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.

 

[Finale]

- Last year I called them and was told it was impossible to combine Gateway and Ascent.
- A few days later I was told it was possible to combine but in my case, it couldn't be done as they had to separate business and personal MR programs. Gave up at this point.
- Yesterday I was told it was possible but needed to redeem all my points in Gateway as they wouldn't be transferred.
- Today my Explorer has been linked to Ascent and CSR said she would transfer Gateway points manually. lol

Not sure when Amex has become a HUACA company but happy to get 200k gateway points into Ascent.

Let's see if I have to chase the points and a travel credit.

 

[Finale]

Got my Gateway points now in Ascent so a whole process took around 6-7 hours. Travel credit still missing but I could chase that later.

 

[foggy]

I've just made a claim with my Explorer cards Smartphone insurance for a screen replacement. If your phone is on a plan, then your plan must list the model of your phone on the monthly bills itself or they won't accept it. Luckily I had purchased it outright. I had honestly thought as long as I was paying a monthly phone bill with the explorer card then they would accept the claim without having the bill listing the model of my phone.

 

[gavhore]

Hi, I am looking at getting corporate credit cards for the company that i work for and am trying to work out which of the Amex cards has the best rewards program. From the previous discussions, am i understanding it correctly that the best thing to get is the Platinum Business Card and then also get the Business Explorer Cards as supplementary cards? You then ring up Amex to move the rewards program of the Explorer cards from Gateway to the Ascent Program? Is that Correct? Also do the points only go to the card holder or can you set it up to go to the company.and then it can distribute them to a card holder for a flight.

Any help would be most appreciated

 

[ninja-tim]

Hi, I am looking at getting corporate credit cards for the company that i work for and am trying to work out which of the Amex cards has the best rewards program. From the previous discussions, am i understanding it correctly that the best thing to get is the Platinum Business Card and then also get the Business Explorer Cards as supplementary cards? You then ring up Amex to move the rewards program of the Explorer cards from Gateway to the Ascent Program? Is that Correct? Also do the points only go to the card holder or can you set it up to go to the company.and then it can distribute them to a card holder for a flight.

Any help would be most appreciated

I don't think you can get the Explorer cards as a supplementary to the Platinum charge cards. Supplementary cards are the same as the original card type.

On that note, I've got a plat charge card that I pretty much haven't used since I got my explorer card (about 1 year ago) because the explorer rewards are linked to the plat ascent program. Just got a call from the business manager who looks after my plat card saying I need to use my plat card because it's be classed as a non-serviced card (I think this was the term), meaning it's no longer being used by the customer (i.e. me) and is now at risk of being cancelled from non-usage.

Can they do this?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

and is now at risk of being cancelled from non-usage.

Can they do this?

I would imagine that any issuer can cancel virtually any card that one may have with appropriate notice.

 

[Diesellife]

Hi All,

Have anyone successfully linked a business explorer gateway to personal Ascent?

I've been trying more than 10 times but keep getting not possible, have to keep personal / business seperate kind of excuses...

If this can be done, can someone please pm me a screenshot (with the card number removed of course).

Thank you everyone.

 

[SOPOOR]

quick question

does the annual fee count towards the minimum spend?

 

[NoName]

quick question

does the annual fee count towards the minimum spend?

No.

 

[zainman]

what'st the latest with people getting bonuses again for this card? Had it earlier in the year and have held no AMEX cards since. Would I get it? Don't care about linking/delinking as I transfer to SPG anyway

 

[Points Hunter]

No, very unlikely.

It seems Amex are enforcing their new 18-months rule of not holding an Amex issued card to be eligible for the bonus. (Except for the DJ card).

 

[Pointy Bird]

Hi everyone.
I have an Explorer with millions of gateway points. Clearly I would like to transfer to Ascent program, hence I have just applied for an Platinum Edge card. I understand I will have to phone (perhaps numerous times) to attempt to transfer my Explorer to Ascent, but do I need to start using the Edge card prior to making the phone call to show them I am making use of the Ascent program? Or, have people simply been successful with the transfer without even using their Edge card?
Thanks

 

[Dr Ralph]

hey guys, I want to transfer my reward points from Amex Explorer to Asia miles and then cancel my cc.
My question is: After transfering my points and canceling my CC I will still be able to use my points from Asia miles right?

I don't need to keep my CC account open to use these points?

No problems at all with this approach. If there was churners like me would be in big trouble!

 

[Jamesaurus]

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..

I'm hoping to try this with my 100k+MR from my explorer.. but would I need an amex that is already on the ascent program?
Is the reasoning people trying this because ascent is 1:1 and can be used on qantas?

 

[Steady]

Is the reasoning people trying this because ascent is 1:1 and can be used on qantas?

The reason I wanted to change from Gateway to Accent was for 1:1 Accent : Krisflyer - instead of 4:3 Gateway : Krisflyer

I don't have a Platinum Charge to get the Accent premium MR points (or whatever the correct name is) that converts to QF

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I'm hoping to try this with my 100k+MR from my explorer.. but would I need an amex that is already on the ascent program?
Is the reasoning people trying this because ascent is 1:1 and can be used on qantas?

Qantas is where I put points ONLY if I cannot get them to Krisflyer or Velocity. To me a KF points is worth far far more than a QFF point in terms of value and ability to book premium cabin flights awards when I want them.

 

[Pointy Bird]

My accounts have been linked with all points now showing under my edge - I wasn't expecting it to happen so quick and painlessly

Steady - when you did this, did you have a lot of points in both gateway and ascent ?
I have a lot of gateway points from my Explorer, but a brand new Edge card (coming in the mail) with nil ascent points.
I am concerned they will reject my request to make both cards under ascent program. Perhaps I need to use the Edge for a while 1st in order to make it look better?

 

[daft009]

Steady - when you did this, did you have a lot of points in both gateway and ascent ?
I have a lot of gateway points from my Explorer, but a brand new Edge card (coming in the mail) with nil ascent points.
I am concerned they will reject my request to make both cards under ascent program. Perhaps I need to use the Edge for a while 1st in order to make it look better?

Back in March this year I had 300k gateway and 0 ascent as just applied for edge.
Took me 5 phone calls till I found someone who would link.
Just try at different times of day and different days

 

[Steady]

Steady - when you did this, did you have a lot of points in both gateway and ascent ?
I have a lot of gateway points from my Explorer, but a brand new Edge card (coming in the mail) with nil ascent points.
I am concerned they will reject my request to make both cards under ascent program. Perhaps I need to use the Edge for a while 1st in order to make it look better?

I don't remember exact amounts but there were about 450k Gateway and 50k accent. The times my request to combine were rejected the number of Gateway points compared to accent was brought up. When I got through to an Aussie, they couldn't have been more helpful.
Don't give up, it is worth the effort

 

[SOPOOR]

question

have a friend who applied for explorer, ive spent the minimum spend and is giving me the points

however the max transfer of points is 50k, and they would be on the gateway program,
they are going to close the card soon as they wont use it,
they also wont get a platinum edge as they wont get the bonus points

what options do thye have to get the most points out of the situation

I was thinking, transfer the max 50k to me, and the rest to my velocity

and when do you recommend to cancel the card, the travel credit isnt important but we do have to pay the annual fee,
we could sell the travel credit it if we can find a buyer

alterantively, we can pay the fee, use the credit , and cancel the card and try and get a retention bonus as well

thanks everyone