Are you a frequent card user? Or maybe you want to earn points towards your next hotel stay? American Express has cards on offer to suit all needs, from the benefits of Platinum and rewards cards to a low-interest rate card if you are trying to get a handle on your debt.
Check out our guide for all you need to know about using American Express.
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
19.95 %APR
Purchase interest rate
Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges apply
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
The American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card offers a low interest rate on purchases. Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards bonus points when you apply online and spend $750 in the first 3 months of Card membership. This offer is available to new Card Members only.
Annual fee: $149 p.a.
Purchase rate (p.a): 2.99% APR for 6 months (reverts to 19.95% APR) on purchases
If you use your American Express card regularly, the rewards incentive is a great way to receive more for your money. The more dollars you spend, the more Membership Rewards points you earn and these can be redeemed for rewards towards entertainment or flights, or you can use your points at Harvey Norman online or redeem them for gift cards. There is even an American Express app that allows you to pay using your points.
The Membership Rewards programme caters to all your travelling needs including flights and accommodation, as it partners with HelloWorld, Webjet and American Express Travel online. You can also put your Membership Rewards towards other loyalty programmes such as Airpoints and hotel accommodation schemes.
American Express credit cards
Airpoints credit cards
New AMEX customers are rewarded with 1 Airpoints dollar for every $59 spent and welcomes you with a bonus of 200 Airpoints dollars if you spend $1,500 in the first three months.
In addition, you receive such benefits as complimentary insurance for international and domestic travel, access to American Express lounges, free Koru memberships and a discount on their annual fee.
Low-rate credit card
This low-rate card comes with an introductory per annum fee of 2.99% for 6 months and an annual fee of $59. It then reverts to a standard purchase rate of 12.69%. It allows you to add up to 4 cards at no additional costs, which could be handy if your partner would like one.
To apply, you need to be at least 18 years old and have an annual income of at least $30,000. If you are self-employed you need to have been an American Express customer for 12 months or in business for 18 months.
The American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
You need to earn at least $50,000 a year to apply for this card. This AMEX card comes with an introductory purchase rate of 2.99% for the first 6 months, but reverts to a rate of 19.95% with an annual fee of $149.
When you apply online and spend $750 in the first three months you will be awarded 20,000 Membership Rewards bonus points, available to new Card Members only. This card also comes with the following benefits:
Complimentary travel insurance for domestic and international flights when you pay using your Platinum card.
A higher earning rate on Membership points per dollar spent when you shop at major supermarkets and petrol stations. See American Express’ terms and conditions for more information.
Further benefits when paying for travel using this card include, travel cancellation cover and overseas emergency medical expenses and repatriation.
The American Express Platinum Card
The Platinum card targets those customers with a higher income, as it comes with an annual fee of $1,250 and you need to earn at least $100,000. However, an additional bonus is no annual interest charges apply. The rewards on this card are earned faster as you receive 2 Membership Rewards for every dollar spent.
You are given 80,000 Membership Rewards bonus points if your application is accepted and you spend $1,500 in the first three months (currently, you need to be a new American Express customer). You are also able to transfer points to a variety of airline and hotel rewards programmes. Additional benefits include:
$200 Platinum Travel Credit yearly, which you can redeem for car hire, hotel bookings and pre-paid flights.
Access for two to over 1,200 Priority Pass lounge locations in more than 130 countries.
Please check out the American Express website for further information, full terms and conditions.
Business credit cards
With The American Express Business Card or The American Express Gold Business Card on offer, you should find one to suit your business needs. You can choose from such options as no pre-set limit on spending or Membership Rewards, where you will earn Membership Rewards for every dollar spent.
Both cards have no pre-set limits, which American Express will establish according to the business’ spending habits. One attractive benefit is paying no interest on the account, but it must be paid in full every month.
You can see all business purchases for the month on one statement including the GST, which helps to monitor business expenses, and all additional cardholder’s spending are included. In addition, the American Express Gold card gives you the ability to extend your cash flow by a maximum of 50 days, which may help to alleviate any cashflow issues.
Larger companies that have multi-million dollar revenue may benefit from a Corporate card. For information on how you can apply phone: 0800 722 333 from 9:30am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday.
Frequently asked questions
No limit does not mean endless credit. American Express assesses your purchases based on different factors including current spending patterns, and your credit and payment history.
All the additional cards that staff members use will attract Membership Rewards, but American Express credits them to only one Membership Rewards account.
Yes. This means you will be paying your bill regularly and on time each month, so you won’t have to worry about late payment fees or added interest. There is a section on the American Express website that explains how to pay your bill by direct debit.
American Express Membership Rewards offers you a wide range of gift card choices. From iTunes gift cards that will cost you 3,200 to 8,000 points to Countdown cards for 8,000 to 16,000 points.
All additional cardholders must be over the age of 18 years. The primary cardholder is responsible for all spending.
You must be a member of the partner programme to be able to transfer points. It is your responsibility to apply for membership to the partner programme. See the American Express website for information on partner programmes.
You must notify American Express immediately if your card is used fraudulently or lost. Phone them on 0800 656 660 in New Zealand or +64 9 583 8300 from overseas. You can even call collect when abroad.
With a card to suit a variety of needs, American Express is worth considering if you want a new credit card. However, there are other alternatives on the market so it’s important to keep an open mind and look at all options beforehand.
If you still have questions regarding American Express credit cards? Fill in the “Ask the Expert” form at the end of this article and one of our team members will get back to you.
Was this content helpful to you?
Thank you for your feedback!
Read more on this topic
Airpoints Credit CardsIf you like to travel and be rewarded for spending, an Airpoints credit card is worth considering.
Credit card feature: AMEX Platinum's free roadside assistanceThe American Express Platinum Card is a rewards credit card that offers free roadside assistance as a benefit for card holders. Find out more about free roadside assistance with this AMEX card today.
Student credit cardsLearn about fees, best ways to use credit cards, mistakes to avoid and common questions about student credit cards.
How to consolidate your debtSimplify your payments and consolidate all of your debt into one single place. Learn how to take back control of your finances with our debt consolidation options.
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card ReviewThe American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card offers competitive benefits like complimentary travel insurance, membership rewards bonus points and fraud protection.
Compare Frequent Flyer Credit CardsFrequent Flyer credit cards let you earn points for your spending and usually offer complimentary extras such as travel insurance or lounge access. Here's what you need to know to decide if a frequent flyer card will work for you.
How do credit card refunds work?Step by step guide on how to request a credit card refund and the other factors you'll need to consider.
When is my credit card annual fee charged?Make the most of credit cards offering $0 annual fee in the first year and learn about other ways to save on this yearly cost with this guide to annual fees.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
