I highly recommend using the Amex app to help you navigate some of the perks of this card. Lets start by talking about "Amex Offers". You can see when you click the "offers" tab below, a list of deals will then appear and you simply click the plus sign on the right of each deal if you would like to take advantage of the savings. You must click the plus sign to "add the offer" to your card, you will not get the savings automatically. Let's say you like the Brio offer listed below, after adding it to your card (if you have multiple amex cards, you can add it to whatever card you would like) then use that same card at Brio and within a couple days you will see Amex credit you back $10 on your account. Sweet, right! I highly recommend you check these offers occasionally to see what is there. I have been able to take advantage of offers and get money back for purchases made through Amazon, Best Buy, Delta Airlines, Hyatt, etc. Through the end of this year (2021), Amex has a great offer on all their Delta and Hilton cards, you simply use the card at restaurants (ANY restaurant) and they will credit your account every month anywhere from $5 to $15 (depending on the card). So check that out! PS- you have to have had the delta or hilton card BEFORE the beginning of this year to see and take advantage of that particular offer.
Next on the app, let's go into the membership tab at the bottom of the screen. On the next page, you'll notice the "Refer a Friend" button. Also take note of the "Redeem Rewards" tab, these are two very important things you'll want to know how to do! First we'll talk about referring, then I'll cover how to "redeem your rewards."
As soon as you hit the "refer a friend" button, you'll see your cards at the top and you can chose which card you want to refer from. If you refer from a Delta card, you can only refer friends to other Delta Cards and you will earn Delta SkyMiles. If you refer from the Amex Gold or Green card, you can refer your friends to ANY amex card (including Delta, hilton, cash back cards, and even business cards). Also, if you refer from the Amex Gold card you will earn membership rewards points (which can then be transferred to different airlines and hotels).
By default the app will assume you want to refer your friend to the same card as you have, if that is what you want to do then simply click the button at the bottom of the page that says "Share Via SMS" or "Share Via Email". If by chance you want to refer your friend to a different card, after you send the referral link, your friend will need to select the tab that says "View all cards with a Referral offer", then they'll be able to select from a menu all the different cards that American Express offers. It seems to be easiest to refer your friends and family members to cards that have no Annual fee, so that is why I have circled that tab below for you to see. You'll earn a ton of referral points and they won't have to pay an annual fee for the card they get - it's a win win!
Next let's talk about how you actually use those Amex points if you have the Gold or Green card. You are able to transfer those points to many different airlines or hotels (sometimes there are even incentives like extra points if you transfer to a particular airline or hotel). So after you enter the "membership" section of the app, then click on "Redeem rewards" you will see the following picture below. The best way to use those membership reward points will always be to "transfer points" to an airline. After selecting that option, you will then have a long list of airlines (Delta being one of those choices).
You will need to first link your Amex account with your Delta SkyMiles account, see below. You will only need to do this once, it will keep that info saved for future transfers to delta. Then on the bottom right you will see it asks how many points you want to transfer. You can't transfer 500, or 800 points, it must be in increments of 1,000. Then because Delta is an American company, you will need to pay taxes. You have the option of selecting to pay with additional Membership rewards points or with cash. If you were to transfer your points to Air France, or Virgin Atlantic, there would be no charge for the transfer as they are foreign airlines so we don't pay taxes on that.
My final piece of advice, don't transfer miles until you are ready to book. Once miles have been transferred, you cannot undo that action. So let's say you transfer a bunch of miles to Delta one day (thinking that someday you will surely use those miles) then out of nowhere a pandemic happens and Delta unfortunately goes out of business - well there goes all your miles. So just keep them safely accruing in your amex account and only transfer when it's time to book!
If you are curious about the other airlines that Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to (and you should be because of the deals they offer- in other words, sometimes Delta isn't the cheapest way for you to get to places...) then I recommend you read up on airline "
sweet spots." My favorite Amex points transfer partner is actually Virgin Atlantic because I can travel in first class for a steal of a deal (something I never thought possible)!!!
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