Rewards points have always been a mystery to me. They quietly accumulate and accumulate with each purchase and, without intervention from you at some point, will continue to accumulate. But how do you take a stand against all that accumulation and reward yourself with all your rewards points? How do you earn all those points in the first place? What can you buy with all the points that you’ve earned? What’s the process to pay with points? Well, I intended to find out.
Unlike other rewards programs, the Amex Gold Rewards Card gives you double points on your everyday spending. “Everyday” purchases like gas, groceries and drugstore items will see your points accumulating twice as fast. “Someday” purchases like a hotel room, car rental or that dream trip you’ve wanted to go on will also earn you double the points. So long as you use your card, you will be accumulating points. Which brings me to this: what can points be used for?
Sure, you can redeem your rewards points for all sorts of things like electronics, gift certificates and so on, but the real strength of the Amex Gold Rewards Card is that you can purchase any travel from anywhere and use your points to do so. Want to just book a hotel room online? Use your Amex card (and get double the points). Planning a trip that’s a bit more complex and want to use a travel agent? Use your Amex card to pay for it (and get double the points). With the TripFlex option you can just charge any travel to your Card and then call Amex to pay for it with points.
So then, how do you actually go about paying for something with points? When I first contemplated how it all works I had visions of turning up at the cashier and, when asked how I’d be paying, sheepishly answering, “err, umm, with points”. Followed by me being escorted from the store to a chorus of laughter for trying to use some imaginary currency. But it’s all really quite simple and straightforward.
The process of booking a trip with points
Once you’ve found and planned that perfect trip and it’s come time to pay for it, here’s how you can do it with your Amex Gold Rewards Card.
- Take your shiny gold Amex card our of your wallet and use it just like you would a credit card (except this one’s gold and has no pre-set spending limit).
- Once the charge is posted to your account, simply call Amex within 12 months of the purchase and tell them you want to pay for that purchase with your rewards points. They will pay off some or all of your charge with your points based on how many points you have accumulated and how many of these points you would like to use.
Two steps. That’s it. With points accumulating at double the rate just by purchasing everyday items and the flexibility to purchase any travel with your Amex card, you’ll never have to pay full price for a trip again.
To learn more about the Amex Gold Rewards Card and to apply online for yours, visit: http://www.amex.ca