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.

 

[crossbow]

edit: they literally must of been working on it!
It now appears....!!! Didn't have to de-link accounts either.
Everything is awesomeeeeeeeeeee

Wow... same here. I've been waiting for $400 travel credit to appear (annual fee already paid weeks ago), called yesterday and they adjusted something and promised it would show up.

Checked numerous times after that yesterday and not showing in either the travel website OR the My Redemptions page.

This morning, some progress, the $400 travel credit appeared in My Redemptions under Gateway account, but still NOT in the Travel website.

Finally after reading just now that yours has appeared, I checked again and BINGO! $400 travel credit now showing in the travel website and ready to book

If anyone is waiting on their $400 explorer travel credit - if you don't have it yet, call up and ask for it to be added manually... then wait some time for the system to catch up. Mine took around 24 hours from phone call to having it ready to use.

 

[unfunkable]

The test will be next year after I pay the annual fee and see if the credit will appear by itself!

 

[annielee]

my $400 travel credit vanished once the Ascent and Gateway linked, but the CSR did mentioned i just need to call to use it if needed even if it doesnt appear on my account..

 

[Jonova]

My credit disappeared after linking my Explorer to Ascent. I called up today and they were able to manually add the credit back to my account. Took less than 5 minutes on the phone and the credit is now available to be used.

 

[annielee]

did you mentioned that the credit disappeared after linking the account or you just tell them you cant see the $400 credit??

My credit disappeared after linking my Explorer to Ascent. I called up today and they were able to manually add the credit back to my account. Took less than 5 minutes on the phone and the credit is now available to be used.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

my $400 travel credit vanished once the Ascent and Gateway linked, but the CSR did mentioned i just need to call to use it if needed even if it doesnt appear on my account..

Mine did too.



BUT I discovered that if I clicked on:

TRAVEL then Book Travel Online and then Logged In that the $400 Travel Credit was then visible and usable.
Note: You must login with the login that you set up for your Explorer Card, and not your Edge.



I actually just redeemed it last night too for a hotel on Koh Samui. Note that with the $400 travel credit that it is only usable if your combined travel items our $400 or greater. If under $400 it will not give you the option of using your credit.

 

[Jonova]

did you mentioned that the credit disappeared after linking the account or you just tell them you cant see the $400 credit??

I told them I wanted to use the credit but couldn't see it on my online account, they had a look on their end and put me hold, couple minutes later they said they had manually added it. I logged back in and there it was.

 

[annielee]

thanks, will try to call later..

I told them I wanted to use the credit but couldn't see it on my online account, they had a look on their end and put my hold, couple minutes later they said they had manually added it. I logged back in and there it was.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

thanks, will try to call later..

Perhaps try checking the process I mentioned above first. You may find the call not needed.

 

[JFi]

Hi all,
Can I ask what number people usually call to have their accounts linked? I understand it seems to be a hit and miss between the number on the back of the card and the MR number? My card came unlinked so I didn't need to call up to de-link from my Charge card (interestingly my Reserve is not linked either - unless that's the way it normally is) and I got the bonus points after the required spend but I've tried in the past 2 weeks at different times and haven't had any success getting them linked. I've only been calling the number on the back of the Explorer.
Sat 10.30pm - Philippines - girl said can link up but need to use points first
Sun 12am - US - guy said can link up but need to use points first
Sat 7.30am - Australia - girl said can't link as different programs

I'm not sure if I should keep trying by calling the MR number. I'm afraid it might set off some red flag for me and others still trying to link.

...but seeing some have been linking and de-linking a few times I guess it's ok?

 

[crossbow]

On topic of travel credit, is anyone having the same trouble as me switching accounts within the Amex travel web site?

I posted earlier that I could see the travel credit, but wasn't ready to use it yet and logged out.

Now that I login to Amex Online Travel, I'm logged in and see "Hi [Name]" along with my Ascent points balance, and no travel credit. How do I switch to the Gateway program within Amex online travel that has the $400 travel credit attached to it? Both cards linked to same online account.

Changing the card viewed in main account and then clicking through to travel doesn't work, I still end seeing my Ascent points balance, no travel credit. I know how to switch accounts in the rewards catalogue and points statement, but doesn't appear to be any method to switch accounts in the travel booking website.

Am I missing something really obvious?

 

[Ken1]

I already had Platinum Charge and Reserve cards and when I received the Explorer I added it to my Platinum login. I have been able to see the Explorer $400 travel credit listed under My Redemptions but when I went to "Book a Trip" only the $300 Platinum Travel Credit has been showing. I have phoned up about this several times and on the most recent call a week or so ago I was told I would have to set up a separate login for the Explorer to see it, or phone the Travel number for the Explorer to use it. I had previously been told that the Platinum Travel team would not be able to book anything using my Explorer travel credit over the phone and that I could only book online with a separate login for the Explorer if I want to use the $400 travel credit.

After reading some of the posts today about others having travel credits now being able to be displayed after they spoke with Amex I have logged in and when I go to "Platinum Travel/Book a Trip", the screen now shows "Travel Credit Details" and when I hover the mouse over that it shows both the $300 Platinum Travel Credit and the $400 Travel Credit, with the Expiry Date showing for both, so they must have updated their system to show all travel credits.

 

[crossbow]

I did an online chat to ask Amex what they suggest, he offered two options... separate the logins, or call up the travel team to book. Note I've got Explorer and Platinum Edge, not Platinum Charge.

I tried to separate the logins but even that wouldn't work... authentication code for adding the card to the new login not accepted. So went back and added that card back to the original login.

If it doesn't magically start working soon, I'll just call them up to book.

 

[nat000]

Has anyone found that it has taken more than 3 days after hitting the minimum $1500 spend to get the bonus points ?
I hit it 3 days ago, and no points yet.
I've noticed most people are saying the points are there the next day.

 

[unfunkable]

On topic of travel credit, is anyone having the same trouble as me switching accounts within the Amex travel web site?

I posted earlier that I could see the travel credit, but wasn't ready to use it yet and logged out.

Now that I login to Amex Online Travel, I'm logged in and see "Hi [Name]" along with my Ascent points balance, and no travel credit. How do I switch to the Gateway program within Amex online travel that has the $400 travel credit attached to it? Both cards linked to same online account.

Changing the card viewed in main account and then clicking through to travel doesn't work, I still end seeing my Ascent points balance, no travel credit. I know how to switch accounts in the rewards catalogue and points statement, but doesn't appear to be any method to switch accounts in the travel booking website.

Am I missing something really obvious?

spacebar
when you click your points( your points balance), then "my redemptions"
Do you see the credit listed there?

When I click travel , it has:

Hi xx_XX
Your Points balance is xx_XX​

Travel Credit Details

When hover next to the Travel Credit Details with my mouse, the 2 travel credits appear , it is like a visual glitch. If I don't hover it is blank.

 

[crossbow]

Has anyone found that it has taken more than 3 days after hitting the minimum $1500 spend to get the bonus points ?
I hit it 3 days ago, and no points yet.
I've noticed most people are saying the points are there the next day.

Bonus points should definitely credit as soon as the minimum spend charges are fully applied to your account (ie no longer "Pending"). Are those charges still pending?

If charges have cleared and still no bonus, I would suggest calling them up.

 

[crossbow]

spacebar
when you click your points( your points balance), then "my redemptions"
Do you see the credit listed there?

Yes. The travel credit is showing in My Redemptions under the Gateway program. Just not showing up in online travel now.

(After your earlier post, I logged in and saw it in online travel along with Gateway points balance. But now when I login to online travel I see Ascent points balance, no travel credit)

 

[unfunkable]

I don't see it either, I need to hover over with my mouse.
Try booking something that is 400+, at the end page do you see the credit that can be applied?

 

[nat000]

Bonus points should definitely credit as soon as the minimum spend charges are fully applied to your account (ie no longer "Pending"). Are those charges still pending?

If charges have cleared and still no bonus, I would suggest calling them up.

Yeah the last spend that put it over the minimum has appeared, nothing in the pending now.

 

[crossbow]

I don't see it either, I need to hover over with my mouse.
Try booking something that is 400+, at the end page do you see the credit that can be applied?

Have also gone all the way to the checkout page on a booking $400+ and it's definitely not there. I've seen screenshots from others of what it's meant to look like on the checkout page (with yellow button to apply travel credit just below the costs summary), BUT I have nothing in that same place that others see it.

I called Amex Travel just now. They said to make a booking over $400 and pay full amount, call them up after it's done and they will manually apply the credit after the fact.