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.

 

[bismarck]

Hi All
I only have a velocity card at the moment
If I sign up to this card, is there anyway to upgrade to the ascent program after to get the extra value from those types of points?
cheers

I wish!!!!

 

[unfunkable]

I wish!!!!

How about if my wife has a ascent account...can I link it to hers after? lol..
The extra .5 point means 9000 MR per month based on my spend...

 

[ninja-tim]

Wow great news re: referral. Guess it's time to sign up the missus.

 

[ninja-tim]

How about if my wife has a ascent account...can I link it to hers after? lol..
The extra .5 point means 9000 MR per month based on my spend...

Only if she is the one signing up, i.e. she is the primary card holder. Why don't you sign up then refer her for referral points? Also don't forget to call up and add her as supplementary for extra 5k points, however that ends on the 30/10/16 I think.

 

[unfunkable]

She already has a velocity and plat edge and I have a velocity, only need one more for myself

 

[albyd]

You will need an ascent card (e.g. Edge or Platinum Charge) to then have an ascent account that you could request to link the explorer to.

 

[unfunkable]

Can we link it to ascent AFTER we get the bonus points?
I read it starts off as linked - then you ask for it to be unlinked to get the bonus points, but then they won't link it?

 

[ninja-tim]

Can we link it to ascent AFTER we get the bonus points?
I read it starts off as linked - then you ask for it to be unlinked to get the bonus points, but then they won't link it?

Earlier in the thread, I think someone posted that you can link it after 12 months, but that was after unlinking it from Ascent in the first place.

Might have to call up to find out.

 

[bismarck]

Earlier in the thread, I think someone posted that you can link it after 12 months, but that was after unlinking it from Ascent in the first place.

Might have to call up to find out.

I'd suggest it's probably a system error that's causing the linking. There's nothing to suggest that Amex are really intending for people to be able to choose which MR program you want a card to link to (you've certainly never been able to for any of their other cards)

 

[blueythecat]

Strangely when I follow my referral link it only shows Platinum Edge as available. Platinum Edge is now shown as having travel credit rather than a return flight

On Amex page it still offer free return flight:

https://www.americanexpress.com/au/...edge&s_tntref=https://www.americanexpress.com

I hope they don't change this on existing card holders. There will be a few angry people.

I'll be super disappointed if they apply this to existing card holders. I easily get $350+ value out of the free flights. Having said that, I can imagine that for some people, especially those not living in a city served by the free flight destinations, the $200 travel credit may be a better option. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Norris]

Question

I currently hold a american express DISCOVERY credit card, will cancelling this and signing up to the new EXPLORER give me the benefit of the 100k sign up points?

thanks

 

[Finale]

Question

I currently hold a american express DISCOVERY credit card, will cancelling this and signing up to the new EXPLORER give me the benefit of the 100k sign up points?

thanks

You don't even have to cancel your Discovery card Better keep it for a small shop promo and still get 100k from Explorer (or 110k using referral link).

 

[Norris]

Just found on amex website - hrmm not sure this is right

. Offer only available to new American Express Card Members who apply online by 30 November 2016, are approved and spend $1,500 on their new Card in the first 2 months from the Card approval date. Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited, including and not limited to Proprietary and Affinity Cards, in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer. 100,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points will be awarded to the eligible Card Member’s account 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.

 

[Finale]

Just found on amex website - hrmm not sure this is right

. Offer only available to new American Express Card Members who apply online by 30 November 2016, are approved and spend $1,500 on their new Card in the first 2 months from the Card approval date. Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Consumer Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited, including and not limited to Proprietary and Affinity Cards, in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer. 100,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points will be awarded to the eligible Card Member’s account 8-10 weeks after the spend criteria has been met. This advertised offer is not applicable or valid in conjunction with any other advertised or promotional offer.

So far Amex still hasn't enforced that terms. Except putting Explorer card in Ascent for some existing customers who already have a card in Ascent program. Since you have a Discovery card, you should be ok but who knows..they could enforce it anytime.

 

[potm]

Another report here of being successful in getting the bonus points after getting my explorer unlinked from my edge ascent program. Points posted as soon as transactions cleared.

 

[calgarychris]

Just a heads-up that today's apparently the last day to get the 5K bonus points for signing up a supplementary card holder. I believe you need to call in rather than do it online to get the points.

Now, I'm still trying to wrap my head around pulling my Explorer card off the Ascent program...this only makes sense if you're ditching the card right, since the earn on Gateway is 1.5 vs. 2.0 through Ascent?

 

[unfunkable]

I think its 2 points per dollar spent on either program
It's just with ascent you convert 1:1 to most airlines and the conversion for gateway is weaker - that's my understanding .

 

[calgarychris]

I think its 2 points per dollar spent on either program
It's just with ascent you convert 1:1 to most airlines and the conversion for gateway is weaker - that's my understanding .

I believe you're correct - I was referring to the final points earn (I.e. 1.5 SQ points per dollar as it transfers at 3:2 in Gateway)

 

[unfunkable]

Yep final points earn - I'm thinking of getting the program linked to my wifes ascent and forgoing the bonus points, as I would make that in a years spend bases on 2 vs 1.5 /$
But then I would be getting an extra 80k points per year based on 2 points/$ thereafter...until they catch on and stop it?

 

[adamphosho]

So after 3 days of having my Gateway account unlinked from my Ascent Premium - I spent $1500 straight away as I knew I only had 4 more days till my 2 months was up for Explorer card to get the points. Glad to say that this morning - I received the 100K Gateway points. So from my experience - if you have your Explorer card activated and it is linked to your Ascent Premium - then unlink it so you have an individual Gateway program where you earn points from the Amex Explorer card. This triggers something in their system so you earn the 100K Gateway points. Hope this helps others in this thread to decide whether to get the Amex Explorer card or not - and also if you have the accounts linked - if it is worth unlinking or not.

Thanks for taking the plunge with this. After your successful result I did the same. On Thursday I unlinked, my gateway program was active by the end of the day, I hit the minimum spend over the weekend, and today the bonus posted.