What are American Express Reward Dollars?

No, Amex points do not expire. Cash back and miles earned using American Express credit cards do not expire, either. However, points and other rewards can be forfeited when you close your account or when your account is closed due to inactivity. American Express will also cancel all points, miles or cash back earned during any billing period where a late payment occurs.… read full answer

Read on to learn more about when you could lose your Amex points so you can make sure it doesn’t happen.

Here’s when Amex points expire:

• Account Inactivity: Your American Express account can be closed due to inactivity – not making a purchase or bill payment for an extended period of time. When that happens, you have 90 days to redeem points before losing them. Amex doesn’t disclose a timeframe for closing accounts due to inactivity, so try to use your card regularly to keep your account active.
• Closing Your Account: Unredeemed American Express rewards will expire when you close your account. Try to redeem a couple weeks in advance so there’s plenty of time for the transaction to be processed. You can even use the rewards to pay for some of your final balance.
• Late Payments: Rewards earned during a billing period where a late payment occurs will be forfeited. You can reinstate lost points, though. Visit your account’s Points Summary page to reinstate them after bringing your account current. There’s a $35 fee for each billing period points are reinstated from.
• Returned Purchases: Points earned from purchases that are later returned get deducted from your rewards total. When you return an item purchased with points, you may receive a statement credit or a points refund. Statement credits can be converted back into points by calling Membership Rewards at (800) 297-3276.

American Express points, cash back and miles do not expire. Just be sure to use all your rewards prior to closing an American Express credit card account. Use your card regularly to keep your account active, and remember to make payments on time to keep points earned each billing period.

American Express is accepted at 10.6 million merchant locations in the U.S. and in 160+ countries and territories abroad. But you’ll find some stores that have exclusive deals with the more popular networks, Visa and Mastercard. For example, Costco only accepts Visa cards now, after switching from Amex only in 2016. Plus, despite the good number of foreign countries where you can use American Express cards, acceptance is on a merchant-by-merchant basis. So, coverage in a lot of countries is hit or miss.… read full answer

Here’s where American Express is accepted:

• Where American Express is Accepted in the U.S.: 10.6 million merchants
• Where American Express is Accepted Internationally: 160+ countries and territories
• Countries Where American Express is Accepted Most: Canada, Australia, UK, India, Singapore
• Places Where American Express is Not Accepted: Cuba, Sudan, South Sudan, Iran, Syria
• Major Retailers That Accept American Express: Amazon, IKEA, Sears, Target, Walmart, Lowe’s, Apple, Best Buy, Staples, CVS
• Major Retailers That Don’t Accept American Express: Costco, small non-chain stores/restaurants

So, an American Express card is enough for your shopping within the U.S. Though you may find some stores that don’t take it, the majority will. But you’ll probably want to have a no foreign transaction fee Visa or Mastercard when you go abroad. Those networks guarantee you worldwide coverage, with acceptance in over 200 countries and territories. Plus, Mastercard and Visa cards are accepted just about universally within those regions. Amex cards still have hit-or-miss acceptance in many.