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.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I just applied for this card. Put my current plat edge card as existing member. I then received a text saying call amex to discuss application. The lady said i wasn't eligible for the 110k points as I'm not a new amex customer.
Has anyone had this happen ?
I know the T&c's say no existing amex holders, but they never seem to care.

Why did you list that you had an existing AMEX?

I deliberately used a different variation of my name + a variation of my address.

AMEX never contacted me, not even to ask for a payslip. They sent out my cards about 4 days later. And there was no hit to my VEDA.

 

[nat000]

I've always said 'no' to that question.
Should I cancel my application , or go with it and hope i get the 110k points ?

 

[albyd]

I just applied for this card. Put my current plat edge card as existing member. I then received a text saying call amex to discuss application. The lady said i wasn't eligible for the 110k points as I'm not a new amex customer.
Has anyone had this happen ?
I know the T&c's say no existing amex holders, but they never seem to care.

I put my Edge in my application too as it's the one I wanted to close. I didn't mention anything about the signup bonus when I called them after I got the text. They gave me the standard spiel about no bonus points and I just agreed I understood and let that part of the conversation pass quickly.
New card was linked to Ascent Premium as for other experiences posted in this thread and I then asked for it to be linked to gateway to trigger the signup points. Risk is as some have reported in transitioning back to Ascent. I got mine done overnight whereas some posters have reported delays.

 

[nat000]

I put my Edge in my application too as it's the one I wanted to close. I didn't mention anything about the signup bonus when I called them after I got the text. They gave me the standard spiel about no bonus points and I just agreed I understood and let that part of the conversation pass quickly.
New card was linked to Ascent Premium as for other experiences posted in this thread and I then asked for it to be linked to gateway to trigger the signup points. Risk is as some have reported in transitioning back to Ascent. I got mine done overnight whereas some posters have reported delays.

I think I'll proceed with the application then. Fingers crossed.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I've always said 'no' to that question.
Should I cancel my application , or go with it and hope i get the 110k points ?

I'd stay with it now.

 

[glasszon]

Why did you list that you had an existing AMEX?

I deliberately used a different variation of my name + a variation of my address.

AMEX never contacted me, not even to ask for a payslip. They sent out my cards about 4 days later. And there was no hit to my VEDA.

Wow, in some way that sounds worrying. What's stopping someone signing up the credit card for a cat that have a 100k income?:shock:

No hit to your Veda means they haven't figured out your actual name and address, won't be surprised if they created a new Veda profile based on your application.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Wow, in some way that sounds worrying. What's stopping someone signing up the credit card for a cat that have a 100k income?:shock:

Nothing at all. Except if you have to establish your 100 points of idenity. AMEX, though, have never asked me to do this.

In my situation the variations were only slight though.

Eg. Dr R Ralph for Mr R R Ralph and 2/60 - 64 Jones street for 2/60 Jones street

No hit to your Veda means they haven't figured out your actual name and address, won't be surprised if they created a new Veda profile based on your application.

May be.

But I have had no hits from other banks for different applications as well.

VEDA is not as important as others may have you believe.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Why did you list that you had an existing AMEX?

I deliberately used a different variation of my name + a variation of my address.

AMEX never contacted me, not even to ask for a payslip. They sent out my cards about 4 days later.

I think Amex are less likely to ask for payslips if you are an existing customer.

I would also imagine that their data would still show you as an existing cardholder irrespective of what you type in unless the details are actually different names and addresses.

I would also note that in applying that you are declaring that all information is true and correct. So I would caution readers in being too creative with any variations. Milking FF points is only one slice of one's financial life.


nat000 I think that recent history as recorded by numerous posters on this forum has shown that applicants will receive mulitiple sign-on bonii as long as the type of Amex Award Program (ie Acsent, Gateway, Qantas, Velocity, DJ etc) is different for each card. Many applicants have also indicated that even for the same program that as long as the card is cancelled that they have received a new sign on bonnie. Amex has hinted that this may be toughened up.

What the CSR says can largely be ignored as they will just normally trot out the Amex party line. Such rhectoric does not match the experiences that forumites have posted.

Certainly my experience for my wife and I and other family members is that we have received sign-on on bonii for each and every Amex that we have applied for over the last decade.

 

[nat000]

I think Amex are less likely to ask for payslips if you are an existing customer.

I would also imagine that their data would still show you as an existing cardholder irrespective of what you type in unless the details are actually different names and addresses.

I would also note that in applying that you


nat000 I think that recent history as recorded by numerous posters on this forum has shown that applicants will receive mulitiple sign-on bonii as long as the type of Amex Award Program (ie Acsent, Gateway, Qantas, Velocity, DJ etc) is different for each card. Many applicants have also indicated that even for the same program that as long as the card is cancelled that they have received a new sign on bonnie. Amex has hinted that this may be toughened up.

What the CSR says can largely be ignored as they will just normally trot out the Amex party line. Such rhectoric does not match the experiences that forumites have posted.

Certainly my experience for my wife and I and other family members is that we have received sign-on on bonii for each and every Amex that we have applied for over the last decade.

Yeah I've held an amex card and applied for different type before, and still received the new bonus.
Maybe i just took them too seriously today.
I will post if don't get the bonus after $1500 spend.

 

[purpleparrot]

this forum has shown that applicants will receive mulitiple sign-on bonii as long as the type of Amex Award Program

This is my favourite sentence on here, ever

 

[albyd]

I think Amex are less likely to ask for payslips if you are an existing customer.

I think the whole process has got so automated such that lenders' risk management systems manage everything now. Haven't been asked for proof of financials for a long time now (except by Diners several years ago - they called HR to verify income).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I think the whole process has got so automated such that lenders' risk management systems manage everything now. Haven't been asked for proof of financials for a long time now (except by Diners several years ago - they called HR to verify income).

ANZ asked on my last application, but I did set up my own business almost two years ago.

 

[blueythecat]

I just applied for this card. Put my current plat edge card as existing member. I then received a text saying call amex to discuss application. The lady said i wasn't eligible for the 110k points as I'm not a new amex customer.
Has anyone had this happen ?
I know the T&c's say no existing amex holders, but they never seem to care.

You'll be fine, I've always put down my existing AMEX cards on AMEX applications and always received the bonus points. No need to change or fiddle with addresses. The key however is not to have held a card with the rewards program you are enrolling the new card in within the last 12 months. In the case of the Explorer that is the Gateway program.

This explains why if you are "lucky" enough to have your freshly minted Explorer enrolled in the Ascent program, you'll need to have it de-enrolled to receive the bonus points (this de-enrolling creates a new Gateway rewards account).

Anyway I wouldn't worry about what the phone operated said and would happily have agreed to their T&C's.

 

[fatboo]

Success! Partner applied and got his 100k pts. Then he referred to myself, enjoying 20k referral bonus. So his bonuses got sorted.

As for myself, I am an existing Edge holder and hence the cards were both linked to Ascent. My card arrived before X'mas and it took a week & 5 calls to unlink it properly. The whole debacle revolved around a rep unlinking me by de-enrolling me from membership rewards without re-enrolling me back into GW & AS separately.

Once I was re-enrolled properly, I spent $1500 and now have 100k +10k referral bonus in my GW rewards.

Next question is for everyone in the community. We'll be using all my accrued pts (took 3 years!) in Edge & KFF for a MEL-Europe redemption this year. Since I'm wiped out, we think my partner should be the next one to accrue pts (he currently has 57k KFF + 160k GW in his Explorer). I plan to gift 50k Gateway to him this year, but am unsure what to do with the remaining 60k in my card. My thoughts are to either transfer out & cancel (we plan to get a home loan) / attempt to relink to AS / keep everything as it is and gift another 50k GW in 2018 to help his pts accrual.

Thoughts?

 

[mmchow]

My thoughts are to either transfer out & cancel (we plan to get a home loan) / attempt to relink to AS / keep everything as it is and gift another 50k GW in 2018 to help his pts accrual.

Thoughts?

There is a cost associated with gifting if I'm not mistaken ($5/1000 points). If you are planning on cancelling you Explorer and keeping your Edge, link your Gateway back to Ascent so all points are transferred to your Ascent MR.

 

[fairbasa]

There is a cost associated with gifting if I'm not mistaken ($5/1000 points). If you are planning on cancelling you Explorer and keeping your Edge, link your Gateway back to Ascent so all points are transferred to your Ascent MR.

This is what it says in the AMEX points gift form:

"A points transfer fee of $5 (including GST) per 1,000 points applies to transfer points from Membership Rewards Gateway to Membership Rewards Ascent or Ascent Premium; from Membership Rewards Ascent to Membership Rewards Ascent Premium or to transfer points either from or to a David Jones American Express points program account."

 

[aerotravel]

Received my card yesterday and am so excited like a kid in a candy shop.

 

[fatboo]

My gifting plan is from Explorer to Explorer, so same GW program. I believe there's no transfer fee since it's same tier?

I agree about relinking remaining pts to AS prior to cancelling card. It's superior to transferring out to a FF program. Only snag is relinking success rates appears sketchy depending on which rep you speak to.

 

[jaysquared]

Bonus points posted nearly immediately after hitting the minimum spend. Was approved on a 457 visa without any problems.

 

[PDog]

Applied for card for my husband on 2nd January when the website was playing up so I assumed it hadn't gone through. Referral points hit my account on the 3rd, yet to hear anything about his application though!