You can earn points as you spend on your credit card, which can be redeemed on a range of shopping, travel and entertainment experiences, or even donated to charity.
You can transfer Membership Rewards points to any of the American Express airline and hotel partner programs, including British Airways, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Hilton Honors and Radisson Rewards programs.
In addition to American Express Membership Rewards cards, the American Express network is also available with other rewards credit cards, such as British Airways, Nectar, Marriott Bonvoy.
How do I earn American Express Membership Rewards?
You can earn one American Express Membership Rewards point on every full £1 spent. Certain cards will increase your earn-rate to two points per £1 spent on American Express Travel.
Some cards offer the chance to accrue large chunks of bonus points in the first few months after opening or on your account anniversary if you spend a specified amount on purchases.
You can earn points on most of your spending, with the exceptions being card fees, interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, travellers cheques or foreign currency transactions.
What are American Express Membership Rewards points worth?
Amex don’t clarify exact point value, but they tend to work out at 1p = 2 points or £1 = 200 points. For example, if you want to redeem points at one of Amex’s partner retailers, then normally 10,000 points could be transferred for a £50 voucher.
How do I redeem American Express Membership Rewards?
American Express has an extensive online catalogue which allows you to redeem rewards either partially or outright, or exchange to other points systems. Simply enrol online to set up a Membership Rewards account.
You can use your points to pay or part-pay or upgrade your next holiday, shop direct from the Amex site or exchange rewards points for vouchers for retailers or subscriptions. Over 1,000 retailers accept American Express Membership Rewards points. Amex also feature special offers that change every month, which allow your points to go further on specific purchases.
If you need more points, you can buy more, but only in increments of 1,000 points with a minimum purchase of 1,000 points. There is a maximum limit of 10,000 a year.
What are the pros and cons of Membership Rewards?
Pros
Versatile and flexible.
Charitable donations option.
Can purchase points.
Wide variety of cards to choose from.
Travel benefits.
Generous introductory offers of 0% or bonus points.
Cons
Amex is less widely accepted than Mastercard or Visa.
Annual fee. Some Amex cards charge an annual fee, which could go up to £450.
Compare credit cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards
Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
American Express Membership Rewards partners for redeeming points
Amex’s rewards scheme is incredibly flexible and reaches a wide range of travel and retail partners. You can spend your points directly through American Express’ online catalogue and buy more points if you need them. Alternatively, you can easily convert your Membership Rewards points to spend with Amex’s partners.
Who are American Express Membership Rewards travel transfer partners?
British Airways Executive Club
Emirates Skywards
Alitalia MilleMiglia
Asia Miles
Iberia Plus
SAS EuroBonus
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Singapore KrisFlyer
Hilton Honors
Radisson Rewards
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Delta SkyMiles
Etihad Guest
Finnair Plus
Marriott Bonvoy
Flying Blue (KLM and Air France)
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Club Eurostar
Nectar
Starwood Preferred Guest (Marriott Rewards and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards)
Who are the American Express Membership Rewards charity partners?
You can choose to donate your rewards points to one of the following charities through JustGiving:
NHS Charities Together
The Intensive Care Society
Imperial Health Charity
Oxford Hospitals
Trussel Trust
FareShare
Cambridge City Foodbank
The Felix Project
British Red Cross
The Irish Red Cross
Age UK
North London Cares
South London Cares
ALONE
Crisis
Shelter
Centrepoint
St Mungo’s
Refuge
Women’s Aid
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio
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