4 Ways I Earn Extra Amex Points Without Changing My Spending

Updated: August 20, 2026, 7:04pm CDT

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Table of Contents

1. I Add Eligible Amex Offers to My Card
2. I Check Rakuten Frequently
3. I Time My Rakuten Transfers
4. I Use Transfer Bonuses To Maximize Value
Final Thoughts

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I’ve earned nearly 100,000 American Express Membership Rewards points this year — and more than half of them didn’t come from spending on an American Express card.

Instead, I was just savvy about how, when, and where I spent money, waiting for the right offers and snapping up deals as they appeared.

Below, I’ll explain how I earned more than 50,000 Amex points through everyday shopping and how I earned significantly more by double- and triple-dipping.

1. I Add Eligible Amex Offers to My Card

I’ve had my American Express Green Card^® (now the American Express^® Classic Green Card; closed to new applicants) for a few years now, and it’s one of the top cards in my wallet.

American Express^® Classic Green Card

U.P. Rating

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.

All information about American Express^® Classic Green Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.

American Express^® Classic Green Card

This card can provide a great way to accumulate Membership Rewards points on eligible travel, transit, and at restaurants.

Welcome OfferNo welcome offer is available.
None

UP's Offer Valuation*:
Up to   $0

Annual Fee

$150

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Update: The American Express^® Classic Green Card is no longer available for new applicants, but is available via product change.
The Amex Classic Green card is an excellent all-around travel rewards card, earning 3x Membership Rewards points on eligible travel and transit purchases, as well as at restaurants, with access to American Express transfer partners and a reasonable annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

3x points at restaurants worldwide, on all eligible travel purchases, and on transit purchases
Up to $219 per calendar year in statement credits after you pay for a CLEAR+ membership with the card
Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

$150 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on travel, including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® Points on transit purchases, including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US.
$219 CLEAR+ Credit: Receive up to $219 per calendar year in statement credits when you pay for your CLEAR+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the American Express^® Classic Green Card.
Payment Flexibility: When it comes to paying your bill, you have options. You can always pay in full. You also have the flexibility to carry a balance with interest or use Plan It^® to split up large purchases into monthly payments with a fixed fee, up to your Pay Over Time Limit. You may be able to keep spending beyond your limit – you’ll just need to pay for any new purchases in full when your bill is due.
Trip Delay Insurance: If a round-trip is paid for entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 12 hours, Trip Delay Insurance can help reimburse certain additional expenses purchased on the same Eligible Card, up to $300 per trip, maximum 2 claims per eligible account per 12 consecutive month period. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: No matter where you’re traveling, when you use your American Express ^® Classic Green Card there are no foreign transaction fees.
$150 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

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

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

The card easily offsets its $150 annual fee thanks to the CLEAR+ credit, while also earning 3x Amex Membership Rewards points on travel, dining, and transit purchases.

On the first day of every month, I log in to my Amex account, and thanks to my CardPointers app, it automatically adds hundreds of new Amex Offers to my cards. Amex Offers are money-saving or bonus-point deals for specific retailers that help you earn more points or statement credits.

Although I try to keep up with the offers and seek out retailers that have them, sometimes I get money back without even realizing I made a purchase using an Amex Offer.

For example, I’ve earned up to 40% back on annual Dropbox purchases and thousands of bonus Amex Membership Rewards on Amazon purchases. I estimate I’ve earned around 7,000 bonus points by taking advantage of especially generous Amex Offers in the past year, as well as hundreds of dollars back in statement credits.

The information regarding the American Express^® Classic Green Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Hot Tip:

The cost of CLEAR+ membership just increased to $219 annually, but don’t worry. If you have a card that comes with a CLEAR+ credit, such as the Platinum Card^® from American Express, you get a complimentary CLEAR+ credit.

2. I Check Rakuten Frequently

Rakuten is where the real Amex Membership Rewards points magic happens. I’ve earned more than 50,000 points this year by clicking through Rakuten when shopping — regardless of which credit card I use to pay.

sunglasses Gucci Persol Macy's shopping sm — Shopping leads to some serious bonus points. Image Credit: Michael Y. Park

Rakuten is a shopping portal where you can earn cash-back, Bilt Points, or Amex Membership Rewards points on online or in-store purchases. I have my account connected to Amex, and don’t plan on changing this anytime soon. Here’s how I maximize Rakuten.

Shopping for Specific Purchases

First, when I have a specific purchase I need to make, I check the Rakuten site to see where I can get the best deals. For example, if I need to get kids clothes, I’ll look at retailers such as Carter’s or The Children’s Place to see where I can get the most points.

When Black Friday rolls around, I’m ready with a holiday shopping list, so I can take advantage of elevated Rakuten deals and discounts.

Use the Rakuten Browser Extension

I also have the Rakuten browser extension, so if I need to make a purchase on a specific website, I can double-dip with Rakuten when it pops up.

It’s one of the easiest ways to make sure I never leave points on the table.

Think Beyond Traditional Retailers

I think outside the box and use Rakuten even when shopping at other retailers.

Etihad Rakuten — I got bonus points for buying Etihad flights via Rakuten. Screenshot: Rakuten website

For example, I get extra points with Rakuten when I buy plane tickets or pay for hotel stays. I recently earned 15x on a prepaid IHG hotel stay and 6x on an Etihad purchase, thanks to Rakuten. I’ve earned points for all sorts of purchases, from tickets on Ticketmaster to antivirus software and new running shoes.

Hot Tip:

If you do click through Rakuten to book a prepaid hotel stay (as I did with IHG), note that your points don’t accrue until your stay is completed.

Wait Until Rakuten Has Better Bonus Rates

I try to plan ahead, so if there isn’t a good deal available, I try again a week or two later. For example, I stock up on K18 hair products a few times a year, and I only purchase them when I can get a good deal on Rakuten. The same goes for my semiannual Sephora or Kiehl’s skin care hauls.

Search Rakuten Weekly for Deals

I also scour Rakuten for deals weekly to ensure I don’t miss anything really epic, especially when I need to top off my Amex balance for a redemption. For example, I earned 75x this spring on a purchase from Incogni (a company that removes your data from the internet to reduce the risk of spam, scams, and identity theft).

Don’t Forget In-Store Offers and Rakuten Dining

If I have something I have to buy in stores, I always check Rakuten first and make sure I can take advantage of an in-store offer. For example, I can usually find offers for CVS. And I always browse restaurants in the app to see if I can earn extra dining points.

To earn points at stores and dining, I link my Amex card. Dining is especially lucrative, as I can get 5x bonus points via Rakuten plus the 3x points on dining on my Amex Green card.

Dining Credits Tacos — Double-dip on dining. Image Credit: Christine Krzyszton

If you link your American Express^® Gold Card to your account, you get the 5x points through Rakuten dining plus 4x points on the Amex Gold card, a pretty epic double-dip for a total of 9x points earned.

Hot Tip:

If you see a Rakuten deal, make your purchase as soon as possible. That recent 75x deal with Incogni was originally 100x, but I didn’t purchase right away. It was still a great deal, but I should have bought it when I spotted such an elevated, 100x offer. The brand is currently offering 97x, so shop soon.

3. I Time My Rakuten Transfers

Rakuten transfers points to partners 4 times per year — once per quarter. I’m always aware of the dates that Rakuten transfers points, and I mark them in my calendar. If I need points quickly, I check the dates before shopping because my points may not transfer to Amex for a few months. However, if I know that points will transfer soon, it’s a valid option.

4. I Use Transfer Bonuses To Maximize Value

Once my Amex points stash is high, I start thinking about redemptions. I always keep an eye out for transfer bonuses to get more value from my points.

There’s nothing better than earning bonus points on Amex Offers (especially for dining or travel), getting a massive bonus on Rakuten, and then getting 20% to 40% more from my points with a transfer bonus.

If all the stars align, this could be an iconic quadruple dip that earns many additional airline and hotel points.

Hot Tip:

If I see a transfer bonus from Amex to a hotel or airline, I first check for a redemption or award that makes sense for me. I don’t normally blindly transfer points, even when there’s a bonus. The exception is Iberia, because I usually redeem Avios for award tickets once every couple of months and can always use them.

Final Thoughts

According to Upgraded Points valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are currently worth 2.2 cents per point, but I’ve gotten much more value from them, especially for Avios redemptions on Iberia flights.

This is why I pay extra attention to Amex Offers, shop via Rakuten, and take advantage of Amex transfer bonuses to partners. The more Amex points I can earn for everyday shopping, the better. And if those points are worth more when I transfer them to airlines and hotels, I can get even more value from them.