Are you just a few thousand points short of booking that dream reward flight or hotel stay? American Express offers a little-known option to purchase additional Membership Rewards points directly through their customer service. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about buying Amex points.
Cost of Amex Points
American Express offers Membership Rewards points at a standard rate of 4,000 INR for 10,000 points, which translates to an effective value of 0.40 INR per point. There are no additional taxes or processing fees applied to your purchase. When you check your statement, the charge will simply appear as a regular purchase transaction.
Purchase Limits and Eligibility
You can purchase a maximum of 10,000 points per card per year. One advantage of having multiple American Express cards is that these purchase limits apply to each individual card, not your entire account. One should have an Amex Platinum Travel Credit Card or a Membership Rewards Credit Card in pocket.
How to buy Amex Points?
The processing method involves a direct debit to your card, which is handled exclusively by American Express customer service representatives. For security reasons, there are no payment links or third-party platforms involved in the transaction. You shall typically receive points instantly but it may take 2-3 days in few scenarios.
You can’t buy points through any other portal but through customer care of Amex only. It can be done either via Chat or on call.
When to buy Points?
The best scenarios for purchasing Amex points include:
- When you’re close to a redemption goal
- For time-sensitive reward bookings
- If you find high-value redemption opportunities
Here is one such high value redemption opportunity me & my wife took during our SAS 1 million challenge. You can also use them extensively during bonuses like these or on flights with Virgin Atlantic
Conclusion
There are multiple opportunities available for buying an airline & hotel points throughout the year but Amex offers a unique proposition in India to let you buy reward points even on a credit card. If you think Amex points are more valuable to you than ₹0.4, I believe you should do this every year. It’s also beneficial since Amex points never expire.