Amex Referrals – The Ultimate Referral Bonus Guide

Nisha

January 13, 2020

Blog

" class="img-responsive wp-image-731235 wp-post-image" alt="" />

At Yore Oyster, we strive to help you make wise financial decisions. We're committed to giving you the most relevant, actionable advice anywhere.

It’s a known fact most loyalty point systems allow you to redeem fulfilling rewards to your preference. Such is the case with American Express as well. But how do you earn whopping amounts of points quickly to earn your wishlist rewards? American Express’ Referral Bonus scheme – ‘Refer A Friend’ is your answer. Read on to get a clear understanding of how it works

REFER A FRIEND NOW

American Express credit/charge cards have their own referral bonus plan known as ‘Refer A Friend’. It’s a great way to boost your points within the Amex loyalty program or its affiliates’ while at the same time letting your friends in on some of the top loyalty programs in Canada today. Amex referrals are the way Amex rewards its most trusted users for “spreading the word”.

In this guide, you will find:

What is a Referral Bonus?

A Referral Bonus is a number of bonus points (Membership Rewards points or Marriott Bonvoy points) or cashback you can get when you refer a friend or acquaintance to an Amex card or product. It is an easy way to earn points on your Amex Card from every approved referral.

Not only do you earn points or cashback, but Amex referrals also let you share great Amex perks with your friends, so they’ll benefit from it as well. Not to forget some of the cards come along with a substantial welcome bonus while the offers last.

How Do Amex Referrals Work?

Below you can find a step-by-step visual aid of how you can refer a friend and get your bonus:

Step 1: Log in to your Amex online account

Step 2: Click on Refer a Friend

When you successfully log in, you will see the ‘Refer A Friend’ option on the left panel. Click on it and you will be directed to the Referral home page.

Step 3: Choose the card to recommend

At the top of the Referral home page, you will have a view of the card options that you can do a referral from.

Amex Referrals home page. Select one of your cards

Once you select your card, you will receive your personalized referral link.

Step 4: Share your referral link

Share your referral link with your friends either personally or via social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

Step 5: Wait for their approval

When your friend applies for the card via your referral link and gets approved, you will be rewarded your referral bonus within 8-12 weeks to your account.

For a more comprehensive idea of how successful referrals can be done as per Amex terms and conditions, you can log in to the Amex Refer-A-Friend site.

What is the Referral Bonus you can get for an Amex Card Type?

In the table below, you can view the referral bonus awarded for each Amex card, along with the annual fee and the referral bonus annual capping limit. For more details on the features and benefits each Amex card has to offer, just click on the link at the respective card’s name.

Card	Annual Fee	Referral Bonus per approved referral	Referral Bonus Earning Limit per calendar year
American Express Cobalt Card	$120 $10/monthly	5,000 MR Points	15 friends / 75,000 MR points
American Express Gold Rewards Card	$150	5,000 MR Points	15 friends / 75,000 MR points
American Express Platinum Card	$699	15,000 MR points	15 friends / 225,000 MR points
American Express Business Platinum Card	$499	25,000 MR points	15 friends / 225,000 MR points
American Express Business Edge Card	$99	5,000 MR points	15 friends / 75,000 MR points
American Express SimplyCash Card	$0	$100 cash back	15 friends / $1,500
American Express SimplyCash Preferred Card	$99	$150 cash back	15 friends / $2,250
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card	$120	10,000 Bonvoy points	15 friends / 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card	$150	10,000 Bonvoy points	15 friends / 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If you don’t see your card of choice in the table above, it’s probably because Amex has yet to introduce a “Refer a Friend” bonus scheme for it.

Let’s help you clarify that immediately.

Cards That Do Not Offer Amex Referrals

Below are the cards that don’t have any referral bonus perks at the moment. However, rest assured that we will be the first to notify you once Amex updates its offers.

However, should you wish to know more about a particular card, click on the card name and read our reviews on it.

Card Type	Annual Fee	Referral Bonus Status
Scotia Gold Amex	$120 Or $79 if cardholder is above 65 years old	Not offered at present
American Express Air Miles Gold Business Card	$0	Not offered at present
American Express Air Miles Platinum Card	$65	Not offered at present
American Express Air Miles Business Card	$180	Not offered at present
American Express Air Miles Reserve Card	$299	Not offered at present

What Causes Unsuccessful Referral Bonuses?

It’s important to mention that not all referrals will gain you a referral bonus. These are the most important things to look out for when referring a friend in order to make sure you get the bonus. You won’t get the bonus if:

Your friend or acquaintance isn’t approved for the card.
You refer someone you don’t know personally, or with whom you don’t have any sort of personal or business relationship.
Your friend/family member applies for the card without using your personalized referral link.
You referred someone with misleading or inaccurate information about the card.
Your card payment dues are not paid on time.
You have reached the limit your card allows for referral bonus earning (you capped out your referral bonuses)

Final Thoughts

Being an Amex cardholder, you can earn high amounts of MR points, Bonvoy points or cashback via the Refer-A-Friend program by American Express. Get your personalized referral link to get started on the process and you can work your way to huge amounts of points that can add up to thousands of dollars in either travel or merchandise redemptions or statement credits.