Paying your American Express bill with points is an excellent way to reduce your out-of-pocket spending. American Express offers cardmembers the ability to use Membership Rewards points to cover eligible charges on their statements. This perk allows you to maximize the value of your rewards and lower your card balance. In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about paying your Amex bill with points.
Overview of Paying your Amex Bill with Points
American Express has a feature called Pay With Points that lets eligible cardholders use their Membership Rewards points to cover charges on their statements. Here’s how it works:
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You can log into your Amex account online and view your recent charges and current statement
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Amex will show you the charges that are eligible for Pay With Points, These generally include charges made in the US over $1 that haven’t been disputed,
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You select which charges you want to redeem points for. The points will be deducted from your Membership Rewards balance.
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Amex applies a statement credit to offset those charges within 48 hours.
Pay With Points allows you to use points at a value of 1 cent each. So if you redeem 5,000 points, you’ll get a $50 statement credit. This provides a simple way to reduce your card balance using your rewards.
Who’s Eligible for Pay With Points?
While it’s a handy perk, not all American Express cardholders can pay their bill with points. Here are the basic eligibility requirements:
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You must have a basic consumer or OPEN American Express card. Corporate cards don’t qualify.
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Additional cardmembers on an account can’t use Pay With Points. Only the primary cardholder is eligible.
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Your account must be in good standing and not past due to use Pay With Points.
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There is a minimum points redemption of 1,000 Membership Rewards points.
As long as you have at least 1,000 points in your account and meet the other criteria, you should be able to cover charges on your statement with points.
How to Pay your Amex Bill with Points
If you want to put your Membership Rewards points toward your next Amex bill, here are simple step-by-step instructions:
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Log into your American Express account online.
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Locate the Pay With Points link under “Membership Rewards” or go directly to the Pay With Points page.
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View your recent activity or current statement to see eligible charges. Amex will mark which charges can be paid with points.
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Check the boxes next to each charge you want to redeem points for.
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Verify the point deduction and click “Redeem Now”.
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Amex will debit the points from your balance and apply a statement credit within 48 hours.
The process only takes a few minutes. Charges from the past 90 days will generally be available to redeem points towards. Just log into your account periodically to take advantage of this valuable perk.
The Benefits of Using Points for Your Amex Bill
There are several advantages to redeeming Membership Rewards points to cover your American Express card charges:
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It reduces your card balance – When you apply points to eligible charges, it lowers the amount due on your Amex bill. This helps improve your credit utilization.
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No cap on points redemptions – You can pay your entire Amex bill with points if you want. There’s no limit to how many points you can redeem each month.
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Simple valuation – Amex points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed through Pay With Points. It’s easy to calculate their value.
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Immediate statement credit – The credit from Pay With Points posts quickly, so you benefit right away.
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Makes your points go further – Using points for charges helps maximize your Membership Rewards balance. It stretches the value you get from your rewards.
Redeeming points to cover your purchase activity is one of the most straightforward ways to use Amex points effectively.
Best Practices for Amex Bill Pay with Points
To make the most of Pay With Points, keep these tips in mind:
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Review your statement every month for eligible charges. Don’t let opportunities to use points go to waste.
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Focus on paying off your larger expenditures with points first if possible.
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Be aware you need a minimum 1,000-point redemption, so charges under $10 won’t qualify.
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Don’t wait until the last minute. Redeem points a few days before your due date in case there are any processing delays.
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Consider setting up automatic payments as a backup in case you forget to pay with points.
Taking a few minutes to review your monthly activity and redeeming points towards purchases is an easy way to maximize your Membership Rewards.
Other Ways to Use Amex Points
While Pay With Points is handy for your Amex statement, it’s not the only redemption option for Membership Rewards points. Here are a few other top choices to consider:
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Transfer points to airline/hotel partners – This offers the most value per point when redeemed for award travel. You can transfer Amex points to programs like Delta SkyMiles and Hilton Honors.
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Book travel through AmexTravel.com – You can use Membership Rewards points to book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and more directly through the Amex travel portal.
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Shop with points – Members can use points to redeem for gift cards, merchandise, cash back and more. The value may be lower.
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Cover purchases – In addition to your Amex bill, points can be redeemed as credits for purchases at retailers that accept American Express.
Evaluate your spending habits and travel goals to decide the best way to use your American Express points. Paying your bill with points is just one solid option.
Bottom Line
Paying your monthly American Express statement with Membership Rewards points allows you to lower your balance and get more value from your rewards. It’s a simple, effective way to offset your charges. Just log into your account and select the eligible purchases you want to redeem points towards as a statement credit.
To take advantage of this feature, make sure you have an eligible consumer Amex card, at least 1,000 points in your account, and charges from the past 90 days that qualify. Review your activity regularly and redeem points to cover purchases whenever possible. Along with paying down your balance faster, it helps you maximize your Amex Membership Rewards.
Cards that offer a Pay with Points bonus
As mentioned, there are three Amex cards for small businesses that offer a rebate when you pay with points (terms apply). Here are their current welcome offers and other details:
- The Business Platinum Card from American Express: Earn 150,000 points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first three months of card membership.
- American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership.
- Centurion Business Card from American Express: Applications by invitation only.
The information for the Centurion Business card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
| Details | Business Centurion | Business Platinum | Business Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay with Points rebate | 50% | 35% | 25% |
| Value of each redeemed point | 2 cents | 1.54 cents | 1.33 cents |
| Eligible flights | All flights | First- and business-class flights, and economy flights on your selected airline | First- and business-class flights, and economy flights on your selected airline |
| Maximum number of bonus points | N/A | 1 million points per calendar year | 250,000 points per calendar year |
Amex Pay with Points value
If you have any Membership Rewards points-earning cards, you can redeem your points at a fixed rate of 0.6 cents each to wipe charges off your statement. However, TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, so youd be sacrificing a lot of value if you go this route, making this one of the worst possible ways to redeem your Membership Rewards points. MINISERIES/GETTY IMAGES
Booking through Amex Travel gets you a slightly better value, as your points will be worth 1 cent each toward the cost of airfare, or 0.7-0.85 cents each for hotels, car rentals, cruises and more. If your goal is a truly free vacation, using points for car rentals or cruises can help keep your out-of-pocket costs down, but this is still far from an ideal redemption option.
However, you can generally get the highest Amex Pay with Points value through flight redemptions. There are three Amex cards for small businesses that offer attractive rebates of 25%-50% when using Pay with Points for flights, making this a solid redemption choice. This can be an easy way to lock in a minimum redemption value of more than 1 cent per point and is also a useful option when you need “last-seat availability”, i.e. you need to be on a specific flight even if it doesnt have award space via a frequent flyer program.
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How To Redeem Amex Points For MAX VALUE (Beginner’s Guide)
FAQ
Can I pay my American Express bill with rewards points?
Can I use my rewards points to pay my bill?
How much are 50,000 Amex points worth in cash?
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Number of American Express Points
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Average Value
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50,000
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$360
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60,000
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$432
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70,000
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$504
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80,000
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$576
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Can I use Amex points for partial payment?
How do I use American Express Pay with points?
It’s very easy to take advantage of the American Express Pay with Points feature to book your flight. First, sign in to your Amex account and then search for flights through the Amex Travel portal as you normally would. At checkout, select either “Use only points” or “Use points + American Express card” to apply some or all of your points.
Can I earn more American Express® points?
Expect more rewards after you apply and are approved for an eligible American Express ® Card. You can earn additional Membership Rewards points just for spending on certain categories, depending on your Card. Terms apply. What is the value of Membership Rewards® points?
How much does American Express charge for membership rewards?
American Express is under no obligation to make charges available for redemption using Membership Rewards points. Generally, these charges meet the following criteria: The charge must be at least $1.
How do I use pay with points?
To use Pay with Points, you mustcharge your eligible purchase through American Express Travel to a Membership Rewards® program-enrolled American Express® Card. Eligible purchases through American Express Travel exclude non-prepaid car rentals and non-prepaid hotels.
How many points can you earn with American Express business card?
The Business Platinum Card from American Express: Earn 150,000 points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first three months of card membership. American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership.
Can I use American Express points online?
Account managers and Rewards managers may be eligible to use points by calling the number on the back of your Card but are not eligible to use points online. 3. Available Charges American Express will present the eligible charges you can use points towards, and we may change which charges are eligible at any time without notice.