American Express Membership Rewards: Earning, Redeeming, Transfer Partner, and More

American Express Membership Rewards has long been one of the most valuable transferable points programs. There are tons of ways to earn Membership Rewards points through your credit card purchases.

Thanks to plentiful airline and hotel transfer partners, you’ll also have plenty of ways to redeem Membership Rewards for amazing flights and stays just about anywhere you want to go.

Here’s everything you need to know about the program.

What Is American Express Membership Rewards?

Amex Membership Rewards is a credit card rewards program that lets cardmembers earn points on almost all purchases.

To earn Membership Rewards points, you must hold one of the many affiliated American Express cards. By holding one of these cards, you are automatically enrolled in the program.

The number of points you earn for every $1 you spend depends on which card you use and the category of your purchases, as some are bonus categories. Bonus categories can help you earn between 2 and 5 points per $1 on some purchases.

There are many ways to redeem Membership Rewards points, but transferring them to one of the program’s travel partners is usually how you get the most value.

Best Amex Membership Rewards Cards

There are many ways to earn Membership Rewards points. However, before you can do that, you need to have at least 1 American Express rewards credit card. Here are our favorites:

Platinum Card^® from American Express

BEST OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum card reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and elite status.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum card reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and elite status.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount — all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.

As High as 175,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,850

Annual Fee

$895

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, the Platinum Card^® from American Express is a top choice.

The card offers premium perks like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and several annual card credits. The Amex Platinum card is easily worth the annual fee for frequent travelers who use the lounges and travel credits, and hard to justify for those who won’t.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far): Get access to over 1,550 worldwide lounges, including Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5 points per $1 spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5 points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $895 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags).

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Get more for your travels with 5X Membership Rewards^® points on all flights and prepaid hotel bookings through American Express Travel^®, including Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings. You earn 5X points on flights purchased directly from airlines or through American Express Travel^® on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• With over 1,550 airport lounges - more than any other credit card company on the market* - enjoy the benefits of the Global Lounge Collection, over $850 of annual value, with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 Delta Sky Club visits (subject to visit limitations) when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass™ membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges. *As of 01/2026
• $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One Credit: With the Platinum Card^® you can receive $15 in Uber Cash each month plus a bonus $20 in December when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to use on rides and orders in the U.S when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Plus, when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for an auto-renewing Uber One membership, you can get up to $120 in statement credits each calendar year. Terms apply.
• $300 Digital Entertainment Credit: Experience the latest shows, news and recipes. Get up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases on Disney+, a Disney+ bundle, ESPN streaming services, Hulu, The New York Times, Paramount+, Peacock, The Wall Street Journal, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV when you purchase directly from one or more of the providers. Enrollment required.
• $600 Hotel Credit: Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection* bookings through American Express Travel^® using the Platinum Card^®. *The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $400 Resy Credit + Platinum Nights™ by Resy: Get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® to pay for eligible purchases with Resy, including dining purchases at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required. As a Platinum Card^® Member you have special access to reservations on select nights at participating sought after Resy restaurants in select cities through Platinum Nights™ by Resy. Simply add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile to book your reservation.
• $219 CLEAR+ Credit: CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. You can cover the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership* with up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for CLEAR+ with your Platinum Card^®. *Excluding any applicable taxes and fees. Subject to auto-renewal.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to the Platinum Card^® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
• Start your vacation sooner and keep it going longer. When you book Fine Hotels + Resorts^® through American Express Travel^®, enjoy noon check-in, when available, and guaranteed 4pm late check-out.
• $300 lululemon Credit: Enjoy up to $75 in statement credits each quarter when you use the Platinum Card^® for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. That’s up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. Enrollment required.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Get up to a $12.95* statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Platinum Card^®. *Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• $895 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The Amex Platinum card is the classic Amex Membership Rewards card. It comes with a variety of benefits, including access to over 1,550 airport lounges, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, and Leaders Club Sterling status (upon enrollment), and more.

Additionally, this card earns 5x points on flights purchased directly with airlines. Flights and prepaid hotels purchased through AmexTravel.com also earn 5x points (note that 5x on flights is capped at $500,000 in purchases per calendar year). It earns 1x points on all other purchases.

You also receive an annual airline fee credit of up to $200, $15 monthly ($35 in December) in Uber Cash, up to $400 in Resy credits, up to $300 in lululemon credits, up to $300 in digital entertainment credits, and more. Enrollment is required for some benefits.

American Express^® Gold Card

TOP PICK

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out, and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out, and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets.

Welcome Offer

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 100,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $2,200

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

With the Amex Gold card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.

There are several other benefits of the Amex Gold card, including monthly dining credits.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on prepaid hotels via AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App
• 4x points at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 4x points at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter

Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
• 4x categories for restaurants and U.S. supermarkets have annual spend caps

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
• Earn 2X Membership Rewards^® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1X Membership Rewards^® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• Pay It^® lets you tap in the American Express^® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It^® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
• $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express^® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star^® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
• Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
• Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express^® service and support. Only for American Express^® Card Members.
• Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $325.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The Amex Gold card is great for travelers and foodies. It earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 spent per calendar year (1x thereafter) and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 spent per calendar year (1x thereafter). You also earn 3x points on airfare booked directly with the airline or through AmexTravel.com.

Plus, you receive up to $10 per month in dining credits to use with participating restaurants and takeout services, as well as $10 in monthly Uber Cash. Enrollment is required for these benefits.

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

Welcome Offer

Your Offer Could Be As High As 300,000 points. Apply And Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible to earn as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Your Offer Could Be As High As 300,000 Points. Apply And Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $6,600

Annual Fee

$895

APR

17.99% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Amex Business Platinum Card is a premium travel rewards card tailored for business owners who are frequent travelers with high annual expenses.

When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers, like the best airport lounge access at over 1,550 lounges and numerous annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on eligible travel purchases like flights, prepaid hotels, and prepaid short-term rentals booked through AmexTravel.com
• Access to over 1,550 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Earn 2x Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million per calendar year)

Cons

• High annual fee of $895 (rates & fees)
• Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• As High As 300,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Learn more.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 01/2026.
• See how you can unlock over $4,000 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
• Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
• Make the Business Platinum Card^® work even harder for you. Hilton for Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Gift cards are not an eligible purchase. Benefit enrollment required.
• Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
• Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $219 back per calendar year on your CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
• Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
• Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
• Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Platinum Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
• Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
• Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That’s up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
• Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That’s up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
• 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
• 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com
• 1X points on other eligible purchases
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.99% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer as high as 300,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum card. Find out your offer. Terms Apply.

The Amex Business Platinum card has benefits very similar to the personal version (the lounge access and hotel status bumps are the same).

It earns 5x points on flights, prepaid hotel purchases, and short-term rentals made through AmexTravel.com.

Additionally, it earns 2x points for eligible purchases made on your card at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, at U.S. electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and at U.S. shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year).

It also comes with an up-to-$200 annual airline fee credit, up to $200 in Hilton statement credits per year, up to $360 in Indeed credits per year, up to $300 in Amex ChatGPT Business credits per year (subscriptions are subject to automatic renewal), and more. Enrollment is required for some benefits.

Welcome offers on the Amex Business Platinum card are targeted and change over time, so check how to find the highest Amex Business Platinum welcome offer before applying.

American Express^® Business Gold Card

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Business Gold Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

American Express^® Business Gold Card

Get 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).

Welcome Offer

Your Offer Could Be As High As 200,000 Points. Apply And Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible to earn as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

Your Offer Could Be As High As 200,000 Points. Apply And Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $4,400

Annual Fee

$375

APR

17.99% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Business Gold Card is excellent at racking up rewards for your business spend.

The card earns a whopping 4x points per $1 in the 2 categories (from a list of 6) that your business spends the most money on each month. With no need to opt-in or preselect your categories, so you can focus on what matters most — running your business.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar spent on your 2 highest purchase categories each month up to $150,000 each calendar year in purchases; categories include:
  • Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
  • U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
  • Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
  • U.S. purchases at gas stations
  • U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
  • Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, plus TV and radio)
• 3x points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card
• Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection

Cons

• $375 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access or elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• As High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
• Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at Grubhub, Office Supply Stores, and shipments at UPS.com. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
• Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Gold Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
• Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits per calendar year for U.S. purchases with Squarespace on the Business Gold card. Subscription purchases subject to auto-renewal.
• Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
• The Business Gold Card comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
• Terms Apply

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.99% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer as high as 200,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card. Find out your offer. Terms apply.

The Amex Business Gold card is one of the best cards for heavy spenders.

This card earns 4x Membership Rewards points on the top 2 categories in which your business spends the most every month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases every calendar year):

• Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
•  U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
• Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
• U.S. purchases at gas stations
• U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
• Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio)

Although there are no luxury travel benefits like lounge access, this card earns lots of points on business purchases very quickly.

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.

Welcome Offer

As High As 50,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Apply and find out your welcome offer. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 50,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $1,100

Annual Fee

No annual fee

APR

16.99% - 28.74% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

As a business owner, getting a credit card that maximizes each dollar you spend does not have to be complicated or expensive. Especially when you opt for The Blue Business^® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

With the Amex Blue Business Plus card, you’ll earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases throughout the year (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter) and receive purchase protections and no-additional-charge employee cards all for no annual fee (see rates and fees).

The simple and straightforward earning structure makes it a great fit for those looking to earn flexible rewards, without having to fixate on which purchases earn the most points.

Let’s take look at all that the Amex Blue Business Plus card has to offer.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2x Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter)
• Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
• No annual fee and employee cards at no additional cost

Cons

• No unique bonus categories and 2x earnings are capped at $50,000 in annual spend
• No elite travel benefits like lounge access or elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• As High As 50,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Apply and find out your welcome offer. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.99% - 28.74% based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
• Earn 2X 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. Terms and limitations apply.
• You’ve got the power to spend above your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
• Apply to know if you’re approved with no personal or business credit score impact. If you are approved and choose to accept the Card, your personal and business credit scores may be impacted
• No Annual Fee
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Probably the best nonpremium business card, the Amex Blue Business Plus card earns 2x points for everyday business purchases on up to $50,000 in spending each calendar year. After that, it earns 1x.

Earn Points and Save With Amex Offers

When you log in to your account home page, you can scroll to the bottom of the page to find the Amex Offers & Benefits section.

There, you can add offers from select merchants. If you go to where it says “View All”, you’ll see a full list of offers and will simply click on the plus sign next to each offer to add it to your account.

When you make purchases that qualify for an activated offer, you earn the offer’s reward. These offers can be bonus points, cash-back, or a cash discount.

Note that to take advantage of the offer, you must use the specific card to which the offer is attached. You must add the Amex Offer to your card before making the purchase.

Earn Points by Booking Travel Through AmexTravel.com

Many American Express Membership Rewards cards award bonus points for booking travel through AmexTravel.com.

For example, the Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum card earn 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com, including prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts stays.

Meanwhile, the Amex Gold card earns 5x points on prepaid hotels, 3x points on flights, and 2x points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App, and 2x on cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.

AmexTravel.com also offers exclusive deals for Amex cardmembers available only online. Plus, you can still earn frequent flyer miles when booking through the portal, which is a nice bonus.

One last thing to note: Booking through AmexTravel.com may incur a service fee. Depending on the deal and how you value your points, this may not be worth it for you. You must pay $6.99 for a domestic plane ticket and $10.99 for an international one, but hotel bookings are free. These fees are waived if you have the Amex Platinum card or the Amex Business Platinum card.

Bottom Line: Booking travel on the AmexTravel.com portal is a good way to earn extra Membership Rewards points. But make sure you’re getting the best deal and note any restrictions.

Earn Points by Referring a Friend

The American Express refer-a-friend links are at the bottom of each of your account summary screens in the Amex Offers & Benefits section.

Click the Refer Now button, and you’ll be taken to another screen where you can enter multiple email addresses and choose which card you want to refer to.

That screen shows you your current referral offer. It also tells you the offer your friend can get, so they can compare that to any offers they already have.

Take Advantage of Other American Express Benefits

Many cards have specific benefits, such as travel credits and automatic hotel elite status. Your American Express account makes it easy to review and activate these benefits right from your account summary screen.

Go to the menu bar and click Rewards & Benefits and select Benefits from the drop-down menu to see a benefits summary screen. From this screen, you can review everything your card offers and find links to sign up for all applicable benefits.

How To Redeem Amex Membership Rewards Points

Membership Rewards can be redeemed in multiple ways, but travel is where you get the most value for your hard-earned points. Specifically, transferring to airline partners is often your best option.

Redeem Membership Rewards for Travel

This is almost always the highest-value option, as you can typically get far more value from your points by transferring them.

Amex Transfer Partners: Airlines and Hotels

To transfer Membership Rewards points, follow a few simple steps.

Select the Rewards & Benefits tab on the homepage of your online account, then click on the Earn & Redeem button to expand a dropdown menu. From the dropdown menu, click the Transfer Points optionon the Membership Rewards page and you’ll be taken to a page with all of your transfer options.

Select your desired transfer partner, then choose how many points to transfer. Most transfers require you to transfer in increments of 1,000 points. Many of these transfers take place almost instantly, but others can take several days.

If it’s your first time transferring to a partner, you’ll be required to link your airline or hotel loyalty program accounts prior to the transfer. To do this, you need the appropriate loyalty program membership number.

Once a transfer has been completed, it can’t be undone.

Another thing to note on transferring points: For every point you transfer to a domestic carrier, you pay a 0.06-cent fee, up to a maximum fee of $99 (equal to 165,000 points). Unfortunately, this is a slight hit to their value. You can offset the fee with points, but this is a terrible value at only 0.5 cents per point.

Below is the full list of Amex’s airline transfer partners:

Thanks to the 3 major airline alliances (Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance), your Membership Rewards can get you just about anywhere you want to go.

Transfer partners like Emirates and Etihad Airways are outside of these alliances and have a large network of partners, meaning you have a lot of interesting ways to redeem Etihad Guest miles or Emirates Skywards miles.

Finally, you can transfer your points to several of Amex’s hotel partners, but you’d get more value sticking to airline partners.

Book Travel With Membership Rewards Points

All Membership Rewards cards can book Amex Membership Rewards travel using points. When booking with points, you get 1 cent per point for flights or Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings and 0.7 cents per point for everything else.

Note that booking rewards travel with points still incur the service fee if you don’t have the Amex Platinum card, which waives these fees.

Hot Tip: If you hold the Amex Business Platinum card, you’re eligible for a 35% Pay With Points Rebate when you use Membership Rewards points to book flights on your selected airline through AmexTravel.com (up to 1 million points back a year), which effectively gets you a redemption value of around 1.54 cents per point.

Other Redemptions

There are other ways to redeem Membership Rewards points, but all of them are subpar.

Use Pay With Points for a Statement Credit

You can use your points to pay off statement balances directly. Unlike with most other points programs, however, points are not worth 1 cent apiece. Instead, using this feature yields only 0.6 cents per point.

Apple Pay Purchases

When shopping online or in an app, you can select Apple Pay at checkout and use an eligible Membership Rewards card to pay with points. You can apply points toward all or part of your purchase, though they’re worth just 0.7 cents each when redeemed this way.

Gift Cards and Other Vouchers

If you use points for gift cards, the value of your points is between 0.5 cents and 1 cent per point, depending on the gift card you choose.

There are a lot of different categories of cards, and you can choose the type you’re looking for on the American Express gift card portal. There are also vouchers available for other businesses, but their values vary by partner.

Shop on Amazon and Other Partners

Shopping redemptions are available in the Membership Rewards portal by navigating to the Earn and Redeem section and then clicking Pay with Points at Checkout.

For example, you can pay for Amazon purchases directly with Amex Membership Rewards points. However, the value of your points is a paltry 0.7 cents each when you do so. Similarly, you can use your points at Best Buy to receive the same value.

What Are Membership Rewards Points Worth?

American Express offers many options for using your points, so it can be confusing to determine what the points are really worth.

There are always options for redeeming at the standard value of 1 cent per point. These include booking flights and gift cards. Other redemptions, however, come in at a much lower value.

However, if you use Amex transfer partners, you can increase the value of your points to 2 cents per point or more (this depends on how you redeem through airline or hotel programs).

Membership Rewards Points Expiration

As long as you have at least 1 active Amex Membership Rewards card open, your points don’t expire.

Since Membership Rewards points pool into a common account instead of on individual cards, you don’t lose any points on a certain card if you don’t transfer them.

If you decide to close an account, make sure to transfer your points to an Amex transfer partner first. You may have a 30-day grace period once you close the account, but you need at least 1 other open Amex card.

There is the possibility that you can reinstate your points if you lose them. Work with American Express’ customer service to determine whether this is possible.

Membership Rewards Site

Now that we’ve discussed how to earn and redeem Membership Rewards points, let’s make sure you know how to navigate the American Express website.

How To Sign In to Your Account

To manage your account, go to americanexpress.com, click the Log In button in the top-right corner and simply sign in with your Amex login info.

From there, you can select the Rewards & Benefits link to take you to the Membership Rewards dashboard. This page will show you how many points you have in your account, and you can select how you would like to use them from a dropdown menu labeled “Earn and Redeem.”

From here, you can select the Transfer Points link to be taken to your airline partner options.

The way this system is set up, you don’t have to worry about switching between cards to take advantage of the benefits you get from one versus another. For instance, having an Amex Platinum card waives AmexTravel.com booking fees. This is automatically detected in your account.

Navigate Between Cards on Your Account Summary Page

You can change between cards on the Amex account home screen in the dropdown menu in the upper-left corner.

Comparing Membership Rewards to Other Transferable Points

You can get amazing value from Membership Rewards points, but how do they stack up compared to other transferable points programs? If you’re still deciding which program to focus on, it’s worth looking at the best credit cards from every issuer alongside the comparisons below.

Membership Rewards vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards

Both programs feature lucrative credit cards. There are significantly more Amex cards that can help you earn Membership Rewards than Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards. Membership Rewards also has significantly more transfer partners than Ultimate Rewards. However, Chase’s transfer partner World of Hyatt is by far the best hotel partner between the 2 programs.

Still, starting with Ultimate Rewards is the way to go because of Chase’s 5/24 rule. However, Membership Rewards should be a big part of your points-earning strategy going forward.

Membership Rewards vs. Marriott Bonvoy

The big advantages of Membership Rewards are the many points-earning credit cards and these cards’ great bonus categories.

The advantages of earning Marriott Bonvoy points are the over 35 airline transfer partners and that transfers of 60,000 points earn you a bonus of 5,000 miles (on some partners). However, transferring Marriott Bonvoy points can take longer, and there are fewer Marriott Bonvoy-branded credit cards (from Amex and Chase) currently open for new applications that can help you earn them.

Marriott Bonvoy points can also be used for hotel stays at Marriott properties.

Both programs provide great award travel opportunities and can be very useful in your earning strategy.

Membership Rewards vs. Citi ThankYou Rewards

The Citi ThankYou Rewards program isn’t as popular as the others, but you can redeem ThankYou Points with Citi’s transfer partners for good value, thanks to its expanding roster.

It can definitely be a useful program down the road, but Membership Rewards should be a higher priority.

Membership Rewards vs. Capital One Miles

Capital One has fewer transfer partners than Amex, and since nearly all Membership Rewards partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio, many find these points more valuable than Capital One miles. The programs also share many of the same transfer partners, excluding Capital One’s partners in ALL – Accor Live Limitless and Turkish Airlines.

Amex’s personal and business cards offer more points-earning possibilities than Capital One’s, though many have higher annual fees.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Membership Rewards program is robust, with many cards offering numerous ways for earning points on almost all of your purchases.

And thanks to its long list of transfer partners, you can redeem points for excellent value in many cases, though transferring to airline partners is typically the best way for getting the most value.