The American Express Platinum Card is a rewards credit card, meaning cardholders can earn Membership Rewards points. Cardholders can earn the Membership Rewards points the more they spend on eligible purchases using the card. Flights or prepaid hotels booked directly or through Amex Travel earn cardholders the most points at five points per dollar spent.
Also, cardholders will earn a welcome offer of 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth over $800 in value. Additionally, American Express has a lesser-known means of offering extra Membership Rewards points through referral links, as discussed in the following article.
American Express introduced the Basic Referral Rewards program, allowing cardholders to earn points for referring their friends. The offer runs until March 21st, 2023, and there is no limit on how many points the cardholder will earn. The cardholders will receive rewards points when the referred friend has been approved for any eligible American Express cards.
Also, some cases allow the referred friend to gain more Membership Rewards points for their welcome bonus. Therefore, both the cardholder and referred friend will receive bonus points, an advantage over many other premium cards.
Key Takeaways
· The Platinum Card from American Express is a rewards credit card that allows cardholders to earn Membership Rewards points
· Cardholders of any Amex card can earn bonus points by referring a friend or family member for a Platinum Card using a referral link
· Cardholders will receive the Basic Referral Rewards points when they refer a certain number of friends, regardless of the card they choose
How Does the American Express Referral Bonus Program Work?
American Express has an offer that allows cardholders of the Amex Platinum Card to refer their friend or family member. The offer gives bonus points to the cardholder and the referred individual, making it a win-win situation. However, the referral offer is only for specific American Express cards, including the American Express Platinum Card.
American Express will occasionally change the eligible cards that can use the referral link and earn bonus points. Therefore, you must keep logging in to the American Express referral portal on the official website to check the updated terms.
It is important to note that the referral links are customizable, meaning they are only used for a specific audience. Thus, the cardholder can only send the customizable link to close friends and family, as directed by American Express. American Express will also offer links you can share through social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
However, you must comply with the third-party’s policies and disclose that you will receive a referral bonus through the referral link.
The American Express Platinum Card has a maximum number of bonus points earned by the cardholder per calendar year. Amex Platinum cardholders will receive up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points for each successful referral link. The maximum referral bonus points received by Amex Platinum cardholders are 55,000 Membership Rewards points per calendar year.
However, cardholders of the Platinum Card can receive up to 45,000 Membership Rewards points on targeted but limited offers for each referral. Targeted offers vary from one Amex Platinum Card member since the offers are not available to all Platinum cardholders.
It is also important to note that the referral bonus earned by the cardholder is subject to taxation. American Express will send you a 1099-MISC form to file your taxes, with the valuable points standing at one cent per point.
How to Refer a Friend to the Amex Platinum Card
The easiest way of sending an Amex referral link is through your own account from the official American Express website. You can follow these steps to start the referral process to receive the referral offers from a specific card:
(i) Log in to your Amex account on the official American Express website
(ii) Select the specific card from the upper right corner of the page
(iii) Scroll down to the referral section, which is found above the recent transaction statements
(iv) Select the Refer Now button
(v) Under the Refer by email section, you can fill in the email of the friend or family member you wish to refer
(vi) American Express will send the personalized link on your behalf when referring friends via email
(vii) Alternatively, you can copy and paste the personalized referral link under the Refer by other channels section
(viii) Both the referrer and referred individual will receive the Amex referral points once the referred individual has a successfully approved referral
Alternatively, the cardholder can visit the Amex Refer-a-Friend program page through the American Express website. Thus, the cardholder will access more referral opportunities, including accessing a referral code for sending through social media. Use the following steps to access the referral program page:
(i) Go to the official American Express website and log into your card account
(ii) Then, navigate to the Referral page
(iii) On the page, you will see a pop up showing the eligible American Express cards with their referral offers, giving the referrer more options
(iv) Scroll through the options provided to see each card with their respective referral bonuses
(v) Once you see the card you wish to refer, scroll and select the referral options, which include sending via email or through a personalized referral link
(vi) Your friend must be approved for the referred card, and you will receive the referral bonus within eight to twelve weeks after approval for new applicants
Bonus Amount
One of the main benefits received by the referred friend is a boost in the Membership Rewards points they receive upon card membership for a new card. The referred friend will receive up to 100,000 Membership Rewards points as their welcome bonus after approving a Platinum Card. However, the referred friend must meet the $6,000 spending requirement within the first six months of their Platinum Card membership to receive the welcome bonus.
Also, they will receive ten points per dollar for up to $25,000 combined purchases spent at restaurants worldwide or shopping through Shop Small in the US. However, the referred individual must make the purchases within the same first six months to receive the benefit.
Limits
The Amex referral program is only limited to eligible cards, with the offer regularly changing from card to card. Therefore, the cardholder must keep on checking which cards are eligible to receive the referral bonus from the referral links. Additionally, premium cards like the American Express Platinum Card will have an advantage over other cards since the referral offer is frequent.
However, cardholders who are referrers will have a limit to the number of referral points they receive per calendar year. Cardholders of the Amex Platinum Card will have a 55,000 limit, while those of the Hilton Honors cards will have an 80,000 limit.
Bonus Points
Usually, cardholders of the American Express Platinum Card will receive a bonus of 15,000 points applicable to referrers. Thus, both the referrer and referred individual will receive bonus points from the Amex Refer-a-Friend program. Additionally, having a premium card like the Platinum Card will increase the chances of the cardholder receiving targeted offers through the referral program.
Cardholders will receive up to 45,000 Membership Rewards points as bonus points per referral, three times more than the normal rates. However, targeted offers are limited and do not appear in all American Express credit cards, but premium cards have an advantage over most cards.
Can You Refer Someone to the Amex Platinum Card if You Do Not Have One?
American Express has an added advantage compared to other competing cards with a similar referral program. Cardholders of eligible Amex cards can refer a family member or friend for an American Express Platinum Card. Therefore, the referrer is not required to have an Amex Platinum Card to refer their friend for a Platinum Card.
However, cardholders must refer their friends to eligible cards that earn the referrer and referred individual bonus points. The Amex Refer-a-Friend program is only available to a select number of personal cards under credit card families.
The credit families include the Amex Delta SkyMiles credit cards, Amex Hilton Honors cards, Amex Marriott Bonvoy cards, and American Express cards. Therefore, cardholders are not limited to referring American Express cards to receive the Amex referral points. It is important to note that you can only refer to a personal card within the same family as the card you have.
For example, if you have a Hilton Card, you can refer another Hilton Card to your friend since they are in the same family. Thus, you cannot refer to a Delta SkyMiles Card when you have a Hilton Card since they belong to different credit card families.
However, cardholders of any American Express card that earn Membership Rewards points are not limited to such restrictions. Therefore, cardholders with American Express cards are able to refer co-branded cards from different families to other friends. For example, an individual with an Amex Gold Card can refer a Hilton Aspire Card to their friend, as terms apply.
Thus, you can use the following steps to refer to a card, such as the Amex Platinum Card, if you do not have one:
(i) Go to the Amex Refer-a-Friend program page or login into your Amex account
(ii) Scroll down and navigate to where you will find your referral code
(iii) Send the personalized link to your friend via email
(iv) Once your friend opens the link, guide them to select the View all Cards with a Referral Offer option at the top left part of the screen
(v) Your friend will see all the types of cards they can apply for using the referral code
(vi) When your friend sees the Referral Offer option under the eligible card, then you are eligible for an Amex referral bonus
(vii) Your friend can then select the American Express Platinum Card and continue with the card application
Can You Refer Yourself to the Amex Platinum Card?
It is possible to refer an Amex Platinum Card to yourself using the steps taken when referring a card you do not have. You can check under the View all Cards with a Referral Offer option under the referral program page. However, it is not advisable for cardholders to refer themselves and try to earn extra points, although it can work.
American Express will see this act as a violation of its referral process, which may cause issues with the financial institution. Additionally, you may have your account suspended since you were not acting in good faith and interfering with the referral process.
Why Cardholders May Not Receive the Amex Refer-a-Friend Program Bonus
There may be circumstances in which cardholders may not receive a referral bonus, even after sending the referral link. The circumstances include the following:
· Your friend does not apply for an eligible American Express card using the referral link you sent to them
· Your friend’s application is unsuccessful, meaning that they have not been approved for a new American Express card
· Your Amex account has a balance, and it is past due
· You have reached the limit of the number of Membership Rewards points earned through the Refer-a-Friend program
Conclusion
American Express is a renowned financial institution offering one of the best lines of credit cards. The Platinum Card from American Express is among the best cards offered by American Express, carrying the best travel rewards. The Platinum Card is a rewards credit card allowing cardholders to earn Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases.
Additionally, cardholders can earn a referral bonus through the Refer-a-Friend program from American Express. Cardholders will send a personalized referral link to their friend or family member and receive 15,000 Membership Rewards points for approved referral links.
FAQs
Does American Express have a referral program?
The American Express Refer-a-Friend program for eligible American Express cards allows cardholders to refer friends or family for an Amex card. Cardholders will receive a personalized referral link which they should only send to friends, family members, or acquaintances. American Express will also provide a referral link that cardholders can share through social media under certain conditions.
Once the referred friend is approved for an eligible Amex card, then the cardholder will receive Basic Referral Rewards points. However, there are some instances where the cardholder may fail to receive the bonus referral points after sending out the referral link.
How much is an Amex Platinum referral?
Cardholders will receive up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points per referral, with a maximum of 55,000 Membership Rewards points every calendar year. Additionally, some Amex Platinum cardholders will receive targeted offers, allowing them to earn up to 45,000 Membership Rewards points per referral. The targeted offer is only sometimes available to all card members and is usually available for a limited time.
The referred friend will also receive bonus points for their welcome bonus, totaling 100,000 Membership Rewards points. Therefore, the cardholder and the referred person will receive bonus rewards points from the referral program.
Which Amex card has the highest referral bonus?
Cardholders of the American Express Platinum Card will receive the highest referral bonus points of up to 45,000 Membership Rewards points. However, the 45,000 bonus points are only available to specific cardholders who receive targeted offers. The targeted offers are available for a short period; thus, cardholders must keep checking their Amex account to check if they qualify.
Under normal circumstances, Amex Platinum cardholders will receive 15,000 bonus points, while Amex Hilton Honors cardholders will receive 20,000 bonus points.
