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The American Express® Green Card is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.
American Express Membership Rewards has always been one of the best credit card rewards programs. It has a huge roster of airline and hotel partners where you can transfer your points, and there are several great American Express cards you can use to earn Membership Rewards points.
While there are lots of ways to use these points, not all of them get you a good value. Knowing the ins and outs of the program is important so you can make the most of your rewards. In this guide, you'll learn all about American Express Membership Rewards points, including what they're worth, how to earn them, and the best redemption options.
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American Express points can be worth as little as $0.005 to over $0.03 per point. The value varies quite a bit depending on how you redeem them.
The key to getting a high value is transferring your points to travel partners. Most American Express Membership Rewards cards give you this option. American Express has over 20 travel partners where you can send your points. You can then use your points through that partner's loyalty program.
American Express also offers several fixed-rate redemptions, including:
These types of redemptions will get you anywhere from $0.005 to $0.01 per point.
You can earn American Express Membership Rewards points by using a card in the rewards program. Every Membership Rewards card earns points on eligible purchases. Many of them also have welcome offers, where you can earn a large amount of points for reaching a spend requirement.
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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On American Express' Secure Website .
On American Express' Secure Website .
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
60,000 points + earn up to $100 back
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your American Express® Green Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
40,000 Membership Rewards® Points
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases. Terms and limitations apply.
1X-5X Membership Rewards® Points
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per calendar year in purchases), and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
1X-4X Membership Rewards® Points
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
3X Membership Rewards® Points on Restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery. 3X Membership Rewards® points on all eligible travel, from subway swipes and window seats to hotel stays and city tours. The 1x points on other purchases.
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On American Express' Secure Website .
On American Express' Secure Website .
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Trip delay and cancellation insurance and cell phone protection underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. Extended warranty, purchase protection, car rental insurance, and baggage insurance underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. • Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. • Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. • Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. • Trip delay insurance underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. • Extended warranty, baggage insurance plan, car rental loss & damage insurance, and purchase protection warranty underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Information for the American Express® Green Card has been gathered independently by The Ascent and does not come from the issuer. Some details may be out of date. See the issuer's site for more information.
If you're looking for a no annual fee card, you can apply for either of these Membership Rewards consumer cards to earn points:
As of Aug. 06, 2024
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
On American Express' Secure Website .
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
10,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $2,000 in purchases in your first 6 months
10,000 Membership Rewards® points
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
2x points at US supermarkets ($6,000 spending cap per year), 1x points on other purchases. Use your Card 20 or more times in a billing period to earn 20% more points
Intro APR:
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
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Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: N/A
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APR:
18.24% to 29.24%, variable
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On American Express' Secure Website .
• Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. • Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. • Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. The information for the The Amex EveryDay® Card from American Express has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
There are also business cards from American Express that earn Membership Rewards points. For business owners and anyone interested in a business card, these are worth checking out. Here are a few of the best options:
As of Aug. 06, 2024
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it.
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
120,000 Membership Rewards® points
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership
70,000 Membership Rewards® points
Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it.
Earn 15,000 Membership Reward points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
4 points per $1 in two of the following categories where you spend most: gas, dining, advertising, transit, electronics & wireless ($150,000 annual spending cap). 3 points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com. 1 point per $1 on other purchases
Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it.
2X points on the first $50,000 spent in purchases each year, 1X points on purchases thereafter
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Purchases: 0%, 12 months
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APR:
19.49% - 27.49%, variable
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18.24% – 26.24%, Variable
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The information for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. The information for the American Express Business Gold Card has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
You can't buy American Express Membership Rewards points for future use, but you can buy them when you're redeeming points and don't have enough. Here are the rules for buying American Express points:
Considering the price, it's not usually worth the money to buy points, which is the case with almost all credit cards. You're better off finding ways to maximize the points you earn. The only exception is if you want to make a travel redemption right away and you don't quite have enough points for it.
American Express Membership Rewards points never expire as long as you have an active credit card in that rewards program. If you're planning to cancel your American Express card, make sure you use your points first.
You can lose your points if you violate the card's terms and conditions or try to game the system to earn more points. For example, American Express has been known to close card accounts and/or claw back points of consumers who downgrade cards within 12 months of opening them.
You can redeem American Express Membership Rewards points in the "Rewards & Benefits" section of your online account. Alternatively, you can call American Express to redeem your points by phone.
In the Rewards & Benefits section, you'll see all your redemption options. There are many ways to use your points, but they're normally worth the most when you use them for travel. American Express has a long list of travel partners where you can transfer your points.
Here's a list of all the loyalty programs where you can transfer Membership Rewards points. As you'll see, it's extensive, which is a strong suit of these travel cards. Transfer ratios are even (you get 1,000 points in the loyalty program for every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer) except where otherwise noted.
Most transfers process instantly, but it can take longer. You'll also need to link your loyalty program account before you can make a transfer, which can take a couple of days. You can learn how in the section below.
The other redemption options are:
Those options top out at $0.01 per point, so they don't offer nearly as much value. However, they could make sense if you can't transfer points for the travel you want to book, or if you have far more points than you need.
Choosing a credit cardDon't you wish you could take a peek inside a credit card expert's wallet sometimes? Just to see the cards they carry? Well, you can't look in anybody's wallet, but you can check out our experts' favorite credit cards. Get started here:
Here's how to redeem American Express Membership Rewards points:
After you pick how you want to use your rewards, the remainder of the process will depend on the redemption you chose. Each type of redemption is fairly straightforward, and you can contact customer support by live chat or phone if you need any help.
Note that if you want to transfer points, you'll need to link your loyalty program account first. Once you've done that, you can send your Membership Rewards points to your account in that loyalty program.
To link a loyalty program account, go to the "Rewards & Benefits" section, just like in the steps above. Choose "Transfer Points" from the list of redemption options.
You'll see the full list of American Express travel partners. Select "Show Details" next to the airline or hotel where you want to transfer your points. You'll be prompted to enter your account number in the partner's loyalty program. American Express and the loyalty program may link your account immediately, or it could take a few days.
Since you need to link an account before transferring points, it's a good idea to do this with all your loyalty program accounts as soon as you can. The first time that I transferred Membership Rewards points, I almost missed out on the award airfare I wanted because I didn't realize I'd need to wait for my account to be verified.
In terms of value, the best way to use American Express Membership Rewards points is to transfer them. Award travel bookings offer the most potential value, and specifically award airfare booked through frequent flyer programs.
When you transfer points, their value depends on what you book with them. Here are a few pointers to help you get the most out of your rewards:
Many of the best travel rewards cards let you transfer your points, but American Express goes above and beyond with all its travel partners. Whether you're traveling domestically or internationally, you can likely use American Express Membership Rewards points to cover the cost.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
On Wells Fargo's Secure Website .
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars. 5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it.Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Intro: Circle with letter I in it.
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers
Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening
Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers
Regular: 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
On Wells Fargo's Secure Website .
