Q. How will I be impacted if I cancelled a trip that was previously booked with Membership Rewards points through Amex Travel? 

A. If you cancel a flight directly with your airline that was booked with Membership Rewards points (Pay with Points), your cancellation will be handled by the airline in accordance with their policies.

If your flight is not refunded or you are issued a credit or voucher from the airline for future travel, you will not receive the points back in your Membership Rewards account, nor will you receive a statement credit in dollars on your Card account.

If your flight is refunded by the airline, then you will receive a statement credit in dollars on your Card account in the amount equivalent to the refund by the airline. You may be able to convert it back into points by contacting Membership Rewards at 1-800-AXP-EARN (297-3276). 

Q. How will I be impacted if I cancelled a trip that was previously booked with an airline after I transferred Membership Rewards points to the partner airline’s loyalty program?

A. If you cancel a flight directly with your airline that was booked via the airline’s loyalty program, you will be reimbursed according to the airline’s policy. Points transferred from the Membership Rewards program to an airline’s loyalty program cannot be transferred back.

Q. I normally redeem for travel, but don’t plan on travelling soon. Do Membership Rewards points expire?

A. Membership Rewards points do not have expiration dates. However, you may forfeit points depending on your Card product and payment status. Refer to the Membership Rewards Terms & Conditions for more information.

Q. I normally redeem for travel, but don’t plan on travelling soon. How can I best use Membership Rewards points in the current environment?

A. The Membership Rewards Program offers many ways to redeem points for everyday value. We recognize that travel is not an option right now, and encourage our Card Members to try our many great redemption options, including:

• eGift Cards: You can redeem for eGift Cards to one of our merchant partners to pick up at-home essentials. View our Gift Card partners here.
• Pay with Points at Checkout: You can support local restaurants by ordering food delivery, stock up on groceries or purchase other essentials online through one of our many merchant partners.
• Shop with Membership Rewards Points: You can redeem points for essential at-home merchandise through our Shop with Membership Rewards Points program.

Q. Can I use Membership Rewards points to cover my Card charges, including my Card annual fee?

A. Yes, you can use points to cover the Card annual fee by using the “Cover Your Card Charges” redemption option. This redemption option can also be used to cover other eligible charges on your account. Please note that using this redemption option does not satisfy the minimum due payment amount on your account. 

Q. How can I expect my Membership Rewards redemptions to be impacted as a result of COVID-19?

A. Membership Rewards continues to offer a variety of different redemption options but there may be minor changes as a result of COVID-19.

• Gift Card: Due to the evolving nature of this crisis please be prepared for delays in physical gift card delivery. We encourage you to redeem for digital gift cards if available.
• Point Transfer: As a result of COVID-19 and the subsequent CARES Act passed in the United States on March 28, 2020, we are temporarily waiving all excise tax fees on point transfers to domestic airlines. 

Q. How do I earn Membership Rewards® points?

A.Generally, you can earn one point for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases made using your Membership Rewards-enrolled American Express Card. Some Cards will earn extra points for purchases in certain categories or at certain merchants.There are conditions for earning points and extra points. For more information, reference the “Earn Points” section of your Membership Rewards Program Terms & Conditions.

Q. What are ineligible purchases? Why am I not earning points on certain purchases?

A. Certain purchases are not eligible to earn Membership Rewards points. These purchases include cash-equivalent transactions and fees. For more information on which purchases are not eligible to earn Membership Rewards points, visit the “Earn Points” section of your Membership Rewards Program Terms and Conditions. 

Q. How can I see my Membership Rewards points balance?

A. When you log in to manage your Card Account, you can see your total Membership Rewards point balance. You can see your total balance and detailed breakdown on the Point Summary Page. 

Q. Why am I earning more points on certain purchases than others?

A. Some Cards allow you to earn extra points on purchases at certain merchants or within certain categories. Conditions may apply based on the merchant. To learn more about merchant conditions for earning extra points, reference the “Earn Points” section of your Membership Rewards Program Terms & Conditions. To learn more about which Card Products allow you to earn extra points, visit the “Compare Cards” section of your Membership Rewards Program Terms & Conditions.  

Q. What are "pending points? How long until the pending points are available?

A. When you earn Membership Rewards points, they initially appear as pending. These points will be added to your Points Balance and available for use if your minimum payment is received by the Payment Due Date, typically within 24–72 hours after the payment is applied to your Card account.

Q. What are “points available on payment”? How do these differ from “pending points”?

A. On the Point Summary page, you may see two different values: pending points and points available on payment. Points available on payment are points that you will earn for eligible spending shown on your most recent billing statement once we receive your payment. When we receive your payment, these are the points that will become available within 24-72 hours. “Pending” points are points that you can earn for your latest purchases. When your statement that includes your latest purchases is ready, pending points for those purchases on that statement will be available on payment.

Q. How can I use Membership Rewards points?

A. Membership Rewards offers a variety of different ways to use points. You can redeem for Gift Cards (electronic and physical), book travel, cover your card charges, transfer points to partner loyalty programs, shop with points at top brands, use points for a charitable donation and more. To get started on redeeming Membership Rewards points, visit MembershipRewards.com.

Q. What is the value of Membership Rewards points?

A. The value of Membership Rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them. To learn more, go to www.membershiprewards.com/pointsinfo.  

Q. Where can I transfer Membership Rewards points to?

A. Certain Card Members can transfer Membership Rewards points to a variety of different frequent customer programs. In order to transfer points to a frequent customer program, you must link your Membership Rewards program account to a frequent customer program account that is in either your name or the name of an Additional Card Member on your Linked Card Account. Points may be transferred to the frequent customer program account of an Additional Card Member beginning 90 days after we issue an Additional Card to that Additional Card Member. For more information, visit Transfer Points.

Q. How can I use points for my purchases?

A. You can use Membership Rewards points for purchases when you checkout online or in-store with select merchants. A variety of different merchants participate in Pay with Points. For more information, visit Pay with Points at Checkout.

Q. Can I use Membership Rewards points for statement credit?

A. You can use Membership Rewards points to cover eligible purchases and receive a statement credit. Points can be used for eligible purchases that appear in your online current statement or recent activity. The statement credit will be reflected on your upcoming statement. It is important to remember that using points for your charges will not count toward your minimum payment due, and a minimum payment due will still be required for that billing cycle. 

Q. How can I use Membership Rewards points for travel?

A. You can use Membership Rewards points when booking eligible travel (flights, prepaid hotels, vacation/cruise bookings) on American Express Travel. When completing your reservation, you will have the option to use points for the partial or entire travel purchase.

Q. How do I redeem Membership Rewards points for gift cards?

A. We offer a variety of different restaurant, retail, entertainment, and travel gift cards that you can use when redeeming Membership Rewards points. Depending on your selection, you may be able to receive an eGift Card or a physical Gift Card. Most physical Gift Cards will arrive by mail within 7 business days. EGift Cards can be accessed at ecerts.americanexpress.com and you’ll receive an email notifying you when it’s ready for use.

We additionally offer American Express Gift Cards. To view our Gift Card offerings, you can click here.

Q. Why can’t I redeem Membership Rewards points?

A. We’re sorry you are having issues redeeming Membership Rewards points. First, make sure there are enough Membership Rewards points in your account for your preferred redemption option. Next, make sure your account is not past due.

We also may have temporarily suspended your ability to redeem points if we have determined you have engaged in abuse or misuse in connection with earning or using points. For more information, review the "Lose Points" section of the Membership Rewards Program Terms & Conditions.

Q. How do I manage my Membership Rewards account online?

A. In order to manage your Membership Rewards account, you must first create an online account with your American Express Card. Once completed, you can log onto www.membershiprewards.com with your user ID and password to review your point activity, redeem points, learn new ways to earn and receive special offers. 

Q. What can I see on my statement for Membership Rewards?

A. On your monthly statement, you can review the total Membership Rewards Point balances as well as your recent charges. We also share program news and notification of any point forfeiture in your statement.  

Q. Do points have expiration dates?

A. Membership Rewards points do not have expiration dates. However, you can lose them under certain circumstances.

For example, if you have a Consumer Card account or a Blue for Business Credit Card account, a Blue for Business Plus Credit Card account, a Platinum Business Credit Card account, a Business Management Credit Card account, or a Business Membership Rewards Credit Card account, you must pay the amount due or the minimum payment due on your Linked Card Account statement so that we receive your payment by the payment due date. If you do not, you may forfeit all the points that you earned during the billing period covered by that statement.

If you have any other kind of Business Card account or a Corporate Card account, you must pay the amount due on your statement so that we receive your payment by the closing date of the next billing period. If you do not, you may forfeit all the points that you earned during the billing period covered by that statement. If the points are

forfeited, you can reinstate them for a fee of $35 once you have returned your Card account to not past due. Points must be reinstated within 12 months of being forfeited.  To learn about how you can lose Membership Rewards points, please refer to the Membership Rewards Terms & Conditions.

Q. I have more than one Card enrolled in the Membership Rewards program. Will the points I earn on my Cards be combined in a single program account?

A. If you have more than one Membership Rewards-enrolled American Express Card(s) and/or Additional Card Members that earn Membership Rewards points on your account, you will earn Membership Rewards points in one program account. We do not permit the sharing or consolidation of Membership Rewards accounts between family members or friends.

Q. If I cancel my Membership Rewards program account, what happens to the points I haven't redeemed?

A. If you choose to cancel your Membership Rewards account and do not have another American Express Card, the points you have not redeemed will be forfeited immediately. To learn more about what happens to points upon cancellation, please review the "Lose Points" section of the Membership Rewards Terms & Conditions.