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

---

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.

 

[Mr_Orange]

Having the Explorer and the Edge is a great two card Amex Combination.

It's looking that way. I'll have to review whether I keep the Plat Charge come annual fee time, althoiugh I do like the (relative) handcuff free nature of a charge card against the credit limit of a credit card.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Can't wait to see what the referral bonus is like when it becomes open!

I would guess that the 100K will drop. So probably best to get one's own card now especially as the 1.5KF points per $ on normally spend is attractive.

 

[bbqwer]

Can I use the $400 travel credit for hotel bookings ? or only for flight ?
cheers

 

[albyd]

Anything you can book with Amex travel which means it's pretty flexible.

 

[N860CR]

Has anyone had their $400 become available yet? I can't find how to access it

 

[Plutonus]

Has anyone had their $400 become available yet? I can't find how to access it

The terms say all you need to do is book via americanexpress.com.au/travel and it will be applied. You need to have paid the annual fee and made at least the minimum payment amount on your first statement for the credit to be available.

If you have more than one American Express card that provides travel credit you will need to call to book.

 

[Finale]

Has anyone had their $400 become available yet? I can't find how to access it

Mine showed up at amex travel site (also on point history table) a couple days after getting bonus points. You can choose to apply $400 credit on on the checkout page and pay the rest using one of your amex cards. I already used mine and I haven't made any payment yet and the annual fee hasn't posted.

 

[JohnJa]

I'm also earning 2 ppd on the Ascent program with this card (also have the Edge). Haven't spent the $1,500 yet so don't know if I'll get the bonus points but I'm thinking about calling Amex and informing them that the points are posting to the wrong program. Bit of a gamble as I'm obviously hoping for the bonus points which usually post as a new member when in a different reward program (points received for Edge, Velocity and DJ). But the downside would be if I didn't receive the bonus points and I'm stuck in the inferior reward program.
Has anyone tried this and received the bonus points?

 

[leyy]

I currently have a Velocity Platinum card with Amex and plan to cancel it.

Can I please get your suggestion on whether I should cancel the velocity card first and apply for the explorer or apply for the card and cancel velocity after?

Or is there no difference for the approval process.

 

[adelee]

I currently have a Velocity Platinum card with Amex and plan to cancel it.

Can I please get your suggestion on whether I should cancel the velocity card first and apply for the explorer or apply for the card and cancel velocity after?

Or is there no difference for the approval process.

As long as you only hold the AMEX Platinum (and no other AMEX issued credit card), then it won't make a difference what you do first. (You can only hold 2 x AMEX issued credit cards at once, so if you already hold two, they will make you cancel one before your Explorer application can be approved.)

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I currently have a Velocity Platinum card with Amex and plan to cancel it.

Can I please get your suggestion on whether I should cancel the velocity card first and apply for the explorer or apply for the card and cancel velocity after?

Or is there no difference for the approval process.

In terms of approval if you only have the Velocity then I think it would make it easier to be accepted fora second card.

If you have 2 amex issued CCs it will make no difference which way you go. If you already have 2 Amex issued credit cards you will be asked to cancel one though otherwise they will not approve your new card. If you do have 2 if Amex were willing to approve the card they will contact you to see whether you want to cancel one CC, or to not proceed with the Explorer.

In terms of whether you are more likely to gain the 100K sign-on bonus. I do not think that anyone will probably know if it would make a difference either way. My gut feel would be that it would be better to make sure that you only have only one Amex issued CC before applying.

 

[momad]

Hi guys, got my card and registered a new online account. However, I cannot access Membership Rewards and it says I need to register my card for Membership Rewards. Did anyone do this?

Also, when I am at the registration page, it has a field that says "Choose the Rewards programMembership Rewards Ascent
Annual program fee AU$80.00 / Included in annual card fee"


Does this mean I can choose either Ascent or just standard Membership Rewards Gateway for the 100k points?

 

[kamchatsky]

The $1500 has finally came through, and 100k bonus Gateway points posted. Excellent!

 

[Steady]

Has anyone linked the Explorer card to their Paypal account?

I tried this morning but it does not accept / recognise the number?

 

[bbqwer]

Still no bonus points, Cant see the $400 travel voucher at amex travel website.

First statement has been posted + annual fees on it :shock:

Rewards merged with EDGE Cards, earning 2ppd Ascent

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Still no bonus points, Cant see the $400 travel voucher at amex travel website.

First statement has been posted + annual fees on it :shock:

Rewards merged with EDGE Cards, earning 2ppd Ascent

I thought I read somewhere $400 Travel Voucher eligibility after annual fee paid? I might be wrong - usually am.

Edit: Here tis - Point 2:

 

[tizey]

Rewards merged with EDGE Cards, earning 2ppd Ascent

When you login to your explorer card, does it say to check your edge card to view your points?

I've got the scenario where my mums Amex Gold Credit Card (Gateway Rewards) has merged with her newly acquired Platinum Charge (Ascent Premium Rewards). I referred her to the card and have received the 20,000 referral points, so I'm hoping she gets the 80,000 points, but seems a bit unusual that they have merged the two card programs to the newer one.

 

[bbqwer]

When you login to your explorer card, does it say to check your edge card to view your points?

Yes this is correct.

 

[potm]

I applied last week and yesterday received a letter saying that they have received 2 applications so have cancelled one. I was pretty sure I hadn't so called up to check. The guy couldn't find a second application and said he would look into it with his team leader and call me back in 2-4 hours. Of course there is no call back so I call again, explain the whole story again to a different guy and this time get told it's been escalated and I have to wait 24-48 hours. Customer service levels have really slipped from my recent experiences with amex.

 

[pauly]

Has anyone linked the Explorer card to their Paypal account?

I tried this morning but it does not accept / recognise the number?

To add your card you'll need to go via here: https://www.paypal.com/creditcard