AmEx Explorer Card: 145,000 Bonus Membership Reward Points ($3,000 Spend in 3 Months, $395 Annual Fee, New Card Member Only)

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Cashback

bozbargain on 23/04/2021 - 12:57 americanexpress.com (240 clicks)
Last edited 23/04/2021 - 18:00 by 2 other users

Exclusive referral deal, slightly different from last month's (where the base offer from AmEx was 50k points, now upped to 90k).

Use the 'Show x More' option in the REFERRAL LINKS section below, scroll to 'Explorer' and use the random link option for your link to get 145k points.

145k points is more than enough for a one-way business class trip to Singapore with Singapore Air (post-Covid) or a 5 nights stay in a Marriott category 3 hotel in Australia. If you're not into travel, you can use it as a $722.50 credit/cashback instead (arguably the worst way to monetise your points though).

Happy to answer any questions on the best way to use AmEx points, I've redeemed many of them over the years with Singapore Air, Korean Air and Marriott/SPG. Comes with a $400 travel voucher to offset the $395 annual fee.

Referrers receive between 40k and 60k points, depending on their account status.

Card Type

Annual Fee: $395 p.a.
20.74% p.a. interest rate on purchases
Up to 55 Interest-free days

Other relevant bits:

Receive 145,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 3 months. This offer is available to new Card Members only

Earn up to 2 Membership Rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases

Enjoy $400 to spend on travel each year4 that can be redeemed on eligible flights, hotels, car hire or experiences when booked through American Express Travel

Enjoy two complimentary entries per year to the American Express Lounge, located at Sydney International Airport or Melbourne International Airport

Transfer your Membership Rewards points to a choice of 9 Airline Partner Programs

Smartphone Screen Insurance for up to $500 for screen repairs to your Smartphone when you pay for your phone or monthly contract with your American Express Explorer® Credit Card

Eligibility

Before you apply for your American Express Explorer® Credit Card, make sure you can say yes to the following:

I am aged 18 years or over
I am an Australian citizen or permanent resident or hold a current Business Long Stay Visa (subclass 457)
I have a personal gross (pre-tax) annual income of $65,000 or more
I agree to access my statements online through American Express
I have no history of bad debt or payment default

Bonus & Eligibility.

145,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® points are only available to new American Express Card Members who apply online For the American Express Explorer Credit Card by 5 May 2021, are approved and spend $3,000 or more on eligible purchases on your new Card in the first 3 months from the Card approval date
Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the proceeding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer. Eligible purchases do not include annual Card fees, cash advances, interest, balance transfers, fees and charges for traveller’s cheques and foreign currencies. Please allow 8-10 weeks for the bonus points to be credited to your Account after the spend criteria has been met. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.

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• 

  Autonomic on 23/04/2021 - 13:02

  This deal is slightly better:

  https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/615882

  Assuming you use the points for pay option:

  145k points = $725
  90k points = $450+$300 = $750

  You also get 60k points to the referrer, so if you know them you're better off doing that.

  • 

    bozbargain on 23/04/2021 - 13:14

    +1

    That deal works out $25 cheaper only if you use points for pay (which is as bad as an option as buying gift cards with Qantas points). Honestly, AmEx membership rewards points are so versatile, I really think you’d have no issues valuing them at more than 50c per point. If you want to use the points for travel/hotels, the 145k option is so much better. Worst case is you don’t find use for them within your membership period, you still get to cash them in for $722.50.

    • 

      mahdoo on 23/04/2021 - 13:18

      If you're not interested in business flights, what are other, better ways to spend the points? Would using them for economy flights work out significantly better than cashback?

      • 

        nubix on 23/04/2021 - 13:24

        yes

      • 

        bozbargain on 23/04/2021 - 13:25

        +1

        To give you an idea, 145k AmEx points can be transferred to 72.25k Singapore KrisFlyer miles. You can fly to Singapore in economy on 28k points or for 53k points to Europe. You have about $100 or so to pay in taxes on top. The only reason I’d ever use points on economy flights is if I were after a one way ticket: on points, they are typically half of a return flight whereas if you book them in cash, one ways can be 80% of the return price. Hope this helps.

        • 

          mahdoo on 23/04/2021 - 13:29

          @bozbargain: Thanks! Unfortunately my amex 18month cool off period ends at the end of June. So I'll miss eligibility by a month..

          On a side note - in the 'Bonus & Eligibility' section you've posted in the deal - it lists 5 April 2021 as the expiry date, instead of May like the original deal.. Is this actually still valid?

          • 

            bozbargain on 23/04/2021 - 13:31

            -1

            @mahdoo: Fixed the date error, thanks! Fingers crossed for you that June will have a similar offer (although this one is the best I’ve seen in years).

    • 

      Autonomic on 23/04/2021 - 13:54

      145k points = 72.5k QFF = $725 @ 1c per point. You could argue you can just buy the points with the cashback offer and end up with more.

      • 

        bozbargain on 23/04/2021 - 14:06

        -1

        You can’t transfer them to Qantas and even if you could, I wouldn’t do it. I guess your question is if you can purchase the additional 55k points (vs other deal) for less than $300? 55k points equates to 27,500 frequent flyer miles such as Singapore KrisFlyer: I’d be thrilled to purchase KrisFlyer miles at 1.1c per point: I would never fly economy to Europe anymore. The reality is, you can’t.

        • 

          DrRalph on 23/04/2021 - 14:14

          -3

          @bozbargain: 'You can’t transfer them to Qantas' Actually you can.

          The route, though, is rather complex and involves first transferring the points to Marriott.

          • 

            bozbargain on 23/04/2021 - 14:20

            @DrRalph: 3 Membership Rewards AmEx points -> 2 Marriott Bonvoy points
            2 Marriott Bonvoy points -> 0.666 QFF

            It's not just complex, it's a complete waste of points. You end up with 0.666 QF point whereas you could have had 1.5 Krisflyer points. Not only are Krisflyer points easier to redeem for flights, it's a better product, requires less points and will cost you very little in taxes.

            • 

              DrRalph on 23/04/2021 - 14:27

              @bozbargain: For most having to make multiple transfers would be classed at 'complex'. Expecially as you'd need to set up a Marriott account if you don't have one and then link it to your AMEX account.

              But the point I wanted to indicate clearly was that your claim that 'You can’t transfer them to Qantas' is not correct. You can definitely transfer your AMEX points to Qantas. I have done so previously, albeit when the transfer rate was more attractive.

              In my experience this is not correct 'Krisflyer points easier to redeem for flights'

              And I certainly don't agree with this claim 'it's a better product'

              • 

                bozbargain on 23/04/2021 - 14:44

                +2

                @DrRalph: You can't transfer them to Qantas at 2:1, which is what Autonomic suggested and I responded to.
                Your suggested 'hack' wastes 1.5 frequent flyer point down to 0.666 of a QFF point. So yes, you are correct, it is possible, I guess.

                Most people will agree that the availability on Krisflyer for flights between Australia and the rest of the world is superior to what Qantas offers. It's also a much easier booking process. I've done 5 redemptions to Europe in 2019 and 1 in 2020 (all with a stop over, so effectively 12 flights). I wanted to use my Qantas points but could only do so for 1 leg (which had to be on China Southern) so ended up spending all my Krisflyer miles. Searching for availability is a breeze compared to Qantas, in my opinion.

                In terms of a better product, I think Qantas is good but Singapore Air is great, especially for business class - I'm talking about the hard product here, the seats etc (I tried them all, 777, A380, A350). On top of that, book-the-chef on Singapore is unique.

                • 

                  Lunarboogie on 23/04/2021 - 15:36

                  +1

                  @bozbargain: Agree SQ's business-class product is light years ahead of Qantas. This is my personal view though it seems to be one that is shared by a lot of pundits. Availability is also generally much better.

                • 

                  Bargainhungry on 23/04/2021 - 20:06

                  @bozbargain: I completely agree with you about the hard product - SQ business class is fantastic and far, far, far superior to Qantarse.
                  Like many others I am also waiting for my 18 months to pass since my last Amex in order to qualify…

        • 

          Autonomic on 23/04/2021 - 14:29

          +1

          @bozbargain: That's fair enough actually. I didn't realise Krisflyer points were worth that much.

          • 

            DrRalph on 23/04/2021 - 14:33

            @Autonomic: They aren't. And good luck using them in the short to meadium term. Expiry before use is a real possibility.

• 

  astroboy23 on 05/05/2021 - 21:58

  is this not for everyone? I'm checking my account and find my referral link, the promotion is 60k amex point

  • 

    bozbargain on 05/05/2021 - 21:59

    Yes, all existing card holders can refer someone. That’s the whole purpose of using the random generator when new customers sign up.

    • 

      astroboy23 on 06/05/2021 - 18:12

      I mean, yesterday I tried to open the link from my own referral, it say the promotion is only for 60k point.
      But when I tried to open the link from here, it is 145k. Is it targeted?

      • 

        bozbargain on 06/05/2021 - 18:14

        It was 60k for the referrer and 145k for the referee. Since today, it’s back to the standard 40k and 60k, hence the fact that the deal is marked as expired.