Apr 22, 2015, 10:57 am
Last edit by: mia
Effective June 2017 the USA Business Platinum airfare Pay-with-Points refund was reduced to 35%. This brings the net value to $0.0153 per point, essentially the same as Chase Sapphire Reserve's Pay-with-Points redemption rate.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
- $1,000 charged to American Express card [Day 1]
- 100,000 Membership Rewards points redeemed [Day 1]
- $1,000 credited to American Express card [Day 2]
- _35,000 Membership Rewards points returned [~a month later]
- Net: $1,000 ticket for 65,000 points = $0.0154/point
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
Pay-with-Points flights. BUSINESS Centurion 50% refund, Plat 35%, Gold 25% (2015-23)
Mar 10, 2017, 8:03 pm
#346
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,943
Yes, of course. But that 20k doesn't help much when you're trying to book all five tickets of $400. I've got to maintain a high balance of MR for this benefit to be useful for family travel. For me alone, the 20k is great.
Mar 10, 2017, 8:16 pm
#347
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 587
I only just realized this. Definitely helpful.
Yes, of course. But that 20k doesn't help much when you're trying to book all five tickets of $400. I've got to maintain a high balance of MR for this benefit to be useful for family travel. For me alone, the 20k is great.
Yes, of course. But that 20k doesn't help much when you're trying to book all five tickets of $400. I've got to maintain a high balance of MR for this benefit to be useful for family travel. For me alone, the 20k is great.
Mar 10, 2017, 8:34 pm
#348
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,546
20K offers on multiple cards, each with multiple authorized users, all pointing to the same Membership Rewards account, can temporarily inflate one's available points balance. Connect the dots.
Mar 11, 2017, 8:58 am
#349
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 166
Personal and Business Platinum cards rebate?
Can you have a different airline on each card. Both could give you the annual credit and on the business card you'd get the 50% bonus rebate?
Mar 11, 2017, 9:04 am
#350
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,943
I'm aware. Was just taking the opportunity to bemoan the fact that I'll only be able to use it once or twice before lowering my balance enough that I can't use it for 5x tix. I'd have to spend $100s of thousands a year to make this benefit worthwhile in my particular case so will likely not keep the card past a year or two. That's all I was saying. Some benefits work well for certain types of travelers but not others. All the blogs are glowing about this benefit, so I guess I'm just pointing out that it doesn't have the same value for everyone.
Yes you can have a different airline per card. And yes receive $200 credit respectively. Only the airline on the biz will get you the 50% rebate.
Last edited by mia; Mar 11, 2017 at 4:47 pm Reason: Combine consecutive replies.
Mar 11, 2017, 4:50 pm
#351
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
This isn't an all/nothing decision. You don't need to use the same method of payment for all tickets. If you can use Membership Rewards pay-with-points for two tickets, and another program for the others, you are still realizing $0.02/point rather than $0.015 at Chase or $0.0125 at Citi.
Mar 11, 2017, 7:46 pm
#352
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,943
This isn't an all/nothing decision. You don't need to use the same method of payment for all tickets. If you can use Membership Rewards pay-with-points for two tickets, and another program for the others, you are still realizing $0.02/point rather than $0.015 at Chase or $0.0125 at Citi.
Mar 13, 2017, 1:47 pm
#354
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
If I recall correctly that account is owned by your father. He could ask customer service to transfer the points to your Membership Rewards account on an exception basis. This is not a published benefit, and it's been a long while (decade?) since I recall anyone report success. Failing that, he could apply for a Business Platinum card which would allow all of his points to be redeemed on that basis.
Mar 13, 2017, 2:30 pm
#357
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,943
If I recall correctly that account is owned by your father. He could ask customer service to transfer the points to your Membership Rewards account on an exception basis. This is not a published benefit, and it's been a long while (decade?) since I recall anyone report success. Failing that, he could apply for a Business Platinum card which would allow all of his points to be redeemed on that basis.
No, but I do read every post 
.
.
Mar 14, 2017, 12:42 pm
#358
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Jackson, WY
Posts: 543
Can you all help/verify my math?
I have a single $25,000/month business expense I can pay through Plastiq.
Plastiq highest fee of 2.5% would cost me $625.
If I understand right, since the charge is over $5,000 I will earn 50% bonus points on that charge. So $25,000 x 1.5 = 37,500 points earned.
So then I book a ticket at $375 and redeem 37,500 points to pay the bill.
In exchange I get 50% points back, or 18,750, worth $187.50 in airline redemptions.
So the total value back is $375 + $187.50 = $562.50, which is obviously less than $625 so not worth it.
I keep thinking something is wrong with my math, that I should be able to save money but math doesn't lie. Am I doing something wrong? Will it never make sense to buy points with Plastiq in this scenario?
I have a single $25,000/month business expense I can pay through Plastiq.
Plastiq highest fee of 2.5% would cost me $625.
If I understand right, since the charge is over $5,000 I will earn 50% bonus points on that charge. So $25,000 x 1.5 = 37,500 points earned.
So then I book a ticket at $375 and redeem 37,500 points to pay the bill.
In exchange I get 50% points back, or 18,750, worth $187.50 in airline redemptions.
So the total value back is $375 + $187.50 = $562.50, which is obviously less than $625 so not worth it.
I keep thinking something is wrong with my math, that I should be able to save money but math doesn't lie. Am I doing something wrong? Will it never make sense to buy points with Plastiq in this scenario?
Mar 14, 2017, 12:53 pm
#359
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,955
This is where you went off track. Those points are worth $375, BUT you need additional points to make the purchase. Don't look at a single transaction, but rather at a chain of transactions over (example) the full year.
Mar 14, 2017, 1:18 pm
#360
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 81
When you redeem the 18,750 points you 9,375 back. When you redeem those you get 4,688 back. You can't redeem less than 5,000 so you're done at this point. So, $375 + $187.50 + $93.75 + $46.88 = $703.13.