American Express has a collection of credit cards that you can use to earn Membership Rewards® by making various purchases.
Understanding the benefits of each card and its rewards structure will enable you to pick out the right card and make the most out of the program. Read on to learn more about the rewards Amex offers.
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How American Express Membership Rewards® work
It’s easy to earn American Express Membership Rewards® points. For every dollar you spend on eligible purchases with an enrolled personal or business Amex card, you’ll receive at least one point.
However, not every card reaps the same earnings for each dollar spent. For example, while some cards earn 1 point for every $1 you spend, some corporate credit cards require you to spend $2 to earn 1 point.
Here’s a quick overview of how Amex Membership Rewards® points work: 1 2
- Point value: The monetary value of each Membership Rewards® point varies depending on how you redeem it, but it’s usually in the range of 0.5 cents to 1 cent.
- Expiration: Points never expire, as long as your account is open and in good standing.
- Number of points: There’s no limit to how many points you can earn.
- Buying points: Points can be bought when you’re trying to redeem your existing points for something and you don’t have enough. However, you can’t bank or buy points for future rewards.
- Losing points: You could lose rewards points if you fail to make your minimum monthly payment on your card, if you return a purchase that accumulated rewards, or if you cancel your card or membership in the American Express Rewards® program.
- Transferring points: You can transfer rewards points to the loyalty programs of Amex’s travel partners, which include many large airlines and well-known hotels.
The table below shows how much your Amex points are worth when you spend them on different things. 1
Value of American Express Membership Rewards® Points
| Redemption | Point Value |
|---|---|
| Online checkout | 0.5–1 cents per point |
| Gift cards | 0.5–1 cents per point |
| Statement credit | 0.6 cents per point |
| Travel | 0.5–1 cents per point |
| Travel transfers (to Amex’s partners) | 0.8:1 to 1:2 point-to-point ratio |
| Online shopping | 0.5 cents per point |
Which credit cards can earn Membership Rewards® points?
Not every American Express card is automatically enrolled in the Membership Rewards® program. For some, you’ll need to manually sign up and pay an annual program fee.
Look for your card (or the card you’re considering getting) in the table below to see if it’s automatically enrolled or not. 2
American Express Credit Cards Eligible for Membership Rewards®
| Card Type | Card Name | Automatically Enrolled? |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Credit Cards | Amex EveryDay® Credit Card | Yes |
| Amex Everyday® Preferred Credit Card | Yes | |
| American Express® Green Card | Yes | |
| Blue from American Express® | Yes | |
| Centurion® Card | Yes | |
| American Express Classic Gold Card | Yes | |
| The American Express® Card International Dollar Card | Yes | |
We’ll explain how to enroll your card in Amex’s program (if it isn’t already) further down in this article.
How to maximize your Amex Membership Rewards® earnings
In addition to making regular purchases with an eligible Amex card, there are several ways you can strategically use your card to tap into special bonuses and earn more American Express rewards points than you normally would.
1. Get an introductory welcome bonus
If you’re in the market for a new Amex credit card, then signing up for one that offers an introductory welcome bonus could get you even more Membership Rewards® points.
To earn a welcome bonus, you’ll have to meet an initial spending requirement within a certain time frame after opening your account, e.g., 3–6 months.
How to tell if an Amex card will have a welcome bonus
Welcome bonuses change frequently, so it’s best to pick a selection of cards that you’re interested in and see which (if any) of them are currently offering one. This info will be available on American Express’s website.
It’s worth noting that you’re only allowed to earn a welcome bonus once on any given type of card. For instance, if you’ve already earned a welcome bonus on an American Express® Green Card, you won’t be able to earn another one by opening another American Express® Green Card.
2. Book travel
If you’re a frequent traveler, you can accumulate a lot of Membership Rewards® points on travel bookings and services. With some cards, you could earn up to 5 points for every $1 spent on travel.
Whether or not a transaction counts as a “travel purchase” depends on how American Express categorizes the company you made the purchase from. The company will need to have an eligible “merchant code.”
Here are some things to keep in mind when determining which purchases are eligible:
- Airfare: The purchase must be for a scheduled flight on a passenger carrier (charter flights and private jets aren’t eligible). You must book directly with the airline. Purchases with a third party aren’t eligible.
- Hotels: Hotel stays must be booked directly with the hotel instead of a third party. Banquets, events, vacation packages, and timeshares aren’t eligible.
- Transit: The primary business of the merchant must be transit, such as taxi, train, ferry, or parking services (but not car rental or cruise services, and airfare is treated separately).
- Select car rentals: The car must be rented directly from an approved company (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, E-Z, Fox, Hertz, National, Payless, Sixt, or Thrifty).
You may also be able to earn additional points by making travel purchases through American Express Travel.
Find your card in the table below to see if you can earn any special travel rewards: 2
American Express Cards with Travel Rewards
| Credit Card | Rewards |
|---|---|
| American Express® Green Card | 2 additional points for each dollar spent on eligible travel purchases |
| American Express Classic Gold Card | 1 additional point for every dollar spent on airfare |
| Morgan Stanley Credit Card from American Express | 1 additional point for every dollar spent on airfare 1 additional point for every dollar spent on car rentals |
| Platinum Card® from American Express The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley |
4 additional points on the first $500,000 of airfare per calendar year on scheduled flight(s) booked directly with passenger airlines or through American Express Travel 4 additional points for eligible hotels (prepaid hotels or prepaid travel packages) booked through American Express Travel |
| American Express® Gold Card | 2 additional points for airfares on scheduled flights booked directly with passenger airlines or through American Express Travel |
| Business Gold Rewards Card Business Gold Card |
Up to 2 additional points for every dollar spent on airfare |
| Business Platinum Card® | 4 additional points for flights and eligible hotels (prepaid hotels or prepaid travel packages) booked through American Express Travel |
3. Dine at restaurants
If you often dine out, then you’re in luck. Using your Amex card at restaurants in the US can win you additional Membership Rewards® points. Some cards only earn points for purchases at US restaurants (located in the US), whereas others will allow you to gain points at restaurants worldwide.
It’s worth noting that restaurants located within another establishment (e.g., a hotel, casino, event venue, food court, or campus) are excluded. To find out whether your Amex card will allow you to collect dining rewards, check out the table below. 2
American Express Credit Cards with Dining Rewards
| Credit Card | Eligible Restaurants | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Classic Gold Card | US restaurants | 1 additional point for each dollar spent |
| American Express® Green Card | US restaurants | 2 additional points for each dollar spent |
| The Platinum Card® International Dollar Card | US restaurants | 1 additional point for each dollar spent |
| Morgan Stanley Credit Card from American Express | US restaurants | 1 additional point for each dollar spent |
| American Express® Gold Card | Restaurants worldwide | 3 additional points for each dollar spent |
| American Express Business Gold Card | US restaurants | 3 additional points for each dollar spent |
4. Fill up your tank
Purchases on gasoline and at gas stations can also get you extra Amex rewards points on select cards, so using your card to fill up your gas tank could be a smart move if you frequently commute.
To be eligible, the gas station must be located within the US, and its primary business must be to sell gasoline. Unless specifically stated, you won’t be able to earn points from this category if the gas station belongs to a supermarket or a warehouse club, such as Target or Walmart.
Use the following cards to make purchases at gas stations and earn extra points: 2
American Express Credit Cards That Earn Gas Rewards
| Credit Card | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Amex Everyday® Preferred Credit Card | 1 additional point |
| Business Gold Rewards Card | Up to 2 additional points |
| Business Gold Card | Up to 3 additional points |
5. Refer a friend for an American Express credit card
Like many other card issuers, American Express has a “refer a friend” program. You might be able to earn additional rewards for inviting someone you know to apply for an eligible American Express card.
To refer someone, you’ll need to send them a referral link via email, social media, or text. To get a referral link, log in to the American Express referral page.
Your friend will get to pick their own credit card (it doesn’t necessarily need to be the card you have), and you’ll earn a referral bonus no matter which card they get.
You won’t receive a bonus in any of the following cases:
- They don’t apply through the personalized referral link you sent them via a personal email or text
- Their credit card application is denied
- Your account is delinquent when they apply or get their card
- You’ve reached the limit for the number of referral points you can earn (unfortunately, Amex doesn’t specify what this is on their website)
6. Take advantage of Amex Offers
You can earn additional Membership Rewards® points, cash back, and discounts by enrolling your credit card in the Amex Offers program. You can then add offers from a variety of stores and restaurants to earn extra points on your purchases from those establishments.
Offers change every now and then, and there may be a limit to the number of Amex Membership Rewards® points you’ll be able to earn on your card.
To sign up, all you need to do is log into your account and scroll to the bottom of your account home screen, then add the offers you’re interested in.
7. Shop with American Express partners
American Express has partnerships with Rakuten, Home Chef, and RBN that allow cardholders to earn additional points.
Check out the rewards below:
- Rakuten: Shop at stores through Rakuten and earn up to 20x more Amex Membership Rewards® points. You can also earn an extra 3,000 bonus points by purchasing qualifying items that cost at least $25 within 90 days of signing up.
- Home Chef: Purchase your first box with Home Chef and three additional box orders to earn up to 8,000 points.
- RBN: Buy a home with an RBN participating agent, and earn 1 Membership Rewards® point for each dollar spent.
8. Enroll and link Amex cards to the Membership Rewards® program
Maximize your point-earning power by enrolling and linking multiple eligible American Express cards to the Membership Rewards® program.
To enroll your personal or small business credit card in the Membership Rewards Program, log in to your Amex account and follow the instructions, or simply call this number: (800) 668-2639.
To enroll a corporate card, log in to the Amex @ Work portal and choose the card you want to earn points on. You can also call (800) 716-666 for assistance.
Note that if you have added an authorized user to your account, any eligible purchases made on their card will help you earn rewards and count towards your welcome bonus.
9. Shop at supermarkets
Earn additional points by using an eligible Amex card at supermarkets located in the US, such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and FreshDirect, among many others.
American Express doesn’t consider convenience stores, superstores, warehouse clubs, or meal-kit delivery services to be supermarkets. Online purchases at US supermarkets are also excluded from this category unless explicitly stated in your cardholder agreement.
Look for your card in the table below to see if you have any special grocery rewards: 2
American Express Credit Cards With Grocery Rewards
| Credit Card | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Amex EveryDay® Credit Card | 1 additional point on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year |
| Amex Everyday® Preferred Credit Card | 2 additional points on the first $6,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year |
| American Express® Gold Card | 3 additional points on the first $25,000 of eligible purchases in a calendar year |
10. Spend in other rewards categories
You may come across an Amex card offering the potential to earn additional Membership Rewards® points by using your card at certain department stores or drugstores or to pay for streaming subscriptions or phone service from US telecom providers.
For instance, the Morgan Stanley Credit Card from American Express earns 1 additional point at eligible department stores in the US.
Whether or not you can earn bonus points in additional rewards categories depends on your card agreement. If you’re unsure about what purchases earn rewards, simply call the number on the back of your card.
11. Make frequent purchases
American Express rewards consumers that use their cards often. As an incentive, they offer up to 50% more Membership Rewards® points each billing period for select credit cards. Note that each transaction will only count as one purchase, no matter how many items you buy. 2
American Express Credit Cards That Earn Frequent-Purchase Rewards
| Credit Card | Rewards |
|---|---|
| EveryDay® Credit Card | Earn up to 20% extra points by making 20 or more separate purchases of goods or services in a billing period |
| Amex Everyday® Preferred Credit Card | Earn up to 50% extra points by making 50 or more separate purchases of goods or services in a billing period |
12. Make business purchases on an Amex business card
If you have an American Express business card, then you may be able to earn extra rewards points for making business-related purchases. The exact rewards rate will depend on the card you have.
American Express Business Cards That Earn Business Rewards
| Credit Card | Eligible Purchases | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Business Gold Rewards Card | Advertising Shipping Computer hardware Software Cloud computing |
Up to 2 additional points for every dollar spent |
| Business Gold Card | Advertising Shipping Computer hardware Software Cloud computing |
Up to 3 additional points for every dollar spent |
| Business Platinum Card® | US construction materials Hardware US electronic goods Software & cloud systems US shipping Other eligible items of $5,000 or more (no category exclusions) up to $2 million per calendar year |
Up to 0.5 additional points for every dollar spent |
