American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | Credit Cards

Name: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card
Brand: American Express
Price: 1000 INR
Availability: InStock
Rating: 3 (1 reviews)

Overview

The American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card builds its entire value proposition around reward points. You earn 1 Membership Rewards point for every ₹50 spent on eligible transactions. On top of that, two monthly bonuses boost your earnings significantly: make 4 or more transactions of ₹1,500 or above in a calendar month and you get 1,000 bonus points. Cross ₹20,000 in monthly spend (enrollment required) and another 1,000 bonus points get added. A first-year welcome gift of 4,000 points arrives after spending ₹15,000 within 90 days of card activation.Points unlock real value through the Gold Collection redemption program. The 18K Gold Collection requires 18,000 points and gives you access to vouchers like ₹9,000 at Taj Hotels, ₹7,000 at Shoppers Stop, ₹6,000 at Amazon, or ₹6,000 at Flipkart. The 24K Gold Collection (24,000 points) delivers even better value: ₹14,000 at Taj, ₹10,000 at Shoppers Stop, ₹8,000 at Amazon, and ₹9,000 at Tanishq. The Reward Multiplier platform also lets you earn 2X points when shopping at partner brands online.The card charges ₹1,000 plus GST as a joining fee and ₹4,500 plus GST for annual renewal from the second year. That renewal fee gets fully waived if you spend ₹1.5 lakh or more annually, or 50% waived on spend between ₹90,000 and ₹1,49,999. A renewal bonus of 5,000 points is credited upon payment of the annual fee, adding further value for continuing cardholders. Dining benefits include discounts of up to 20% at curated restaurants.Acceptance remains the biggest practical drawback. The American Express network covers fewer merchants than Visa or Mastercard in India, especially in smaller cities and towns. Reward points do not accrue on fuel, insurance, utility payments, or EMI transactions initiated at merchant websites. There is no airport lounge access, no fuel surcharge waiver, and no travel insurance on this card. For those who can use Amex regularly at accepting merchants, the stacked monthly bonuses deliver strong returns.

Pros

↑Monthly bonuses of up to 2,000 extra points stack with base earnings, delivering effective returns of 4% to 7% on ₹20,000 monthly spend when redeemed through Gold Collections
↑₹1,000 joining fee and fully waivable ₹4,500 annual renewal keep ownership cost near zero for regular spenders hitting ₹1.5 lakh annually
↑24K Gold Collection gives ₹14,000 in Taj Hotels vouchers for 24,000 points, one of the highest per-point values among entry-level reward cards

Cons

↓American Express network has significantly lower merchant acceptance than Visa or Mastercard across India, limiting daily usability
↓No airport lounge access, travel insurance, or fuel surcharge waiver, making this purely a rewards-focused card with no travel perks
↓Reward points excluded on fuel, insurance, utilities, and merchant-site EMI transactions, reducing effective earnings on a large portion of routine spending

Key Highlights

Welcome Offer
4,000 Bonus Points on ₹15K spend in 90 days
Spend ₹15,000 within 90 days of card activation
Earn 4,000 Membership Rewards Points
Requires payment of ₹1,000 joining fee
Points redeemable through Gold Collections

Reward Rate
₹1,000 joining + ₹4,500 annual renewal
First year joining fee: ₹1,000 + GST
Annual renewal from second year: ₹4,500 + GST
100% renewal waiver on ₹1.5 lakh annual spend
50% renewal waiver on ₹90K to ₹1.49L spend

Minimum Salary
₹6 lakh annual income, 18+ years
Indian resident with savings or current account
Salaried or self-employed applicants
Good credit history with no payment defaults
Available across India

Joining Fee
1,000 Bonus on 4 transactions of ₹1,500+
Make 4+ transactions of ₹1,500 or above per month
Earn 1,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points
In addition to base earn of 1 point per ₹50
Fuel, insurance, utility transactions excluded

Annual Fee
₹4,500 renewal waived on ₹1.5L spend
100% waiver on ₹1,50,000+ annual spend
50% waiver on ₹90,000 to ₹1,49,999 spend
Applicable if mentioned in MITC signed by cardholder
GST charged on all fees

Why Choose?
24K Gold Collection: up to ₹14,000 vouchers
Redeem 24,000 points for premium vouchers
Taj Hotels voucher worth ₹14,000
Shoppers Stop voucher worth ₹10,000
Amazon, Flipkart, Tanishq, Tata CLiQ also available

Key Benefits

Dining

★3.0

▼

Up to 20% discounts at curated partner restaurants
Complimentary privileges at select fine dining establishments
Offers available through Amex Offers program
No specific bonus points multiplier on dining transactions
Dining offers change periodically and vary by city

Lifestyle

★3.0

▼

Amex Offers program with cashbacks, discounts, and bonus points
Zero lost card liability when reported within 3 working days
24x7 customer care and emergency card replacement worldwide
Contactless tap-and-pay for transactions under ₹5,000
Supplementary cards available at no extra charge

Milestone

★3.5

▼

1,000 bonus points on 4+ transactions of ₹1,500 or above per calendar month
Additional 1,000 bonus points on ₹20,000+ monthly spend (requires enrollment)
Welcome gift of 4,000 points on ₹15,000 spend within 90 days
Renewal bonus of 5,000 points on payment of annual membership fee
Monthly bonuses reset each calendar month

Reward Points

★4.0

▼

1 Membership Rewards point per ₹50 spent on eligible transactions
1,000 bonus points monthly for 4+ transactions of ₹1,500 or above
Additional 1,000 milestone points on ₹20,000+ monthly spend (enrollment required)
24K Gold Collection: 24,000 points = Taj ₹14,000, Amazon ₹8,000, Tanishq ₹9,000
18K Gold Collection: 18,000 points = Taj ₹9,000, Flipkart ₹6,000, Shoppers Stop ₹7,000

Shopping

★3.5

▼

2X Membership Rewards points through Reward Multiplier platform at partner brands
Gold Collection vouchers redeemable at Amazon, Flipkart, Shoppers Stop, Tanishq
Tata CLiQ, Reliance Digital, and Myntra also available as redemption options
Card accepted at Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Big Basket, and major online retailers
No accelerated earn rates on specific shopping categories

Detailed Information

Joining Fee	₹1,000 + GST
Annual Fee	₹4,500 + GST (from second year)
Annual Fee Waiver	100% waived on ₹1.5 lakh spend, 50% on ₹90K to ₹1.49L
Monthly Percentage Rate	3.50%
Annual Percentage Rate	42%
Minimum Monthly Payment	5% of outstanding or ₹200, whichever is higher
Foreign Currency Markup	3.5%
Late Payment Charges	30% of Minimum Amount Due (min ₹500, max ₹1,000)
Overlimit Charges	Not applicable (spending power system, transactions may be declined)
Cash Advance Fee	3.5% of amount (min ₹250), cash withdrawal suspended in India
Balance Transfer Fee	Not available
Fee For Supplementary Card	Nil
Card Replacement Fee	Nil (complimentary replacement)
Fee For Duplicate Statement	₹100 per statement
Fee For Cheque Bounce	₹250 per returned instrument

Age Requirement Salaried	18-65 years
Age Requirement Self Employed	18-65 years
Minimum Annual Income Salaried	₹6 lakh per annum
Minimum Annual Income Self Employed	₹6 lakh per annum
Minimum Credit Score	700+

Identity Proof	PAN Card (mandatory) Aadhaar Card Passport Voter ID
Address Proof	Aadhaar Card Passport Utility Bill (recent) Bank Statement
Income Proof Salaried	Latest 3 months salary slips Latest 3 months bank statement Form 16 or ITR
Income Proof Self Employed	Latest 2 years ITR Latest 6 months bank statement Business registration documents

Frequently Asked Questions

The joining fee is ₹1,000 plus GST in the first year. From the second year, the annual renewal fee is ₹4,500 plus GST. The renewal fee gets 100% waived if your annual spend crosses ₹1.5 lakh, or 50% waived on spend between ₹90,000 and ₹1,49,999.

You earn 1 Membership Rewards point for every ₹50 spent on eligible transactions. Points are not earned on fuel, insurance, utility payments, or EMI transactions initiated from merchant websites.

Make 4 or more transactions of ₹1,500 or above in a single calendar month and you earn 1,000 bonus Membership Rewards points. This bonus resets each month and counts only eligible transactions.

Spend ₹20,000 or more in a calendar month to earn an additional 1,000 Membership Rewards points. This is an enrollment-based benefit, so you need to enroll through your Amex online account or app before it activates.

You receive 4,000 Membership Rewards points as a welcome gift. This requires payment of the joining fee and spending ₹15,000 within the first 90 days of card activation.

The 24K Gold Collection is a premium redemption tier requiring 24,000 Membership Rewards points. Options include a Taj Hotels voucher worth ₹14,000, Shoppers Stop worth ₹10,000, Tanishq worth ₹9,000, Tata CLiQ worth ₹9,000, Amazon worth ₹8,000, Flipkart worth ₹8,000, or Reliance Digital worth ₹8,000.

The 18K Gold Collection requires 18,000 Membership Rewards points. Options include a Taj Hotels voucher worth ₹9,000, Shoppers Stop worth ₹7,000, Myntra worth ₹7,000, Tata CLiQ worth ₹7,000, Amazon worth ₹6,000, Flipkart worth ₹6,000, or Reliance Digital worth ₹6,000.

You can redeem points through the American Express app or online account. Options include the 18K and 24K Gold Collection vouchers, shopping through the Reward Multiplier platform, or paying card charges with points. Vouchers are available from brands like Taj Hotels, Amazon, Flipkart, Tanishq, and Shoppers Stop.

Yes. The annual renewal fee of ₹4,500 is 100% waived if your total spend in the preceding year crosses ₹1,50,000. A 50% waiver applies if your spend falls between ₹90,000 and ₹1,49,999. This benefit is applicable only if mentioned in the MITC document signed at the time of card application.

You earn 5,000 Membership Rewards points when you pay the annual membership fee upon your first card renewal. This bonus is credited upon payment of the renewal fee.

You do not earn points on fuel purchases (petrol, diesel, CNG from oil marketing companies), insurance payments, utility bills (electricity, water, gas), and EMI transactions selected from merchant websites or terminals. EMI conversions done after purchase through American Express SafeKey continue to earn points.

Points are not earned on EMI options selected from a merchant website (like Amazon or Flipkart) or at merchant terminals. However, you continue to earn points on EMI conversions done after the purchase through American Express SafeKey.

The Reward Multiplier is an online shopping platform where you earn 2X Membership Rewards points when paying with your American Express card at participating brands. You access it through the Amex website or app and shop at partner retailers to earn bonus points on top of your base earn rate.

No. The Membership Rewards Credit Card does not include airport lounge access. For lounge benefits, you would need to consider higher-tier American Express cards like the Platinum Travel Credit Card or the Platinum Charge Card.

A markup of 3.5% is charged on all transactions made in a foreign currency. This applies to both online and in-store international transactions.

The monthly interest rate is 3.50%, which translates to an annual percentage rate of 42%. If you miss the minimum payment due twice within a 12-month period, the rate increases to 3.99% per month (47.88% annually).

The minimum amount due is 5% of the total outstanding balance or ₹200, whichever is higher. Paying only the minimum due will result in interest charges on the remaining balance at 3.50% per month.

A late payment fee of 30% of the minimum amount due is charged, with a minimum of ₹500 and a maximum of ₹1,000. Missing payments twice in 12 months triggers a higher interest rate of 3.99% per month instead of the standard 3.50%.

You need identity proof (PAN Card, Aadhaar, or Passport), address proof (Aadhaar, Passport, or utility bill), and income proof. Salaried applicants need recent salary slips and bank statements. Self-employed applicants need ITR copies and bank statements.

The minimum annual income requirement is ₹6 lakh. You must be an Indian resident with a savings or current account at an Indian or multinational bank, and have a good credit history with no payment defaults.

Yes. The card supports contactless tap-and-pay transactions. For purchases under ₹5,000, you do not need to enter your PIN. Look for the contactless symbol on the front and back of your card to confirm it is enabled.

Yes. You can apply for supplementary cards for family members at no additional charge. Supplementary cardholders also earn Membership Rewards points on their transactions, which get added to the primary cardholder's account.

Fuel transactions at HPCL under ₹5,000 have 0% surcharge. HPCL transactions of ₹5,000 or above attract a 1% fee. BPCL and IOCL stations charge 1% (minimum ₹10 plus taxes). All other oil marketing companies charge 2.5% (minimum ₹10 plus taxes). No reward points are earned on fuel purchases.

No. The Membership Rewards Credit Card does not include complimentary travel insurance. For travel insurance coverage, you would need to consider cards like the American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card.

If you report unauthorized transactions on your card within 3 working days, your liability to American Express is zero. If you report after 3 days, your maximum liability is capped at ₹1,000. Report any suspected fraud immediately through the Amex app, online account, or customer care helpline.