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.

 

[SOPOOR]

Why wouldn't it be charged? You get the points and the benefits to use. Renewal is a different matter.

If you've read the thread properly you would know that some have had their fee refunded in full or pro rata up to 6 months in. Some have even used their travel credit as well

 

[Cynicor]

I've read the thread, thanks. I also have had CCs with various companies, including AMEX for long enough to know that one's random occasional good luck doesn't change anything.

 

[SOPOOR]

I've read the thread, thanks. I also have had CCs with various companies, including AMEX for long enough to know that one's random occasional good luck doesn't change anything.

Fair enough.
I've also had ccs with various companies for many years. And I wouldn't have a clue how annual fee pro rata refunds work. It sounds like you tried to get a refund for all of the cards in the first year.
Did you?

 

[SOPOOR]

called up again and they cancelled the card without the annual fee charge,

very happy

 

[kostravel]

I tried linking my Explorer and Edge tonight to get Ascent points but was told I would lose my $400 travel credit.

Has anyone done this and kept both the $200 and $400 travel credit? Or do I need to try calling again at a different time?

 

[daft009]

try again another time.
I had both credits available and could choose one or the other for different bookings

 

[kostravel]

Thanks for the fast response! I'll try again on the weekend.

 

[somebodyhere]

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.

I’m interested to know this too.

My Business Platinum Charge is linked to my Personal Platinum Charge. But I haven’t got Business Explorer.

Did you apply for the Business Explorer before or after you had the personal Ascent card? If it was after, I would have thought the system would link it automatically.

 

[Diesellife]

Nope it doesn't. My business explorer is causing me grieve as it couldn't be linked to my personal ascent premium....
I will cancel it if Amex doesn't sort that out.

 

[somebodyhere]

Nope it doesn't. My business explorer is causing me grieve as it couldn't be linked to my personal ascent premium....
I will cancel it if Amex doesn't sort that out.

Have you spoken to an Australian call centre operator? Consensus is that you will have more luck with an Australian operator. Maybe call the personal Explorer line rather than the business Explorer line.

 

[unfunkable]

My explorer is linked into paypal atm -
Is anybody having trouble paying bills by postbillpay?
Hangs when I click confirm, and it does not take me to paypal.

 

[Diesellife]

Have you spoken to an Australian call centre operator? Consensus is that you will have more luck with an Australian operator. Maybe call the personal Explorer line rather than the business Explorer line.

Yeah, spoke to a few Aussie and still no good, apparently it's a system restriction....

 

[hachoo]

Had this card for almost 9 months now. Used the travel credit, not used the AMEX lounge and now waiting to see what's on the horizon. Anyone keeping this past the next annual fee or most of us churners out there already passed it on?

 

[daft009]

I'm hanging onto it for as long as I can. Earning 2ppd uncapped linked to ascent can't be beaten. Already got my travel credit and annual fee for the second year

 

[albyd]

It’s a keeper for me - 2 Ascent Premium points is great. I’m putting everything on it.

Was hoping I could get a retention bonus too as haven’t used my travel credit yet. Will call up & ask when my annual fee hits doesn’t hurt to ask. Sounds like that party has finished. Worth it for me to keep it either way. Best one in my current line up.

 

[306]

Have you spoken to an Australian call centre operator? Consensus is that you will have more luck with an Australian operator. Maybe call the personal Explorer line rather than the business Explorer line.

I've tried to link my business explorer to my ascent, spoke to an Australian rep. Said it can't be done because there was no way to attribute the bonus 50k bonus that the business card has.

As I posted in another thread, the business version will earn more FF points if you spend between $100-114k (factoring in the bonus). Otherwise the personal version will earn more + you get the travel spend.

I'll personally be sticking to the business version as I do not qualify for the personal version, unless they allow me to do a product swap.

 

[hachoo]

I haven't linked to Ascent program as I don't have a Platinum (edge or charge) and don't intend on getting either. I'm thinking based on that it's not really worth it. Will ring up for a retention bonus and see where that takes us.

 

[albyd]

Called Amex today and asked about my missing explorer travel credit as I’m linked to Ascent Premium. I haven’t used my travel credit yet and I’m coming up to my renewal. Asked if I could have a points bonus in return for not using it this year. Was refused.

Operator dug into my file and ascertained that the credit was still linked to my old gateway rewards account which is why I couldn’t see it on the Amex travel booking site.

She managed to retrieve it and I can now see it. Said that from now on it will show up correctly on card anniversary and said that my pooling arrangement to Ascent Premium hadn’t been affected.

I can now see explorer travel credit and it has expiry in a year’s time. Points are where they should be.

Happy with Amex best service in the industry. May have a crack at some bonus points though the vibes I was getting was they might not be forthcoming. Will report back my experience when my Platinum Charge annual fee issues.

 

[Jamesaurus]

Just got my first statement. Card annual fee is on there, travel credit on there, bonus points dont appear to be-
Are most people getting theirs on the first statement(assuming min spend is met)? Or is this typically the case that they apply on second statement after the annual fee has been paid?

 

[NoName]

Just got my first statement. Card annual fee is on there, travel credit on there, bonus points dont appear to be-
Are most people getting theirs on the first statement(assuming min spend is met)? Or is this typically the case that they apply on second statement after the annual fee has been paid?

My experience was that bonus points would be given as soon as the transaction that took you above the spend requirement had cleared. It was visible in the points section which lists each transaction and how many points were earned.