Maximise Your Earning Potential with Membership Rewards Points
Learning about earning: how do you get Membership Reward Points?
Card Members get great value on their purchases with Membership Rewards Points1, because your points aren’t capped - which means there’s no limit to the number of points you can earn. In even better news, your points don’t expire, as long as your account is in good standing. This means you can use your points whenever you like, with no pressure around having to make the most of them within a fixed timeframe. Read on to find out how you can earn points and subsequently be rewarded.
Most Cards offer Membership Rewards Points when you sign up, get approved, and spend the minimum amount in your first 3 months of Membership - which gives you a head start on accumulating points and accessing rewards. Once you’re in possession of your Card, you can earn points on eligible purchases. However, there are different earning rates for points and types of rewards depending on which Card you have. Let’s look at two types of Cards that offer Membership Rewards Points.
If you apply for an American Express Explorer Credit Card, you can earn:
● 50,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points to new American Express Card Members who apply for the American Express Explorer Card, are approved, and spend on eligible purchases $4,000 within the first 3 months.4
● 2 points per $1 spent on purchases, excluding government bodies in Australia5
● 1 point per $1 spent at government bodies in Australia5
If you apply for an American Express Platinum Charge Card, you can earn:
● 200,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points when you apply by 1 October 2024, are approved, and spend $5,000 dollars or more on your new Card in the first 3 months6
● 2.25 points per $1 spent on purchases, excluding government bodies in Australia7
● 1 point per $1 spent at government bodies in Australia7
Once accrued, your Membership Rewards Points can be put to good use in a range of everyday spending opportunities - like shopping for life’s essentials.
Retail therapy: Online & in-store shopping
The internet opens up a whole world of new purchases, and your Membership Rewards Points can get you closer to a purchase you didn’t know you needed until you clicked on the link. Your American Express Card can be used each time you make a purchase online using PayPal. Whether you’re purchasing groceries, buying clothes, sourcing homewares, or snapping up a great deal from an overseas store, you can earn points: simply by going about your online business. When making a purchase through any of the thousands of online merchants that use PayPal, Card Members can pay or part-pay for their purchase using points - definitely a smarter way to shop.8
Keeping score: earn points with spending
You can increase your earning potential by using your Card for all purchases: everything from everyday spending, paying bills, and high value purchases such as travel. But you can also earn Bonus Membership Rewards Points when shopping with American Express’s Bonus Partners. This means you’ll access the travel, dining and entertainment rewards you crave even sooner - all thanks to savvy spending on your part.
Sharing is caring: get your family or friends in on the act
You can unlock even more value and point-earning capacity by adding an Additional Card to your primary account.9 This allows you to share some of your Card benefits, such as Amex Offers, and enables the Card to be used by multiple people at the same time in different places - an easy way to up your points and maximise rewards for your family!
You can also spread the love to a friend who isn’t yet a Card Member. By referring a friend to American Express, you can earn up to 200,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points each year.10 This is an easy way for you to build your points balance, whilst providing your friends with the retail and travel benefits of a Card Membership - not to mention their own Bonus Membership Rewards Points when signing up!
Reap the rewards: Membership benefits
Card Membership not only give you the opportunity to earn points – you’ll also have the opportunity to access exclusive benefits in putting those points to good use11. Lots of Card Members get the most out of their Membership by taking advantage of Travel Rewards, which include:
● Transferring points to Airline Rewards Partners, including Etihad Airways Etihad Guest & Virgin Airlines Velocity Frequent Flyer11
● Transferring points for stays at hotel properties, including those belonging to the Hilton Honors & Marriott Bonvoy programs11
● Redeeming points when booking travel through Webjet or Helloworld
● Paying with points for flights, car hires or hotels through American Express Travel12.
There’s lots of opportunities each day to earn Membership Rewards Points with American Express – so spend wisely, in order to live luxuriously.
To find out more ways you can use your Membership Rewards points, visit the Membership Rewards Catalogue. Full options available for your Card can only be seen once logged-in with your Account.
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1. Membership Rewards. Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards program available here. You will earn 1 point per dollar spent with Merchants classified as 'government', including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post), Federal/State and Local Government bodies, including where you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant.
2. Partner Programs. Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards Gateway program available at americanexpress.com/en-au/rewards/membership-rewards/terms. You must be a member of the partner program, joining fees may apply and points transferred will be subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable program.
3. Essential Card Membership Rewards Program. Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards program available at americanexpress.com/en-au/rewards/membership-rewards/terms. You will earn 1 point per dollar spent with Merchants classified as 'government', including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post), Federal/State and Local Government bodies, including where you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant.
4. Explorer Card Bonus & Eligibility. Offer only available to new American Express Card Members who apply online, are approved, and spend $4,000 on eligible purchases on their new Card within the first 3 months from the Card approval date. If you are an existing David Jones Card Member and don’t hold or have previously held any other American Express Card(s) in the past 18 months, you will be eligible for the offer. All other Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. 50,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points will be awarded to the eligible Card Member’s Account 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.
5. Explorer Card Membership Rewards Program. Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards program available here. You will earn 1 point per dollar spent with Merchants classified as 'government', including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post), Federal/State and Local Government bodies, including where you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant.
6. Platinum Card Bonus & Eligibility. 200,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® Points are only available to new American Express® Card Members who apply online by 1 October 2024, are approved and spend $5,000 or more on eligible purchases on your new Card in the first 3 months from the Card approval date. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. This offer may be withdrawn or changed at any time without notice. Please allow 8-10 weeks for the bonus points to be credited to your Account after the spend criteria has been met. If you are an existing David Jones Card Member and don’t hold or have not held any other American Express Card(s) in the past 18 months, you will be eligible for the offer. All other Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the past 18 months are ineligible for this offer. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.
7. Platinum Card Memberhip Rewards Program. Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards program available here. You will earn 1 point per dollar spent with Merchants classified as 'government', including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation (Australia Post), Federal/State and Local Government bodies, including where you use a payment account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant.
8. Pay with Points. For each successful transaction with Select + Pay with points, points will be debited from your Membership Rewards account and a credit placed on your Card in line with the points chosen to be used for the Eligible Charge. A minimum of 1,000 Membership Rewards points is required for any Select + Pay with points transaction. Any credit to your Card account cannot exceed the amount of the relevant Eligible Charges. A credit will appear on your statement identified as “Rewards Credit”. Points will be debited immediately and the credit will take up to 3 business days to appear online. Credits processed after the Card account’s statement closing date will appear in the following statement. You are still responsible for payment of the amount due on your Card account by the due date. Select + Pay with points is not available for redemption by Corporate Card accounts and is not redeemable for cash via Credit balance refund.
*American Express will select and display each eligible charge for Select + Pay with points (“Eligible Charge”) and the points rate required to pay for the Eligible Charge. Each Eligible Charge must: (a) appear within the Online Statement of the Summary of Accounts page; (b) be redeemed within 2 months of the charge appearing on your Card account; (c) not currently or have previously been disputed; and (d) not be a fee
9. Additional Card Members. Additional Card Members must be 16 years of age or over. The Primary Card Member will be liable to pay for all transactions made by Additional Card Members. Earning of points is subject to the terms and conditions of the Rewards Program the Primary Card Member is actively enrolled. All points earned on Additional Card Member spend will go to the Primary Card Members Account. The Primary Card Member cannot add an Additional Card under their own name or email address and cannot add an Additional card under the name or email address of a previously approved Additional Card application on the Account.
10. Refer a Friend. American Express credit approval criteria apply. Participation in the "Refer A Friend" program is subject to eligibility deemed by American Express. All information is correct as at 29 July 2021 and is subject to change. American Express Australia Limited (ABN 92 108 952 085). American Express Consumer Credit Cards are offered, issued and administered under Australian Credit Licence No 291313. Registered Trademark of American Express Company.
Don't Spam!
Express discourages spamming. You should only send referral messages to friends and family who genuinely want to receive them. By participating in 'Refer a Friend', you agree to these 'Refer a Friend' terms and conditions:
Friends & Family: You must only send referral messages to close friends and family.Ask Their Permission First: You must ask the person for their permission to send them an email about your Card product. Sending emails to people without permission is considered spam.
Referrals: You may only send referral messages to a maximum of 20 friends and the amount of Membership Rewards points you may receive under the ‘Refer a Friend’ program is capped at 200,000 points per year.
friend must apply from the referral link we have given you. If your friend applies from a separate link or applies independently (i.e. if they visit www.americanexpress.com.au directly) you will not receive your points.You must not market or promote this offer through paid advertising channels or to the public at large (i.e. on public blog sites, search engines or in sponsored ads).You will only receive points if your friend's Card application is approved (in accordance with our usual Card application processes and assessments).
We will not tell you if your friend's Card application is approved or declined for privacy and confidentiality reasons.You cannot refer a friend who already has one of our Cards or has held one in the last 18 months.You must be enrolled in a Membership Rewards program to receive bonus points.It may take 8 to 10 weeks to be credited bonus points if you are successful.
should I comply?
you fail to comply with these 'Refer a Friend' Terms and Conditions, your participation in the program may be cancelled and you will no longer be eligible for any Membership Rewards points from the 'Refer a Friend' program.
11. Transferring Points. Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards program available at https://www.americanexpress.com/en-au/rewards/membership-rewards/terms. You must be a member of the airline partner program, joining fees may apply and points transferred will be subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable airline partner program.
12. You can redeem points for prepaid travel of a nominated value through American Express Travel Online with the point-of-purchase redemption capability. Travel bookings using points may be made for any person, provided all your Accounts are kept in good standing and are not overdue. All travel bookings are subject to availability. Subject to the American Express Travel Online standard booking Terms and Conditions.