Credit Card Offers Amex Explorer: 50,000 bonus Amex points

Earn uncapped Amex Points and enjoy a $400 travel credit every year!​

Learn more and apply for this card:

American Express® Explorer Credit Card

With the American Express Explorer credit card, earn uncapped Amex Membership Rewards points and offset the annual fee with a travel credit.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

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What are the main benefits of this card?

1. Signup bonus: 50,000 bonus Amex Membership Rewards Points, when you spend at least $4,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of approval
2. Earn 2 Membership Rewards Points per $1 on eligible purchases, uncapped, which you can transfer to 13 different airline & hotel programs
3. $400 annual travel credit fully offsets the $395 annual fee

Why we like the American Express Explorer credit card

This card lets you earn Amex Membership Rewards points at a solid rate of 2 points per dollar, uncapped, without the higher annual fee of the Amex Platinum card.

You can transfer Amex points to 11 airline frequent flyer programs and 2 hotel loyalty programs, generally at a 2:1 rate. For example, this means you’re effectively earning 1 Velocity Point, Qatar Avios or Cathay Asia Mile per $1 spent on the card.

The $395 annual fee is offset by a $400 annual travel credit that you can spend on eligible flights, car rentals or hotels when booking through American Express Travel.

You'll also receive two free annual visits to the Amex Centurion Lounges in Sydney or Melbourne Airport, plus complimentary travel insurance. See our card guide for the full details:

American Express® Explorer Credit Card

With the American Express Explorer credit card, earn uncapped Amex Membership Rewards points and offset the annual fee with a travel credit.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

AFF members are welcome to discuss this card in this thread.

 

[foggy]

Guys I still haven't got my Explorer linked back to my Ascent rewards and my follow-up request got denied when I called, saying they are different rewards programs. So I think it's best not to unlink if your are already linked. I'm interested to know what happens to new Explorer card applicants who already have Ascent, is the system still defaulting to Ascent or is that loophole also fixed now?

Have you had an Australian rep yet?
Did you say it want it linked so that it is easier to manage your rewards?
I hope they haven't closed this perk..

 

[Ken1]

A friend of mine applied for Platinum Charge card around a month ago and as soon as he received it he then applied for the Explorer. When it arrived it was already linked to Ascent Plus so as of a few weeks ago they were still linking them.

 

[somebodyhere]

Have you had an Australian rep yet?
Did you say it want it linked so that it is easier to manage your rewards?
I hope they haven't closed this perk..

Tried again today during business hours, this time I got an Australian rep and it worked!!

 

[Steady]

Tried again today during business hours, this time I got an Australian rep and it worked!!

Great to hear somebodyhere

 

[somebodyhere]

Now... not about the Explorer card, but has anyone linked their David Jones card to the Ascent or Ascent Premium? I just tried and didn't have success, but if someone has done it in the past, I will keep trying... haha.. I got a Philippines operator this afternoon.

 

[blacksultan]

What did they say ? Did anyone else try ?

 

[somebodyhere]

What did they say ? Did anyone else try ?

It's a different rewards program. But that's the same excuse I was given for the Explorer and evidently someone agreed to link that one to Ascent. Maybe we need an Australian operator to do this.

One thing I noticed is that the system didn't automatically link my David Jones to Ascent, whereas it did for the Explorer. So potentially it may not technically be possible for David Jones.

 

[AUPoints]

When I got my Platinum Charge card, it's automatically link to Ascent Premium.
After 2-3 weeks, I got my Explorer, and it's automatically link to Gateway as well.
At that time, I also called Amex to swap from my Velocity Platinum to Platinum Edge, and it's automatically link to Ascent as well.
Do you think which program better? Ascent, Ascent Premium or Gateway...

 

[ninja-tim]

When I got my Platinum Charge card, it's automatically link to Ascent Premium.
After 2-3 weeks, I got my Explorer, and it's automatically link to Gateway as well.
At that time, I also called Amex to swap from my Velocity Platinum to Platinum Edge, and it's automatically link to Ascent as well.
Do you think which program better? Ascent, Ascent Premium or Gateway...

What do you mean you swapped from Velocity platinum to Platinum edge?

 

[AUPoints]

What do you mean you swapped from Velocity platinum to Platinum edge?

Call them to talk about Product Change.
Cancelled Velocity Platinum and swapped to Platinum Edge. They'll send new Platinum Edge to you.

 

[ninja-tim]

Call them to talk about Product Change.
Cancelled Velocity Platinum and swapped to Platinum Edge. They'll send new Platinum Edge to you.

Oh, that sounds good. Any further checks? or just a straight swap? Did your credit limit stay or change?

 

[AUPoints]

Oh, that sounds good. Any further checks? or just a straight swap? Did your credit limit stay or change?

Yeah. No need any further checks, just a straight swap, same credit limit.

 

[xzclzj]

Got my Edge card today . Call them this PM, lucky i got a Oz staff . She said she can link my explorer and edge together before i mentioned that. After 30 mins points been transferred to my Ascent and gateway account has been removed.

 

[Spizz]

What phone number are people calling to get Oz staff?

 

[daft009]

the number on the back of the card, though its more about what time of day you call

 

[Arrow29]

I've been away so a bit late to this, have been reading with interest. I currently hold a Platinum Edge and Velocity Platinum; am thinking of calling to cancel my Velocity Platinum and then applying for this Explorer card as the points earn seems to suit my spend more.

- Are people still receiving the bonus sign on points as an existing card holder? (I saw that people were earlier in the thread but I admit, I haven't read every page - sorry!)
- Is the way to go about it applying online and then calling at a later date to merge accounts (I read on the wiki that if they're merged from the start the bonus points won't be credited)? Or when declaring an existing card holder in the application, will that then lead to the accounts being automatically merged?

I'll change regardless of whether I get the sign-on bonus points or not, but obviously would like to maximise my chance of getting them if possible!

Cheers

 

[djchuckles]

I've been away so a bit late to this, have been reading with interest. I currently hold a Platinum Edge and Velocity Platinum; am thinking of calling to cancel my Velocity Platinum and then applying for this Explorer card as the points earn seems to suit my spend more.

- Are people still receiving the bonus sign on points as an existing card holder? (I saw that people were earlier in the thread but I admit, I haven't read every page - sorry!)
- Is the way to go about it applying online and then calling at a later date to merge accounts (I read on the wiki that if they're merged from the start the bonus points won't be credited)? Or when declaring an existing card holder in the application, will that then lead to the accounts being automatically merged?

I'll change regardless of whether I get the sign-on bonus points or not, but obviously would like to maximise my chance of getting them if possible!

Cheers

You won't get the bonus points, but its still a great card - go through a friend or family members referral as at least that way they'll get some referral points (currently 30k).

 

[kpc]

Just wondering. Currently have Explorer. Thinking of applying for Edge. Will the Rewards program come linked or would I have to link it manually after I get the Edge card?

After getting the Edge card, and making 3-4 frustrating calls to Amex over a 3-4 week period, my Explorer is now linked to the Ascent program. Thanks to all who have posted here

 

[Arrow29]

You won't get the bonus points, but its still a great card - go through a friend or family members referral as at least that way they'll get some referral points (currently 30k).

Thanks for the reply. I called up to cancel my velocity platinum so that I could subsequently apply for the Explorer, but I didn't realise that my annual fee was only paid in June..so figure I'll keep it for a bit longer and use up the free flight then change over next year. Was also given 25,000 velocity points to not cancel which helped!

 

[Spizz]

Finally got lucky and got through to Australian call center. Phone call took 5 minutes and all linked within 24 hours and they were very helpful. Points already transferred to under my Edge card. Very happy. Now 2 points per earn on everything instead of 1.5 points per $. Brilliant

The only thing I can no longer find is my travel credits for both cards so it seems I might need to call when I need to use them. Just need to check when they expire for the current period.