The American Express Membership Rewards program gives you a way to earn points for your everyday spending, which you can redeem for rewards including frequent flyer points, travel, gift cards, cashback and shopping.
As well as getting points for each $1 of eligible spending, you can get big bonus points offers when you apply for an Amex rewards card as a new card member. This could give you hundreds of dollars value based on the rewards you choose, so let's take a look at your options.
As a quick guide, you can use Finder's points calculator to estimate the value of Amex Membership Rewards Points.
Finder uses an average value of 0.5 cents per 1 Membership Rewards Point. This is based on the value of redeeming a Coles gift card from the Membership Rewards website.
The same value also applies when you redeem points for shopping with David Jones, PayPal, helloworld or Webjet, with 20,000 points worth $100. Dividing 100/20,000 gives you a value of 0.5 cents per point, or $5 value for every 1,000 points.
But the value of your Membership Reward Points also depends on how you redeem Amex points and can also vary based on your card.
We've used reward values publicly listed on the American Express Membership Rewards website. But you'll see full details of all the rewards you can get – and how many points you need – by logging in to your American Express account.
Planning to transfer your points to a frequent flyer program or want to look at the value of other rewards? Check out Finder's guide to calculate the points-to-dollar value for any reward.
Example: What can I get with 100,000 Membership Rewards points?To give you an idea of how much your Membership Rewards are worth, you can compare three ways you can spend 100,000 Membership Rewards on travel below:
When you have an Amex Membership Rewards card, you'll automatically earn points per $1 spent on eligible transactions. This includes most everyday spending, such as supermarket or retail shopping, dining out, takeaway and petrol.
Amex cards also typically offer points for spending with government bodies, such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
If you get an Amex card for personal use, some of the key transactions that won't earn points include:
Eligible spending does vary depending on the Amex card, so you should check with American Express directly if there's a specific transaction you want to make.
Introductory bonus point offersIf you don't have an American Express card and haven't had one in your name for the past 18 months, you could boost your points balance by getting an Amex card with a bonus points offer.
For example, you could earn 50,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Introductory bonus point offers last for a limited time and typically have spending requirements. So, it's worth checking out what Amex cards offer bonus Membership Rewards points when you're ready to get one.
Amex referral bonus pointsIf you already have an American Express card, the Amex referral program gives you another way to earn bonus points when you refer a close friend or family member to American Express.
All you have to do is log in to your account, go to the Refer a Friend section and check what offers are available. Then share your referral link with a friend or family member. If they use the link to apply and are approved, you'll get rewarded. Referral offers do vary depending on the card and the promotional period, so make sure to check the details first.
The American Express Australia website has around 60 rewards options. So to give you an idea of how you can use points, we've broken them down into 3 key types of rewards.
Point transfers to frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programsYou can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to partnered programs including Virgin Australia's Velocity, Asia Miles, Etihad Guest, Emirates Skywards and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
Different Amex cards have different options for frequent flyer and hotel point transfers, so it's a good idea to log in and see what's available to you. But to give you an idea, here are the transfer rates publicly listed on the American Express website for Membership Rewards Ascent.
| Program | Exchange rate | Minimum transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Air New Zealand | 200 Membership Rewards points = 1 Airpoints Dollar | 2,000 points |
| Asia Miles | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 Asia Mile | 5,000 points |
| Emirates Skywards | 3 Membership Rewards points = 1 Skywards Mile | 3,000 points |
| Etihad Guest | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 Etihad Guest Mile | 1,000 points |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 HawaiianMiles | 2,000 points |
| Hilton Honors | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 Honors points | 2,000 points |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 Enrich Mile | 1,000 points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3 Membership Rewards points = 2 Marriott Points | 600 points |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1 Membership Rewards points = 1 Avios | 500 points |
| Royal Orchid Plus | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 Royal Orchid Plus mile | 5,000 points |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 3 Membership Rewards points = 1 KrisFlyer Mile | 7,500 points |
| Velocity | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 Velocity Point | 2,000 points |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 2 Membership Rewards points = 1 Flying Club mile | 2,000 points |
Travel rewardsYou can use Membership Rewards Points to pay for travel with American Express Travel, Helloworld or Webjet. If you don't have enough points to make your preferred booking, you can make up the difference with your Amex card. Some key details to keep in mind:
Shopping and gift cardsYou can redeem your points in a few steps:
The Membership Rewards program offers a variety of ways to use points, with dollar values varying depending on the reward and your program stream. In general, transferring your Membership Rewards points to a frequent flyer program and then redeeming the points for flights or upgrades offers the highest dollar value.
It’s also worth considering whether you want travel rewards or could get more benefit from another option, such as gift cards or credit to your account. By weighing up the value of all these reward options, you can find the best way to use your Membership Rewards points.
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How do I use my points to pay for my account?
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for getting in touch with Finder! You can pay for your account using your points. A minimum of 1,000 points is required. Any credit to your card account cannot exceed the current outstanding balance on your account. Points will be debited immediately and a credit will take up to three business days to appear on your online statement. To get started on this, start by:
1. Log in to your Account online or via the American Express Mobile App
2. Select the eligible transaction from your online Account
3. Get a credit on your Account within 72 hours
You can also use your Membership Rewards points to pay your annual fee on selected Cards, make a donation or for a credit on your Account.
I hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki