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American Express offers multiple rewards cards, some of which earn points on purchases in the form of Membership Rewards.
Membership Rewards vary in how much they’re worth depending on how you choose to redeem them. For example, you could potentially double their value by turning them into Hilton Honors loyalty points versus using them to shop at Amazon — and those are just two out of hundreds of options.
Here’s how to get the most out of your American Express Membership Rewards.
In this article
American Express Membership Rewards: The basics
Earning points: Many American Express cards earn Membership Rewards points with each purchase. Cards that earn points include AmEx's signature Green, Gold and Platinum cards.
You'll earn at least 1 point per dollar spent with your card. Depending on the card, you may earn extra points for spending in specific categories, such as 3 points per dollar at restaurants or 5 points per dollar on certain travel purchases. (Jump ahead to cards that earn Membership Rewards points.) Additional points can be earned through bonus offers for new cardholders, targeted "Amex Offers" that give you bonus points for shopping with specific merchants, or other incentives.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Not all American Express rewards cards earn Membership Rewards. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earn cash back in the form of Reward Dollars, which can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. And if you have a card issued by American Express with a hotel or airline partner — such as Delta or Hilton — you'll earn points or miles in that partner's loyalty program instead. Using points: Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for things like:
- Travel.
- Point transfers to partners, including airlines and hotels.
- Gift cards.
- Statement credits.
- Shopping.
- Donations to charity.
You can view all of your options by logging into the American Express Membership Rewards website.
How much are American Express Membership Rewards points worth?
You have a lot of options when it comes to redeeming your Membership Rewards points — and the value you get per point varies depending on how you use them. You can also look up the values for different options based on your card using a tool on the American Express Membership Rewards website. Here are ways to redeem:
Book travel via the AmEx portal
You can use Membership Rewards points to book travel directly through American Express via the AmEx portal, where you can find flights, hotels and vacation packages. Points are generally worth more when redeemed for flights through the portal.
Transfer points to travel partners
AmEx has multiple transfer partners — more than any other major U.S. card loyalty program — and you can transfer your points directly to those partners' loyalty programs. The transfer rate varies by partner, but in most cases, it's 1-to-1, meaning that when you transfer 1,000 Membership Rewards points, you get 1,000 points in the partner program.
One thing to keep in mind: When transferring Membership Rewards points to U.S. airlines, you'll owe a fee of 0.06 cents per point, up to a maximum of $99. For a 1,000-point transfer, that comes out to 60 cents.
Full list of AmEx transfer partners
Airlines
- Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1 ratio).
- AeroMexico Club Premier (1:1.6 ratio).
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1 ratio).
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue (1:1 ratio).
- ANA Mileage Club (1:1 ratio).
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1 ratio).
- British Airways Club (1:1 ratio).
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (5:4 ratio)
- Delta SkyMiles (1:1 ratio).
- Emirates Skywards (1:1 ratio).
- Etihad Guest (1:1 ratio).
- Iberia Plus (1:1 ratio).
- JetBlue TrueBlue (2.5:2 ratio).
- Qantas Airways Frequent Flyer (1:1 ratio).
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (1:1 ratio).
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
- Choice Hotels (1:1 ratio).
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts (1:2 ratio).
- Marriott Hotels & Resorts (1:1 ratio).
For details on transfer ratios, see AmEx's website.
The exact value you ultimately get per point depends on which program you transfer to and how you redeem the points within that program, but NerdWallet estimates the overall transfer value at 1.6 cents per point.
Cover your card charges
You can redeem your Membership Rewards points for a statement credit, which is essentially a cash-back option. Points are generally worth 0.6 cent apiece when used in this way.
Use points toward online purchases elsewhere
When you’re shopping online with eligible retailers like Amazon, you can use your points to pay at checkout. You may have to sign into the retailer's account, enter your card number or otherwise follow the prompts to pull up your point balance. Each point is typically worth 0.7 cent when used in this way, with some variance.
Redeem for gift cards
You can redeem your points for gift cards through the AmEx site at several dozens of retailers, from Home Depot to Apple, and the point value varies by retailer. For instance, as of this writing, a gift card is generally worth about 0.7 cents at Target. At Home Depot, each point is worth 1 cent.
Donate to charity
After selecting a cause through the JustGiving website, you can make a donation using points. Points are generally worth 0.7 cents when used in this way.
» HOW THEY STACK UP: See how American Express Membership Rewards points compare with other issuer programs on our points and miles valuations page. Or:
- See our guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- See our guide to Citi ThankYou Points.
Cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards points
More than a dozen American Express cards earn Membership Rewards; here are some of the most popular:
American Express® Green Card
- Earn 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on all eligible travel and transit purchases.
- Earn 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide.
- Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Annual fee: $150.
Terms apply — see rates and fees.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the American Express® Green Card
American Express® Gold Card
- Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on prepaid hotel stays booked through American Express Travel.
- Earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent at restaurants (on up to $50,000 in spending each year, then 1 point back).
- Earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in spending each year, then 1 point back).
- Earn 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines and through American Express.
- Earn 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked through American Express.
- Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Annual fee: $325.
Terms apply — see rates and fees.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the American Express® Gold Card
American Express Platinum Card®
- Earn 5 Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express (on up to $500,000 in spending per year).
- Earn 5 points on prepaid hotels booked through American Express.
- Earn 1 point on all other eligible purchases.
- Annual fee: $895.
Terms apply —see rates and fees.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the American Express Platinum Card®
American Express® Business Gold Card
Earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent in the top two eligible categories (from the following six) where you spend the most each month (up to the first $150,000 in combined purchases per year; then 1 point back):
- U.S. purchases at restaurants (including takeout and delivery).
- U.S. purchases at gas stations.
- U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (online, TV, radio).
- U.S. purchases made directly from select technology providers of computer hardware, software and cloud solutions.
- Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways.
- Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
- Annual fee: $375.
Earn 3 points per dollar spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex.
Other spending earns 1 point per dollar spent. Terms apply — see rates and fees.
» READ OUR REVIEW of the American Express® Business Gold Card
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on eligible flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express — and earn 1 point for each dollar you spend on other eligible purchases.
- Earn 2 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers and shipping providers — as well as on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Annual fee: $895.
Terms apply — see rates and fees.
» READ OUR REVIEW of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Other AmEx cards that earn Membership Rewards points include:
Other ways to earn American Express Membership Rewards points
Beyond the tried-and-true ways to earn Membership Rewards points, American Express cards offer other lesser-known ways to earn even more:
- Activate AmEx Offers. AmEx doesn’t have a traditional online “bonus mall,” but you can enroll in individual “AmEx Offers” when you log in to your account, either online or via the American Express app. By adding these offers to your card, you'll earn extra Membership Rewards points for a limited time when you use the card at the featured retailer.
- Keep an eye on AmEx partners. Rakuten is a cash-back shopping website, but users can opt to earn Membership Rewards points instead of cash. (You need an eligible American Express card first, as well as a minimum of 501 points for a transfer.) Terms apply.
- Add an authorized user. Working with a partner means you can accelerate your pace of earning points. Primary cardholders earn rewards on their authorized user’s purchases as if they made those purchases themselves. Just keep in mind that if the card account is yours, you’re on the hook to pay the bills, including what your authorized user charges.
- Refer a friend. From time to time, you may receive a referral link to send along to others. If they apply for the card using your link and their application is approved, you’ll receive a bonus. You may be subject to limits on how many points you can earn in a calendar year because of referrals, and there's a chance you could be subject to taxes on rewards earned from referrals. Terms apply.
The fine print
Membership Rewards points don’t expire, and there's no cap on the amount you can earn.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the American Express Membership Rewards program work?
American Express Membership Rewards is a points system. You earn at least 1 point for every dollar you spend with selected American Express cards. Most of those cards also earn extra points on purchases in specific categories, such as travel or restaurants. Not all AmEx cards earn Membership Rewards, however. The issuer has several cards that pay rewards in cash back rather than points.
Options for using points include booking travel, redeeming for statement credit or gift cards or transferring them to partner airline or hotel loyalty programs. How much a point is worth depends on how you use it, but you should be able to get at least 1 cent of value per point.
How do I redeem American Express Membership Rewards points?
You redeem your Membership Rewards points by logging into your rewards account online. Redemption options include booking travel, transferring points to airline and hotel partners and redeeming for statement credit, gift cards or merchandise. The value you get per point depends on what you redeem your points for.
How much are 50,000 Membership Rewards points worth?
You should aim to get at least 1 cent of value per point, so you can think of 50,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as being worth about $500. However, the exact value of a point varies according to how you redeem it. Using points for flights booked through the AmEx portal generally has a higher value than redeeming them for statement credit or gift cards.
Do American Express Membership Rewards points expire?
American Express Membership Rewards points do not expire as long as your account is open.
Do all American Express cards earn Membership Rewards points?
Many American Express cards earn Membership Rewards points, but several do not.
Cash back cards such as the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express and the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express earn rewards that you can use as a credit on your statement.
AmEx cards issued with an airline or hotel partner, such as the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card, earn points or miles in the partner's loyalty program.
All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The American Express® Green Card is no longer available through NerdWallet.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express, see this page.
