Guide to American Express Membership Rewards program

The American Express Membership Rewards program offers a multitude of strong transfer options for your points. Its combination of flexibility and value makes it one of the more coveted credit card rewards programs out there.

Why should you sign up for the American Express Membership Rewards program?

One of the main draws of the American Express Membership Rewards program is the sheer number of transfer partners available. While not all partners accept point transfers at a 1:1 ratio, Amex has a whopping 21 partners. Chase Ultimate Rewards has just 12 transfer partners in comparison.

If you value flexibility and spending your points on travel, the Amex Membership Rewards program should be high on your list of reward programs.

How much are American Express Membership Rewards points worth?

On average, American Express Membership Rewards points are worth about 1 cents per point according to our calculations based on the Amex site at the time of writing. Unlike some other point programs, Amex points are not worth 1 cent when redeemed for cash back or statement credits.

Our pick for earning Membership Rewards

American Express® Green Card

• Earn 30,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $2,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 3 months.
• Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points on all eligible travel, from subway swipes and window seats to hotel stays and city tours.
• Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide.
• Receive up to $100 per year in statement credits when you use the American Express® Green Card to pay for your CLEAR® membership at select airports and stadiums across the U.S. and Permissible Biometric Scanning Technology terms: eye scanning, irises scanning and fingerprints scanning.
• Use the American Express® Green Card to purchase lounge access through LoungeBuddy to any of the lounges in the LoungeBuddy network — no memberships, elite statuses, or first class tickets required. Earn up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year on your LoungeBuddy purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• $150 annual fee.
• Terms apply.

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American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points

Of American Express’s 30 plus cards, about a third of those can help you earn Membership Rewards points – six personal cards and four business cards.

These cards offer varied earning categories, with many offering just one or two. Some of these cards also offer additional point bonuses when you make a certain number of purchases in a given month.

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Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
American Express® Green Card		30,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months	3x Membership Rewards® points on all eligible travel, 3x points at restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases	$150		Earn 3x Membership Rewards® points on all eligible travel, 3x points at restaurants and 1x points on all other purchases. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
American Express® Gold Card		35,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	3x points on directly-booked flights; 4x at restaurants; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points)	$250		Earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Platinum Card® from American Express		60,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months	5x points on directly-booked flights or on flights and hotels on Amex Travel. 1x points on all other purchases	$550		Get 5x Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel and 5x points on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express		N/A	2x points on everyday business purchases on up to $50,000 annually, then 1x points	$0		Earn 2x Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases on up to $50,000 with no category restrictions. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
American Express® Business Gold Card		35,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months	4x points on two categories on up to $150,000 combined annually, then 1x points after that and on all other purchases	$295		Earn 35,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express		50,000 points after spending $10,000 and 25,000 points after spending an additional $10,000 in the first 3 months	5x points on flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel, 1.5x points if you spend $5,000 on a single eligible purchase on up to 1 million additional points per year and 1x points on all other purchases	$595		Earn 50,000 points after spending $10,000 and an extra 25,000 points after spending an additional $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Business Green Rewards Card from American Express		15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months	2x points at amextravel.com and 1x points on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)		Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CardMatch™ from creditcards.com		See terms	See terms	See terms		Can't decide on a card? Get personalized credit card offers with CardMatch™.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Not all Membership Rewards cards feature a welcome offer, so you’ll want to carefully examine your spending habits versus available cards to determine your best choice for earning points.

Transferring points

Unfortunately, you can’t transfer points earned using some of Amex Membership Rewards cards.

The following cards are not eligible to transfer points:

Transfer partners

You have a wide variety of travel partners to choose from provided you’re using an Amex card that can transfer points. We’ve listed transfer values as of the time of writing below and you can learn more about redeeming your points for best value.

Data obtained May 2019. Values are subject to change and should be used only as a general guide.

How to navigate account

American Express makes it easy to access your Membership Rewards account from your online dashboard. Sign in and click Explore Rewards to see your points balance, points earned and options for redemption. Or click Rewards from the top nav.

Below your points snapshot, you’ll find a navigation bar of five tabbed redemption options. Points required for your purchases vary by redemption option and retailer.

Pay with Points at Checkout

Put your points toward online orders at such retailers as Amazon, Grubhub and Walmart. You may also see local merchants as an option — for us, the option to use points for New York City taxis.

Redeem for Gift Cards

Redeem your points for future spending at big names in clothing, travel, dining and entertainment. Boost your points redemption by 10% or more through curated promotions and “sale” cards.

Cover Your Card Charges

Cash in your points for credit toward eligible charges on your current statement.

Book Travel

Use your points toward insider fares on flights, hotels, cars, cruises and packages.

Go Shopping

Search for limited-time offers and membership perks at select retailers, and Amex credits all or part of your purchase with your points on your next statement.

Bottom line

The American Express Memberships Rewards program couples strong point values with great flexibility and opportunities for bonus point earnings. Make sure to apply for an Amex card that can transfer points to take advantage of the true value of the program and explore the world.

If Amex cards don’t offer the perks and earning categories you want, compare your reward card options to find one that fits your spending habits.

Frequently asked questions

• Do American Express Memberships Rewards points expire?

  No. Your Membership Rewards points have no expiration date. However, you can lose earned points by returning purchased items, making late payments or canceling your account.

• Is the Amex Membership Rewards program free?

  It depends on your card. Many cards are enrolled automatically for free when you activate your account. Others need to pay an annual fee to participate. Check out the Amex Membership Rewards site for a full list of cards that need to pay.

• Can I transfer points to a friend?

  No. You currently can’t transfer accumulated points to a friend’s account.

• Can I transfer points between Amex cards?

  No. Your Amex points are stored in a single account pool. You can transfer those points to partners so long as you own a card that allows you to do so.