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.

 

[imipenam]

I've tried calling to link my explorer card to my ascent card at midnight and at 11am with no luck so far. What exact times are people having success with?

Sat 9-10 pm was the magical time for me

 

[imipenam]

How long after relinking did it take for the gateway points to transfer to the Ascent account? My account is relinked but the points haven't come across eeek

36-48 hours. Rang Sat night, linked and transfered Mon 5pm

 

[adelee]

36-48 hours. Rang Sat night, linked and transfered Mon 5pm

Thanks. One attempt late this week was met with a flat refusal to link my Gateway to Ascent (mine have always been separate, was never previously linked). Might try again next Sat evening, as I have now met my SPG points target and want to start to transfer back to Krisflyer down the track.

 

[unfunkable]

Thanks. One attempt late this week was met with a flat refusal to link my Gateway to Ascent (mine have always been separate, was never previously linked). Might try again next Sat evening, as I have now met my SPG points target and want to start to transfer back to Krisflyer down the track.

Hmm that has got me worried, I went to al ot of effort to open up a explorer hoping they will link my ascent to gateway. Hopefully they haven't caught wind of it and starting to clamp down on it :S

edit: just rang to move my credit over, and asked them about potentially opening a ascent premium account like plat charge and If I could merge the two programs - she put me on hold, came back and said no. American sounding CSR...doesn't look good!

 

[imipenam]

Hmm that has got me worried, I went to al ot of effort to open up a explorer hoping they will link my ascent to gateway. Hopefully they haven't caught wind of it and starting to clamp down on it :S

edit: just rang to move my credit over, and asked them about potentially opening a ascent premium account like plat charge and If I could merge the two programs - she put me on hold, came back and said no. American sounding CSR...doesn't look good!

It is a worry. Have you got your explorer and edge linked at the moment?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

edit: just rang to move my credit over, and asked them about potentially opening a ascent premium account like plat charge and If I could merge the two programs - she put me on hold, came back and said no. American sounding CSR...doesn't look good!

Personally I think that response is not that important as what is important is what can happen rather than what is meant to happen.

By asking a hypothetical you are only likely to get the" they are separate reward programs answer" as that is probably what the rules say. Whereas the right CSR might see if they can link them and do so if physically possible. If they checked what the rules say it would probably be a no.

When I called up I just asked them to link, rather than if I could link it.

 

[unfunkable]

I don't have an edge atm, only just applied for it. Hopefully it comes pre-linked to my explorer. I'll wait and see what happens.

 

[imipenam]

Personally I think that response is not that important as what is important is what can happen rather than what is meant to happen.

By asking a hypothetical you are only likely to get the" they are separate reward programs answer" as that is probably what the rules say. Whereas the right CSR might see if they can link them and do so if physically possible. If they checked what the rules say it would probably be a no.

When I called up I just asked them to link, rather than if I could link it.

I agree with lovetravellingoz.

 

[fairbasa]

Did everyone else's 5k supplementary card bonus come through today?

 

[Steady]

Did everyone else's 5k supplementary card bonus come through today?

A few have, there are some posts here

 

[fortunately]

I applied yesterday but they havent called me yet.

This is gonna be my first cc ever (if i get it)

 

[Steady]

I applied yesterday but they havent called me yet.

This is gonna be my first cc ever (if i get it)

Good luck, I used my own money via a visa debit card for years so didn't have a credit history. I got rejected a few times but once I got my first approval I was away and haven't looked back.

 

[imipenam]

I applied yesterday but they havent called me yet.

This is gonna be my first cc ever (if i get it)

All the best! Hope you will be fortunately fortunate with the application. Its a nice first card to have IMO. Have fun with the Amex statement credits/deals.

 

[fortunately]

Cheers guys, thanks for a very warm welcome on the forum.

So I got am e-mail drom amex lukę this Belgów and my question is: do I really need to do it or I can send just a regular scan?

Please note that all documents must be certified as a genuine copy of the original document by any of the following certified signatories:
Registered Accountant.
Justice of the Peace.
Practicing Solicitor.

 

[Steady]

Cheers guys, thanks for a very warm welcome on the forum.

So I got am e-mail drom amex lukę this Belgów and my question is: do I really need to do it or I can send just a regular scan?

Please note that all documents must be certified as a genuine copy of the original document by any of the following certified signatories:
Registered Accountant.
Justice of the Peace.
Practicing Solicitor.

As a wage employee I have never been asked this - I assume you have your own business?

 

[fortunately]

I am Here in Aus on 457 visa so maybe that's the reason?

I dont have my own businnes

 

[Steady]

Maybe, I'm sure another business owner will comment with their experience

 

[imipenam]

Probably to do with the 457 visa.

Is it easy enough for you to get the documents certified? If so, it will likely make your application easier and faster. The list of signatories seems very limited. The Commonwealth allows a lot more professional people to certify documents such as Drs, nurses, teachers, police etc etc.

Your local council or library usually have JPs on duty to help the community certify documents if you are having trouble finding one. I would suggest you do a google search of JPs in your local area.

 

[ninja-tim]

So i got approved for the explorer except the credit limit is only 6k.
One of my expected monthly charges is about 15k per month...should I just preload the card first? Does amex allow this?

Apparently this isn't a good idea. I asked this about a month ago and was told by Cove, I believe, that doesn't like people doing this with their cards.

I had some payments declined/on hold because they suspected fraud or something along those lines. The bill was about 55k and I have a 15k limit so i had to split the bills to 14k payments. Paid the bill and transferred money straight away into the explorer card so I could do another payment the next day. I tried to put another payment the next day once i saw my payment went into the card. However my payment got denied. Thought the payment would need another day to change my available funds or something so waited another day. Tried the payment the next day and denied again so I called up Amex who then told me it was on hold. Got it all cleared up and working. Then it happened again on the 4th instalment.

Mine's currently linked to Ascent. I think I'm going to keep my explorer linked to ascent as I don't want to lose the 2ppd even though the 100k pts is very enticing, which was the whole reason of applying and the 1.5ppd. I think 2ppd is much better in the long run.

 

[unfunkable]

Apparently this isn't a good idea. I asked this about a month ago and was told by Cove, I believe, that doesn't like people doing this with their cards.

I had some payments declined/on hold because they suspected fraud or something along those lines. The bill was about 55k and I have a 15k limit so i had to split the bills to 14k payments. Paid the bill and transferred money straight away into the explorer card so I could do another payment the next day. I tried to put another payment the next day once i saw my payment went into the card. However my payment got denied. Thought the payment would need another day to change my available funds or something so waited another day. Tried the payment the next day and denied again so I called up Amex who then told me it was on hold. Got it all cleared up and working. Then it happened again on the 4th instalment.

Mine's currently linked to Ascent. I think I'm going to keep my explorer linked to ascent as I don't want to lose the 2ppd even though the 100k pts is very enticing, which was the whole reason of applying and the 1.5ppd. I think 2ppd is much better in the long run.

I managed to get them to increase limit from 6k to 16k, then I transferred my 6k limit velocity to the explorer, so its all good. I applied for a plat edge - but need to cancel my velocity first, and hopefully it comes linked to the (explorer) card!