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AmEx Explorer Card: 100,000 Bonus Points ($4,000 Spend in 3 Months), $400 Travel Credit, $395 Annual Fee @ AmEx via Points Hack

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AmEx Explorer Card: 100,000 Bonus Points ($4,000 Spend in 3 Months), $400 Travel Credit, $395 Annual Fee @ AmEx via Points Hack
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Lninja2042 on 03/09/2024 - 17:17 pointhacks.com.au (3259 clicks)
Last edited 03/09/2024 - 17:55 by 2 other users

I've been waiting for a big offer for Amex Explorer, but alas the days of 150k+ points seem to be gone.
The best I've seen lately is 100k bonus points, and it's available again via Point Hacks (but not via referral or on the Amex website it seems).
I like this card because points can be transferred to 11 airlines including Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways and Singapore.
The transfer ratio is 2:1 for many airlines (but sadly 3:1 for Singapore).
The card comes with a $400 travel credit that can be used to book flights or hotels at Amex Travel.
The $395 fee is steep but I will use my TC each year so it basically negates it.
I also like the travel insurance and smartphone screen insurance.
There are also two lounge passes each year when travelling from Sydney or Mel overseas, plus other perks.
Hope this helps anyone who's also been waiting to apply for this card.

Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this introductory bonus offer. Previous and existing bank-issued American Express companion cardholders are eligible for this offer.

Financial American Express Credit Card Membership Rewards Reward Points Travel Credit

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closed Comments

  • Heybargain on 03/09/2024 - 17:19
    +5

    Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any Card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this introductory bonus offer. Previous and existing bank-issued American Express companion cardholders are eligible for this offer

    • ninja2042 on 03/09/2024 - 17:20
      +1

      oh yes i forgot to mention that. Will update the post.

  • OldSchoolHarry on 03/09/2024 - 17:31
    +7

    Alas! gone are the 240,000 pts days :(

    • TheFreaK on 03/09/2024 - 17:32
      +6

      Shrinkflation hit the credit card rewards industry hard

    • Fancydancer on 03/09/2024 - 18:12
      +6

      Yeah, when you could open the card, do the spend, use travel credit, get points, redeem points and cancel all before the annual fee ;)

  • Ozybargdias on 03/09/2024 - 17:47
    +6

    Meh, if you’re planning to travel overseas more than once in the next year I’d shell out for the platinum charge card. The extra 175,000 MR points effectively negate the annual fee difference, and the other benefits (Accor Plus, dining credits, lounge access) offer $1000+ of additional value if you’re prepared to make the most of them.

    • random-guy on 03/09/2024 - 19:57
      +9

      I thought about "upgrading" to platinum from my explorer, but eventually figured I prefer not having to work out how to redeem the perks every year to justify the annual fee. The freedom to stay and dine wherever I want makes planning easier for me

      • Ozybargdias on 03/09/2024 - 20:23
        +3

        Redeeming the perks and milking the best value from the card is all part of the fun IMO, but to each their own.

        • random-guy on 03/09/2024 - 21:10

          I get you, I have the hobby of arranging flights and other means of transport to visit as many destinations as possible while keeping the cost low :)

          • zan5hin on 04/09/2024 - 23:08
            +1

            @random-guy: If you do that, then having Priority Pass is so worth it. Especially when slumming it in economy, still being able to visit a lounge before the flight (or two lounge) is a big bonus.

            Because I kept the card for nearly 13 months, not only did I get one Accor Plus night, it gave me a second one.

            Plus you get all the additional spend offers during the 13 months, including "add a secondary cardholder for more points"…. it's not just the initial bonus.

  • prime47 on 03/09/2024 - 18:15
    +1

    I just closed my Velocity Platinum card last week. I used to love using Amex, but card acceptance has become poor lately.
    Even ebay doesn't accept Amex as payment method!

    • donniedarko3000 on 03/09/2024 - 18:33
      +36

      Just connect Amex to pay pal and pay eBay that way

      • djc on 02/10/2024 - 16:42

        Ooooo, I never thought of that before … thanks for the tip!

      • RiseAndRuin on 03/10/2024 - 08:47
        +1

        I usually do that and use paypal pay-in-4 to defer the payments further.

  • a1234my on 03/09/2024 - 18:23

    Does additional card have 2 centurion lounge entry ?

    • abs898 on 03/09/2024 - 19:06

      Nope

  • Viper8 on 03/09/2024 - 19:02
    +6

    AMEX is the only bank I've had reject me (happened earlier this year) specifically for churning. Highest tax bracket, highest credit rating, significant savings, low expenses, low liabilities. I appealed twice with the requested supply of the equifax credit report, savings balance, income, etc. after the applications team initially gave generic feedback about it possibly heing due to my credit rating and other individual factors, and they were genuinely baffled by the decision made by the approvals twam. The catch is I've had over 20 cards in the past 5 years…

    • mskeggs on 03/09/2024 - 19:46
      +12

      Why would you expect a credit card provider to give you promotional deals if your demonstrated history is churning?
      I know many card providers don’t seem to care, but it is obviously poor business for them to pay out all the acquisition costs for you to churn.
      I’m more surprised many banks don’t seem to care.

      • Viper8 on 03/09/2024 - 20:28
        +6

        Because no where in the T&C's does it say anything about churning beyond minimum 18 months. Every other bank permits it. That's business. Some customers profit, but overall the bank does. The only industry that I know of the blatantly bans individuals that win are casinos…

        • clownyfish on 04/09/2024 - 09:32
          +3

          I suppose that generally, companies are entitled to accept whatever customers they choose, for basically any reason. But I take issue with the credit report being used to assess my loyalty instead of my financial health. When Equifax records data about me, they do so for the explicit reason of building a credit profile. Not: "helping credit card companies cherry pick profitable customers". The Amex pattern seems like an abuse of the credit data.

          • nomadspartan on 04/09/2024 - 09:55
            +1

            @clownyfish: The credit data shows them how many credit cards you have over the years. They're entitled to use the info as they see fit, seeing that you'll be using their money, and they have to bear the credit risk. Why should they give you their business if they're not going to profit off of you?

            • clownyfish on 04/09/2024 - 15:11
              +1

              @nomadspartan: @nomadspartan

              they have to bear the credit risk

              Yes. Limiting the risk of lending is fine. Using my Equifax data to review my past repayments, liabilities, etc. All fine.

              Why should they give you their business if they're not going to profit off of you?

              I agree they're entitled to seek profit. And mostly, they are entitled to reject me because of prior disloyalty. Reviewing my Equifax data for this pursuit is not fine. The Equifax data is recorded only to profile my financial health, not to keep a central record of my loyalty for the benefit of Amex's top line.

              • whyisave on 04/09/2024 - 19:30
                +1

                @clownyfish:

                Reviewing my Equifax data for this pursuit is not fine. The Equifax data is recorded only to profile my financial health, not to keep a central record of my loyalty for the benefit of Amex's top line.

                I totally agree with this.
                I just got rejected by HSBC.

                I remember seeing my Equifax data, about 2 years ago, which showed prior to that specific year, I would churn through 1-2 credit cards, within every 12 months, for a period of ~4 years.
                Nothing extravagant, but there was a record of it…I guess, a 'trend' of it.

                However, in last 2 years, I've had around 6-8 cards,…churning through 4 + 2 (whilst keeping the 2 'permanent' cards with me).
                It became obvious, only in last 2 years, I would churn through cards, within 6 - 8 months of the card,
                whereas in other years, I would keep the card until the 11th month and then cancel.

                • a1234my on 05/09/2024 - 17:42

                  @whyisave: how long will the card owned data hold after cancel? If any clue

              • nomadspartan on 06/09/2024 - 09:38
                +1

                @clownyfish: I understand what you're saying and even I have some qualms about companies using confidential data in ways that they were unintended for. But compared to other absolutely dodgy and completely immoral things that companies get up by using data unethically, what Amex is doing here isn't that bad (but it doesn't absolve them of their sins).

                Maybe the government can implement regulation that credit card companies can only view previous and current indebtedness, rather than a complete history showing how long an individual has each credit card for.

    • raynbow on 03/09/2024 - 20:09

      Just wondering, what was the wording they put on the rejection letter?

      • Viper8 on 03/09/2024 - 20:26
        +4

        The letter was just a dear John saying it can be many reasons including credit rating, and that you're entitled to a free credit check with Equifax. They officially never go into any detail so you can't use it against them.

    • reubenb87 on 04/09/2024 - 10:54
      +1

      AMEX specifically look at churning now, more than 4 cards in a year will be rejection (heard from a good source)

      • whyisave on 04/09/2024 - 19:27
        +1

        Maybe HSBC also looks at the same thing too, because I just got rejected

      • DrRalph on 05/09/2024 - 09:54

        Just not correct.

    • whyisave on 04/09/2024 - 19:26

      AMEX is the only bank I've had reject me (happened earlier this year) specifically for churning.

      I just got rejected by HSBC, for the StarAlliance promotion.
      I'm in your situation too, ie. savings, balance, income, no current mortgage, etc.
      However, in last 2 years, I've had about 6-8 credit cards, which were churned (eg. I even the same ANZ card 2x, within a 18-month period cancelling them both at the time of the HSBC application)
      I never bought things on credit, and always satisfied the minimum spend criteria, to claim the benefits.
      I never did balance transfers, ie. I had no 'debt balance' to even transfer.

      At present, I only have 2 x Credit Cards: Citi Premier and AMEX Essentials.
      They are all at their minimum credit limits.

      For HSBC, I also applied for the lowest credit amount.
      HSBC just categorically rejected my application and with "no particular reason", so I don't even think it's something I could appeal.

      If this is a sign of things to come, then I'm severely disappointed by this approach.

    • Salternative on 05/09/2024 - 19:25
      +1

      yep, seconded, Amex is the only card that rejected me twice, Income as per the ATO table places me in top 1 percantile , low debts, can easily service multiples of the minimum limit . I was approved for $ 80k total limits at one point in time, and when i applied with Amex, just had a combined $20k limit .

      amex seems to be running an algorithm based on expected profitability . Amex makes money from two ways, one is merchant fees from transactions ( higher revenue than mastercard/visa as they charge higher merchant fees , dont have it off the top off my head but i think it can be as high as 3%, that is why merchants hate amex ) . The other is interest/charges from deferred full repayments . Their systems ran a modelling with past revenue vs the cost base ( points/insurance etc) and probably decided against it .

      You do you AMEX, I wont ever be applying with them again, but hey maybe thats what they want LOL.

      Moral of the story is: Churners , Stay Away.

  • milobob on 03/09/2024 - 19:04

    The 200000 points you'll need to get the platinum charge card.

  • Ironic fear on 03/09/2024 - 20:04

    Is there an optimal (best value usage) way to use the travel credit or its just a flat $400 voucher?

    • daft009 on 03/09/2024 - 20:29

      Usually flights on qantas or virgin is best value.
      LCC aren't listed

    • Binchicken22 on 03/09/2024 - 20:43
      +2

      I usually use it for hotel accom, amex travel pricing always seems to be very competitive from what I've seen.

      • CheapCoffee on 04/09/2024 - 03:45
        +1

        IMO hotel accom is more reliable than airfare. Just less possible things that can go wrong.

    • whyisave on 04/09/2024 - 04:44
      +1

      You need to use the travel credit through their portal, and I've found the accommodations better value, than redeeming flights.

    • daft009 on 04/09/2024 - 09:20

      I book hotels direct usually to earn status

  • lilkid28 on 03/09/2024 - 20:35

    Wait for a referral offer to benefit both referrer and referrer

  • CaptainCricket on 04/09/2024 - 08:30

    Citi Premier is 200k points with $150 annual fees. Citi offers 3:1 for Singapore airlines too. Thats $650 when you pay with points (excluding annual fees already).

    • May4th on 04/09/2024 - 10:02

      220k through pointshack

  • shazam a on 04/09/2024 - 10:39
    +2

    for people who are signing up thinking the travel credit pays out the fee, just know that the flight prices with Amex are not the cheapest or the best deals. In fact you'd save more directly buying tickets elsewhere like skyscanner. Although the bonus deal and converting points sounds good!

    • zan5hin on 04/09/2024 - 23:12

      I use the credit on hotels. The hotel I stay at in bangkok is approx $70 per night, I think Agoda had it for $63 per night.

  • Gaz1 on 04/09/2024 - 15:18

    Is there a good website that lists all the current credit card sign up bonuses?

  • akqrate on 04/09/2024 - 17:44

    Question. Do current corporate Amex card holders remain eligible? I.e. via our employers who want us to use the corporate Amex to book all business travel.

    • ninja2042 on 05/09/2024 - 14:22

      Yes you should be eligible

  • Burger R on 10/09/2024 - 19:52
    +1

    Find it hard to use the travel credit. I don't usually stay in same hotel for more than 1-2 days.

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