American Express has extended its offer of 10,000 bonus Membership Rewards point. Discover how you can maximise your frequent flyer balance with the American Express Platinum Edge card.
Earning frequent flyer points isn’t limited to the skies. If you have an American Express Platinum Edge card, you can take advantage of 10,000 bonus Membership Rewards points as well as points on purchases to build up your rewards as you spend. These points can then be transferred to a number of partnered frequent flyer programs and redeemed for a variety of rewards. Packed with a number of other travel features, this card could be your ideal holiday companion and points earner.
Use this guide to discover how you can use your American Express Platinum Edge card to get the most out of your rewards points.
American Express Platinum Edge credit card details
Card
American Express Platinum Edge
Loyalty program
American Express Membership Rewards, which can be transferred to up to 9 frequent flyer programs
Points
3 points per $1 on spent at supermarkets
2 points per $1 spent at petrol stations
1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
Points cap
None
Earn at the ATO and utilities
0.5 points per $1
Travel benefits
Free Virgin Australia domestic return flight per year
Complimentary insurance
Travel and purchase protection insurances
Annual fee
$195
Go to American Express' website
More info
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Earning Membership Rewards points with my card?
You can pick up Membership Rewards points on everyday purchases with the American Express Platinum Edge card. These points aren’t capped, so your ability to earn points won’t be restricted. Here are some of the ways you can earn points with the breakdown below.
Grocery shopping
Earning Points on Fuel
Everyday purchases
You can earn 3 Membership Rewards points for every dollar spent at major supermarkets. So if you're regularly shopping at Coles, Woolworths, Bi-Lo, Safeway, IGA, Fishers, Fresh Provisions, Food for Less, Supabarn or Macro Wholefood you can maximise your earn rate through your weekly grocery shopping.
Major supermarket
Points per $1 spent
Coles
3
Woolworths
3
Bi-Lo
3
Safeway
3
IGA
3
Fishers
3
Fresh Provisions
3
Food for Less
3
Supabarn
3
Macro Wholefood
3
Harris Farm Markets
3
Thomas Dux
3
When filling up your tank at major petrol stations, you can earn 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent. Eligible petrol stations include BP, Shell, Caltex, Woolworths, 7 Eleven, Safeway Petrol and Peak & Gull.
Fuel provider
Points per $1 spent
BP
2
Shell
2
Caltex
2
Woolworths
2
7 Eleven
2
Safeway Petrol
2
Peak & Gull
2
You’ll earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases, except for insurance, utilities, telecommunications providers and government bodies in Australia, where you earn 0.5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent.
Everyday purchases
Points per $1 spent
All other eligible purchases
1
Other ways to earn bonus points
Want to boost your points? Here are some extra ways to do so.
Bonus points. New American Express Platinum Edge cardholders can earn 10,000 bonus points when they spend $550 on eligible purchases within the first two months of opening the card. This offer has now been extended until 31 May 2016.
Referral bonus points. If you refer a friend who signs up for an American Express credit card, you can earn up to 200,000 bonus Membership Rewards points per year. For example, if you refer a friend who is then approved for the American Express Platinum Edge credit card, you’ll be rewarded with 10,000 points and your friend will receive 15,000 points.
Additional cardholders. You can get an additional card for a family member, friend or coworker and accumulate points every time they make a purchase. This is particularly useful for families and businesses, as you can then share the points for family holidays or business trips to increase the value you get from the points.
Transferring your points
As an American Express Platinum Edge cardholder, you’ll receive complimentary enrolment in the Membership Rewards Ascent Program. If you’d like to turn your points into flight rewards, you can transfer them to your choice of frequent flyer program via the American Express website. You can transfer to the following:
Virgin Airways Velocity Frequent Flyer
Air New Zealand
Etihad Guest
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Emirates Skywards
Malaysia Airlines Enrich program
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club
Your Membership Rewards points will be subject to different exchange rates depending on who you’re transferring to, and some are better value than others. You must meet a minimum transfer amount if you’d like to transfer to the following programs, which is important to remember when you’re saving up your points.
How much are your points worth?
Program
Exchange rate
Minimum transfer amount
Air New Zealand
100 Membership Rewards = 1 Airpoints Dollar
2,000 Membership Rewards
Asia Miles
1 Membership Reward = 1 Asia Mile
5,000 Membership Rewards
Etihad Guest
1 Membership Reward = 1 Etihad Guest Mile
1,000 Membership Rewards
Malaysia Enrich
1 Membership Reward = 1 Enrich Mile
500 Membership Rewards
Singapore Airlines Krisflyer
1 Membership Reward = 1 KrisFlyer Mile
5,000 Membership Rewards
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
1 Membership Reward = 1 Royal Orchid Plus Mile
5,000 Membership Rewards
Emirates Skywards
4 Membership Rewards = 3 Skywards Miles
2,000 Membership Rewards
Velocity Frequent Flyer
1 Membership Rewards = 1 Velocity Point
2,000 Membership Rewards
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
1 Membership Rewards = 1 Flying Club Mile
2,000 Membership Rewards
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Redeeming your points for frequent flyer perks
Compare the different ways you can redeem your points to make sure you’re getting the most value out of your Membership Rewards.
Flights. One of the most valuable ways to use your Membership Rewards is for flights. Rather than being restricted to one program, the Membership Rewards program provides you with greater flexibility when it comes to using your points for flight rewards. Remember to take note of the exchange rates and minimum transfer amount required before transferring your points, as they can’t be returned once they’ve been moved across.
Webjet. You can also use your points to book flights and other holiday packages through Webjet. You’ll need 10,000 Membership Rewards points to redeem $100 worth of travel. If you don’t have enough points to complete a transaction, you can use cash to make up the difference.
Gift cards. Enjoy greater spending freedom and redeem gift cards from 3,500 points. You can choose retail gift cards from popular retailers such as Coles Group & Myer, David Jones, Harvey Norman and Westfield, entertainment gift cards with Hoyts and Event Cinemas, eGift Cards from Airbnb and Apple iTunes, and travel gift cards with helloworld.
Credit on your account. You can use the American Express ‘Pay with Points’ feature to reduce your card balance by repaying purchases with your points using the AMEX mobile app or website. You’ll receive the credit on your account within 72 hours.
Entertainment rewards. Transform your points into experiences by using them to redeem rewards with Ticketmaster. Simply book your next concert or sports event via Ticketmaster and select ‘Membership Rewards’ as your payment option.
Other travel perks
The American Express Platinum Edge card offers a number of other features that are designed for frequent flyers and travellers.
Complimentary Virgin Airlines flight. You’ll receive a complimentary domestic return flight with Virgin Australia every year. These flights are usually good value and will offset the cost of the annual fee. If you don’t think you’ll get around to using them, you can book it in a friend or family member’s name to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.
Complimentary travel insurance. If you use your card to pay your travel costs, you’ll activate complimentary travel insurance including Overseas Medical Emergency cover, Personal Liability cover, Baggage, Money and Documentation cover, Travel Cancellation cover and Travel Inconvenience cover.
Global Card Support. If you’re travelling and having troubles with your card, you can contact the Global Card Support customer service team at any time of day to have the issue resolved.
Mistakes to avoid
The American Express Platinum Edge card offers several great ways to earn rewards, but there are some common mistakes that you should try to avoid.
Spending for the sake of points. You might want to boost your points balance, but remember that you’ll have to repay everything you’ve purchased (plus interest).
Redeeming the wrong rewards. How you use your points is ultimately up to you, but you’ll find that some rewards offer better value than others. For example, while you could redeem a one-way economy flight from Sydney to Singapore for at least 28,900 Velocity Points (typically worth between $490.87 and $600), you’d need 24,975 Membership Rewards to redeem a Bottega Veneta perfume worth $185 from David Jones. Given the price difference, you might be better off just buying the perfume with cash and saving your points for bigger rewards.
Missing bonus points. There are many ways you can earn bonus points with an American Express card. Try to work your spending habits around these bonuses, such as shopping with partnered supermarkets or filling up at associated petrol stations, to maximise your points wherever you can.
Racking up points and redeeming rewards is easy with the American Express Platinum Edge card. Understand the different ways you can earn points, boost your balance and redeem rewards to get the most out of your rewards program. However, make sure you’re spending within your budget, and not just for the sake of earning points. As always, compare your options before applying for a card or rewards program to ensure you choose the right one for you.
American Express Platinum Edge Card details
Comparison of American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards
Product Name
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
Rewards Program
Membership Rewards
Balance transfer rate (p.a.)
0% p.a. for 12 months with 1% balance transfer fee
Balance Transfer Revert Rate
The interest rate after the balance transfer ends.
Purchase Rate (20.74% p.a.)
Balance Transfer Limit
70% of available credit limit
Purchase rate (p.a.)
20.74% p.a.
Annual fee
$195 p.a.
Interest Free Period
The interest-free period on purchases is the period or number of days you don't have to pay interest on your card purchases. You will be charged interest either from the day you make a purchase or from the statement date, unless you pay the closing balance in full by the due date (or within the interest-free period) on your statement.
up to 55 days
Min credit limit
This is the lowest credit card limit that you can request. It is possible to apply for a higher credit card limit but not a lower one than this figure.
$3,000
Max credit limit
This credit limit may not be issued to you immediately on application. This is the maximum credit limit for this card which must be applied for or offered to you after you are approved and have already opened the account.
$50,000
Minimum Monthly Repayment
2.5% or $30
Minimum Income
$50,000
Card Type
American Express
Late Payment Fee
$30
Foreign Currency Conversion Fee (AMEX)
3% of transaction value
Complimentary Travel Insurance
Yes
Complimentary Travel Insurance Cover
6 months
Available To Temporary Residents
No
Joint Application
No
Go to American Express' website
More info
Rates last updated February 5th, 2016
Bonus Points
Points per $ spent
Purchase rate (p.a.)
Balance transfer rate (p.a.)
Annual fee
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
Receive 10,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points. Also receive a complimentary Virgin Blue domestic economy return flight every year.
10,000 bonus points
VISA/MC: 0 AMEX: 1
20.74% p.a.
0% p.a. for 12 months with 1% balance transfer fee
$195 p.a.
Go to site
More info
American Express Platinum Card
Receive 100,000 Membership Rewards bonus points when you spend $1,000 on your card
100,000 bonus points
VISA/MC: 0 AMEX: 1
$1,200 p.a.
Go to site
More info
David Jones American Express
The David Jones Credit Card gives you everyday shopping gift points which can be redeemed for travel and gift cards. Receive 30,000 Membership Rewards points and earn up to 3.00 Rewards Points for every dollar spent on everyday item and access exclusive in-store benefits to David Jones cardholders.
30,000 bonus points
VISA/MC: 0 AMEX: 1
20.74% p.a.
$99 p.a.
Go to site
More info
American Express Gold Business Card
Keep track of your business expenses with a dedicated business credit card. Your account details can be uploaded in to MYOB, Excel or Quicken to help with BAS reporting.
10,000 bonus points
VISA/MC: 0 AMEX: 1
$169 p.a.
Go to site
More info
American Express Essential Credit Card
Receive a $50 credit on eligible spend and get Smartphone screen insurance combined with a no annual fee for life card.
1
14.99% p.a.
0% p.a. for 12 months
$0 p.a.
Go to site
More info
American Express Platinum Business Card
Provides easy tracking and management of business expenses – reporting meets ATO requirements. Dedicated Platinum Business Concierge to assist you day-to-day.
150,000 bonus points
VISA/MC: 0 AMEX: 1
$1,500 p.a.
Go to site
More info
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