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.
The American Express Airpoints Card has no annual account fee and an introductory offer of zero-interest for the first six months. Once this period is up, the standard purchase rate of 19.95% p.a. applies.
The cash advance rate is 21.95% p.a. and cash advances are not included in the interest-free offer. For every $100, you and additional cardholders spend on eligible purchases, you receive 1 Airpoints Dollar. You can earn Airpoints Dollars for shopping online or at retail stores, filling up at the petrol station, grocery shopping, dining out and more.
You also get these benefits:
50 bonus Airpoints Dollars when you sign up and spend at least $750 in the first 3 months. This is available to new American Express cardholders only.
55 interest-free days on purchases when you pay off your balance in full each month.
To be eligible for The American Express Airpoints Card, you need to be earning at least $35,000 a year and have no history of bad credit or payment defaults.
The American Express Airpoints Platinum Card has an annual fee of $195 and an interest rate of 19.95% p.a. on purchases.
Customers are rewarded with 1 Airpoints Dollar for every $59 spent, and new customers are welcomed with a bonus of 300 Airpoints dollars if you spend $1,500 in the first three months.
You also get:
1 Status Point for every $250 you spend on your card
Complimentary insurance for international and domestic travel
Access to American Express lounges
No joining fee for a Koru membership and a discount on the annual fee
Smartphone screen insurance
You must have a minimum annual income of $65,000 to be eligible for this card.
This low-rate card comes with an introductory per annum rate of 2.99% for 6 months and an annual fee of $59. It then reverts to a standard purchase rate of 12.69%. You can add up to 4 cards at no additional costs, which could be handy if your partner would like one.
Other benefits include:
Online fraud protection guarantee
Up to 55-days interest-free on purchases
Emergency card within 48 hours anywhere in the world
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.
You need to earn at least $50,000 a year to apply for the Platinum Edge Credit 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.
Earn up to 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent.
When paying for travel using this card, further benefits include travel cancellation cover and overseas emergency medical expenses, and repatriation.
Although not made of platinum, the premium Platinum Card is made of metal. It 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. As the American Express Platinum Card is a charge card no annual interest charges apply but you are required to pay your balance in full each month. The rewards on this card are earned faster as you receive 2 Membership Rewards for every dollar spent.
You are given 100,000 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 can also 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.
Spend $150 or more on your Amex Platinum Card at a participating restaurant, and you can earn $150 back. This is valid twice yearly.
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 earn points for every dollar spent.
Both cards are charge cards and, as such, have no pre-set limit. American Express establishes the spending limit according to your 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. The American Express Gold card gives you the ability to extend your cash flow by a maximum of 50 days, which may help alleviate any cash flow 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.
American Express Membership Rewards programme
American Express rewards credit cards give you access to the Membership Rewards programmes and earn Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases. If you’re new to Amex, you could also take advantage of an introductory bonus points offer – which can sometimes be as high as 100,000 points when you meet the spend requirement.
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 Airpoints cards
American Express offers credit cards that are linked to the AirpointsProgramme. These cards give you a way to earn Airpoints Dollars per $1 spent on your every day, eligible purchases. You can redeem your points for flights, travel insurance, gift cards or products through the Airpoints store, for example, wine or electronic items.
Some of these cards come with extra features such as complimentary travel insurance or complimentary airline lounge passes. These perks can help justify paying a higher annual fee or purchase interest rate to use one of these cards.
The American Express Airpoints Platinum Card offers new cardholders 300 bonus Airpoints Dollars when you meet the spend requirement. In contrast, The American Express Airpoints Card offers you 50 bonus Airpoints Dollars when you meet the spend requirement.
Exclusive perks with Amex Experiences and offers
You can access presale tickets to concerts, theatre shows and other events withAmerican Express Experiences. Whether it’s shopping, dining, travel or entertainment, there’s an Amex Offer that can fulfil your wishes with deals on entertainment, shopping, dining or travel.
Check out the current offers on the American Express website and register the deal to your card. Also, make sure you sign up for regular updates.
Where is American Express accepted?
Visa and Mastercard have dominated the credit card market in New Zealand, and in the past, American Express cardholders couldn’t use their cards in many places. This was due to the higher fees that the card issuer charged the merchant, so smaller shops and businesses weren’t comfortable paying extra when they could pay less with Visa and Mastercard.
The higher fees compensate for less interest accrued by its customers since American Express cardholders are more likely to pay their balance off in full each month.
Times are changing, though, with American Express now being accepted at more places around New Zealand, including retail stores, petrol stations, transport providers, utility providers and supermarkets. Below you’ll find some of the businesses that happily accept your American Express credit card:
Petrol stations. Gull, Mobil, BP, Z Energy
Retailers. Farmers, The Warehouse, Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming, Supercheap Auto, Bridgestone, JR Duty-Free, Smith & Caughey’s, Rebel Sport, Glassons, Kathmandu, Kmart, Adidas, PB Tech, Godfreys, Dotti, Connor, David Jones, Cue, Country Road, Hallensteins, JayJays, Just Jeans, French Connection, Lacoste, Michael Hill, Max, Meccano, Number One Shoes, Portmans, Ruby, Peter Alexander, Rodd & Gunn, Smiggle, Zara, Witchery, Veronika Maine, Tumi, UGG, The North Face
Supermarkets and liquor stores. Four Square, New World, Countdown, PAK’nSAVE, Liquor King, Glengarry, Bottle’O, Farro Fresh
Food outlets and food delivery. St Pierre Sushi, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, KFC, Hello Fresh
Transport and travel.Air New Zealand, Flight Centre, House of Travel, Rydges, Expedia, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Uber, AT Hop, Wotif.com, Hotels.com, major airlines, Interislander, AJ Hackett, KiwiRail Scenic Journeys, Shotover Jet, Milford Track, Hilton, Marriott International
Entertainment and subscriptions. Event Cinemas, Ticketmaster, Hoyts, Netflix, Prime Video, SKY TV, Spotify, iTunes, NZME Herald, Microsoft
This list is expected to grow, and you can stay up to date with where American Express is accepted on its website.
Bottom line
With a card to suit various 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.
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 attract Membership Rewards, but American Express only credits them to one Membership Rewards account.
Yes. This means you will pay your bill regularly and on time each month, so you don’t have to worry about late payment fees or added interest. A section on the American Express website 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 in 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.
Earn points for travel to destinations all over the world with the American Express Airpoints Platinum Card, plus gain access to a range of benefits and prestigious perks just by using this card.
This credit card will not only give you that feeling of a high flyer but also the desirable lifestyle that goes hand in hand with it. From reward points to top-notch service, the American Express Platinum Card has it all.
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