The Power of American Express Points
American Express has more transfer partners than any other card provider, making Amex points some of the most valuable transferable credit card points out there. As someone who’s earned and redeemed over a million Amex points and holds seven of their cards, Brendan shares nine of the best ways to rack up more Amex points for your next trip (and you can find those deets in this video) 👇
Everyday Purchases
This might be the most obvious strategy but don’t underestimate the points you can earn on everyday spending. Those small amounts add up fast, especially if you use the right card for certain spending categories. For instance, the American Express® Gold Card gives you great points earned on groceries and dining. Just a few thousand spent per year in these categories could get you a free round-trip flight to Europe!
Welcome Offers
Welcome offers can be huge, but not all are created equal. For example, a smaller card like the Amex EveryDay Credit Card might offer fewer welcome points, while cards like The Business Platinum Card® from American Express can offer up to 250,000 points—but requires $20,000 in spending! Always make sure the offer aligns with your spending habits, and try to time large expenses like a vacation with the card sign-up to meet the bonus spend easily.
Upgrade & Retention Offers
Upgrade offers work like a second welcome bonus. If you’ve got the American Express® Green Card, for example, you might receive an upgrade offer for the Amex Gold, then later for the Amex Platinum—sometimes with bonuses as high as 100,000 points. Retention offers, on the other hand, involve calling Amex when you’re thinking about downgrading or canceling, and they might throw in points to keep you onboard. Brendan has snagged over 100,000 points with this strategy!
Amex Card Offers
Amex offers hidden gems in the “Offers” section of your account. By activating offers on purchases you were already planning to make, you can stack up thousands of extra points. They might also offer bonuses for adding authorized users or enrolling in Pay Over Time, but always avoid spending just for the sake of points!
Referral Rewards
Earn points by referring friends and family to your favorite Amex cards. One strategy Brendan and his wife, Erin, use is “two-player mode”—they refer each other to different cards to get both the welcome offer and referral points. Even without a two-player setup, it’s an easy way to share the perks of points and earn extra rewards! Read more about two-player mode here.
Amex Business Cards
If you’ve got a side hustle, consider applying for an Amex business card. You don’t need a big business—using your Social Security number, you can unlock some of the highest welcome offers and point-earning opportunities available. Business cards can be a major points-earning powerhouse!
Rakuten
Rakuten is a shopping portal that lets you earn American Express Membership Rewards points on online purchases. If you haven’t set up an account yet, I highly recommend it! Their Chrome extension makes earning points super easy, popping up when you’re about to make a purchase. It’s a passive way to earn more points. Learn more about earning Membership Rewards in our Rakuten deep dive here.
Transfer Bonuses
Transfer bonuses are a magical way to multiply your points. As one example, Amex sometimes offers a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic, which means transferring 100,000 points gives you 130,000 Virgin points. This can lead to massive savings on flights, cruises, or other redemptions if you know where and how to use those points!
Final Thoughts
With so many transfer partners and credit card options, Amex remains one of our favorite programs. And if you want to check out any of the cards mentioned, here’s a link to our top travel credit cards page. Happy earning!
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