What are American Express Membership Rewards® points worth?

When redeemed through Membership Rewards® programs, such as booking travel through the travel portal, purchasing with shopping partners like Amazon, redeeming for statement credits or gift cards, using points for Uber rides, or purchasing event tickets through the Membership Experiences portal, Membership Rewards® points yield a value of $0.005 to $0.01 each. However, Membership Rewards points are also transferable. When you transfer your points to one of the issuer's airline or hotel partners, you can easily get more than $0.01 out of each point. Some transfer options consistently yield a value of more than $0.02 per point. When calculating a point value across all redemption options, we estimate that Membership Rewards® points are worth $0.012 on average.

How do Membership Rewards® points work?

Membership Rewards® points offer highly flexible redemption options. They can be redeemed through various American Express portals and partners for a flat-rate value, or they can be transferred to a number of different partners. If you want to redeem your Membership Rewards® points with American Express, you'll find the value you get per point for each option below. Gift cards : Up to $0.01 Shopping portal : $0.05 Shopping partners (Amazon, Best Buy, Grubhub, Rite Aid, Staples, and more) : $0.07 Airfare : $0.01 Travel (hotels, vacation packages, cruises) : $0.007 Event tickets (Ticketmaster®, AXS) : $0.005 Charitable donations : $0.01 up to 500,000 points Transportation (NYC Taxi) : $0.01 These redemption options are easy and useful to just about everyone. However, the redemption rates aren't great. If you're looking to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards® points, you also have the option to transfer them to the loyalty programs of nearly 20 different airline and hotel partners listed below. Airline transfer partners : AeroMexico, Air Canada, Air France KLM, Alitalia, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Asia Miles, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, El Al Israel Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia Plus, Jetblue Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways Hotel transfer partners : Choice Privileges and Hilton Honors, Starwood Preferred Guest coming soon

How to earn Membership Rewards® points faster

Apart from getting an American Express credit card, there are a number of things you can do to earn rewards at a faster rate. Here are a few tips to help you pile on the Membership Rewards® points. Aim for a good welcome bonus While you shouldn't apply for a credit card you won't use just to get the welcome bonus, it is something you want to consider when choosing an American Express credit card. Often, credit cards with the biggest bonuses can provide you with more points than a year or two of use. Pair two American Express cards In order to maximize the rewards you get from your everyday spending, it often makes sense to pair up two, or sometimes even combine three, different credit cards that offer different spending bonuses. For example, if you got the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express , you could use the former on purchases at supermarkets for 3 points per $1 and the latter on travel for 5 points per $1 in order to maximize your rewards. Refer friends Refer a Friend is American Express's credit card referral program. You'll find your personalized referral link on your account page, which you can give out to friends and family. Each time someone applies for the card and is approved through your link, you'll receive bonus points, miles, or cash back. While your rewards are capped, the maximum is often very high. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders get 15,000 Membership Rewards® points for each successful referral, up to 55,000 points per year. Buy gift cards Many of the American Express credit cards on this list offer bonus points for purchases at U.S. supermarkets. In order to take advantage of this bonus category, consider buying gift cards at your local supermarket for purchases you know you'll make elsewhere. For example, if you spend a lot of money dining out -- which only gets you 1 point per $1 on most of these cards -- purchasing gift cards for your favorite restaurants ahead of time at the grocery store will get you 2 to 3 points per $1.

How to get the maximum value for your Membership Rewards® points

There are dozens of ways to redeem your Membership Rewards® points, but with so many options, it's easy to slip up and redeem your points for less than they're worth. Here are the best ways to redeem your Membership Rewards® points. Transfer your Membership Rewards® points to an airline or hotel This is easily the best way to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards® points, as it's the only redemption option offered by the cards above that gets you over $0.01 per point. You'll still have to redeem your airline miles or hotel points wisely. Popular transfer partners for high-value redemptions are British Airways, Singapore Airlines, AeroMexico, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, ANA, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Jetblue Airways, and Air Canada. Don't use points for shopping or gift cards Alternatively, some of the lowest value redemptions are the gift card and shopping portal options, which will only get you $0.005 to $0.007 per point. The same is true of redemptions done through the American Express travel portal. Avoid redeeming points for a statement credit While redemptions for statement credits are convenient, you only get $0.006 per point. I'd avoid this option unless you can't find any other redemption options that work for you.

Best American Express Credit Cards of March 2021

The Ascent's best American Express credit cards:

Premium travel and welcome bonus: The Platinum Card® from American Express
U.S. supermarkets and gas: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
U.S. supermarkets and gas with no annual fee: Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
One-card wallet: American Express Cash Magnet® Card
Dining and travel: American Express® Green Card
Intro $0 balance transfer fee: The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
Dining and travel: American Express® Gold Card
Delta flyers: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
Delta flyers: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
Delta flyers: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Hilton guests: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Ratings Methodology

The information for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by The Ascent and not provided by the issuer. Therefore, some terms may be out of date. Visit the issuer's website for more information.

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American Express cards offer some of our favorite perks and promotions, and it's no surprise that the issuer is one of the most valuable brands in the world. Whether you're looking to score some serious cash-back rewards, pay off debt with a balance transfer, or travel the world on points and miles, the best American Express cards have you covered. But before you hit "apply," here's everything you need to know about the issuer to help you choose the best Amex card for you.

What is American Express?

American Express is a financial services company that primarily issues credit cards and charge cards. Known for their excellent service and luxury perks, American Express's rewards credit cards and travel credit cards are some of the most popular on the market.

What are the top perks of American Express?

The best American Express cards offer bonuses and perks that help you make your money work for you while minimizing your costs. No credit card has it all, but here are some of the central perks offered by the best American Express credit cards:

Sign-up bonuses: We look for a big bonus that will get you started with a stockpile of rewards. American Express cards tend to come with generous bonuses in the form of either statement credits or valuable Membership Rewards^® points that can be redeemed for travel and more.
Ongoing rewards: We want to see useful bonus categories and a high rewards rate on regular spending. The best Amex credit cards offer a high cash back or rewards rate on your regular spending, and many offer bonus points for spending in certain categories.
Additional benefits: Extra perks are always good to have in your wallet. The best American Express cards come with a long list of benefits and protections, such as annual statement credits, travel insurance, and access to programs that make travel easier and more enjoyable. The perks that come with American Express's premium credit cards can be worth hundreds of dollars, including complimentary airport lounge access, airline credits, rental car insurance, and an exclusive global emergency assistance hotline.
0% intro APR: While it's smart to never carry a balance, sometimes it's unavoidable, so we do consider the ongoing APR. Several of the best American Express cards come with 0% intro APR offers on purchases, balance transfers, or both. This allows you to pay off your balance for a period of time -- usually 12 to 15 months -- without accumulating any interest fees.
Charge cards: American Express offers charge cards, which have to be paid in full each month, and credit cards, which can carry a balance. Of the best American Express credit cards listed here, only The Platinum Card® from American Express is a charge card, while many others are regular credit cards. With charge cards, your balance must be paid in full each month, so you get the rewards and benefits of a credit card without the risk of accumulating finance charges. These cards also come without a preset spending limit, unlike credit cards. While both of these features can be appealing, if you do need to carry a balance from time to time, it's better to go with a credit card.

What could be improved about American Express?

American Express might be a favorite amongst credit card aficionados, but it's not perfect. Here are some features that even the best American Express cards could improve on.

Wider acceptance: American Express is accepted in most places nowadays, but it's still not quite as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard. This becomes more apparent if you travel abroad frequently, as some countries are less likely to accept American Express than others.
Travel insurance: The best American Express credit cards offer generous travel benefits and protections, including rental car insurance and emergency evacuation coverage. But they don't quite compare to the best Chase credit cards when it comes to features like trip cancellation insurance and lost and delayed luggage insurance.

Who should get an American Express card?

The credit cards in most consumers' wallets don't make the most of their spending habits and credit score. You should take your time and do your research when choosing a credit card, making sure that you maximize the rewards available to you. If you find an American Express card that meets your needs, then this might be the best issuer for you.

Choosing a credit card is a personal decision. It's important to pick a credit card with both your spending habits and your specific goals in mind. The table below will help you decide whether or not one of the best American Express cards is right for you.

You want to...	You spend a lot of money on...	You should get...
Pay off debt using a balance transfer while avoiding fees and earning rewards	Groceries	The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
Get cash back on bonus categories and a welcome bonus with no annual fee	Groceries and gas	Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express
Earn valuable travel rewards and premium perks worth a high annual fee	Travel	The Platinum Card® from American Express
Use one card for all purchases and earn unlimited cash back with no annual fee	Anything	American Express Cash Magnet® Card
Earn travel rewards and a big welcome bonus	Groceries and gas	Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
Pay an annual fee for the highest cash back rate possible and earn a statement credit	Groceries and gas	Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Build credit and minimize the risk of being denied while earning rewards	Anything	Blue from American Express®

FAQs

When redeemed through Membership Rewards® programs, such as booking travel through the travel portal, purchasing with shopping partners like Amazon, redeeming for statement credits or gift cards, using points for Uber rides, or purchasing event tickets through the Membership Experiences portal, Membership Rewards® points yield a value of $0.005 to $0.01 each.
However, Membership Rewards points are also transferable. When you transfer your points to one of the issuer’s airline or hotel partners, you can easily get more than $0.01 out of each point. Some transfer options consistently yield a value of more than $0.02 per point.
When calculating a point value across all redemption options, we estimate that Membership Rewards® points are worth $0.012 on average.
Membership Rewards® points offer highly flexible redemption options. They can be redeemed through various American Express portals and partners for a flat-rate value, or they can be transferred to a number of different partners.

If you want to redeem your Membership Rewards® points with American Express, you’ll find the value you get per point for each option below.
- Gift cards: Up to $0.01
- Shopping portal: $0.05
- Shopping partners (Amazon, Best Buy, Grubhub, Rite Aid, Staples, and more): $0.07
- Airfare: $0.01
- Travel (hotels, vacation packages, cruises): $0.007
- Event tickets (Ticketmaster®, AXS): $0.005
- Charitable donations: $0.01 up to 500,000 points
- Transportation (NYC Taxi): $0.01
These redemption options are easy and useful to just about everyone. However, the redemption rates aren’t great. If you’re looking to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards® points, you also have the option to transfer them to the loyalty programs of nearly 20 different airline and hotel partners listed below.
- Airline transfer partners: AeroMexico, Air Canada, Air France KLM, Alitalia, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Asia Miles, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, El Al Israel Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia Plus, Jetblue Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Hotel transfer partners: Choice Privileges and Hilton Honors, Starwood Preferred Guest coming soon
Apart from getting an American Express credit card, there are a number of things you can do to earn rewards at a faster rate. Here are a few tips to help you pile on the Membership Rewards® points.
Aim for a good welcome bonus
While you shouldn’t apply for a credit card you won’t use just to get the welcome bonus, it is something you want to consider when choosing an American Express credit card. Often, credit cards with the biggest bonuses can provide you with more points than a year or two of use.
Pair two American Express cards
In order to maximize the rewards you get from your everyday spending, it often makes sense to pair up two, or sometimes even combine three, different credit cards that offer different spending bonuses. For example, if you got the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express, you could use the former on purchases at supermarkets for 3 points per $1 and the latter on travel for 5 points per $1 in order to maximize your rewards.
Refer friends
Refer a Friend is American Express’s credit card referral program. You’ll find your personalized referral link on your account page, which you can give out to friends and family. Each time someone applies for the card and is approved through your link, you’ll receive bonus points, miles, or cash back. While your rewards are capped, the maximum is often very high. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express cardholders get 15,000 Membership Rewards® points for each successful referral, up to 55,000 points per year.
Buy gift cards
Many of the American Express credit cards on this list offer bonus points for purchases at U.S. supermarkets. In order to take advantage of this bonus category, consider buying gift cards at your local supermarket for purchases you know you’ll make elsewhere. For example, if you spend a lot of money dining out -- which only gets you 1 point per $1 on most of these cards -- purchasing gift cards for your favorite restaurants ahead of time at the grocery store will get you 2 to 3 points per $1.
There are dozens of ways to redeem your Membership Rewards® points, but with so many options, it’s easy to slip up and redeem your points for less than they’re worth. Here are the best ways to redeem your Membership Rewards® points.
Transfer your Membership Rewards® points to an airline or hotel
This is easily the best way to maximize the value of your Membership Rewards® points, as it’s the only redemption option offered by the cards above that gets you over $0.01 per point. You’ll still have to redeem your airline miles or hotel points wisely. Popular transfer partners for high-value redemptions are British Airways, Singapore Airlines, AeroMexico, Delta Air Lines, Iberia, ANA, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Jetblue Airways, and Air Canada.
Don’t use points for shopping or gift cards
Alternatively, some of the lowest value redemptions are the gift card and shopping portal options, which will only get you $0.005 to $0.007 per point. The same is true of redemptions done through the American Express travel portal.
Avoid redeeming points for a statement credit
While redemptions for statement credits are convenient, you only get $0.006 per point. I’d avoid this option unless you can’t find any other redemption options that work for you.

The Picks
Card	Rating	Great For
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars. 4.5 stars	Great For: Premium travel and welcome bonus
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Rating image, 5.0 out of 5 stars. 5.0 stars	Great For: U.S. supermarkets and gas
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express	Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars. 4.5 stars	Great For: U.S. supermarkets and gas with no annual fee
American Express Cash Magnet® Card	Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars. 4.5 stars	Great For: One-card wallet
American Express® Green Card	Rating image, 3.5 out of 5 stars. 3.5 stars	Great For: Dining and travel
The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express	Rating image, 3.5 out of 5 stars. 3.5 stars	Great For: Intro $0 balance transfer fee
American Express® Gold Card	Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars. 4.5 stars	Great For: Dining and travel
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	Rating image, 4.0 out of 5 stars. 4.0 stars	Great For: Delta flyers
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars. 4.5 stars	Great For: Delta flyers
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars. 4.5 stars	Great For: Delta flyers
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card	Rating image, 4.5 out of 5 stars. 4.5 stars	Great For: Hilton guests