- 50,000 Membership Rewards® Bonus Points when you apply online, are approved and spend $3,000 on your Card within the first 3 months
- $400 Travel Credit every year
- Smartphone Screen Insurance
- Earn up to 2 points per $1 spent
- Choose one of 8 airlines to transfer points or redeem online for a gift card
- Up to 4 free additional Card Members
- Two complimentary entries per year to the American Express Lounge, located at Sydney International Airport or Melbourne International Airport
- No cap on earn rate and no expiry on Membership Rewards points
- 0% on balance transfers for 12 months with a 1% one-off credit plan establishment fee applies. Please note, no interest free days apply to retail purchases while you have a balance transfer
Pros
50,000 Membership Rewards® Bonus Points when you apply online, are approved and spend $3,000 on your Card within the first 3 months
$400 Travel Credit every year
Smartphone Screen Insurance
Earn up to 2 points per $1 spent
Choose one of 8 airlines to transfer points or redeem online for a gift card
Up to 4 free additional Card Members
Two complimentary entries per year to the American Express Lounge, located at Sydney International Airport or Melbourne International Airport
No cap on earn rate and no expiry on Membership Rewards points
0% on balance transfers for 12 months with a 1% one-off credit plan establishment fee applies. Please note, no interest free days apply to retail purchases while you have a balance transfer
Cons
The maximum balance transfer that you can be approved for is $10,000 or 70% of your approved credit limit, whichever is less.
$400 Travel Credit every year
Cardholders receive $400 Travel Credit every year, which can be used towards flights, hotels, experiences or car hire booked online through American Express Travel. That $395 annual fee ain’t looking so bad now, is it?
100% of customers who have rated this card would recommend it
| Interest Rates | |
| Purchase rate | 20.74% p.a. |
| Cash advance rate | N/A |
| Interest free on purchases | up to 55 days |
| Balance Transfer | |
| Balance transfer rate | 0% p.a. for 12 months |
| Balance transfer fee | 1% one off |
| Balance Transfer revert rate | 20.74% p.a. |
| Balance transfer limit | $10,000 or 70% of your approved new credit limit |
| Balance transfer from personal loan | N/A |
| Banks you can't balance transfer from | American Express |
| Credit limits | |
| Minimum credit limit | $3,000 |
| Maximum credit limit | N/A |
| Fees & repayments | |
| Annual fee | $395 p.a. |
| Additional cardholder fee | Up to 4 at no extra cost |
| Cash advance fee | N/A |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% |
| Minimum repayment | 2.5% or $30. Full closing balance for the Amex Platinum Charge Card |
| Late payment fee | $30 |
| Credit card type | American Express |
| Rewards program | |
| Rewards program |  Amex Membership Rewards |
| Bonus points | 50,000 Amex points |
| Annual points cap | uncapped |
| Bonus points spend criteria | Spend $3,000 in first 3 months |
| Earning points with this card | |
| Amex points | 2 points per $1 spent |
| Overseas earn rate | same as standard earn rate |
| Points cap per month | N/A |
| Complimentary insurance | |
| Overseas travel insurance | yes - up to 6 months |
| Flight inconvenience insurance | Yes |
| Transport accident cover | No |
| Smartphone screen insurance | Yes |
| Purchase protection insurance | Yes |
| Extended warranty insurance | Yes |
| Rental vehicle excess cover | No |
| Extras | |
| $400 Travel Credit every year | |
| Eligible with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay | |
| Two entries to the AMEX Lounge at the Sydney or Melbourne International Airport each year |
American Express Explorer Credit Card
Roland Bleyer
Credit Card Expert with over 15 years card experience and the founder of Creditcard.com.au.
The American Express Explorer® Credit Card
Love a bit of prestige? Then this new card from American Express could be the card for you. Take a deep breath. Yes, the American Express Explorer Credit Card is here.
Designed to stand up alongside the big boys, Amex’s new Explorer Card faces tough competition from the likes of the ANZ Rewards Black Credit Card, the Commonwealth Bank Awards Diamond Credit Card, and the Westpac Altitude Black Credit Card.
Does it do the job? Does it stand out from the crowd? Does it really provide all the extras you would expect from a prestige credit card with a prestige price tag? Let’s take a look.
What we love...
Let’s start by pointing out the obvious. This is not meant to be a low cost card that helps you save money. This card is aimed at big earners and big spenders. Not only does it have an annual fee of $395, it also has a purchase rate of 20.74% p.a., and a minimum annual income requirement of $65,000.
If any of that makes your eyes water, then this baby is most definitely not for you.
So, on the basis that we understand exactly what – and who – this card is designed for, let’s move on to what we love about this card.
First off, we couldn’t go far without mentioning the card’s awesome sign-up offer. As a cardholder, you’ll receive 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points on sign-up. Yep, 50,000 points to spend as you like. All you have to do is apply online, get approved and spend $3,000 on your card within the first three months.
On top of that, you have a pretty decent balance transfer offer, giving you 0% on balance transfers for 12 months. Any drawbacks? Check out the next section for more.
Aside from the intro offers, the card has some fantastic extras. Cardholders receive $400 Travel Credit every year, which can be used towards flights, hotels, experiences or car hire booked online through American Express Travel. That $395 annual fee ain’t looking so bad now, is it?
Another interesting extra for frequent travellers is the card’s special airport lounge access. Cardholders can live it up with two entries per year to the American Express Lounge, located at Sydney International Airport or Melbourne International Airport.
What’s not so great...
Back to that balance transfer offer. It’s worth noting that there is a one-off credit plan establishment fee of 1% applied to any balances transferred. In addition, there is a maximum balance transfer of $10,000, or 70% of your approved credit limit, whichever is less.
Why should you choose this card?
As a premium card, the Explorer offers plenty of premium features. Just take a look at all the complimentary insurances on offer. Yes, you get all the ‘standard’ premium card insurances, including travel insurance, car rental insurance, purchase protection, refund protection and extended warranty. But you also get smartphone screen insurance too. Handy.
As for the rewards program, you can earn up to 2 Membership Rewards points for every $1 spent on the card, with no points cap. These points can be redeemed online for gift cards, or transferred to a choice of eight airline rewards partner programs including Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines.
| Program name | Conversion rate |
|---|---|
| Air New Zeland Airpoints (NZ) | 200 MR = 1 Airpoint Dollar |
| Cathay – Asia Miles | 2 MR = 1 Asia Mile |
| Emirates Skywards | 2 MR = 1 Skyward Mile |
| Etihad Guest | 2 MR = 1 Etihad Guest Mile |
| Qantas | 2 MR = 1 Qantas Point |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 2 MR = 1 KrisFlyer Mile |
| Malaysian Airlines Enrich | 2 MR = 1 Enrich Mile |
| THAI Royal Orchid Plus | 2 MR = 1 Royal Orchid Plus Mile |
| Velocity Frequent Flyer | 2 MR = 1 Velocity Point |
| Virgin Atlantic | 2 MR = 1 Flying Club Mile |
| Hilton Honors | 2 MR = 1 Hilton Honors Point |
| Marriot Bonvoy | 3 MR = 2 Marriot Points |
Other extras include access to 24/7 Priority Service, Amex Invites and Amex Offers. Cardholders also benefit from Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, up to 4 free additional Card Members, Emergency Card replacement and Online Fraud Protection Guarantee.
Overall Rating
The American Express Explorer Credit Card is a premium card with premium features. If you are looking for a card that offers amazing rewards, intro offers, features and extras, this is well worth a closer look.
41 questions (showing the latest 10 Q&As)
American Express Explorer Credit Card
Delivering premium rewards with 50,000 Membership Rewards® Bonus Points when you apply online, are approved and spend $3,000 on your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. This offer is available to new Card Members, as well as Bank-issued American Express companion cardholders. $400 Travel Credit every year, Smartphone Screen Insurance and enjoy two complimentary entries per year to the American Express Lounge, located at Sydney International Airport or Melbourne International Airport. Points can be transferred to the following partner programs: Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles™, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, THAI Royal Orchid Plus, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, Air New Zealand Airpoints™. The Hotel Collection includes hundreds of curated properties from trusted brands like Hyatt and Hilton Hotels. When you book two consecutive nights’ stay using your American Express Explorer credit card, you can enjoy a hotel credit up to US$100 and a room upgrade, when available.
Key features
- Receive 50,000 Membership Rewards® Bonus Points when you apply online, are approved and spend $3,000 on your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. This offer is available to new Card Members, as well as Bank-issued American Express companion cardholders.
- $400 Travel Credit every year
- 0% p.a. on balance transfers for the first 12 months - A one-off credit plan establishment fee of 1% applies
- Annual fee of $395
- Enjoy two complimentary entries per year to the American Express Lounge, located at Sydney International Airport or Melbourne International Airport
- Earn 2 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent, except on Government purchases where you will earn 1 point per $1 spent. No cap on earn rate.
- The Hotel Collection includes hundreds of curated properties from trusted brands like Hyatt and Hilton Hotels. When you book two consecutive nights' stay using your American Express Explorer credit card, you can enjoy a hotel credit up to US$100 and a room upgrade, when available.
- Transfer your points to a choice of 8 airline rewards partner programs: Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles™, Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, THAI Royal Orchid Plus, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, Air New Zealand Airpoints™.
- Smartphone Screen Insurance for up to $500 for screen repairs to your Smartphone when you pay for your phone or contract with your American Express Explorer Credit Card
- Eligible for use with Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay
- Be over 18 years old
- Good credit and not applied for multiple credit cards recently
- Australian citizen or permanent resident or hold a current Business Long Stay Visa (subclass 457)
- Minimum income of $65,000 p.a.
- You have your personal details ready to complete the online application
William Noney
1 November 2018Roland
2 November 2018