A few weeks ago, I was out to breakfast with a friend — the kind where you sit down for pancakes and end up talking for three and a half hours.

When the check came, I realized I’d left the card I’m working on for a minimum spend at home. Luckily, I had my American Express® Gold Card tucked in my wallet. It earns 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants and 4X at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year), so that long breakfast chat ended up earning me enough points to cover a night of our next family trip.

Little moments like that are exactly how our family turns everyday spending into travel adventures.

If you’re looking to do the same, here’s how to get the most out of your American Express Membership Rewards® — from earning strategies to transfer sweet spots and real examples of how these points can take you further.

Cards that Earn Membership Rewards® Points

American Express has a family of cards that earn Membership Rewards® points, each with strengths depending on your lifestyle and spending. Some examples include:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Business Gold Card
• American Express® Gold Card

Each of these allows you to accumulate Membership Rewards® points through spending. The bonus categories vary depending on the card. For example:

• The Gold Card earns the 4× points on dining and supermarket categories as noted above.
• The Platinum cards typically offer higher travel-category multipliers, plus premium travel perks.

Welcome & Retention Offers

Welcome Offers

American Express often presents generous welcome bonus offers for new cardholders. These bonuses give you a strong head-start toward your next trip. Generally, you can earn the welcome bonus once per lifetime for a specific card. Some data points suggest a “once every seven years” interpretation in practice.

Retention Offers

If you already hold one of the cards and your annual fee is close to posting, consider reaching out via secure chat or phone to ask about a retention offer. These offers sometimes include bonus points, statement credits, or fee waivers in exchange for meeting a modest spending threshold.

How to Combine and Transfer Membership Rewards® Points

Before booking your dream trip, it’s important to understand how Membership Rewards® works:

• You can combine points across your U.S. personal and business Membership Rewards® accounts as long as they’re in your name.
• You cannot pool points with another person unless they are an authorized user on your account.
• One of the biggest advantages: you can transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Transfer Partners (as of Late 2025)

Airline Transfer Partners

Here are some of the key airline programs you can transfer to:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Aeromexico Club Premier
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• ANA Mileage Club
• British Airways Executive Club
• Delta SkyMiles®
• Emirates Skywards
• Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Hotel Transfer Partners

• Hilton Honors — transfer from Membership Rewards® points.
• Marriott Bonvoy® — one of the hotel partners.
• Choice Privileges — also among partners.

Notes & Disclaimers

• Transfer ratios vary by program — many are 1:1, but some may be different.
• Points transfers are generally irreversible — once you move them to a partner program, they can’t be moved back.
• Always check award availability before transferring points.

How to Maximize Your Transfers

Here are a few of my favorite strategic uses for Membership Rewards® points:

• Air Canada Aeroplan: Excellent value for flights to Europe, especially business class. Stopovers may be possible for small extra points.
• British Airways Avios: Great for short-haul flights (e.g., domestic segments or intra-Europe), where fees/taxes may be lower.
• Flying Blue: A go-to program for booking partner flights. I’ve used this type of transfer strategy to book expensive flights for a fraction of the cash cost.

Note: Availability and redemption terms shift regularly — treat these as high-potential strategies, not guarantees.

Real-Life Examples from Our Family

• Transferred Membership Rewards® points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and booked with a major partner airline (yes, expensive cash fare — we swapped points instead).
• Used the Fine Hotels & Resorts® program (see next section) for a stay where our earned points + perks covered a big chunk of cost.
• Transferred to Hilton Honors for a family resort stay — maximized value by booking when points + perks aligned.

These examples show how Membership Rewards® can stretch far beyond just covering flights — into full travel experiences.

Fine Hotels & Resorts® (FHR) — Premium Use Case

If you hold one of the premium cards (Platinum variants), don’t skip the FHR program. It includes over 1,300 luxury properties worldwide and comes with perks like:

• $100 hotel credit (to use for dining, spa, or other services)
• Daily breakfast for two
• 4 pm guaranteed late checkout
• Room upgrades upon arrival (when available)
• Noon check-in (when available)

You can book these with cash, points, or a combination — and when done right, the value goes well beyond the cost of one card annual fee.

Ways to Offset Annual Fees

Premium cards often carry high annual fees, but many of the benefits can help you recoup or exceed that cost. Common credits and perks include:

• Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit (every few years)
• Airline incidental fee credit (varies by card)
• Digital entertainment credits, food/dining credits, ride-share credits
• Lounge access (Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, etc)
• Hotel status or travel benefits

For your readers, emphasis on using each credit fully is key — an unused credit is value lost.

Earning Points Beyond the Welcome Bonus

After you’ve captured the welcome offer, keep accelerating your balance by focusing on category bonuses:

• 4× Membership Rewards® points on restaurants worldwide with the Gold Card.
• 4× points at U.S. supermarkets with the Gold Card.
• Continue stacking Amex Offers, shopping portals, and strategic spending to boost your points accumulation.

Final Thoughts

Membership Rewards® is one of the most flexible and powerful travel currencies available — especially when you pair the right card, know how to transfer points strategically, and book travel intelligently.
It’s how our family turns everyday spending — from groceries to breakfast outings — into flights and hotel stays across the world.