American Express is currently offering a welcome bonus: new customers receive 55,000 Membership Rewards points with the Amex Platinum Card. What are the conditions of the bonus? And where is it best used?
The Platinum credit card from American Express is one of the most expensive credit cards in this country. Amex is currently offering new customers a welcome bonus of 55,000 Membership Rewards points. The card also offers a number of other benefits that are particularly interesting for frequent flyers: credit for travel, rental cars or shopping is included, as are two Priority Passes that give members free lounge access at airports worldwide. Amex charges a lot for all of this, as the credit card costs a whopping 60 euros per month. Is the welcome deal still worth it? And how can you use the bonus points?
American Express Membership Rewards Program: What’s behind it?
The Membership Rewards program is American Express’s in-house loyalty program. Here, users can collect points with their respective Amex credit card. Participation is free. For every euro spent on the card, you get one point. Amex is currently offering a Bonus of 55,000 Membership Rewards pointsThese points can be redeemed, for example, by transferring them into miles or hotel points at participating partner hotels or frequent flyer programs.
In order for the extra points to be credited, a minimum turnover of 13,000 euros is required within the first six months after the card is signed. However, for frequent travelers who pay for their everyday expenses, special purchases or vacation trips with the platinum credit card, the amount should not be an insurmountable obstacle.
The Amex Platinum also includes these benefits and bonuses
In addition to the Membership Rewards program and the welcome bonus, the Platinum credit card includes other benefits and services. These include:
- 200 Euro credit for SIXT ride annually
- 200 Euro online travel credit annually
- 150 Euro restaurant credit annually
- 90 euros annual shopping credit
- Ten euros monthly entertainment credit (until December 31, 2024)
- Worldwide airport lounge access thanks to Priority Pass
- Travel accident and travel cancellation insurance, Europe-wide motor vehicle protection letter and more
Tip: American Express is currently running an exclusive competition to give away 777 Horizon Cabin Trolleys in an American Express Edition. Every new, valid application for a Platinum Card automatically takes part in this competition – without the need for additional registration.
Amex: Use bonus points effectively
The best way to use Amex Membership Rewards points is to convert them into miles and use them for additional services on flights, such as business class or first class tickets. With 55,000 bonus points, you can get a seat in first class on your next flight without having to collect any more points. Amex currently covers a total of eleven frequent flyer options in its program. The next time you book a reward flight, you can therefore specifically select the right program and take advantage of the benefits.
For many mileage programs, the conversion ratio is 5:4. This makes the Amex Platinum particularly suitable for mileage collectors and frequent flyers. Here are a few examples of one-way award flights that are within reach with the welcome bonus:
- British Airways Economy, FlightHamburg – London: about 9,000 points
- British Airways Business Class flightHamburg – London: about 15,000 points
- Air France/KLM Economy, FlightGermany – Paris: about 7,500 points
- SAS Economy Class, FlightGermany – Spitsbergen: about 12,500 points
However, it is most advisable to use the Membership Rewards points for an award flight with Business Class. Exactly how many points are needed for this depends on the route, capacity and other promotions. For example: you can fly from Berlin to Doha in Qatar Airways Business Class for the equivalent of 41,250 Membership Rewards points. In addition, there are fees and taxes of 300 to 400 euros. A one-way flight like this usually costs at least 3,000, often even 5,000 euros.
Shop at Amazon with Membership Rewards points
With the points from the welcome bonus, it is also possible to use the Platinum card as a payment method at Amazon and pay for purchases on the online marketplace with the available Membership Rewards points. The number of points can be flexibly selected for each payment transaction.
Pay with American Express Welcome Points
Membership Rewards points can also be used to pay regular payments, even retroactively. And this is how it works:
- Pay classically with the Amex Platinum credit card.
- Then log in to your Membership Rewards points account.
- Select the payment transaction to be paid with points.
- A credit will be issued within 48 hours.
The alternative for frequent flyers: The Eurowings Classic credit card
The Eurowings credit card from Barclays also makes travel easier for frequent flyers. For new customers, the Miles & More program offers a bonus of 500 welcome miles, which can be redeemed at around 40 airline partners. However, these must be credited to the Miles & More account within six weeks. Additional bonus miles are awarded each time the card is used. One mile is added for every two euros spent on the card. The miles are valid for 36 months, after which they expire.
However, you can only redeem miles if you have at least 3,000 miles. These can then be used for numerous rewards, such as hotel stays or Eurowings flight bookings.
- Fastlane access at five German airports subject to availability
- Sports equipment such as skis, bicycles or golf equipment can be taken free of charge
- Travel cancellation and trip interruption insurance is included
- There is no cash withdrawal fee abroad (within Germany it is four percent and at least 5.95 euros withdrawal fee)
Important: The flight benefits only apply when booking Eurowings flights via eurowings.com and paying with the Eurowings Classic credit card.
Amex Welcome Bonus: Use the advantages cleverly
There is a lot to be gained from the welcome bonus of 55,000 points at American Express. Frequent flyers in particular will be pleased with the Amex Platinum offer, but the points can also be used for payments, for example at Amazon. However, the equivalent value is greatest when converted into miles. It should be noted that the monthly fee is 60 euros – but due to the discounts and benefits, the offer can still be worthwhile.
A cheap alternative is the Eurowings Classic credit card from Barclays, which offers fewer benefits but has a zero-euro monthly fee in the first year. In the following year, this credit card is also cheaper than the American Express Platinum credit card, with fees of 29 euros per month.
Source: Stern