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American Express
American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card
American Express is temporarily pausing new card applications in India while updating its technology platforms. Existing cardholders can still review their benefits.
- Joining fee incl. GST
- ₹1,180
- Renewal fee incl. GST
- ₹5,310
- Conditional welcome value
- Up to ₹1,000
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- Interest p.a.
- 42%
- Min income (salaried)
- ₹4,50,000/yr
Welcome benefits depend on the actual offer and qualifying conditions; points and vouchers are not an automatic cash refund. Pay joining fee and spend Rs 15,000 within first 90 days
How this card earns
Reward rates with their qualifying conditions and caps. Use the calculator for a combined estimate.
Calculation coverage is still under review for this card. A recorded benefit does not mean every condition has been included in the estimate.
What still needs confirmation
- First-renewal bonus requires paid renewal fee and account age; model does not infer those. Reward Multiplier terms remain outside the estimate.
| Spend category | Reward rate | Reward limit |
|---|---|---|
Fuel Fuel spends earn no Membership Rewards points. American Express states the base earn is 1 point per Rs.50 "except for spend on Fuel, Insurance, Utilities, Cash Transactions and EMI conversion at Point of Sale". | 0% | No category cap |
Utilities & bills Utility spends earn no Membership Rewards points, per the same exclusion list on the product page. | 0% | No category cap |
Insurance Insurance spends earn no Membership Rewards points, per the same exclusion list on the product page. | 0% | No category cap |
| Other eligible purchases | 0.5% | — |
Excluded from ordinary earning: Fuel, Insurance, Utilities & bills. Specific qualifying offers, if any, are listed above.
Rates apply only to the merchants and conditions described. Shared ceilings cannot be added across rows. Points and vouchers are valued at the stated redemption assumption; use the spending calculator for a combined estimate.
Fees & charges
Spend milestones
| Annual spend | Benefit | Value |
|---|---|---|
| ₹1 | 5,000 bonus Membership Rewards points on first card renewal (on payment of annual fee) | ₹1,250 |
| ₹72,000 | 1,000 bonus Membership Rewards points each calendar month for using the card 4 times on transactions of Rs 1,500 or more in a calendar month (approx Rs 250 value at Rs 0.25/point) | ₹3,000 |
| ₹2,40,000 | 1,000 bonus Membership Rewards points each calendar month on spends of Rs 20,000 or more (enrolment required; approx Rs 250 value at Rs 0.25/point) | ₹3,000 |
Key benefits
- 1 Membership Rewards point per Rs 50 spent (approx 0.5% value-back at Rs 0.25/point; excludes fuel, insurance, utilities, cash transactions and EMI conversion at point of sale)
- 1,000 bonus points a calendar month for 4 transactions of Rs 1,500 or more
- Additional 1,000 bonus points on monthly spend of Rs 20,000+ (enrollment required)
- 2X bonus points via Reward Multiplier on select online partners (programme ends 30 September 2026)
- Membership Rewards points never expire and transfer to multiple airline/hotel partners
- 24x7 card assistance
What we like
- +Stackable monthly bonuses (1,000 points x2) materially lift effective returns for steady spenders
- +Generous fee-waiver thresholds and a first-renewal 5,000-point bonus
- +Membership Rewards points never expire and transfer to airline/hotel partners
What to watch
- −Low base earn of only ~0.5% value-back outside bonus mechanics
- −Fuel, utilities and insurance excluded from earning
- −Limited merchant acceptance in India versus Visa/Mastercard
- −3.5% forex markup on international spends
Compare with similar cards
- Top reward
- 1.88%
- Annual fee
- ₹66,000
- Welcome bonus
- ₹60,000 value
American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card
American Express
Best for travel
- Top reward
- 0.5%
- Annual fee
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- Welcome bonus
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- Welcome bonus
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Partner link — we may earn a commission. Disclosure
- Top reward
- 5%
- Annual fee
- ₹1,000
- Welcome bonus
- ₹1,000 value
Partner link — we may earn a commission. Disclosure
- Top reward
- 5%
- Annual fee
- ₹500
- Welcome bonus
- ₹500 value
Partner link — we may earn a commission. Disclosure
- Top reward
- 7.5%
- Annual fee
- ₹500
- Welcome bonus
- ₹250 value
Partner link — we may earn a commission. Disclosure