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.

 

[Blackswan]

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.

Sounds like you'll get the points too! Good result!

 

[oh_lol]

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

I'm in the same situation. I also have another AMEX, and the person on the phone said I won't get the bonus points because I was an existing card holder.

NOT IMPRESSED.

 

[Oubline]

Has anyone called to cancel this card (after using the credit and bonus points)? Were any retention offers made?

 

[nat000]

I'm in the same situation. I also have another AMEX, and the person on the phone said I won't get the bonus points because I was an existing card holder.

NOT IMPRESSED.

I haven't rang up to enquire about the bonus points yet, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll report back after the call.

 

[adelee]

I haven't rang up to enquire about the bonus points yet, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll report back after the call.

Quite possibly, AMEX have finally closed the loophole and bonus points are no longer posting for existing card holders.

 

[mmchow]

Quite possibly, AMEX have finally closed the loophole and bonus points are no longer posting for existing card holders.

Someone did quoted earlier in the post that AMEX is doing a round of updates on their IT system which eventually closing this loophole. Possible that this is up and running considering fellow AFFers are not receiving the points.

 

[oh_lol]

I'll be trying again late tonight.
If I still get nothing I'll just cancel the card. No point holding it.

 

[noos]

I've got an existing Plat Edge card and my Explorer bonus points posted last night, so systems may not of been updated....

Someone did quoted earlier in the post that AMEX is doing a round of updates on their IT system which eventually closing this loophole. Possible that this is up and running considering fellow AFFers are not receiving the points.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I've got an existing Plat Edge card and my Explorer bonus points posted last night, so systems may not of been updated....

Question is though when did you apply for the new card.

The people who have been denied have been for very recent applications.

ie Change seems to have kicked in for some in Feb, or possibly even Jan31, and to be governed by when people aplied rather than when they hit the spend target. Earlier than that everyone seems to have gained sign on points.

More data will confirm this and so it would be helpful to know now:
_ For anyone denied, did you apply post Jan 31? (iw what date)
_For anyone still successful, did you also apply after Jan 31, or was it earlier?

 

[noos]

I applied mid Jan and starting spending on the card late Jan

Question is though when did you apply for the new card.

The people who have been denied have been for very recent applications.

ie Change seems to have kicked in for some in Feb, or possibly even Jan31, and to be governed by when people aplied rather than when they hit the spend target. Earlier than that everyone seems to have gained sign on points.

More data will confirm this and so it would be helpful to know now:
_ For anyone denied, did you apply post Jan 31? (iw what date)
_For anyone still successful, did you also apply after Jan 31, or was it earlier?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I applied mid Jan and starting spending on the card late Jan

Thanks. My wife got her card about then and points posted too.

Daughter procrastinated and did not apply till 31 Jan. They called her in early Feb to say card was approved, but that she would definitely not get the points as she had an Edge and so asked if she wanted to still proceed. She declined.

 

[nat000]

More data will confirm this and so it would be helpful to know now:
_ For anyone denied, did you apply post Jan 31? (iw what date)
_For anyone still successful, did you also apply after Jan 31, or was it earlier?[/QUOTE]

Applied and approved late December. Only just hit the minimum spend on feb 19th. No bonus points. Still haven't called up yet to see if they are going to give the points or not.

 

[jetcam]

I had the Explorer first which came linked to gateway. Then applied for plat edge and it came attached to Ascent. Spend the min on both cards and the bonus was applied to the respective programs. Called today and spoke to an aussie CSR and asked if I could have both cards put on the Ascent program. He said yep no worries and that it was a better program anyway. Mentioned that the points on the gateway account would take a few days to appear in the Ascent but it would all be ok.

He did mention that the travel credit on the explorer (which i had already spent anyway) wouldn't be visible to me next year but i could just call them to book.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

More data will confirm this and so it would be helpful to know now:
_ For anyone denied, did you apply post Jan 31? (iw what date)
_For anyone still successful, did you also apply after Jan 31, or was it earlier?

Applied and approved late December. Only just hit the minimum spend on feb 19th. No bonus points. Still haven't called up yet to see if they are going to give the points or not.[/QUOTE]

Did you already have another Amex Card though? If so which one?

 

[rfc4eva]

Hi,I have successfully linked the 2 programs a few weeks ago and noticed that my $300 Platinum travel credit has dissapeared and the Explorer $400 isnt showing i assume because its linked to the ascent.I called up last sunday and got the "we'll get the back office to fix it and it will be done in 2-3 business days'.
Checked today and still not in there so called up and the lady had no idea.tried telling my that my programs werent linked and then when she worked out they were was very annoyed saying "the CSR was wrong in allowing this" and then tryed telling me that because im no longer in the Gateway program i may have lost the travel credit for the explorer card.
I replied saying OK give me my annual fee returned to me and she said she would escalate it with back office.I think I just got a hopeless CSR she initially told me I dont get a travel credit for the Platinum and had to argue with her for 5 minutes until she went on the AMEX website.

Has anyone else had a problem with missing travel credits and she said they can only be booked online and not over the phone.Is this correct?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Has anyone else had a problem with missing travel credits and she said they can only be booked online and not over the phone.Is this correct?

If you read back through the thread the last few pages you will see many posts on this.

 

[nat000]

Applied and approved late December. Only just hit the minimum spend on feb 19th. No bonus points. Still haven't called up yet to see if they are going to give the points or not.

Did you already have another Amex Card though? If so which one?[/QUOTE]

Had the Qantas discovery card when applied for the explorer. So different points program.

 

[SOPOOR]

I applied mid to late Jan.
Credit check done 23rd jan

Approved before Feb 1 if I recall.

Didn't get my points

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Had the Qantas discovery card when applied for the explorer. So different points program.

Well if your experience continues to be replicated with others, then that means that Amex have definitely changed. So recent posts from a number and the phone call my daughter had it does now seem to be the new reality.

 

[puchu]

So I was put through to a manager who immediately said that the cards are allowed to be linked together and immediately put the points in to my account. Great service recovery.

Hi everyone! Guess who has two thumbs and just found out that their accounts were delinked today, despite assurances that nothing would happen? If you guessed this guy, congrats!