How you can get a generous reward from the American Express ‘refer a friend’ programme

This article is sponsored by American Express

An easy way of earning a large bonus of Membership Rewards points or Avios is by sharing the benefits of your American Express Business or personal Card with friends and family.

You have probably already told people about the airport lounge access you got from the Priority Pass that came with your American Express® Business Platinum Card or the expensive hotel room you got for free by converting your Membership Rewards® points.

If they are sold on the benefits of getting a Card, you can BOTH benefit if you refer them.

How does the American Express refer a friend programme work?

It’s very simple. This article focuses primarily on the American Express Cards for small businesses, although the process is the same for referring friends to the personal cards.

Log in to your online American Express Online Account and, on the home page, you should see this – the exact number varies depending on your Card and any promotions Amex may be running:

Click through and you see details of the offer.

The website allows you to generate a unique email link. You can pass it on to your friend and it will track your referral and allow American Express to award your bonus if they are approved.

How many points will my friend and I receive?

These are the usual referral bonuses, although they can change during promotional periods. You only receive the bonus if your friend applies and is accepted.

Small Business Cards:

• American Express Business Gold – you receive 9,000 Membership Rewards points and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 22,000 points

• American Express Business Platinum – you receive 18,000 Membership Rewards points and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 45,000 points

Personal Cards (of those we regularly feature on Head for Points):

• American Express Preferred Rewards Gold – you will receive at least 6,000* Membership Rewards points and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 22,000 points, if they spend at least £3,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership

• The Platinum Card®: you will receive at least 12,000* Membership Rewards points and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 35,000 points if they spend at least £4,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership.

• British Airways American Express: you will receive at least 4,000* Avios and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 6,000 Avios if they spend at least £1,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership.

• British Airways American Express Premium Plus: you will receive at least 9,000* Avios and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 26,000 Avios if they spend at least £3,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership.

• American Express Rewards: you will receive 4,000 Membership Rewards points and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 6,000 points if they spend at least £2,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership.

• Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express: you will receive 9,000 bonus points and your friend receives an enhanced bonus of 23,000 points if they spend at least £3,000 in the first 3 months of Cardmembership.

*Terms and Eligibility Apply. Log in to your American Express Account or American Express® App to see the latest referral offer available.

Offers are also available for the The American Express Card, The Nectar Credit Card and the two Platinum Cashback Cards.

Do I still get the bonus if my friend fails to hit their qualifying spend, or does not qualify for a bonus?

Yes.

Your bonus as the referrer is not dependent on either:

• the person you referred being eligible to receive a sign-up bonus (due to other Amex products they have currently hold or recently held), or

• the person you referred achieving the qualifying spend required to receive their own bonus

Your friend must, however, be accepted by American Express. You do not receive a bonus if their application is not approved.

Can I refer a family member?

Yes, as long as the person is over 18.

Can I refer someone who already has a Supplementary Card on my account?

Yes.

If you have a friend or partner who has a Supplementary Card on your American Express Business or personal Account, why not see if they want to take out their own Card instead? You would receive a referral bonus and they would receive the higher sign-up bonus, subject to approval.

Can I refer someone for a different Card to the one I own?

Yes.

When you send them the referral link it will default to the Card you own, but your friend can toggle to any other Card via the ‘View our other Cards’ button.

This means, for example, that if you have American Express Business Platinum, your friend could apply for American Express Business Gold (or vice versa!).

If you do this:

• you receive the reward shown in the list above for the Card you own, and

• your friend receives the reward shown in the list above for the Card they apply for, if accepted

For example, if you have American Express Business Platinum and you successfully refer a friend for the American Express Business Gold Card, you receive 18,000 Membership Rewards points and your friend receives 22,000 Membership Rewards points.

What is the most I can earn from referral bonuses?

Each Card has its own limits.

For the American Express Business Platinum and Business Gold Cards, the annual limit is 90,000 Membership Rewards points per year.

The limits are per calendar year and reset on 1st January.

Conclusion

As you see, the American Express refer-a-friend programme is a good way of boosting your Membership Rewards points. Have a think about who you could invite …..

If you are eligible to participate in the Referral Programme, you may refer as many friends or family members as you wish but there are annual limits on the rewards you can earn through referrals. Please visit https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral to find out more. Please only refer friends and family who are happy to receive information from American Express. You can earn up to a maximum of 90,000 bonus points or a maximum of £150 cashback per calendar year if you hold a cashback product. Your friend must apply via the link you share with them to ensure you both receive your bonus. All introductory offers are subject to change and can be withdrawn at any time. Your friend will receive rewards depending on the Card they choose and their spend on this Card. Your Card Account’s eligibility to participate in the Referral Programme is based on your overall credit rating and other factors including your Account history with American Express. If payments to your American Express® Card Account are not kept up to date, you could lose your bonus points.