For years, American Specific Membership Rewards factors have sat at or close to the highest of TPG’s month-to-month valuations of loyalty currencies. In line with TPG’s valuations, Membership Rewards factors are value 2 cents every — virtually the identical as Chase Final Rewards and Bilt Rewards factors however noticeably greater than practically all airline and lodge factors.
Nonetheless, this does not imply that you’re going to get precisely 2 cents per level in worth each time you redeem your factors. As a substitute, it is supposed as a common information as you contemplate how greatest to make use of them. The best-value redemptions ought to offer you greater than 2 cents per level, whereas the lowest-value awards provide lower than 1 cent per level.
Briefly, there are a selection of solutions to the query, “How a lot are Amex factors value?”
Immediately, we are going to take a look at the worth of Amex factors, tips on how to earn them and among the greatest and poorest redemption choices.
Learn how to earn Membership Rewards factors
The simplest solution to earn a number of Membership Rewards factors is by making use of for a Membership Rewards points-earning bank card. Amex has a number of to select from, starting from premium playing cards with beneficiant advantages (and excessive annual charges) to no-annual-fee playing cards that reward each day enterprise spending.
Incomes Membership Rewards factors from bank cards
That will help you select which is the very best Amex card for you, this is a take a look at the welcome provide, bonus-category construction, annual payment and advantages for every of the six most dear Membership Rewards bank cards:
| Card | Welcome provide | Bonus classes | Annual payment | Key perks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Platinum Card® from American Specific | Earn 80,000 factors after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first six months of account opening. | 5 factors per greenback on flights booked immediately with airways or with American Specific Journey (on as much as $500,000 per calendar yr) and pay as you go motels booked with American Specific Journey. Phrases apply. | $695 (see charges and charges). | As much as $200 in annual airline payment credit score; as much as $200 complete in annual Uber Money (within the U.S.); as much as $200 in lodge assertion credit score on pay as you go Advantageous Resorts + Resorts or The Lodge Assortment bookings, which requires a minimal two-night keep, with Amex Journey; as much as $240 in digital leisure assertion credit score for choose suppliers; as much as $189 in Clear Plus assertion credit score; a payment assertion credit score for International Entry (as much as $100) or TSA PreCheck (as much as $85); entry to the International Lounge Assortment; complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite standing (enrollment is required for choose advantages). |
| The Enterprise Platinum Card® from American Specific | Earn 120,000 factors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases throughout the first three months of card membership. | 5 factors per greenback on flights and pay as you go motels on amextravel.com; 1.5 factors per greenback on eligible purchases in choose enterprise classes and eligible purchases of $5,000 or extra (on as much as $2 million of those purchases per calendar yr). Phrases apply. |
$695 (see charges and charges). | As much as $400 in annual credit score for U.S. Dell purchases; as much as $200 in annual airline payment assertion credit score for one chosen airline; a payment credit score for International Entry (as much as $100) or TSA PreCheck (as much as $85); entry to the International Lounge Assortment; complimentary Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Gold elite standing (enrollment required). |
| American Specific® Gold Card | Earn 60,000 factors after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. | 4 factors per greenback on eating at eating places; 4 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets (on as much as $25,000 per calendar yr in purchases, then 1 level per greenback); 3 factors per greenback on flights booked immediately with airways or amextravel.com. Phrases apply. | $250 (see charges and charges). | As much as $120 in annual eating assertion credit score at taking part companions (enrollment is required); as much as $120 complete in annual Uber Money (within the U.S.); no international transaction charges (see charges and charges). |
| American Specific® Enterprise Gold Card | Earn 70,000 bonus factors after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. | 4 factors per greenback on two choose classes the place you spend probably the most every month, on as much as $150,000 in mixed purchases from these two classes every calendar yr (then 1 level per greenback). Phrases apply. | $295 (see charges and charges). | 25% factors again after you guide a flight utilizing Pay with Factors (as much as 250,000 factors again per calendar yr). |
| American Specific® Inexperienced Card | Earn 40,000 factors after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of account opening. | 3 factors per greenback on just about all journey purchases (together with transit) and eating places within the U.S. Phrases apply. | $150 | Very broad and beneficiant definition of journey purchases, together with trip leases, tolls and public transport. |
| The Blue Enterprise® Plus Credit score Card from American Specific | None. | 2 factors per greenback on on a regular basis enterprise purchases with no class restrictions (on as much as $50,000 every calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback). Phrases apply. | $0 (see charges and charges). | None. |
The data for the American Specific Inexperienced Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
What are Amex factors value?
There are numerous methods to redeem your American Specific Membership Rewards factors. Nonetheless, they will provide a variety of values. Some are mounted, whereas others provide the potential to far exceed our valuation of two cents apiece.
Listed here are the other ways to worth American Specific factors.
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The worth of Amex factors when transferring to journey companions
You will often discover probably the most precious redemptions when transferring your Amex factors to the Membership Rewards switch companions. Amex companions with the next airline and lodge loyalty packages:
By holding on to your Amex factors till you are able to switch, you may have unimaginable flexibility — which is the primary motive we worth Amex factors at 2 cents apiece.
Actually, there are numerous redemptions that would present greater than 2 cents per level in worth.
- Switch your factors to Singapore Airways KrisFlyer and you may pay simply 13,500 KrisFlyer miles for a one-way flight from California, Oregon or Washington to any Hawaiian island on Alaska Airways. These based mostly elsewhere within the nation can guide nonstop or connecting flights on United Airways. You will pay 19,500 factors for a one-way financial system ticket or 39,000 for enterprise class. This contains United’s long-haul nonstop flights from Newark, Chicago and Washington, D.C., to Honolulu.
- Singapore Airways additionally operates two of the world’s longest flights: From Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) and to John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK). You will not wish to spend 18 hours in an uncomfortable seat, so use your Membership Rewards to fly in enterprise class. Each routes value 111,500 KrisFlyer factors plus taxes and charges one-way, a small value for consolation on such an extended flight.
- Switch your Amex factors to Iberia Plus. You’ll be able to fly from JFK and Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to Madrid for simply 17,000 Avios in financial system, 25,000 in premium financial system and 34,000 in enterprise class every approach. Contemplating that almost all airways cost 50,000 to 60,000 miles for a one-way business-class flight to Europe, that is an absolute steal.
- Switch your Amex factors to Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue to get pleasure from its improbable month-to-month Promo Rewards affords. Now we have commonly seen business-class flights to Europe for beneath 40,000 Membership Rewards factors every approach.
- British Airways Govt Membership is the easiest way to guide home flights operated by American and Alaska Airways. This system has a distance- and segment-based award chart, so you will pay extra Avios for longer flights. Nonetheless, brief and mid-haul home flights are the award chart’s candy spots for Oneworld flyers. Flights which are 1,151 miles or shorter may be booked for simply 9,000 Avios.
- Switch your Membership Rewards factors to Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Membership program and guide round-trip business-class flights to Japan on ANA for simply 90,000 Membership Rewards factors from the West Coast of the USA and 95,000 factors from the East Coast.
Nonetheless, the worth of your Amex factors can range relying on the associate. For instance, our new data-backed valuations present that Delta SkyMiles are usually value round 1.2 cents apiece, whereas we peg Alternative Privileges factors at simply 0.6 cents apiece. In these circumstances, transferring your Amex factors can lead to considerably decrease worth than with among the different companions.
The worth of Amex factors when reserving flights by way of American Specific Journey
Whereas we focus so much on the worth of transferable factors right here at TPG, you’ll be able to solely maximize them in case your most popular airline or lodge has award area accessible. If you must journey on mounted dates — particularly on a premium route like New York to Los Angeles — this may pose an issue. When you’ve exhausted all of your different choices, you will get a suitable worth by redeeming your factors by way of the Amex Journey portal.
With this feature, your Amex factors are value 1 cent every. This may be nice with an inexpensive fare, but it surely is not all the time the most suitable choice.
Nonetheless, if in case you have any of the next Amex enterprise playing cards, you’ll be able to obtain a rebate when utilizing Pay with Factors for eligible flights:
The data for the Centurion Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
These rebates are legitimate on first- or business-class flights with any airline, or you’ll be able to get pleasure from them for financial system flights along with your designated airline on your annual payment credit. It’s worthwhile to have the complete variety of factors in your account on the time of reserving, and the rebate will publish to your account inside six to 10 weeks.
Using considered one of these rebates can enhance your redemption worth from 1 cent per level to 1.33 with the Enterprise Gold card, 1.54 with the Enterprise Platinum and a couple of cents with the private or enterprise Centurion card. As a bonus, you will earn each redeemable miles and elite-qualifying miles on tickets booked this fashion, because the airways deal with them the identical as money bookings.
The worth of Amex factors when redeeming for reward playing cards
Amex companions with retailers to supply bodily and digital reward playing cards in varied denominations, and you can even redeem factors for American Specific reward playing cards. When you go this route, every Amex level will usually be value 1 cent apiece (so a $50 reward card could be 5,000 factors). Nonetheless, some retailers provide lower than this in worth, whereas others generally run promotions to get you extra worth.
That is higher than the assertion credit redemption possibility (which we’ll element under), but it surely’s nonetheless fairly low and may solely be thought of as a final resort. Keep in mind, Amex factors do not expire so long as you retain at the very least one Membership Rewards card open, so there is not any motive to hurry right into a low-value redemption.
The worth of Amex factors when reserving motels by way of American Specific Journey
Resorts usually fall into the class of unhealthy Amex redemptions that you need to attempt to keep away from. With practically all motels, you’ll be able to redeem your factors at a fee of 0.7 cents every towards the room fee. Not solely is that this a fairly low worth in comparison with among the different choices, however since these are third-party bookings, you will not often earn lodge factors or elite credit on your keep.
The one exception is Amex Advantageous Resorts + Resorts, a luxurious lodge program that is solely accessible to Platinum and Centurion cardmembers. When you pay with factors to guide considered one of these properties, you will get 1 cent of worth per level and obtain elite-like advantages on your keep, together with free breakfast, room upgrades, late checkout and often a eating or spa credit score.
Nonetheless, there’s another excuse to keep away from utilizing factors for these reservations. Holders of the private Platinum card get pleasure from as much as $200 in annual assertion credit for pay as you go Advantageous Resorts + Resorts stays booked by way of Amex Journey. When you redeem factors to cowl your complete keep, this profit will not apply.
The worth of Amex factors when redeeming for Amazon.com purchases or assertion credit
If long-haul flights signify top-of-the-line doable values for Amex factors, then redeeming them at Amazon.com and for assertion credit are among the many worst.
Whenever you add your Membership Rewards-earning card as a cost methodology on Amazon.com, you need to use your Amex factors for purchases, however you will solely get a price of 0.7 cents per level.
It is even decrease once you use your Membership Rewards factors to erase eligible costs out of your assertion (basically a cash-back redemption). Amex solely values your factors at 0.6 cents every in the event you redeem this fashion. That is lower than a 3rd of TPG’s valuation.
If you wish to earn cash-back rewards to buy groceries or assist pay the payments, take a look at TPG’s record of prime cash-back bank cards as an alternative of utilizing Membership Rewards factors this fashion.
Backside line
Amex Membership Rewards factors have lengthy been thought of among the most dear factors in the marketplace. They sit close to the highest of TPG’s month-to-month valuations, due to many high-value airline switch companions that enable members to guide premium-cabin awards at low charges.
The worth you get out of your Amex factors can range considerably, beginning at simply 0.6 cents for assertion credit however rising a lot greater for choose switch companions. In fact, that requires in depth flexibility and the willingness to be taught the ins and outs of loyalty packages, so many cardmembers might desire less complicated reward choices.
Finally, TPG pegs the worth of Amex factors at 2 cents apiece, however make sure you contemplate the very best redemption possibility on your particular state of affairs.
For charges and charges of the Amex Platinum card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Enterprise Gold card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Amex Enterprise Platinum card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Blue Enterprise Plus card, please click on right here.
