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![19 Best Ways To Earn Lots of American Express Membership Rewards Points [2023]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Amex-Gold-Upgraded-Points-LLC-12-Large.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
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When it comes to earning Membership Rewards points, you have lots of Amex credit card options to choose from. American Express offers a wide range of personal and business credit cards with a variety of bonus categories to boost your earnings.
To take advantage of this earning potential, you’ll need to determine which cards are right for you. Then, with a simple strategy, you’ll be on your way to earning some serious points and reaping the rewards.
Before long, you’ll have enough points to book a family vacation or a luxury trip for yourself. Amex points are transferable to nearly 20 airlines and 3 hotel loyalty program partners, which makes booking a trip on points even easier.
In this article, you’ll learn why you’d want to earn Membership Rewards points, which personal and business American Express credit cards earn Membership Rewards points, and all of the other ways you can earn Membership Rewards points.
Now, let’s dive into all the best ways to earn Membership Rewards.
Flexible redemption options for your Membership Rewards points result in rewards that you can easily use. Here are some examples:
It’s easy to earn Membership Rewards points on purchases when your mix of spending matches the reward-earning categories on your American Express credit card.
Bottom Line: Membership Rewards points are valuable because of their flexibility at redemption time and the ability to earn points quickly.
Not all American Express personal cards earn Membership Rewards points, but American Express issues several cards that do.
You can earn valuable transferable Membership Rewards points on any of these recommended personal cards:
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
Bottom Line: Whether you need a personal card that earns rewards on everyday purchases or a business card with perks and business bonus earning categories, American Express offers choices with several options that earn Membership Rewards.
The fastest way to earn plenty of Membership Rewards points is to apply for an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards, complete the initial spending requirement, and earn a welcome offer.
All American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points offer an introductory bonus, and some are occasionally quite generous (it’s still possible to find the coveted Amex Platinum card 125,000 or even 150,000-point intro bonus!).
Although offers can differ, a welcome offer is generally earned after completing an initial spending level in the first 90 days after you are approved for the card.
If you spend a lot on airfare, you’ll earn plenty of Membership Rewards points booking directly with the airline:
| Amex Card | Rewards for Booking Directly With Airline |
|---|---|
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Earn 5x points for flights booked directly with airlines (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) |
| American Express® Gold Card | Earn 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines |
Most American Express cards earn multiple points per dollar spent when booking through Amex Travel:
| Amex Card | Rewards for Booking Directly With Amex Travel |
|---|---|
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | 5x points for flights booked with Amex Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and 5x points on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel |
| American Express® Gold Card The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express The American Express® Green Card | 3x points on flights booked through Amex Travel |
Grocery purchases add up, so it would be a shame to miss out on rewards for those purchases!
Select one of these American Express cards, and you’ll earn big on purchases at U.S. supermarkets.
| Amex Card | Rewards For Purchases at Supermarkets |
|---|---|
| American Express® Gold Card | 4x points, up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year at U.S. supermarkets; after that, earn 1x |
| The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card | 3x points, up to $6,000 in purchases per year |
| The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card | 2x points, up to $6,000 in purchases per year |
Hot Tip: The “supermarkets” category does not include wholesale clubs such as Costco or Sam’s Club.
You might consider picking up the tab more often if you’re earning lots of Membership Rewards points on your dining purchases.
The Amex Gold card earns 4x points per dollar spent at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
Also, it’s worth noting that “restaurants” do not always include eateries inside hotels or resorts — those are sometimes coded as hotel transactions.
You’ll earn 2 Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent at U.S. gas stations with the Amex EveryDay Preferred card.
American Express wants you to use your card often and offers an incentive for frequent purchases. Keep these cards in your wallet to earn up to 50% more Membership Rewards points each statement period.
| Amex Card | Rewards For Purchases at Restaurants |
|---|---|
| The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card | Get 20% more points for making 20 or more purchases in 1 billing cycle |
| The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card | Make 30 or more purchases in 1 billing cycle and receive 50% more points on each of those 30 or more purchases |
Bottom Line: With so many bonus categories, personal American Express cards offer a variety of ways to earn lots of Membership Rewards.
If you own a business, you’ll want to select a business card that earns the most rewards on your highest expenses. Amex has several options to choose from.
Here are some of our recommended Amex business credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points:
American Express business cards offer lucrative introductory bonuses that vary depending on current promotional offers and the specific card you select.
Just choose the card that is right for you based on your spending habits, your tolerance for an annual fee, and whether the card offers benefits you can use.
If airfare is your highest expense during your monthly statement period, the Amex Business Gold card will earn 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent when purchasing airfare directly with the airline.
| Amex Business Card | Rewards for Purchases on Amex Travel |
|---|---|
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | 5x points per $1 spent on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel |
| American Express® Business Gold Card | 2x points per dollar spent |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | 2x points on everyday business purchases, up to $50,000 in purchases per year; 1x thereafter |
| The Business Green Rewards Card from American Express | 2x points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Amex Travel |
American Express business cards will serve you well if you spend a lot on travel.
Some cards, like the Amex Business Platinum card, also come with premium travel benefits such as lounge access, hotel and rental car elite status, and more.
The Amex Business Platinum card offers 1.5x for eligible purchases on your card made at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, at U.S. electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, and at U.S. shipping providers as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year).
Business bonus categories on the Amex Business Gold card elevate rewards-earning on your highest business expenses each statement period.
The Amex Blue Business Plus card ensures every business expense you make (up to $50,000 per year) earns 2x points.
| Best Amex Card for Business Expenses | Business Spending Categories | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| American Express® Business Gold Card | Computer hardware/software/cloud storage, shipping, advertising | 4x points per dollar when expenses qualify as 1 of 6 bonus categories and applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from the 2 categories each calendar year; earn 1x thereafter |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | Everyday business purchases | 2x points per dollar spent for the first $50,000 in purchases per year; 1x thereafter |
Those business meetings over dinner or that office lunch you had delivered for the crew should all be earning Membership Rewards points!
Be sure to use a card that earns multiple points per dollar spent on dining, like these:
| Amex Business Card | Rewards for Restaurant Purchases |
|---|---|
| American Express® Business Gold Card | 4x points per dollar spent when expenses qualify as 1 of 6 bonus categories |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | 2x points on everyday business purchases for the first $50,000 per year. 1x thereafter |
Filling up the tank can be rewarding when you’re earning Membership Rewards points.
| Amex Business Card | Rewards at U.S. Gas Stations |
|---|---|
| American Express® Business Gold Card | 4x points per dollar spent when expenses qualify as 1 of 6 bonus categories |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express | 2x points on everyday business purchases for the first $50,000 in purchases per year; 1x thereafter |
Hot Tip: One major benefit of the Amex Business Gold card is that bonus category earnings are automatic — you don’t have to pre-select your bonus categories. Whichever 2 categories have the most expenses each statement period will earn 4 points per dollar spent (up to $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar year).
Every business American Express card we’re discussing here earns at least 1 Membership Rewards point for every dollar spent on every purchase you make.
American Express occasionally targets current cardholders and offers Membership Rewards points for adding authorized users. The offer usually comes in the form of an email.
Be on the lookout for your own personal offer to earn additional Membership Rewards points!
You can earn thousands of extra Membership Rewards points each year with Amex Offers. These offers, which deliver great deals and bonus earning potential at select merchants, can be accessed at the bottom of your account home screen once you log in.
From there, you can add special offers to your card that will help you earn extra Membership Rewards points.
All cards, even cash-back credit cards, have their own offers — and there are tons of possibilities to use these to build your rewards bank!
Earn bonus points when you refer a friend for an American Express card. If they apply and qualify for the card using the link you’ve sent to them, you will get bonus points credited to your account.
Refer a friend by logging in to your Amex online account to get and send your special referral link.
The points vary depending on the card, but both you and your friend will benefit: a special bonus points offer for you and a welcome offer for them.
Hot Tip: You don’t have to have the specific American Express card you are referring to, and you can earn bonus points when referring a friend for most American Express credit cards.
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is a shopping portal with in-store and online offers at thousands of merchants. While Rakuten and many similar platforms have long offered cash-back awards, Rakuten is the first to partner with a transferable credit card points program.
You can now earn Amex Membership Rewards points at the same rates as cash-back! At our current points valuations, that is nearly double the value.
New users can sign up online where you’ll be asked to enter your email address and Amex online account credentials. Existing users should go to Account Settings and change their payment method to Switch to Membership Rewards points (you’ll need to enter your Amex online account credentials when prompted).
Hot Tip: Using Rakuten to shop in-store, you need to link your credit card and manually activate in-store offers each time you shop. When shopping online, you don’t need to link your credit card, though you do need to start your shopping at the Rakuten site.
Membership Rewards are easy to earn when the card you select matches your spending profile and rewards your largest purchases.
Whether through introductory bonuses, category-focused spending, or spending on everyday purchases, you will be on your way to earning a lot of American Express points.
Earning lots of Membership Rewards points is exciting, but redeeming them is even better. Soon enough, you’ll be redeeming points for some amazing award flights that will take you around the world!
The information regarding the The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
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9 comments
Savannah
February 28, 2020
I have the Amex Platinum business credit card, if I add authorized users for the FREE green card will they earn membership rewards through spending on the free card?
Jarrod West
February 29, 2020
Hi Savannah,
Yes, those cards will earn membership rewards from their spend.
Thanks for reading!
Anthony Bilardi
March 05, 2020
Hi, I have had the Amex Platinum card for months and reached my promotional spending amount. If I consolidate with a loan, and pay that account down, does this disqualify me from that promotional offer?
Christine Krzyszton
March 09, 2020
Hi Anthony. I assume you’re saying that you have met the initial spending requirement needed to earn the welcome bonus on the Amex Platinum card. First, to answer your question, securing a loan to pay off your credit card will not disqualify you for the welcome bonus if you completed the spending within the required period of time. However, carrying a balance from month to month as a result of spending on your card just to earn a sign up bonus is not a wise decision. Perhaps this doesn’t apply to you but I feel compelled to mention it in case others may attempt to do this. The interest you will incur could negate any value received from the welcome bonus. To gain the maximum value from a card, you should only spend what you can pay off each statement period.
Chris
July 25, 2020
Rocket miles discontinued the ability to earn points last year. Membership Rewards points no longer show as an option.
Jarrod West
July 27, 2020
Hi Chris,
Thanks for pointing that out! I’ve updated the post to reflect the change.
Dan
April 30, 2023
Green card gets 3x points for flights booked directly with airlines and 3x on other travel and transit. Even discount travel sites.
liz
July 27, 2023
I just received my Amex Gold card and I must spend 4k within the first 6 months. Question: If I do a purchase for braces or pay my school tuition; will I then be able to obtain the reward points?
Keri Stooksbury
July 28, 2023
Hi Liz – Braces and tuition are great examples of purchases to meet the minimum spend requirement for your new Amex Gold card! We have more tips here! Thanks for reading!
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