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.

 

[fairbasa]

Appreciate that.

I assume that there wont be a problem if I put my account a few hundred dollars into credit?

I don't have personal experience with it, but I have read AMEX do not like you doing it and have even cancelled peoples cards.

See here: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ssion/pre-loading-credit-card-cash-29991.html

 

[Lawrage]

I don't have personal experience with it, but I have read AMEX do not like you doing it and have even cancelled peoples cards.

See here: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ssion/pre-loading-credit-card-cash-29991.html

Oh wow, this I did not know. You learn something every day on here.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I don't have personal experience with it, but I have read AMEX do not like you doing it and have even cancelled peoples cards.

See here: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ssion/pre-loading-credit-card-cash-29991.html

Too late now!

Hope everything is OK whilst I'm away.

Have plenty of back up payment options if there's a problem whilst I'm away. But would be disappointed if AMEX had a problem with my account being a few hundred in credit.

 

[albyd]

I think a few hundred dollars (even with minimum $3k limit) credit should be fine. I think all US card issuers are strange about it. My Citi US MC can't be in credit more than a certain proportion so when I need to make a large payment, have to break it up and have cash available to keep reloading it. Quite messy vs just going into credit and putting through a big charge but ok otherwise.

 

[mrtupperware]

Oh wow, this I did not know. You learn something every day on here.

Had my card in credit a number of times (different amounts, usually a few k's if I have a large bill to pay) - never had any issues.


EDIT

Just read over the other post - its from 2011 and apparently due to money laundering concerns? Not sure if its still relevant

 

[Pegasus]

Well i received my explorer card today in the mail ( along with 5 letters all telling me that i had applied more than once . Lol ) Hope someone received a bonus .. will go add my link on the other thread & see if someone might give me a chrissy present .

 

[albyd]

Just activated my Explorer. Came pre-linked to Ascent Premium as others have reported. Will miss the bonus but can make it up with higher earn on first $150k spend.
I understand un-linking triggers the bonus.
I haven't seen any posts reporting successful re-links (apologies if I've missed it).
Has anyone had success in re-linking to Ascent Premium? What did you do?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I haven't seen any posts reporting successful re-links (apologies if I've missed it).
Has anyone had success in re-linking to Ascent Premium? What did you do?

If you have not seen, you have not looked!!!! Many in the thread have reported that you can, and have. Essentially ring up late at night and ask to link.

 

[bbqwer]

Just activated my Explorer. Came pre-linked to Ascent Premium as others have reported. Will miss the bonus but can make it up with higher earn on first $150k spend.
I understand un-linking triggers the bonus.
I haven't seen any posts reporting successful re-links (apologies if I've missed it).
Has anyone had success in re-linking to Ascent Premium? What did you do?

I did re-links gateway back to ascent DEC 16 11pm


as of now still not completed yet. I can see my gateway points has disappear from my amex explorer login. And my ascent login remain the same, still not showing anything from gateway points.

 

[albyd]

Is new spend accruing to Ascent?
I've just done the de-link which is instant and started spending.

 

[weigma]

I did re-links gateway back to ascent DEC 16 11pm


as of now still not completed yet. I can see my gateway points has disappear from my amex explorer login. And my ascent login remain the same, still not showing anything from gateway points.

My merge is not happening either. Called at 17th night around 10:30pm. The CSR gave me a request number saying it would be done in 3~5 business days. But nothing has been changed so far. Two separate accounts for two cards, and each account still shows different program.

 

[ajd]

Just got my card. The welcome pack looks much more premium-y than all the other cards I've gotten!

I didn't bother to sign the card straight away, went in to the local IGA to buy $4 worth of lunch today as my very first transaction... and for whatever reason, the machine asked me to sign. Thankfully the attendant was too lazy to check...

edit: Also, I went around trying to link all my FF accounts to MR last night, got EY and CX linked, but when I tried MH it rejected the card number, and then the same for SQ and VA as well. Had to call up to request it be linked. Is this a thing anyone else has had?

 

[Lawrage]

Not had any issue with linking to SQ yet.

I have had the signing thing on all our cards, seems that after the first transaction paypass or pin is fine.

 

[Pegasus]

Just got my card. The welcome pack looks much more premium-y than all the other cards I've gotten!

I didn't bother to sign the card straight away, went in to the local IGA to buy $4 worth of lunch today as my very first transaction... and for whatever reason, the machine asked me to sign. Thankfully the attendant was too lazy to check...

edit: Also, I went around trying to link all my FF accounts to MR last night, got EY and CX linked, but when I tried MH it rejected the card number, and then the same for SQ and VA as well. Had to call up to request it be linked. Is this a thing anyone else has had?

had to sign for my first purchase & then all good after that .

 

[Alexh92]

Received my card today Was paranoid about being identified as a previous amex holder so created a new amex online account (probably wouldnt make a difference). Came perfect timing cracked my mobile phone screen this week so the screen insurance will come in handy purchasing a new phone tonight lol

 

[weigma]

My merge is not happening either. Called at 17th night around 10:30pm. The CSR gave me a request number saying it would be done in 3~5 business days. But nothing has been changed so far. Two separate accounts for two cards, and each account still shows different program.

Report my merge is complete. Called on Saturday night, and finally saw the points got transferred to Ascent on Thursday night. The Explorer login now shows "View your point balance under Card: xx_x-xx_xx." Quite happy with Amex.

 

[albyd]

Thanks for sharing your experience weigma.
What number did you call to re-link? I called MR for my de-link request. Was planning to call them again for the re-link.
Have spent my $1500 - waiting for one more purchase the post then should trigger the bonus.
How soon after did you call to re-link?

Edit: Points came through today. Now to re-link ...

 

[bbqwer]

Report my merge is complete. Called on Saturday night, and finally saw the points got transferred to Ascent on Thursday night. The Explorer login now shows "View your point balance under Card: xx_x-xx_xx." Quite happy with Amex.

Mine still not done yet, since Last friday night Getting worry now. Originally my gateway was linked to ascent, But I called up to unlink a month ago, and now try to relink again.

 

[ninja-tim]

Appreciate that.

I assume that there wont be a problem if I put my account a few hundred dollars into credit?

I accidentally put my account into credit bye several thousand. Was trying to do a massive split bill, so I thought the card got charged and send over the funds to pay off the card straight away. Card was put on hold because they wouldn't allow the transaction through due to fraud alarms going off. Mind you it was a totally legit payment. So the card ended up in credit by 50-100% of credit limit for a day. Didn't receive any calls regarding it the account being in credit. However I won't be doing it again, on purpose.

This was done purely accidentally and have read that it's not something Amex likes.

P.s. Card is yet again in credit because I paid off a few charges on my amex twice by accident....again and not on purpose. It's still in credit, by amount 1-2k, and has been for couple weeks. No calls so far.

Just activated my Explorer. Came pre-linked to Ascent Premium as others have reported. Will miss the bonus but can make it up with higher earn on first $150k spend.
I understand un-linking triggers the bonus.
I haven't seen any posts reporting successful re-links (apologies if I've missed it).
Has anyone had success in re-linking to Ascent Premium? What did you do?

I'm still linked to Ascent. Haven't done the de-linking and just wondering if I should do it.

Is the re-linking guaranteed or just a chance you have to take?

 

[Madamelulu]

Just got approved online but didn't receive any confirmation email. Is this normal?