American Express Membership Rewards – Earning, Redeeming, Transfer Partners & More

American Express Membership Rewards has long been one of the most valuable transferable points currencies. 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 some amazing flights and stays that can take you just about anywhere you want to go.

What Is American Express Membership Rewards?

Amex Membership Rewards is a credit card rewards program that lets cardholders 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 will earn per dollar depends on which card you use and the category of your purchases, as some are bonus categories. Bonus categories can help you earn between 2x and 5x points per dollar on some purchases.

There are many ways to redeem Membership Rewards points, but transferring your points to airline partners to book award flights is how you can get the most value out of your points.

The Best Amex Membership Rewards Cards

Earning rewards points can be done in a variety of ways. However, to begin earning points at all, you will need to have at least 1 American Express Rewards credit card. Consider our favorites:

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's 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 reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(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.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.¤
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The American Express Platinum credit card is the classic Amex Membership Rewards card. It comes with a variety of benefits including access to over 1,300 airport lounges, complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (upon enrollment), and more.

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

You’ll also receive an annual airline fee credit of up to $200, $15 monthly ($35 in December) in Uber Cash, up to $100 in Saks credits, up to $240 in digital entertainment credits, and so much more.

American Express^® Gold Card

BEST FOR DINING

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 in's and out's 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!

Learn More(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

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this 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 isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No lounge access

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• 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 3X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1X Membership Rewards^® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• $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. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. 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, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
• Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $325.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The Amex Gold card has been given a major upgrade for travelers and foodies. It earns 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide on up to $50,000 spent per calendar year (1x thereafter) and 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 spent per calendar year (1x thereafter).

You’ll also earn 3x points on airfare booked directly with the airline or through AmexTravel.com.

Plus, you will 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

ELEVATED 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 in's and out's 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!

Learn More(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

Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

150,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$3,300

Annual Fee

$695

APR

18.74% - 27.74% 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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.

When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
• Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Get 50% more Membership Rewards points (1.5 points per $1) on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (cap applies)

Cons

• High annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)
• Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• 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 each eligible purchase 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, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
• Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card^®, here.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to the Card.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR^® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card^®.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
• $695 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.74% - 27.74% 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 of up to 250k points with the Amex Business Platinum card. The current public offer is 150,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

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

It earns 5x points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotel purchases made through AmexTravel.com.

Additionally, it does earn 1.5x for eligible purchases on your card made 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 up to $200 annual airline fee credit, up to $400 in Dell credits per year, up to $360 in Indeed credits per year, up to $150 in Adobe credits per year, and more.

American Express^® Business Gold Card

ELEVATED 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 in's and out's 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).

Learn More(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

Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*

100,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$2,200

Annual Fee

$375

APR

18.74% - 27.74% Variable,0% on purchases for 6 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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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

• Welcome Offer: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
• 0% Intro APR ¤ for 6 months from the date of account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time, then a 18.74% to 27.74% variable APR.*
• 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 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.*
• Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
• 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 Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.*
• The Business Gold Card now comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and Limited Edition White Gold. White Gold design is only available while supplies last. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
• *Terms Apply

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.74% - 27.74% Variable,0% on purchases for 6 months from date of account opening
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 200k points with the Amex Business Gold card. The current public offer is 100,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

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 top of 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 in's and out's 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.

Learn More(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

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.

15,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$330

Annual Fee

No annual fee

APR

17.74% - 25.74% 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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-840)

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

• 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.
• 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 17.74% - 25.74%, 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 beyond 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.
• No Annual Fee
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.74% - 25.74% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

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

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

There are often great offers available, such as earning 2x points per dollar at Amazon or discounts on your cell phone or cable bills. Amex also advertises its services in this area, and you can find referral links here.

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

Most American Express Membership Rewards cards will earn 2x points per dollar when booking through the AmexTravel.com portal.

Unfortunately, if you’re using a card that earns 3x points for flights, you will only earn 2x points in the portal. That’s because Amex requires you to purchase travel directly from the airline to get the higher bonus.

However, the Amex Platinum card and Amex Business Platinum card will earn 5x points per dollar when booking flights and select hotels through AmexTravel.com, including prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts booked online.

Hot Tip: You’ll only earn hotel points if you book through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program (you may not earn hotel points with online prepaid bookings).

In the portal, you will find deals exclusively for Amex cardholders that are only available online. Additionally, you can still earn frequent flyer miles when booking through the portal, which is a bonus.

Not everything in the portal will be eligible for 2x points per dollar: exceptions include car rentals, non-prepaid hotels, and non-prepaid Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings or those made over the phone.

However, the 2x points per dollar may be a better value than hotel points, and you may get a cheaper room through the portal.

If you find a better deal somewhere else for the same room and dates, the portal offers a low-price guarantee for its prepaid hotel rooms so that you can get a refund for the difference.

One last thing to note is that booking through the rewards portal may cost you a service fee. Depending on the deal and how you value your points, this may not be worth it for you. You’ll pay $6.99 for a domestic plane ticket and $10.99 for an international one, but hotel bookings are free. Amex Platinum cardholders get these service fees waived.

The AmexTravel.com portal will show you what benefits you have when you log in, including waived fees and which lounges you have access to with your cards.

Bottom Line: Booking travel on the AmexTravel.com portal is a good way to earn extra Membership Rewards points. However, 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 can be found at the bottom of each of your account summary screens in the Amex Offers & Benefits section.

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

That screen will tell you what your current referral offer is (often 5,000 to 10,000 points or $50 to $100 for cash-back cards). It will also tell you the offer your friend can get, so they can compare that to any offers they already have.

Note that American Express seems to have some trouble with these referral links, and they may not always work once the person receives the email.

Take Advantage of Other American Express Benefits

Many cards have specific benefits, such as travel credits and complimentary 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’ll get the most value for your hard-earned points. Specifically, transferring to airline partners is your best option.

Redeem Membership Rewards for Travel

This is almost always the highest-value option, as you can typically multiply the value of your points many times over using transfer partners.

Most Membership Rewards cards will allow you to transfer points to travel partners — these cards also happen to be some of the most lucrative cards you can get. However, there are some cards that do not allow transfers (Amex isn’t accepting applications for many of these cards, so you shouldn’t worry about it too much).

Amex Transfer Partners — Airlines and Hotels

As we’ve mentioned, transferring to airline partners is the best way to use your Membership Rewards points. To transfer Membership Rewards points, you’ll only need to follow a few simple steps.

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

Select your desired transfer partner and you will be taken to a page where you can choose how many points to transfer. Most transfer options require you to transfer blocks of 1,000 points. Many of these transfers take place almost instantly, but others can take several days.

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

Once a transfer has been completed, it cannot be undone.

Another thing to note on transferring points: for every point you transfer to a domestic carrier, you will pay a $0.0006 fee, up to a maximum fee of $99 (equal to 165,000 points). Unfortunately, this is a slight hit to the value of the points.

American Express allows you to offset the fee with points, but this is a terrible value at only $0.005 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 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’ll 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’ll 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 will 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 select flights through AmexTravel.com, which effectively gets you a redemption value of ~1.54 cents per point.

Other Redemption Options

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 most other points programs, however, points are not worth 1 cent apiece. Instead, using this feature only provides a value of 0.6 cents per point.

Gift Cards and Other Vouchers

If you use points for gift cards, the value of your points will be 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 these values change depending on the choice of the partner. For instance, you could buy a 1-day ski pass at Vail for 15,900 points, which isn’t that great of a value.

Shop on Amazon and Other Partners

Shopping redemption options are found in the Membership Rewards portal when you click the More Ways to Use Points button at the top.

Amazon is a big partner of Amex right now and you can pay for purchases directly with Amex Membership Rewards points. However, the points will only be worth $0.007 each.

Similarly, you can use your points at Best Buy to receive the same value.

Another service is purchasing tickets; partners include Ticketmaster, Telecharge.com, and AXS. All of these options are worth $0.005 per point.

Shop With Membership Rewards Points

You can also use Shop With Membership Rewards Points to redeem your points. This option is the American Express shopping mall, similar to Shop through Chase. Points in this mall are only worth $0.005, although you can mix and match paying with points and cash.

Donate to Charity

A charitable donation is a great option for those with some extra points. You can donate to many different charities at a value of $0.01 per point for the first 500,000 points in a year. The minimum donation is 1,000 points.

What Are Membership Rewards Points Worth?

American Express gives you many different options to use your points, so it can be confusing as to what the points are really worth.

There are always options for redeeming at the standard value of $0.01 per point. These include booking flights and gift cards. Other redemption options, however, come in at a much lower value.

If you take advantage of the points transfer to Amex transfer partners, you can increase the value of your points to 2 cents per point or more (this depends on how you redeem them through the airlines or hotels).

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 won’t lose any points on a certain card if you don’t transfer them (like you would with Chase Ultimate Rewards).

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’ll 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.

The 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 page. 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 here, you can select Transfer Points to be taken to your airline partner options.

The way this system is set up, you won’t have to worry about switching between cards to take advantage of benefits that you get from one versus another.

For instance, having an Amex Platinum card allows you to waive AmexTravel.com booking fees, and that will automatically be detected in your account.

Navigate Between Cards on Your Account Summary Page

To change between cards on the Amex account home screen, you can click in the upper right-hand corner or in the menu at the top left.

Comparing Membership Rewards to Other Transferable Points

You can get some amazing value out of Membership Rewards points, but how do they stack up compared to other transferable points programs?

Membership Rewards vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards

Both programs feature lucrative credit card options. There are significantly more Amex card options that can help you earn Membership Rewards compared to the number of 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.

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 to Membership Rewards are that there are plenty of credit card options and the cards offered have some great bonus categories.

The advantages to earning Marriott Bonvoy points are the 35+ airline transfer partners and that transfers of 60,000-points blocks 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 well-known as the others, but you can redeem ThankYou Points with Citi’s transfer partners for some great award flights.

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 of the Membership Rewards transfer 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 have more points-earning options compared to Capital One, though many have higher annual fees.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the Amex Membership Rewards program is fairly extensive with lots of cards and many options for earning points.

Your card options include some that are good for both business and personal use. There are plenty of redemption options, although only transferring to airline partners really provides good value.

American Express has a restriction that only allows you to earn 1 welcome bonus per card per lifetime, so make sure you apply when a card has a high bonus.

Overall, you should use American Express Membership Rewards if you are planning to transfer points to travel partners and redeem them at a value above 2 cents per point.

Otherwise, Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy cards may be an easier and more valuable choice.