You Can Now Use Amex Membership Rewards Points via Apple Pay — But Should You?

American Express just made it easier to spend your Membership Rewards points, offering a new redemption option. The question is whether you should use it.

Starting today, June 30, 2026, eligible cardholders can redeem points directly through Apple Pay when shopping online or in apps — no extra steps required. It’s a genuinely convenient addition, but convenience and value don’t always go hand in hand.

How To Use Amex Pay With Points Through Apple Pay

This new feature plugs directly into the existing Apple Pay checkout experience. When shopping online or in an app on iPhone or iPad, select Apple Pay at checkout, choose an eligible Membership Rewards card, then tap “Use Rewards.” Enter the amount you want to apply — you can cover all or part of the purchase with your points — and complete the transaction as normal.

That’s it. You don’t have to log in to the Amex portal, wait for a statement credit to post, or juggle between apps. It’s probably the smoothest Membership Rewards redemption experience American Express has offered to date.

The launch follows Amex’s recent announcement that Fanatics will become a Membership Rewards transfer partner within the next year. It’s part of a broader push to expand where cardmembers can use their points.

Is It Worth Using Your Points This Way?

Redeeming your Amex points through Apple Pay gets you 0.7 cents per point. That’s a clean, easy number, but it’s roughly half of what those same points can be worth when used strategically.

At Upgraded Points, we value Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents each, a figure based on real redemptions through Amex’s airline and hotel transfer partners. Using your points this way routinely allows you to stretch your points into premium-cabin flights and high-end hotel stays that would cost far more in cash. The difference in the math isn’t subtle: 10,000 points through Apple Pay gets you $100 toward a purchase. Those same 10,000 points transferred to the right partner could land you a flight or hotel worth a few hundred dollars.

That said, not every points balance is earmarked for a future flight. If you’re sitting on a surplus you’ll never realistically use for travel, or you just want a fast redemption without doing any research, this feature gives you a legitimate outlet.

Final Thoughts

More redemption options are almost always a positive development, and American Express has made this one genuinely easy to use. But if the goal is to squeeze the maximum value out of your Membership Rewards balance, Apple Pay isn’t where those points belong. American Express’ points transfer partners are.

Save this option for the points you’d otherwise let sit and collect dust.