American Express Rewards Card Review

The American Express Rewards card lets you earn 50% bonus points on all your spending if you meet the minimum spend requirement in a calendar year. Points don’t expire and there’s no cap on the number of points you can accumulate. Read on to find out about this and the range of other benefits if you choose the American Express Rewards Card.

Benefits of the American Express Rewards Card

• Sign up bonuses. Get up to 100% bonus points when you spend using your card within your first 3 months of membership. (T&Cs apply) Plus, you can get a further 50% bonus points on the first S$5,000 spent at your favourite five places in Singapore which you charge your card to in a calendar year.
• Air miles. Get 1 Membership Rewards point for every S$1 spent on all eligible transactions and convert these into cheaper flights and more. Additionally, you can earn 50% more Membership Rewards points at your choice of five places in Singapore.
• Dining privileges. Enjoy a host of discounts at some of the leading restaurants in Singapore via American Express Selects.
• Travel Inconvenience insurance. This cover is underwritten by Chubb Insurance Singapore Limited and you’ll be eligible if you purchase your travel tickets with your American Express Rewards Card. This type of insurance shouldn’t be considered as a replacement for travel insurance.

Features of the American Express Rewards Card

• Up to 90 days’ purchase protection. If purchases on your card are damaged or stolen within 90 days, your purchase protection could reimburse you. Coverage limits are S$8,000 per item and up to a maximum of S$80,000 per calendar year per card member account.
• Fast payments globally. This credit card utilises PIN, chip, and contactless technologies, meaning a very convenient way to spend across the world at any American Express merchant.
• Annual fee. This card has an annual fee of S$53.50. Up to two supplementary cards have their annual fees waived for life – it’s S$16.05 per card per year thereafter.

Pros and cons

Pros

• 24/7 global assistance
• High purchase protection limits – up to S$80,000 per calendar year
• No limit to the number of Membership Rewards Points you can get
• No expiry date on points
• Up to two supplementary cards have their annual fee waived permanently

Cons

• Annual card fee of S$53.50 applies, however this is fairly competitive with other similar products on the market
• There are no cashback privileges with this card
• Keep an eye out for charges such as a S$20 fee for the transfer of your member points to frequent flyer or frequent guest partner programmes

How to apply

You can apply for an American Express credit card online. It can take as little as 15 minutes. Follow these steps to apply for an American Express credit card:

• Compare any American Express credit cards which suit you, keeping in mind your income level, lifestyle, credit needs and spending patterns
• Check that you meet the eligibility criteria for your chosen credit card
• Once you submit your card application online via American Express’ website, you’ll receive an instant decision within 60 seconds. Some approvals are granted as conditional approvals
• If you pass this stage, you’ll get further instructions to upload the required supporting documents. American Express will assess and verify the information you provided. If your application is approved, you’ll receive your card in the next three to five business days

Before you apply for an American Express credit card, make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and have the required documents to hand.

Eligibility criteria

• Age. You must be at least 21 years of age. Supplementary cardholders must be over 18 years old
• Minimum income. Most Amex credit cards require the following minimum income levels: S$30,000 for Singapore citizens or Singapore permanent residents (SPRs), S$60,000 for foreigners
• Residential status. Singaporean citizens, permanent residents and foreigners can apply for an Amex credit card. However, foreigners may be subject to higher income requirements and stricter employment criteria
• Credit history. Applicants must have a good credit rating.

Required documents

Make sure you have the following documents ready when you apply:

Fully salaried applicants

• Photocopy of your NRIC (front and back), and
• Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution history for the last 12 months, or
• Latest three months’ computerised payslip, or
• Latest Income Tax Notice of Assessment and your CPF contribution history for the last 12 months, or your last three months’ computerised payslips
• Self-employed or fully commissioned applicants
• Photocopy of your NRIC (front and back), and
• Latest Income Tax Notice of Assessment for the last two years
• Latest three months’ computerised payslip

Commission or variable income earner applicants

• Photocopy of your NRIC (front and back), and
• CPF contribution history for the last 12 months, or
• Computerised payslip for the last three months, or
• Latest Income Tax Notice of Assessment and latest computerised payslip

Foreigners

In addition to the income documents indicated above, you will also need to provide the following:

• Valid passport, and
• Employment pass (for primary cardholders only), and
• Utility bills or bank statements with your residential address, and
• Company letter stating proof of employment (if you’ve been working for less than three months)

Compare credit cards from American Express