You can get both American Express as well as regular gift cards with American Express Membership Rewards points.
The categories for the regular gift cards are Air & Lodging, Car & Rail, Dining, Experience and Retail.
5,000 points would get you a $25 American Express gift card (1 point is worth 0.5 cents). As far as non-Amex gift cards go, the point values are different from card to card.
Here are some examples:
2,500 points would get you a $25 Nike gift card (1 point = 1 cent)
2,941 points would get you a $25 Subway gift card (1 point = 0.85 cents)
3,571 points would get you a $25 Uber gift card (1 point = 0.70 cents)
For a complete list of gift cards you can click here.
You can use American Express Platinum to buy gift cards, but some retailers may not allow it, to protect themselves from potential fraud. Other retailers may permit gift card purchases with an Amex Platinum card, but will often have limits on the dollar amount or number of cards per person, per transaction. They may also require a photo ID at the time of purchase.… read full answer
You won’t earn rewards for American Express gift cards purchased online, but other gift card purchases will earn 1 point for every $1 you spend. There are downsides to using an American Express Platinum card to buy gift cards, though. For starters, gift card purchases don’t count toward the minimum spending requirement for the card’s initial bonus. Also, if you buy airline gift cards with the Platinum card, you cannot apply the card’s annual $200 airline fee credit toward those purchases.
Another way to get gift cards with an American Express Platinum card is to redeem Amex Platinum points for gift cards on the American Express Membership Rewards website. Amex Platinum points are typically worth 1 cent each when redeemed for gift cards. In some cases, however, points may have less value, depending on the retailer. Options include both physical gift cards and eGift cards in a wide variety of categories, such as dining, air & lodging, and retail stores.
To redeem Amex Blue Cash Preferred rewards for gift cards, log in to your online account and click “Explore Rewards.” Then, select “Gift Cards” from the Rewards Menu to begin browsing gift cards from popular retailers such as Target, Taco Bell, Amazon, Best Buy, L.L. Bean, Lowe’s and Staples, among others. You will need a minimum Reward Dollars balance of $25 (equal to $25 in U.S. dollars) before you can redeem rewards for gift cards. Denominations above $25 will vary, depending on the retailer.… read full answer
When you’re ready to redeem your Blue Cash Preferred rewards for a specific gift card, click the card logo on the page, then select the number of cards and the denominations you want. Some retailers may also allow you to choose from either a physical gift card or a digital e-gift card. After adding gift cards to your cart, review the shipping address and redemption amounts and either update your information or click “Check Out.” Once completed, you will receive a confirmation e-mail at the address linked to your account.
Note that each gift card you redeem automatically reduces your Reward Dollars balance. Gift cards normally arrive by mail in about 10 business days from the ordering date. Digital gift cards are sent via e-mail and are available for use as soon as you receive them.
The American Express rewards catalog is an online brochure that shows merchandise and services for which cardholders can redeem their Amex Membership Rewards points. It displays products, along with the number of points needed for redemption. The catalog is available electronically on Amex’s website.
The Amex rewards catalog has many different product categories. They include gift cards, travel, electronics, fashion and accessories, homeware, charities, experiences and more. Some items are more worthwhile than others. Before buying, look up the dollar price of the item you want and divide it by the amount of points it costs. That shows you the value of an individual point toward each offer so you can choose options that are most worth it.… read full answer
If you see an offer you like, you can click “Find out more” to view additional details. Then, if you decide to redeem your points, you can click “Add to Cart” or “Transfer my points,” depending on the product. Amex will prompt you to log in to your account and trade your points for the reward.
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