Carissa served in the U.S. Air Force where she developed her love for travel and new cultures. She started her own blog and eventually joined The Points Guy. Since then, she’s contributed to Business ...
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American Express has been known to offer generous bonuses from time to time, and it looks like another one has just come out. According to reports, Amex is handing out bonuses to cardholders who add an authorized user and complete a spend requirement. The amount of Membership Rewards points you’ll receive varies depending on which card you have. Let’s take a look.
Offer Details
You can find out if you’ve been targeted for these offers in a number of different ways: via email, in your account, or even by mail. It appears that there are 3 different cards offering these bonuses:
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Amex Platinum cardholders can add an authorized user and receive 20,000 bonus points after the user spends $2,000 within the first 6 months of holding their card. Be aware that adding an authorized user to your Amex Platinum card comes with a fee — you’ll pay $195 per authorized user (see rates and fees) — but includes plenty of benefits like airport lounge access, hotel and rental car elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck reimbursement, and more.
American Express® Gold Card
Those who hold the Amex Gold card can earn 10,000 bonus points by adding an authorized user and having them spend $2,000 on their card within the first 6 months. Additional cardholders do not cost an authorized user fee for the first 5 cards. Your sixth card and up will set you back $35 per year per card (see rates and fees).
Hot Tip: Help your new authorized user meet their spending goal with our guide to the best ways to meet credit card minimum spending requirements.
Maximizing Amex Membership Rewards
Amex Membership Rewards is a flexible point currency. This means you can use the points in a number of ways, including redeeming them for travel, gift cards, and more. Most importantly, however, you can choose to transfer them to hotel and airline partners for awesome awards.
So what can you do with 20,000 Amex points?
Well, you can get almost to Europe and back via British Airways, which will charge you 26,000 Avios for flights to London (LHR) and Dublin (DUB) from the East Coast. Amex transfers to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio, so earning this bonus will get you most of the way there.
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can also use those same 26,000 British Airways Avios for a round-trip ticket from the West Coast to Hawaii. Aloha!
Final Thoughts
This is an excellent way to earn some easy Amex Membership Rewards. If you hold one of the above cards, check your accounts to see if you’re one of the lucky few who have been targeted with this offer.
Thanks to Miles to Memories.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
Featured Image Credit: American Express
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About Carissa Rawson
Carissa served in the U.S. Air Force where she developed her love for travel and new cultures. She started her own blog and eventually joined The Points Guy. Since then, she’s contributed to Business Insider, Forbes, and more.
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UP's Bonus Valuation
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
6 comments
Tang
August 04, 2021
I see the option to allow me to add myself as AU. Would I still get the bonus if I give myself an AU card?
Jarrod West
August 04, 2021
Hi Tang,
No, you would have to add someone else as an authorized user in order to receive the bonus.
Paul
August 10, 2021
If an existing authorized user has the free gold card, can you cancel that authorized user’s gold card and then add them as an authorized user with a platinum card (for the $175) and still be eligible for the 20k bonus points?
Jarrod West
August 11, 2021
Hi Paul,
Yes, you should be able to do this since the authorized user free gold card and the authorized user platinum card are separate products.
Jeremy
March 23, 2022
I have this offer on my account for both my gold card and plat card…BUT I already have AUs on both. Will it still trigger the bonus if I add another (different) person now?
Jarrod West
March 24, 2022
Hi Jeremy,
Yes, you should still be eligible for the bonus if you add a new authorized user.
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