#3 Among Transferable Points
Point Value
1.60 ¢
Hobby Score
8.0
Amex points are great in theory. We just find them harder to collect and more expensive to hold than Chase points.
The best way to earn American Express Membership Rewards is through credit card signup bonuses and spending on a card that earns Membership Rewards. Not all Amex cards earn these points—some earn cash back instead. Unlike other systems such as Chase or Capital One, you cannot convert cash back rewards to Membership Rewards, so keep that in mind when choosing your next card.
Strategy matters when opening Amex cards, as they have rules that make it harder to earn and keep rewards. The two most important are:
When you own multiple American Express cards, personal or business, Amex automatically combines all your Membership Rewards points. This is convenient for anyone with more than one Amex card, since you never need to transfer points between cards before redeeming them.
Special Offers Related to Amex Membership Rewards. Click the arrow to see more.
The Amex Platinum increases everything. Sign up offer is now 100,000 points after spending $6000 in 6 months, 10x points at restaurants worldwide, $240 Digital entertainment credit, $300 Equinox Credit, $200 Uber Cash, $100 Saks Credit, 5x points on flights, 5x points on prepaid hotels. Take advantage of all these savings to compensate for the increased annual fee rate of $695.
Sign up for American Express Business Gold Card & get a huge 70,000 Points sign up offer which is double the normal sign up points. Offer ends 4/7/2021.
The offer is a solid one for this card without an exorbitant spend. Just make sure you have a plan for using your points within the year and/or a plan to maximize benefits as the $550 annual fee will offset that bonus in few short years.
The best way to get more than 1¢ per point from Membership Rewards is to transfer points to airline and hotel partners. One major advantage Amex has over competitors is its complimentary partner search tool, point.me, which helps you find and book award flights with Amex partners. It also walks you through the transfer and booking process, making it especially helpful for beginners.
You can book travel through the American Express Travel Portal at a flat rate of 1¢ per point. However, Business Platinum cardholders receive a 35% points rebate when booking flights with points through Amex Travel.
These options offer poor value compared with transferring to partners or using the Portal.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
Create and link accounts with all transfer partners in advance to avoid delays when transferring and redeeming points
If you use tools like <a href="https://www.pointsyeah.com/?linkId=lp_919533&sourceId=pointsnav&tenantId=pointsyeah" target="_blank">PointsYeah</a> or <a href="http://Point.me" target="_blank">Point.me</a>, always confirm award space directly on the airline’s website before moving any points
We rank American Express second behind Chase among rewards systems. Like Chase, it has strong transfer partners, but just a notch below when it comes to quality. The biggest drawback compared to Chase is that earning miles is more difficult because of the Amex 1/7 Rule. There simply aren’t as many cards available to earn points with.
The best way to maximize the value of Membership Rewards is by using transfer partners, making this system ideal for more advanced hobbyists. For those seeking high-end travel, Amex offers excellent business and first class sweet spots, though they can be harder to find and require more expertise to book.
Amex Membership Rewards must stay connected to an Amex card that earns points to remain active. If you cancel a card and don’t have another that earns Membership Rewards, you’ll lose all your points. If you have a high annual fee card that you don't find valuable, consider downgrading to another card in the same family.
Keep in mind the Amex 1/7 Rule though. If you downgrade, you won’t receive a signup bonus when doing so and won’t be eligible for one on that card for seven years. If you transfer points to a partner, make sure you understand their expiration rules and plan to use the points before they expire. Pooling and transferring between accounts are not options in this program.
