Get some cheap Avios with the Amex & Mr Porter ‘bonus Membership Rewards’ promo

American Express has been emailing selected cardholders this week with an offer from online male fashion website mrporter.com

This is what I got as a Platinum cardholder:

And here’s one more reason to shop: as an American Express Platinum Cardmember you can earn 1,000 Membership Rewards points at mrporter.com on your first purchase between 15 October and 20 November 2012 whilst also enjoying complementary shipping. Simply enter the promotional code AMEXMRPUK at checkout to redeem.

If you are a Gold card holder, you may have had a similar deal offering 750 points.

Now, to a points hunter like me, I want to know if I can exploit this promo to get myself some cheap Avios. And, it seems, I can!

The cheapest thing I can find on mrporter.com are some socks, eg these socks for £8.

mrporter.com is on the British Airways e-store paying 4 Avios per £1, which is currently doubled to 8 Avios per £1. So, for £8 including free postage I will receive 1,008 Membership Rewards points, 64 Avios from the e-store and a pair of loafer socks!

My guide to Membership Rewards shows that 1,008 is good for 1,008 Avios points or Virgin miles, or a range of hotel points – plus 64 e-store Avios.

It seems a decent deal for £8 to me, and my socks are already somewhere with DHL on their way to me! Note that Mr Porter sends everything by DHL, so – even for a pair of socks – they need an address where someone can sign for the package.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold is increased to 30,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 30,000 Avios. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 14th January 2025, the sign-up bonus on The Platinum Card from American Express is increased to 80,000 Membership Rewards points. This converts into 80,000 Avios! The spend requirement is changed to £10,000 in six months for this offer. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

Huge 80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) and NO FX fees Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.