It’s no wonder that American Express’ Membership Rewards is one of the most, if not, the best transfer rewards program to see the light of day. American Express MR Points can be used or redeemed several ways with the most attractive option in terms of value being transferring your points between partnering airlines or hotels. So, this post would basically be a breakdown of points between redemptions and transferring partners and prove what is the most optimal method in maximizing your Membership Rewards Points.
Editor’s Note: Be sure to also check out our article on “How To Pick The Best Amex Card For You” and see what card is most suitable towards your lifestyle!
BONUS LINK | OFFER | REVIEW |
Chase Business Complete Checking® | $300 Cash | Review |
Chase Private Client | $3,000 Cash | Review |
Chase Total Checking® | $300 Cash | Review |
Chase College CheckingSM | $100 Cash | Review |
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | Up To $700 Cash | Review |
Chase Secure BankingSM | $100 Cash | Review |
Recommended AMEX Credit Card Bonuses:
- Platinum Card® from American Express
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express
Point Redemption:
Redemption Option | Value / Reward (¢) |
Airbnb Direct Booking | 0.007 |
Airbnb Gift Card | 0.01 |
Shopping | 0.625 |
Paying off a charge | 0.60 |
Shopping on Amazon | 0.70 |
Gift Cards | 1.00 |
Booking Hotels with Points | 0.75 |
Booking Flights with Points | 1.00 |
Uber | 1.00 |
Transfer Points | 1.20+ |
Point Transfer-ables:
American Express’ Membership Rewards Points are perfectly dynamic and lucrative with over 17 different airlines transfer partners including Delta, SPG, Hilton, and much more. Note that transferring points between various partners may yield different/better redemption value.
- AeroMexico Club Premier:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,600 Premier points
- Air Canada Aeroplan:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 Aeroplan miles
- Air France/KLM:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 Flying Blue miles
- Alitalia MilleMiglia:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 Alitalia miles
- ANA:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 ANA Mileage Club miles
- Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific):
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 Asia Miles
- British Airways:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 800 Avios
- Delta SkyMiles:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 SkyMiles
- El Al:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 20 Matmid points
- Emirates Skywards:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 Skywards miles
- Etihad Guest:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 Etihad Guest miles
- Hawaiian Airlines:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 800 Avios
- JetBlue TrueBlue:
- 5:4; 1,000 MR points = 800 TrueBlue points
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 KrisFlyer miles
- Virgin America Elevate:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 500 Elevate points
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR points = 1,000 Flying Club miles
- Best Western:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR Points = 1,000 BW Points
- Choice Privileges:
- 1:1; 1,000 MR Points = 1,000 Privilege Points
- Hilton Honors:
- 1.5:1; 1,000 MR Points = 1,300 MR Points
- Starwood Preferred Guest:
- 3:1; 1,000 MR Points = 333 SPG Points
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN:
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN may very well be the epitome of Amex’s hard work. If you’re a business professional who travels frequently and can afford the annual fee ($450), then this card is a no-brainer. In this post, we made it a criteria as to what card racks up the most MR Points easily and more efficiently.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a welcome offer of 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com. • 1.5X Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. • 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases • Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless with the Business Platinum Card. • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected, qualifying airline to your Card. • $189 CLEAR Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Business Platinum Card. This card does come with a $695 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
Platinum Card® from American Express:
The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. This card comes with an annual fee of $695 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. |
The Blue for Business Credit Card from American Express:
Blue for Business® Credit Card from American Express allows you to get rewarded for business as usual. Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners (2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter).
With the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership. 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99% Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. You'll earn 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. You’ve got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. More buying power allows for your business means more opportunities to earn points. That’s everyday business with the Blue Business Plus Card. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to American Express, and other factors. There card comes with no annual fee (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card Summary:
The American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card is definitely on our list on the premise that the rewards is and always will be pretty attractive. 3X points for flights booked directly with airlines, 2X points at US gas stations and US supermarkets, and 2X points at US restaurants with an attractive rewards rate of 1%-3% and $100 airline fee credit each calendar year. This card has always been quite popular for regular travelers with up to 3X the MR earnings that could represent a solid 6% return on your spending.
The American Express® Gold Card offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply. You'll earn: • 4X Membership Rewards Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., • 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). • 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. This card has an annual fee of $250 with no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
Conclusion:
American Express’ Membership Rewards Points are perfectly dynamic and lucrative which is why the MR Rewards Program is valued so highly. Summing up this post, you’ll notice that transferring your points could provide you the most optimal value on your Points depending on the transfer partner of your choice.
Note that we also mentioned cards that offer the most MR Point earning capability with the Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN being our first mention and the Personal Platinum Card coming in second. Of course, it’s to your ability as to how much you value your points, and we hope this guide helped! Don’t forget to check out our complete list of Credit Card Promotions today! Be sure to also check out our article on “How To Pick The Best Amex Card For You” and see what card is most suitable towards your lifestyle!