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.
What are Amex points worth?
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.
Tip: Log in to check the value of your Amex points
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:
Flights with Virgin Australia. If you transferred 100,000 Membership Rewards for 50,000 Velocity Points, you could fly from Sydney to Denpasar (Bali) in business class (49,500 Velocity Points one-way, plus fees and taxes).
Flights with Singapore Airlines. Converting 100,000 Membership Rewards Points to 33,333 KrisFlyer Miles would give you enough for an upgrade from economy flexi to premium economy on a one-way flight from Melbourne to Singapore, with KrisFlyer Miles to spare (22,500 KrisFlyer Miles).
Amex partner travel bookings. You can book $500 worth of travel through Webjet or helloworld with 100,000 Membership Rewards points.
How to earn Amex Membership Rewards Points
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.
If you get an Amex card for personal use, some of the key transactions that won't earn points include:
Cash advances or any other cash services or transactions
Interest, fees and charges
Charges for the pay portion of a Points + Pay Membership Rewards redemption
Charges at a business you own or that someone related to you owns Refunded purchases
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 offers
If 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 points
If 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.
What rewards can you get with Amex points?
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 programs
You 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 rewards
You 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:
Helloworld Travel. You can redeem 20,000 Membership Rewards for $100 worth of travel, including cruises, flights, accommodation and travel packages.
Webjet. Every 20,000 Membership Rewards equals $100 value with Webjet.
American Express Travel. The number of Amex points you need to pay for part or all of a booking will be shown when you're logged in and search for flights, hotels, car rentals, experiences and travel packages. You'll need a minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards Points for this reward.
Shopping and gift cards
Account credit. Redeem your Membership Rewards for credit to your American Express card account starting at $50 (10,000 points) up to $8,000 (1,600,000 points).
Select + Pay. This service is available through the American Express app and allows you to instantly redeem points for part of a purchase you've made using your Amex card. Cash value starts from $5 per 1,000 points for the Select + Pay option, but could be slightly higher at $100 per 13,500 points in some cases.
David Jones Shop with Points. You can redeem points directly when you shop with David Jones online. Simply select “Points” as a payment option at the online checkout and then choose how many points you’d like to redeem. With this option, you'll need to redeem a minimum of 3,000 Membership Rewards, with every 1,000 points equal to $5 value.
PayPal with Points. If you have added your Amex card to a PayPal account, you can redeem your points for PayPal purchases at the checkout. Just select the "Membership Rewards" option once you've chosen to pay with PayPal at an eligible retailer, and every 1,000 points will give you $5 value.
Using points for gift cards. Spend your Membership Rewards points on gift cards with partnered brands including Amazon, iTunes, Super Cheap Auto, Myer, David Jones and more. To give you an example, you can redeem 5,000 points for a $25 gift card, 10,000 points for a $50 gift card and 20,000 points for a $100 gift card at the time of writing.
Amex Offers. An American Express card gives you access to exclusive offers that range from credits on your account to bonus points and pre-sale tickets. To view current Amex Offers, log in to your account, scroll or click through to Amex Offers and save the offers you want to use.
Buying Amex points. If you don't have enough points for a reward, Membership Rewards gives you the option of purchasing points for certain redemptions, with a minimum of 1,000 points for $25. This is equivalent to paying 2.5 cents for each point, so it's important to make sure the reward you redeem offers at least that much value. Note that this option is only available when you’re making a redemption and excludes travel rewards.
Annual fee. The cards linked to Membership Rewards have annual fees ranging from $149 for the American Express Business Explorer Credit Card to $1,450 for the Amex Platinum, and $1,750 for the Amex Platinum Business Card. Ideally, the value you get from the rewards and other card benefits should be worth more than the annual fee for the card you choose.
Interest charges. Rewards cards usually charge high interest rates and are best suited to people who regularly pay off their balance in full each month. Otherwise, the interest you'll earn will outweigh the value of your points.
Frequent flyer membership. You have to be a current member of an eligible frequent flyer program if you want to use Membership Rewards points to get more frequent flyer points. Depending on the airline loyalty program, this could attract additional fees.
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.
Frequently asked questions
You'll see full details of the frequent flyer and partner loyalty programs you can transfer points to by logging in to your account. But as a general guide, you can typically transfer points to these programs:
Air New Zealand Airpoints
Asia Miles
Emirates Skywards
Etihad Guest
Hawaiian Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Qatar Airways
Royal Orchid Plus
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Velocity
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hilton Honors
Marriott Bonvoy
The American Express Platinum Card and American Express Platinum Business Card also offer point transfers to Qantas Frequent Flyer.
Amex already offers some of the highest point earn rates for its Velocity and Qantas credit cards, so Amex point transfers to these programs typically wouldn't offer the most value in this situation.
But if you're earning frequent flyer points with another airline program, Amex typically offers a transfer rate of 2:1. For example, you could transfer a minimum of 2,000 Membership Rewards Points and get 1,000 KrisFlyer Miles or Emirates Skywards Miles. This is equivalent to an earn rate of 0.5 points per $1 and is competitive with other credit cards – especially for Emirates Skywards as very few Australian credit cards offer point transfers to Skywards Miles.
This depends on the flight and how you redeem your points, so here are some examples:
100,000 Membership Rewards Points would be enough for a flight worth $500 if you booked with helloworld or Webjet.
175,500 Membership Rewards Points would get you a one-way economy flight from Melbourne to London with Singapore Airlines if you transferred the points to KrisFlyer (58,500 KrisFlyer Miles for an Economy Saver Award Ticket).
142,000 Membership Rewards Points would be enough for a return business class flight from Sydney to Auckland if you transferred them to Velocity Frequent Flyer (71,000 Velocity Points plus fees and taxes for a Business Reward Seat).
Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald.
The American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card offers 170,000 bonus Qantas Points, no pre-set spending limit and perks including complimentary insurance.
The American Express Qantas Corporate card offers a combination of expense management tools and rewards for businesses with an annual turnover of $10 million or more.
The American Express Velocity Business Card earns points per $1 spent and offers complimentary travel insurance and two complimentary Virgin Australia lounge passes each year.
The American Express Velocity Platinum Card offers a range of frequent flyer benefits including a complimentary domestic return flight with Virgin Australia, airport lounge access and points per $1 spent.
From Membership Rewards Points to savings on first, business and premium economy class flights, this charge card is packed with features to help you manage business spending.
The Qantas American Express Ultimate Card earns up to 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent, a yearly $450 travel credit and additional premium travel features.
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.
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Example: What can I get with 100,000 Membership Rewards points?
Example: What can I get with 100,000 Membership Rewards points?
Introductory bonus point offers
Amex referral bonus points
Point transfers to frequent flyer or hotel loyalty programs
Travel rewards
Shopping and gift cards
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