AmEx Explorer Card: 150,000 Bonus Membership Reward Points ($3,000 Spend in 3 Months, $395 Annual Fee, New Card Member Only)

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bozbargain on 26/08/2021 - 10:28 americanexpress.com (230 clicks)
Last edited 26/08/2021 - 18:18 by 1 other user

Exclusive referral deal, slightly higher compared to the 145k points offer in May.

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 150k points.

150k 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 $750 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 can receive 40k 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 150,000 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.

150,000 Bonus Membership Rewards® points are only available to new American Express Card Members who apply online For the American Express Explorer Credit Card by 3 November 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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• 

  lilkid28 on 26/08/2021 - 10:43

  +1

  OK offer, but for those wishing to sign up, some members have targetted "exclusive" referral offers, for 175,000 MR points for applicant, and 50,000 points for referrer. I received it but not the Mrs. account. Total of 225,000 points given out. Best to check with friends & family, or help out a fellow Ozbargainer.

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  donkcat on 26/08/2021 - 10:50

  +3

  They have ran these deals in recent times with a credit that offsets the annual fee, might be worth holding out for one of those
  https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/642085

• 

  go2home on 26/08/2021 - 13:17

  +1

  I have the $400 tranvel credit expired as I can't find anywhere to use it. If I book the future flight, there are 2 options: spend $500 for the discounted flight tickets but can't be changed/cancelled; spend $1000 which can be changed/cancelled. What's the point to spend extra $ on the top of this $400 credit for someting could never happened?

  • 

    squarepants on 26/08/2021 - 13:30

    Travel credit's expiry can be extended.

    • 

      go2home on 26/08/2021 - 13:47

      Do you mean to book a future flight / hotel, and then cancel it to get the credit back? It's so expensive (almost doubled up at this stage) to book and I just don't want to put extra $ on top of it. Maybe just wait until everything back to normal and book on a discounted price.

      • 

        squarepants on 26/08/2021 - 13:52

        No, like you can talk to them about extending the travel credit due to being in lockdown and unable to travel etc.

        They're usually pretty good about it. Although one point to note, is to probably only try it closer to credit expiry date. If it's too far away they'll just say check back again.

        That might be another way of doing it too though. I had an accommodation booking earlier late last year that had to be canned due to VIC lockdowns, and they gave me back my travel credit and cash refund. Trick is to book something that says refundable.

        Haven't had experience with flight bookings, so can't advise unfortunately. Can't you find a refundable flight that is about the price of the travel credit amount or just slightly over? Surely refundable flights between Melbourne and Sydney can't be $1,000? Or Sydney and I don't know maybe one of the regional ones.

        • 

          tunzafun001 on 26/08/2021 - 16:07

          @squarepants: I rang Amex 2 months ago.

          They said no extension will be given on travel credits (Plat Edge $200 credit).

          I booked a domestic flight for $196.

          That flight just got changed, but it's for next week. So I'm just cancelling completely. My options are:

          1. To get the full $200 back as a travel credit with a fresh 12 months from when it lands back in my account (they currently expect it to take 15 weeks). So you can't book anything else for 15 weeks.

          2. Cancel and take the airline credit for the $196 value. Can use immediately. Expiry depends on which airline you booked with.

          3. Cancel the flights, then close my card completely and the $196 will be put into a bank account or cheque sent.

          I asked just for $196 without closing my card. Not an option. To get cash, you need to close the card.

          In summary, book a flight to anywhere around your travel credit value, use one of the options above.

          • 

            squarepants on 26/08/2021 - 16:24

            @tunzafun001: Don't know if the issue is that it's booking of flights as yourself and go2home above have done so. Can't really comment as I've never use the travel credit for flights, just accommodation and I've only picked refundable options so far and haven't had issues.

            Option 2 is pretty good I guess. Airline credit that can be used immediately, unless you feel you're losing the $4 value. I guess if you need now, the $4 is worth it, rather than waiting for 15 weeks or having to close the card.

            • 

              tunzafun001 on 26/08/2021 - 16:42

              @squarepants: Yeah, I've got another 2 credits to use up now in the next few months, so the 15 weeks doesn't matter to me.

              As for hotels. I try each time, but have never found the hotel we want supported by Amex, Or if it is it doesn't have the same promotion (ie pay 4 nights, get one night free etc).

              • 

                squarepants on 26/08/2021 - 16:50

                @tunzafun001: Yep, same.

                Interesting, boutique hotels? I see, yeah if you're staying at a particular hotel for the promotion or package, not surprised that Amex Travel wouldn't have that.

                Personally, I find it to be pretty good in terms of pricing and quantity.

  • 

    bozbargain on 26/08/2021 - 16:08

    You have 12 months to use the credit - I had no issues redeeming mine earlier this year on a nice hotel (same price as everywhere else).

• 

  hji9810 on 30/08/2021 - 20:08

  It's weird. I'm holding a 485 visa, and it expires in 2023. On the AMEX home page, it says that I need to have a citizenship/PR/ Long term visa that has more than 12 months remaining.

  However, I still get called by AMEX and declined because of my 485 visa. I don't understand, isn't 485 also a working visa??

• 

  booze101 on 05/09/2021 - 22:34

  Hi guys,
  I recently had an Amex qantas card with 90k bonus points and no annual fees. I have used it for 2 months and recently got to know that i am not eligible for the promotion as i held an amex card 14 months ago. Can I complain about this? Isn’t it their duty to inform me that i am not eligible for promotion rather than approve it

  • 

    lilkid28 on 05/09/2021 - 23:31

    +1

    It's your responsibility to read the T&C for the bonus points.

    • 

      booze101 on 06/09/2021 - 21:20

      -1

      Yes everyone should read T&C's, but who has the time. At the same time, I think it should also be a responsibility of the vendor to inform customers if they don't meet criteria when applying for offers. A simple "we are happy to give you a card but you are not eligible for the offer" will be suffice.

      • 

        lilkid28 on 06/09/2021 - 21:34

        It's quite a big well known thing though, banks in general is 12 months, Amex 18 months. And in almost every post, the OP will highlight it out.

• 

  nightelves on 13/10/2021 - 15:44

  Not sure if anyone is seeing this but I clicked this old deal that had 175k bonus points on google chrome and the link is still active with 175 bonus points: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/641961

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  wowco on 27/10/2021 - 19:44

  It is now 240k points. kinda sad as I signed up recently