American Express Membership Rewards is a type of rewards point system that offers many avenues to earn rewards such as through their credit cards and many travel partners that you can transfer your points to. Continue reading our American Express Membership Rewards guide to learn more!
American Express Membership Rewards Quick Facts
Personal Credit Cards | The Platinum Card® from American Express American Express® Gold Card American Express® Green Card |
Business Credit Cards | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express American Express® Business Gold Card |
Redemption Options | Travel via Amex Travel or Expedia Statement credits Gift cards Merchandise Charitable donations Transfer to travel partners |
Average American Express Membership Rewards Value | $0.005 – $0.01 Up to $0.02 |
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. |
Collecting American Express Membership Rewards
In the market of rewards cards, Membership Rewards have a reputation for being hard to earn. This is primarily because Amex has a once in a lifetime welcome bonus policy. So, if you ever had a American Express in the past, you will not be able to get the introductory offer if you applied for the same card again.
The method of using credit cards will be your fastest and easiest way to start earning American Express Membership Rewards. There are actually three credit cards that are co-branded rewards cards issued by Chase.
American Express Business Credit Cards
The American Express® Business Gold Card offers 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You'll earn more rewards: • Earn 4X Membership Rewards points on the 2 categories where your business spends the most each billing cycle from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap. • Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required. • Get $12.95 back in statement credits each month when you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. $12.95 plus applicable taxes. This card does carry a $375 annual fee, but no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card offers 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate. You can enjoy a complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. You'll earn: • 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. • 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. • 2x points on all other eligible purchases. You'll receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Certain hotels have resort fees. This card does carry a $125 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has a welcome offer of 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership. Offer ends 6/5. You'll earn: • Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases. Enhanced: Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter. • New: Enjoy up to $240 back each year for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton. • New: Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Terms & Limitations Apply. In addition, you can enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. This card has a $195 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
With the American Express Blue Business CashTM Card: Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months. 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 as determined at the time of account opening. APRs will not exceed 29.99% Plus, earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. From workflow to inventory to floor plans, your business is constantly changing. That’s why you’ve got the power to spend beyond your credit limit with Expanded Buying Power§.Just remember, 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. This card comes with no annual fee (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
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. |
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. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card offers 80,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 3/27/24. Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. You'll earn: • 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases at U.S. Shipping providers and at U.S. providers for Advertising in select media on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year. • 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent at restaurants. • 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases. Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $150 after using your Delta Gold American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com. Additionally, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year. This card carries a $150 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150) (See Rates & Fees). However, there are no foreign transaction fees and you can take $100 off your next Delta flight - after you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you will earn a $100 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel. Terms and limitations apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card offers 100,000 Bonus Miles after spending $8,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 3/27/24. Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card Members save 15% when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. You'll earn: • 3X miles At Delta Per every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and hotels. • 1.5X miles on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. Terms and miles cap apply. • 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases. Earn up to $10 back each month after using your enrolled Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enjoy a Companion Certificate each year after renewal of your Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Receive a fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (which includes TSA PreCheck) by using your Card. If approved for Global Entry, you will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional charge. Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $200 after using your Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com. This card does carry a $350 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees). Terms and limitations apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card offers 110,000 Bonus Miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 3/27/24. Save 15% On Award Travel With TakeOff 15. Card Members now enjoy savings on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. You'll earn: • 5X miles on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases after you spend $150,000 in purchases on your Card in a year. If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply. • 3x miles per dollar on Delta purchases. • Earn up to $10 back each month after using your enrolled Delta SkyMiles(R) Reserve Business American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. • Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $250 after using your Delta Reserve Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com. As a benefit of Card Membership, you can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $60 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that's a potential savings of up to $240 per round-trip flight. When you purchase a Delta flight with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Card, you will receive complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge or Escape Lounge - The Centurion Studio Partner. Enter Delta Sky Club at no cost and bring up to two guests or immediate family at a rate of $50 per person per visit. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter. Receive Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner. This card does carry an annual fee of $650 (See Rates & Fees). Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel overseas. Terms and limitations apply. |
American Express Personal Credit Cards
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Buy Now, Pay Later: Enjoy $0 intro plan fees when you use Plan It(R) to split up large purchases into monthly installments. Pay $0 intro plan fees on plans created during the first 12 months from the date of account opening. Plans created after that will have a monthly plan fee up to 1.33% of each eligible purchase amount moved into a plan based on the plan duration, the APR that would otherwise apply to the purchase, and other factors. Low Intro APR: 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.24% - 29.99%. Variable APRs will not exceed 29.99%. You'll earn • 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). • 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. • 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). • 1% Cash Back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. The card does come with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express offers $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. Balance Transfer is back! Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months from the date of account opening. After that, 19.24% to 29.99% variable APR. You'll earn: • 3% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%. • 3% Cash Back on U.S. online retail purchases, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. • 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations, on up to $6,000 per year, then 1%. • 1% back on other eligible purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. There are no annual fees with this card (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
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. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Enjoy complimentary access to the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a same-day Delta-marketed or Delta-operated flight. You will receive four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year. After that, you may bring up to two guests at a per-visit rate of $50 per person, per location. Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter. Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion Lounge when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card. Receive a Companion Certificate on First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. You'll earn: • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. • Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. • $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. Enrollment Required. • $200 Delta Stays Statement Credit: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members can earn up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. This card does come with a $650 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card offers 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. You'll earn: • 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. • 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. • 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. • $120 Rideshare Credit: You can earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card. Enrollment Required. Receive a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Ticket requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and no more than $250 for roundtrip international flights (both for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details. Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Receive $100 back for Global Entry or $85 back for TSA PreCheck after you apply through any Official Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck. $150 Delta Stays Credit: Delta SkyMiles(R) Platinum American Express Card Members can earn up to $150 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. This card comes with a $350 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. You'll also get fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
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. Terms Apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card offers 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. You'll earn: • 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide and purchases made directly with Delta • 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases. In addition, you'll receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food and beverages. This card comes with no annual fee or foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. Earn now. Travel when you're ready. After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year, you will receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit on your Card to inspire your next travel. You'll earn: • 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. • 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. • $100 Delta Stays Credit: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card Members can earn up to $100 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. • $200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel. Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card. Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com. There is a $150 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150) and no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees). Now, you'll get get more savings with your first checked bag for free on Delta flights. Terms Apply. |
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers 155,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • NEW Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass(R) Card. • Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. • Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. • NEW Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. • Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors) Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card. Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year. This card does carry a $150 annual fee & no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/17/24. You'll earn: • 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. • 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. • 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year. This card comes with $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, so you can enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
Amex Offers
Enroll in Amex Offers to earn extra, limited-time Membership Rewards points at participating retailers. Opt in via your online account or the American Express mobile app.
Spending American Express Membership Rewards
Similar to other points-based programs, the value you get out of your points will depend on how you use them. The easiest method in earning Membership Rewards points is to use them for a fixed avlue within the Membership Rewards program. However, that won’t give you the best value for your points. If your goal is to maximize your rewards, then definitely consider transferring your points to a partner program.
Use your Membership Rewards points to book travel via the American Express Travel site or on Expedia. In either case, your Membership Rewards points will likely be worth between $0.007 and $0.01 when redeemed for travel, based on information we’ve gathered at the time of publishing.
The best part about American Express Membership Rewards is that it has more transfer partners than any other credit card loyalty program in the United States. Redeem American Express Membership points with the following travel partners.
Airline Partners
- Aer Lingus
- AeroMexico
- Air Canada
- Air France/KLM
- Alitalia
- All Nippon Airways
- Avianca
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Delta Air Lines
- El Al Israel Airlines
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Iberia
- JetBlue Airways
- Qantas
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
Hotel Partners
Using your Membership Rewards earned, you can bid for a seat upgrade on multiple participating airlines. This method can net you almost $0.01 per point. However, if the bidding starts to escalate, you will start to lose value. The participating airlines include:
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- AeroMexico
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Avianca
- Air Mauritius
- Caribbean Airlines
- Ethiopian
- Etihad Airways
- Fiji Airways
- Gulf Air
- Icelandair
- Kenya Airways
- LATAM
- Malaysia Airlines
- Norwegian
- Qantas
- SAS
- Silk Air
- Singapore Airlines
- TAP Portugal
Redemption | Value Per Point |
Gift cards | $0.007 – $0.01 |
Shop with points (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) |
$0.007 |
Charitable donations | $0.007 |
Charitable donations | $0.006 |
Charitable donations | $0.005 |
Membership Rewards Top Travel Partners
Looking at the large number of travel partners and trying to find the best deals is a difficult task. Before going through all that trouble, check out our favorite Membership Rewards travel partners to transfer to and their sweet spots based on the information we gathered at the time of publishing.
TICKET | CLASS | FROM | TO | MILES | AIRLINE |
Roundtrip | Economy | N. America | Japan | 40,000+ | ANA |
Roundtrip | Business | N. America | Japan | 75,000+ | ANA |
TICKET | CLASS | FROM | TO | MILES | AIRLINE |
One-way | Economy | U.S. | U.S. | 7,500+ | American |
One-way | Economy | West Coast | Hawaii | 75,000+ | American |
One-way | Business | Chicago | Dallas | 13,000 | American |
Roundtrip | Economy | Boston | Ireland | 16,500 | Aer Lingus |
Choice Hotels has several properties in typically expensive European cities. These hotels range from 8,000 to 25,000 points, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find some sweet deals. Additionally, you will be able to use Choice points to book Preferred Hotel properties, which is a group of luxury hotels.
TICKET | CLASS | FROM | TO | MILES | AIRLINE |
One-way | Business | U.S. | U.S. | 25,000 | American |
One-way | Business | New York | Casablanca | 44,000 | Royal Air Maroc |
One-way | Business | U.S. | Europe | 50,000 | American |
One-way | Business | U.S. | Japan | 50,000 | American |
One-way | Business | U.S. | South Korea | 50,000 | American |
Not many other rewards programs transfer to Hilton Honors, so take advantage of the great value you can get by booking award stays at expensive or luxury Hilton properties. If you’re an elite member, you also get one free night when you book four nights using points.
TICKET | CLASS | FROM | TO | MILES | AIRLINE |
Roundtrip | Economy | U.S. | Hawaii | 35,000 | United |
Roundtrip | Business | U.S. | Hawaii | 60,000 | United |
One-way | First | Singapore | Sydney | 80,000 | Singapore |
One-way | First | New York | Frankfurt | 86,000 | Singapore |
One-way | First | Los Angeles | Tokyo | 107,000 | Singapore |
TICKET | CLASS | FROM | TO | MILES | AIRLINE |
One-way | Economy | U.S. | U.S. | 12,500 | Delta |
One-way | Business | U.S. | Europe | 50,000 | Delta |
One-way | Business | Detroit | Tokyo | 60,000 | Delta |
One-way | Business | Auckland | U.S. | 62,500 | Air New Zealand |
Roundtrip | First | U.S. | Tokyo | 110,000+ | ANA |
Bottom Line
American Express Membership Rewards is a great and flexible points program made possible primarily due to its large number of transfer partners. However, unless you get the more premium cards, like the Platinum Card, it will hard to earn points especially when you compare it to other programs out there like Chase Ultimate Rewards. For more posts like this, check out our list of credit card bonuses!
Froide says
Thanks for this summary. However, you need to update this article to accurately reflect all of the AMEX personal and business cards that earn MRs, e.g., Blue Business Plus.