Who Is the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card Good For?
After years of research, in 2014 American Express launched a new card aimed at an entirely different demographic than the company that practically patented the term “platinum” was known for: a credit card for your average Joe.
More specifically as evidenced by its more casual name (Amex rather than American Express) and its ads, with the quirky Tina Fey out running errands with her children, this card is targeting families and others who may use their credit cards often, but more likely on a $4 drink at Starbucks than a $400 pair of shoes.
This card earns fewer points than its counterpart, the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card, which comes with a $95 fee, and only carries bonuses on groceries, so it’s not ideal if you’re looking for a primary card to rack up American Express Membership Rewards. But it can be a great addition to a portfolio of cards that is lacking a grocery category reward.
| AIRLINE TRANSFER PARTNER | AIR CANADA; AIR FRANCE KLM; ALITALIA; ANA; ASIA MILES; BRITISH AIRWAYS; DELTA; EMIRATES SKYWARDS; ETIHAD GUEST; FINNAIR PLUS; IBERIA PLUS; QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER; SAS EUROBONUS; SINGAPORE KRISFLYER; VIRGIN ATLANTIC FLYING CLUB |
|---|---|
| ANNUAL FEE | No annual fee |
| APR | 0% for 15 months; then 18.24% to 29.24% based on credit |
| RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE | 700+ |
| TYPE OF CARD | American Express |
| ISSUER | American Express |
Sign-Up Bonus:
The sign-up bonus is 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after a minimum spend of $2,000 within the first 6 months of card membership.
Points Earned:
- 2 points per dollar at supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year)
- 1 point per dollar on all other purchases
- 20 percent additional points each month that the card is used 20 or more times
What Do Your Points Get You?
American Express Membership Rewards can be redeemed in a wide variety of ways, including both gift cards and directly for merchandise, but when it comes to travel, you have two main options: transfer points to miles or pay for travel with points.
When you book through the American Express travel website and choose the Pay with Points option, you’ll get a straight 1-cent-per-dollar redemption rate. Likewise, when you transfer your points to airlines, American Express keeps things simple with one mile per point.
Redemption Perks:
- After 20 transactions, your receive a 20 percent bump on points earned in that billing period
- Ability to link other individuals frequent flyer accounts to your Membership Rewards
- Account for transfers to family and friends
- Option to pay for travel directly with points or convert to miles
- Monthly transfer bonuses on select airlines
- Most transfers are instantaneous
Redemption Quirks:
- Points only transfer at a 1:1 ratio
- Pay with Points option only gives $0.01/point value
How Far Do Your Points Go?
When you Pay with Points on airfare, you pay the cash price at a rate of 100 points per $1. You can also pay for hotels in this manner, but the redemption rate is worse at 133 points per $1.
Though American Express Membership Reward points typically transfer to airlines at a rate of one point per mile, each month one airline is highlighted with a transfer bonus that can be as low as 20 or 30 percent but as high as 67 percent.
With a 35 percent bonus to Virgin Atlantic, which is periodically offered, you can get a very high cent-per-point value on premium cabins, particularly on their stylish Upper Class flights to London, with access to the Virgin Clubhouse.
Flights from New York to London in Upper Class normally run 40,000 miles if paid with points or $2,163 in cash one-way. With the bonus, you’ll only need to transfer 30,000 miles, so you’ll get a 7.2 cent-per-point value on your original American Express Membership Rewards points.
Additional Cardholder Benefits:
- American Express Global Assist® Hotline
- Car rental loss and damage insurance (not available in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and any country on the OFAC sanctioned country list)
- Extended warranties
- Purchase protection
- Return protection