American Express Membership Rewards guide

American Express offers a wide range of rewards credit cards to choose from for both consumers and small businesses. However, some of the issuer's cards earn a percentage of cash back for each dollar you spend, whereas the rest earn a valuable rewards currency known as American Express Membership Rewards.

Related: Best American Express credit cards

What are Amex Membership Rewards points, exactly? This rewards currency is the Amex alternative to other flexible programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles and the Citi ThankYou program. Just like points earned in other flexible programs, Amex Membership Rewards points are considered valuable due to their flexibility and because they transfer to a selection of airline and hotel partners.

How to earn American Express Membership Rewards points

Membership Rewards points can be earned in a few different ways, but every opportunity requires you to have an eligible American Express credit card. Fortunately, there are Amex credit cards to suit any lifestyle or type of spender out there, whether you want a luxury credit card with all the bells and whistles or you want a more basic option.

For example, the popular card_name has a annual_fees annual fee and comes with valuable benefits like the broadest airport lounge membership available and more than $1,500 in statement credit offers each year. In the meantime, the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card offers fewer perks but lets members earn Amex Membership Rewards points with no annual fee.

American Express Membership Rewards credit cards

The right Amex credit card for you depends on the benefits you want, the categories you spend the most in and how much you're willing to pay in fees each year. The Amex credit cards highlighted below earn Membership Rewards points instead of cash back.

How to choose an Amex Membership Rewards card

With all the available card options in one place, you can easily see how diverse Amex credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points can be. There are cards with annual fees from $0 all the way up to $695, just as there are consumer credit cards and business credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points.

If you want to start earning rewards but need to narrow down card options first, start by asking yourself these questions:

How often do you travel?

American Express is known for its premium travel credit cards that offer perks like global airport lounge access, airline incidental credits, fee credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership and more. card_name and the card_name have the most robust selection of travel benefits available from this card issuer, albeit with the highest annual fees.

While paying annual_fees per year for incredible travel benefits can be a steal if you're always jetting off somewhere new, this won't be the case for everyone. If you rarely travel, you may want to stick with an Amex card that offers more points in the categories you regularly spend in versus focusing on travel benefits.

Which statement credit offers apply to your spending?

Amex credit cards are also known for their statement credit offers, which can be difficult to use. For example, the annual_fees offers an annual dining credit worth $120 and $120 per year in Uber Cash. However, both of these credits are given out in monthly increments of $10, and unused amounts don't roll over from one month to the next.

Regardless, you'll want to study the statement credits that come with the Amex cards you're considering so you can decide if they're worth it or not.

What is the maximum annual fee you want to pay?

Amex credit card annual fees range from $0 to $695, and the perks you get are commensurate with how much you're willing to pay. Whatever card you decide on, make sure the annual fee is well worth it when you compare it to the rewards and benefits you'll receive in return.

How do earning rates compare?

Finally, make sure you pick an Amex credit card that offers more points in categories you spend considerable sums of money in. This could include airfare and other travel booked directly, travel through AmexTravel.com, restaurants worldwide, U.S. supermarkets or other types of spending. Your card choice should reflect your preferences.

Other ways to earn American Express Membership Rewards points

Once you pick an American Express credit card and get approved, you can earn rewards through your card's welcome bonus and by using it for regular spending and bills. Additional ways to earn points over time include:

Amex Offers

The Amex Offers program lets you add specific deals to your Amex credit card then, earn additional points for completing an eligible purchase. These offers are free to use and available within your online Amex account or the Amex mobile app.

Rakuten

You can also earn Membership Rewards points by shopping through Rakuten. This rewards portal typically offers cash back when users make purchases at participating stores, but it will convert cash back to Membership Rewards if you opt into this setting.

Refer-a-friend

American Express also has a referral program that can help you earn more rewards. The number of points you can earn depends on the card you have, and promotions change frequently, but you can easily earn up to 15,000 or 20,000 points per referral and potentially more — up to an annual limit.

Rewards checking

Amex offers a rewards checking account with no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements. You need an American Express credit card to sign up, but you'll earn Amex Membership Rewards points on eligible debit card purchases.

How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards points

The flexibility and versatility of the American Express Membership Rewards program can be a powerful draw, but it's important to remember that how you redeem your points determines their value. Here's an overview of American Express Membership Rewards redemption options and what they're usually worth.

As you can see in the chart above, you'll get the best value for your points if you transfer them to airline and hotel partners and use them for premium travel redemptions, up to 2 cents per point. After that, the next best redemption value applies when you book airfare through AmexTravel.com, at which point you'll receive a value of 1 cent per point.

You can also get 1 cent per point with some gift card options from American Express, although values for different gift cards vary dramatically. For example, you'll only get half a cent per point in value if you redeem rewards for American Express gift cards, whereas gift cards that have a redemption value of 1 cent per point typically come from restaurants and travel brands.

Rewards values for Amex points aren't that great from there, especially when it comes to other types of travel. You'll get just 0.7 cents per point in value if you use your points to book hotels, cruises or car rentals through the Amex portal. You'll also get anywhere from a half cent per point to 0.6 cents per point to use your rewards for merchandise or statement credits.

American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners

American Express offers an array of valuable transfer partners that could help you get optimal value for your rewards. Where most come with a transfer ratio of 1:1, there are some exceptions.

Amex airline transfer partners

• Aer Lingus (1,000:1,000).
• AeroMexico (1,000:1,600).
• Aeroplan (1,000:1,000).
• Air France (Flying Blue): (1,000:1,000).
• ANA Mileage Club (1,000:1,000).
• Avianca LifeMiles (1,000:1,000).
• British Airways (1,000:1,000).
• Cathay Pacific (1,000:1,000).
• Delta Air Lines (1,000:1,000).
• Emirates Skywards (1,000:1,000).
• Etihad Guest (1,000:1,000).
• HawaiianMiles (1,000:1,000).
• Iberia Plus (1,000:1,000).
• JetBlue TrueBlue (250:200).
• Qantas (500:500).
• Qatar Airways (1,000:1,000).
• Singapore Airlines (1,000:1,000).
• Virgin Atlantic (1,000:1,000).

Amex hotel transfer partners

• Choice Privileges (1,000:1,000).
• Hilton Honors (1,000:2,000).
• Marriott Bonvoy (1,000:1,000).

The AP Buyline roundup

Amex Membership Rewards is a flexible rewards currency that can be used for travel, gift cards, merchandise and more. While this program has some incredible advantages, including its huge selection of airline and hotel partners, disadvantages include high annual fees for some of its credit cards and inferior values for non-travel point redemptions.

Ultimately, this is why you should compare Amex Membership Rewards to other flexible programs like Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and the Citi ThankYou program. Each of these programs works similarly with its own roster of rewards credit cards and redemption options, and there's a good chance one of them will suit you better than the rest.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How much are American Express Membership Rewards points worth?

At the high end of the scale, American Express Membership Rewards points can be worth 2 cents each if you transfer them to partners for premium airfare or hotel redemptions. On the lower end of the scale, they can be worth as little as a half-cent each when you use them to shop for merchandise through Amex.

Do all American Express credit cards earn Membership Rewards?

Not all Amex credit cards earn points in this program. In fact, many other cards from this issuer earn cash back instead.

Do I have to pay an annual fee to earn Membership Rewards points?

Most credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points charge an annual fee, but not all of them do. For example, you can earn this rewards currency and pay a $0 annual fee with the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card or the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

Do Amex points expire?

Amex Membership Rewards points do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing with an on-time payment history.

What credit score do I need for an American Express credit card?

American Express doesn't list a minimum credit score requirement for its card products, but all available options require very good to excellent credit.

What's the best way to use Amex Membership Rewards?

Amex points offer a higher point value when redeemed for transfers to airline partners or airfare redemptions through AmexTravel.com. This makes these redemptions superior if you're hoping to maximize the value of your rewards.

For rates and fees of the The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit URL.

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For rates and fees of the The Blue Business Plus(R) Credit Card from American Express, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit URL.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please visit URL.