American Express cardholders can earn bonuses Membership Rewards Pointsairline miles and hotel points by referring friends and family to eligible cards.
Depending on the card you have and the current offer attached to your account, referral bonuses can be quite lucrative, especially if you regularly recommend cards to people in your orbit anyway.
Referral offers change frequently and vary by account, but the process itself is simple. Here’s how American Express referrals work and how to maximize them.
How American Express Referrals Work
Most American Express cards include a “Refer a Friend” feature that allows existing cardholders to generate a personalized referral link. If someone applies through your link and is approved, you will typically get a referral bonus.
Those bonuses can come in several forms, including:
- Membership Rewards Points
- air miles
- hotel points
- Cash back
In many cases, the person applying through your link may also receive a higher welcome offer compared to the public application page.
Amex referral links are usually broader than people expect. You may have one card but still be able to recommend someone a completely different American Express product.
Referral offers can also vary significantly from person to person, even between people with the same card.
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How to Find Your Amex Referral Link
Finding your referral link is pretty easy.
On the desktop:
- Gonna this link.
- Sign in to your American Express account.
- See your reference offers.
- Share your custom link.
In the Amex mobile app:
- Open the app and select your card.
- Navigate to the Membership tab.
- Click “Get Rewards for Referrals” (note that not all cards may show this option).
- Share your custom link.
Amex frequently rotates referral offers, so it’s worth checking periodically to see if your bonus has increased.
What you can earn from referrals
Referral bonuses vary depending on the card and the current promotion attached to your account.
Below are some examples of referral offers I have personally seen on my accounts:
*Legacy product is no longer available to new applicants. Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card information has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
For the Delta and Marriott offers, all personal and business cards within the Delta and Marriott card families, respectively, were eligible to refer my friends. In contrast, my Blue Business Plus recommendation only worked for that particular card.
Unfortunately, I was unable to recommend to my friends the two American Express cards that I value most: the American Express Platinum® Card either Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
By contrast, credit card publisher TPG Olivia Mittak has a referral link for its Amex Platinum, which offers 15,000 bonus points for up to five approved cardholders. If you currently can’t recommend one of your Amex cards to anyone, it’s worth checking back periodically.
Amex also limits the amount of referral bonuses you can earn each calendar year, although the limit varies by card. For the three examples I gave above, they were limited to 50,000 points or miles per calendar year each.
Tips to Maximize Amex Referrals
Referral offers are constantly changing, so a little strategy can go a long way.
Before sending a referral, I always compare the referral offer with the public link to make sure the other person is actually getting a better deal. Sometimes the referral offer is stronger, but not always.
Some other things worth keeping in mind:
- Check their referral offers regularly, as Amex frequently runs high promotions.
- Consider recommending it within your household if someone is already planning to apply for a card.
- Screenshot of high referral offers in case they disappear later.
It is also important to remember that approval is not guaranteed and Standard Amex Welcome Bonus Eligibility Rules still applies.
Related: Should my partner get their own card or be added as an authorized user?
In a nutshell
American Express referrals can be an easy way to earn extra rewards if friends or family are already considering a new card.
Depending on your account, those bonuses can add up quickly in the form of Membership Rewards points, airline miles, or hotel points.
Since Amex’s referral offers change frequently, it’s worth checking your accounts regularly, especially before recommending a card to someone else.
