American Express Essential Rewards

Earn 5 bonus points per $1 for Eats and Drinks. The ‘Eats and Drinks’ category includes restaurants, fast food outlets, cafes, bars and some food delivery services in Australia, such as Uber Eats and Menulog.
⚡ What this category doesn’t include: supermarkets, grocery stores or catering services. Restaurants and bars inside entertainment venues or hotels may not be eligible, or food purchased through third-party apps.

Earn 3 bonus points per $1 for streaming subscriptions. Eligible streaming services include Netflix, Stan, Disney, Prime, Kayo Sports, Binge and Spotify.
⚡ What this category doesn’t include: streaming services bundled with other services like internet or phone plans. You must pay for the service directly to the provider, not through a third party.

Earn 2 points per $1 at selected Australian retailers. The list of partnering stores includes Amazon, Kmart, Bunnings, Myer, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, The Iconic, and Uniqlo. You can earn points online or in-store.
⚡ What this category doesn’t include: purchases made through a third-party app or website rather than directly through the retailer.

Earn 1 point per $1 on all other eligible spending. Eligible spend outside the accelerated earn rate categories will earn 1 Membership Rewards point per $1 spent including government spend.

Australian Entertainment Venues Benefit. Until 13 September 2024, you can get 10% off participating food and beverage outlets in the Qudos Bank Arena, Rod Laver Arena, ICC Sydney Theatre, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Powerhouse and Allianz Stadium when you pay with your Amex Essential Rewards card.

Credit back from partner retailers. You can earn up to 15% back through MyAmexShop plus credit back or bonus points on entertainment, dining, and travel through Amex Offers.

Smartphone Screen Cover. When you purchase your phone outright or pay your monthly phone bill with your eligible American Express card, you can be reimbursed for the cost of the screen repair up to $500 for two events a year. A 10% excess applies to the claimed amount and waiting periods may apply.

More cardholders for free. It won’t cost anything to add up to 4 additional cardholders (but it does help boost your points faster). Extra cardholders must be over 16.

Plan It Instalments. Plan It Instalments lets you nominate a transaction or a portion of your card balance over $150 to pay off in equal monthly instalments interest-free. Normally a fixed monthly fee is charged, but the fee is waived for 3-month plans initiated between 22 April 2024 and 31 October 2024.

Card insurance. You’ll get Card Purchase Cover, which covers stolen or damaged eligible items within 90 days of purchase, and Card Refund Cover if you’re having trouble getting a refund on an item. Buyer’s Advantage Cover gives you an extended manufacturer’s warranty of up to 12 months on eligible purchases.

• Gift cards: choose from a range of retailers such as Uber, Hoyts, Westfield, David Jones, Rebel Sport, Amazon, Event Cinema, Sephora, SuperCheap, Harvey Norman, Xbox and more.
• Shop with Points: redeem points at Myer online if you’re the primary cardholder.
• Points + Pay: if you’re short on points you can pay the difference with cash.
• Cover Charges with Points: nominate a purchase on your credit card to be paid with points and the transaction amount is credited back to your account.