How to compare Amex Australia credit cards

How Amex Australia groups its cards

The Amex Australia site separates personal, business and corporate cards and offers a separate explainer on the difference between credit and charge cards. [2] Within personal cards, its own menu classifies products as Qantas Points cards, Velocity Points cards, Rewards cards, Travel Rewards cards and No Annual Fee cards. [2] The products featured on the Membership Rewards programme page are The Platinum Card, The Explorer Card, the Qantas Ultimate Card, The Platinum Business Card and the Qantas Business Rewards Card. [2]

Not every card earns the same way. Amex says points are earned on certain spending categories depending on the card, and that a cardholder must apply and be approved for an eligible card. [2] The site distinguishes the main Membership Rewards programme from Membership Rewards Ascent, which it says is available on a range of personal and business cards including the Platinum Edge Credit Card and the Gold Business Card, and which offers its own set of redemption options visible in the dashboard after enrolment. [2] Enrolment is not always automatic: Amex says some cards enrol the holder instantly, and otherwise the cardholder can enrol by calling the number on the back of the card. [2]

Earning and keeping points

Membership Rewards is the loyalty programme of American Express, and points are earned for every eligible dollar spent on an eligible card and credited to the card account. [2] Amex states that there is no limit to how many points can be earned, and that points never expire as long as the card member is active and the account is in good standing, subject to the programme terms. [2] The page does not define "active" or "good standing", so those conditions are governed by the terms rather than the marketing page. [2]

Beyond ordinary spending, the Australian site lists other ways to add points: additional cards issued to family and friends so that their spend accumulates on the account, the Refer a Friend bonus, bonus-point offers inside Amex Offers, and other promotional bonus-point offers. [2] Additional cards carry their own terms. [2]

Amex Australia publishes its programme terms as a Consumer set and a combined Business and Corporate set, plus a separate set of Qantas Direct terms; each is shown in a current version effective until 8 November 2026 inclusive and a new version effective from 9 November 2026 inclusive. [2] Because two versions may be live at once depending on the date, any rule should be read against the version in force when the points are earned or spent. [2]

Redeeming points and Australian-only features

Points can be used for flights, prepaid hotels and car hire through Amex Travel Online, transferred to airline and hotel partner programmes, exchanged for gift cards, spent online or through Points & Pay at selected retailers including Myer, used to cover card charges, or taken as a credit on the card account. [2] For Amex Travel Online, the cardholder needs available limit for the full booking amount, receives a statement credit within three business days, and still earns points on the full dollar amount charged. [2]

Two of the cash-like options have tight conditions. Cover Charges with Points needs at least 1,000 points for any eligible transaction, the credit cannot exceed the charge, points are debited immediately and the credit can take up to three business days to appear. [2] An eligible charge must appear in the online statement, be redeemed within two months of appearing, must not be or have been disputed, and must not be a fee. [2] Points for Credit is processed within three business days and cannot be reversed, appears on the first statement after redemption, and is credited to the primary account only where several cards are linked to one rewards account. [2]

Some rules exist only in the Australian programme. Cover Charges with Points is available only to Basic Cardmembers enrolled in the Australian Membership Rewards programme, and authorised agents, authorised account managers, additional cardmembers and authorised additional cardmembers are not eligible. [2] Points can be turned into Everyday Rewards at $10 off a Woolworths shop for every 2,500 Membership Rewards points transferred, subject to minimum redemption amounts and terms. [2] Gift card and voucher rewards are valid for at least three years from issue and cannot be exchanged for cash or credit. [2]

On transfers, Amex Australia says the cardholder must already belong to the partner programme, that enrolment and any fees are the cardholder's responsibility, and that the minimum requirement and transfer rate vary by partner. [2] During the period checked, Marriott points transfers were listed as temporarily unavailable, with customer service unable to assist with transfers by phone or chat. [2]

Exceptions and what is not published

• Annual fees. The Amex Australia page checked lists a No Annual Fee Cards category but gives no fee figure for any product, so no annual fee is stated here; see card annual fee for the general concept. [2]
• Statement credits and travel credits.
• Welcome offers. See welcome bonus.
• Earn rates and transfer ratios.
• Transfer mechanics are documented in other markets. The US Membership Rewards terms describe what such rules can look like: in most cases a minimum of 1,000 points in multiples of 1,000, a typical 48-hour processing time with some partners slower to post, transfers that are final and cannot be converted back, a partner account held by the cardholder or an additional card member whose card was issued at least 90 days before linking, and an excise tax offset fee of $0.0006 per point capped at $99 on points sent to a US airline frequent flyer programme. [5] [6] Those are US terms: they state nothing about Australian fees, minimums or partners, and should not be applied to an Australian-issued card. [5]
• Scope. This page covers consumer credit and charge cards issued in Australia that are enrolled in Membership Rewards; business and corporate products, Qantas Points and Velocity Points cards, and Amex cards issued outside Australia follow separate terms and are outside its scope. [2]

Related pages

Programme: Membership Rewards Australia. Guides: transfer partners, Membership Rewards versus Qantas Points, credit cards in Australia. Terms: card annual fee, welcome bonus, all terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Scope: consumer credit and charge cards issued in Australia that are enrolled in Membership Rewards. American Express business and corporate cards, Qantas Points and Velocity Points cards, and Amex products issued in other markets, are not covered; the two US pages are cited only to show what the Australian terms do not publish, and each is labelled where used.

1. American Express Australia — Membership Rewards programme, checked 18 October 2026
2. American Express US — Membership Rewards terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
3. American Express US — How do I transfer Membership Rewards points?, checked 18 October 2026