travel. A native New Yorker and avid photographer, David previously covered travel, credit-card rewards, and frequent-flyer programs. Before joining Business Insider, David was a freelance writer and editor — before that, he worked in public affairs. He earned his bachelor's degree from Muhlenberg College and his master's from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram, or send him an e-mail at .
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Jasmin Baron is an editor at Insider, responsible for credit card coverage on Personal Finance Insider. She is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).Before joining the Insider team, she was a senior editor at The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets, covering credit cards, points and miles, and loyalty programs. Her expertise in maximizing travel rewards grew from over two decades of experience in the aviation industry, including 18 years working as a pilot and flight instructor in her native Canada.You can reach Jasmin at . Learn more about how Personal Finance Insider chooses, rates, and covers financial products and services »
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For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum® Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
**Enrollment required.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, and Cell Phone Protection Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Global Assist Hotline Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Baggage Insurance Plan Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
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