Paying bills can be a real drag. It seems like money is leaving faster than it’s coming in, whether it’s for phone bills, medical bills, or subscription services. The good news is that you can use your Amex points to pay some of those annoying bills. This is possible thanks to Amex’s Pay With Points program.
In this complete guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about using Amex points for bill pay, including:
- How Pay With Points works
- Which Amex cards and points are eligible
- What bills you can pay
- How to calculate the value
- When it makes sense to use points vs. cash
Let’s dive in!
How Does Amex Pay With Points Work?
You can use your Membership Rewards points to get rid of certain charges on your monthly Amex statement through the Amex Pay With Points program. Here’s a simple 3-step process:
<ol>
<li><div>VIEW ELIGIBLE CHARGES. View list of eligible charges from your current online statement.</div></li>
<li><div>SELECT CHARGES YOU WANT TO COVER. When you choose the eligible charge, a check mark will show up. </div></li> .
<li><div>THAT’S IT! Click “Redeem Now” and a credit will appear on your statement in 48 hours or less!</div></li>
</ol>
It’s super easy and only takes a few minutes. The credit for Pay With Points will show up separately from your other charges. You still need to pay the bare minimum on your Amex bill by the due date.
Which Amex Cards and Points Are Eligible?
To use Pay With Points, you need a Membership Rewards-earning card like the Amex Gold or Platinum. Most basic cards are eligible, but authorized users and corporate card members may not be.
You need at least 1,000 Membership Rewards points in your account to cover a charge. The number of points depends on what card you have:
- With no bonus, it’s 1 point = 1¢
- With the Business Platinum card, it’s 1 point = 1.54¢
- With the Business Gold or Green cards, it’s 1 point = 1.33¢
This is where the big value comes in, especially if you have the Business Platinum!
What Bills Can I Pay With Amex Points?
Amex gives you lots of flexibility in what charges you can wipe out with points. Here are some common options:
- Cell phone bill
- Utilities like electricity, gas, water
- Cable TV and internet
- Music and video subscriptions
- Gym membership
- Medical bills and copays
- Insurance premiums
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Credit card bills
- Tax payments
As you can see, pretty much any bill that allows credit card payment is fair game. Just make sure the merchant codes as a purchase, not a cash advance.
The only catch is the charge has to hit your Amex in the current or previous statement period. You can’t prepay future bills.
How Do I Calculate the Point Value?
Figuring out the math is the tricky part of Amex Pay With Points. Let’s walk through an example:
- You have the Business Platinum card
- Your monthly cell phone bill of $80 shows up on your Amex
- You redeem 8,000 Membership Rewards points to cover it
Without the bonus, those 8,000 points would be worth $80 (1 point = 1¢). But the Business Platinum offers a 35% rebate. So you actually only “pay” 65% of the points:
- 8,000 points x 65% = 5,200 points
- You cover an $80 charge for just 5,200 points
- That’s a value of 1.54¢ per point!
That’s an excellent deal compared to the standard 1¢ baseline. Just make sure to factor in your card’s bonus when calculating the math.
When Does It Make Sense to Use Points vs. Cash?
Should you break out the points or just pay the bill normally? Here are a few scenarios when Pay With Points comes out ahead:
- You have the Business Platinum card and get at least a 35% rebate
- You need to meet a minimum spend for a signup bonus
- You want to save cash for higher priorities
- You’re short on cash but have lots of points
- You need to free up credit on other bills
In some cases, it also makes sense to use Pay With Points on a lower-value purchase if you have extra points to spare. This “saves” your cash for bigger bills.
On the other hand, you may want to skip Pay With Points if:
- You don’t have an eligible card with a bonus
- You value Membership Rewards points at over 1.54¢ for transfers
- Using points won’t help you meet minimum spend requirements
As with any redemption, do the math and consider your priorities. Pay With Points is a flexible, easy way to knock out bills with Amex points!
Bottom Line
- Amex’s Pay With Points allows you to redeem points for statement credits on eligible charges
- You can pay bills like cell phones, utilities, subscriptions, rent, and more
- Cards like the Business Platinum offer bonuses up to 35% back
- Make sure to calculate the true point value based on any rebates
- It can provide great value, especially if you have the Business Platinum card
Next time you cringe at an annoying bill, remember you may be able to make it disappear with your Amex points! Pay With Points gives you another option to maximize the value of your hard-earned rewards.
Cards that offer a Pay with Points bonus
As mentioned, there are three Amex cards for small businesses that offer a rebate when you pay with points (terms apply). Here are their current welcome offers and other details:
- For the American Express Business Platinum Card, you’ll get 150,000 points after making $20,000 in purchases within the first three months of getting the card.
- With the American Express® Business Gold Card, you can get an extra 100,000 points after making purchases worth $15,000 in the first three months.
- Centurion Business Card from American Express: Applications by invitation only.
The information for the Centurion Business card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
| Details | Business Centurion | Business Platinum | Business Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay with Points rebate | 50% | 35% | 25% |
| Value of each redeemed point | 2 cents | 1.54 cents | 1.33 cents |
| Eligible flights | All flights | First- and business-class flights, and economy flights on your selected airline | First- and business-class flights, and economy flights on your selected airline |
| Maximum number of bonus points | N/A | 1 million points per calendar year | 250,000 points per calendar year |
How to use Amex Pay with Points
Its very easy to take advantage of the American Express Pay with Points feature to book your flight. First, log in to your Amex account. Then, use the Amex Travel portal to look for flights as you normally would. Choose either “Use only points” or “Use points AMEX card” at checkout to use some or all of your points.
When paying with points, your card will be charged the full dollar amount. Amex will then, within 48 hours, add a statement credit for the portion of the flight that you paid for with points.
Bear in mind that the rebate offered by some cards isnt an outright discount. So, if you have an eligible card, you must still have the full amount of points in your account at the time of booking. WALLACE COTTON/THE POINTS GUY.
For instance, Ive redeemed 121,850 points to cover the cost of a $1,218. 50 Cathay Pacific business-class ticket from Male, Maldives (MLE) to Shanghai (PVG). I initially redeemed the points at a rate of 1 cent each, but thanks to The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, once I received my 35% rebate of 42,647 points, my effective redemption value jumped from 1 cent per point to 1. 54 cents. The math is a little confusing, but if you divide 1 by 0. 65 (the percent I pay after the rebate), you get 1. 54.
Not every booking offers a rebate — unless you have the elusive Business Centurion Card from American Express. With the other two cards, first- and business-class flights on any airline count, but only economy flights on a specific airline that you select each year are also eligible for the rebate. There are also calendar-year maximums of the number of rebated points you can expect each year, depending on your card.
Finally…How to Easily Redeem American Express Points (for MAX Value)
FAQ
Can you use Amex reward points to pay your bill?
American Express has a variety of cards with specific perks, from cash back to airport lounge entry, but they all have one thing in common: American Express Membership Rewards. This program allows Amex cardholders to earn points that can be used for travel, shopping, or even paying off their credit card bills.
Can I use Amex points to pay?
If you use an eligible American Express Card to pay for something, that purchase counts as an eligible transaction for the “Use Points Towards Purchases” option. When you make a redemption request, you will be able to select such eligible transactions for “Use Points Towards Purchases”.
Can I use my rewards points to pay my bill?
For some cards, accumulated reward points can be used towards your next credit card payment. You can sometimes request to get your reward points paid for in cash through a check or direct deposit. You can then use that cash to pay your next credit card bill.
Can you use Amex points to pay the fee?
With Membership Rewards, you can redeem your points for credit to offset the Card Annual Fee on your American Express® Card.
How do I use American Express Pay with points?
It’s very easy to take advantage of the American Express Pay with Points feature to book your flight. First, sign in to your Amex account and then search for flights through the Amex Travel portal as you normally would. Choose either “Use only points” or “Use points AMEX card” at checkout to use some or all of your points.
How do I use Amex points?
First, sign in to your Amex account and then search for flights through the Amex Travel portal as you normally would. At checkout, select either “Use only points” or “Use points + American Express card” to apply some or all of your points. When paying with points, your card will be charged the full dollar amount.
Does American Express Pay with points offer a better value?
Sometimes, it’s possible to get a better value by using the American Express Pay with Points feature than you’d get by transferring your points. Because certain Amex cards provide a rebate on the number of points you need for eligible Pay with Points flight redemptions, having the right cards in your wallet can unlock some excellent value.
What happens if I pay with Amex points?
When paying with points, your card will be charged the full dollar amount. Amex will then, within 48 hours, add a statement credit for the portion of the flight that you paid for with points. Bear in mind that the rebate offered by some cards isn’t an outright discount.
Can I use American Express points online?
Account managers and Rewards managers may be eligible to use points by calling the number on the back of your Card but are not eligible to use points online. 3. Available Charges American Express will present the eligible charges you can use points towards, and we may change which charges are eligible at any time without notice.
How do I use my American Express membership rewards® points?
Earning American Express Membership Rewards® is easy, but knowing how to use your points in an effective way can be hard. From travel partner transfers, flight or hotel bookings, and gift cards to statement credits, the number of redemption options can be overwhelming.
