American Express Explorer Credit Card

The American Express Explorer offers a big 150,000 bonus points, a yearly $400 Travel Credit and complimentary lounge passes, with a $395 p.a. annual fee.

The Amex Explorer is suited to people who want a credit card with rewards and travel perks. Right now you can get 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards Points when you apply online as a new card member by 26 October 2021 and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months of card approval. That’s enough for $750 worth of travel through Webjet or shopping at David Jones.

This card’s annual fee is at the higher end of the scale, but you can offset it completely if you used the travel credit each year. It also has a relatively high 20.74% p.a. interest rate for purchases, so you’ll usually get the most value from this card if you can pay off the full amount listed on your statement by the due date – which gives you access to interest-free days for purchases.

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Amy Bradney-George

Last Updated Aug 10, 2021

150,000

Bonus points

20.74% p.a.

Purchase rate

Reward points

Per $ spent

$395 p.a.

Annual fee

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Details

Product Name	American Express Explorer Credit Card
Rewards program	Membership Rewards
Purchase rate	20.74% p.a.
Annual fee	$395
Interest-free period	Up to 55 days on purchases
Min credit limit	$3,000
Card type	American Express
Foreign currency conversion fee	3%

Minimum income	$65,000
Available to temporary residents	Yes - Conditions apply
Joint application	No

Pros

150,000 bonus Membership Rewards points
$400 travel credit every year
2 complimentary airport lounge passes per year

Cons

Standard purchase rate of 20.74% p.a. is relatively high
$395 annual fee is high if you cannot make full use of the travel benefits

Rewards program	Membership Rewards
Bonus points	150,000
Rewards points per $ spent	2
Rewards points cap	Uncapped

Annual fee	$395
Minimum monthly repayment	2.5% of the closing balance or $30, whichever is greater
Late payment fee	$30
Foreign currency conversion fee	3%
Additional cardholder fee	$0
Number of additional cardholders	4

Go to American Express's site More info

Review by

Amy Bradney-George

[email protected]

Amy Bradney-George has been writing about personal finance for more than 13 years – including over 600 articles as a senior writer for Finder. Her work has also appeared in publications including Money Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, Financy, ABC News Australia and Equity Magazine. Amy has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Drama from Griffith University.

Expert review

The American Express Explorer is one of the few cards that offer a yearly travel credit, giving you $400 value towards travel booking in Australia or overseas (when borders open again). Plus, using the travel credit each year will help you justify the card's $395 annual fee.

If you're new to Amex, this card has a generous 150,000 bonus points offer that adds value in the short-term. While not all Membership Rewards options are publicly listed, these points give you $750 value for Webjet bookings or shopping at David Jones. You can also exchange your Membership Rewards for points with 9 partnered frequent flyer programs, including Velocity Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Air New Zealand Airpoints – plus hotel partner Hilton Honors.

The Amex Explorer also has a high earn rate of 2 points per $1 on most everyday, eligible purchases. Although, this drops to 1 point per $1 spent with government bodies, such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). It also offers complimentary domestic and overseas travel insurance and 2 complimentary entries to the American Express lounges at either Sydney or Melbourne international airports – although you won’t really get value from those until you travel overseas.

How to apply

You can apply for the American Express Explorer credit card online in 10 minutes and receive a response within 60 seconds. Check if you meet the eligibility criteria and that you have the necessary information to complete the application before you get started:

Eligibility criteria

New card member. If you want to receive 150,000 bonus points, you must not currently hold or have previously held any card product issued by American Express Australia Limited in the proceeding 18-month period.
Minimum income. You must have a personal gross (pre-tax) annual income of $65,000 or more.

Credit history. You must have a good credit score, with no history of bad debt or payment default. If you don't know your credit score or what's on your file, you can get a free copy of your credit report through Finder.
Residency. You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a current long term visa (12 months or more). Student visas are not eligible.
Age. You must be at least 18 years of age.

Required documents

Personal details. You'll need to provide personal details such as your full name, date of birth, contact information and address.
Identification. You might need to provide proof of identity such as your driver's licence or birth certificate.
Income. You'll be asked to confirm your annual income and provide proof with recent payslips and bank statements.
Employment. This includes your current place of employment and your employer's contact information.

Go to American Express' site More info

Card benefits

150,000 bonus points. When you apply online by 26 October 2021, are approved and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership, you will earn 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards points. The points will be added to your account within 8 to 10 weeks of meeting the spend criteria.
$400 travel credit. Each year you have the card, you'll get a $400 travel credit you can use on a single booking made through American Express Travel, for eligible domestic or international trips. This travel credit is available once you have paid the $395 annual fee for that year and have met the minimum repayment requirements on your last statement.

Shop Small points offer. Earn extra 3 Membership Rewards Points per $1 spent and support small businesses. Just save the American Express Shop Small offer to your card and spend with participating businesses by 31 March 2022. The offer is valid both in store and online and you can earn a maximum total of 40,000 extra points. Check out Finder's news story on Shop Small for a breakdown of how it works.
Complimentary airport lounge passes. This card offers two complimentary passes to American Express Lounge at Sydney International (Kingsford Smith) Airport (T1) or Melbourne International Airport (T2) each year. To use the passes, just present your card at the reception desk, then relax before your flight with free wi-fi, food and drink, barista-made coffee and comfortable seats.
Membership Rewards points. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases and 1 point per $1 spent with government bodies. You can exchange your Membership Rewards for points with nine partnered frequent flyer programs. This includes Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Emirates Skywards, plus hotel partner Hilton HHonors. You can also transfer points to the Hilton Honors hotel loyalty program.
Complimentary travel insurances. Pay for your return overseas travel with this card and you can save on insurance costs with complimentary Medical Emergency Expenses Cover, Travel Cancellation Cover, Baggage, Money and Documentation Cover and Travel Inconvenience Insurance Cover. Cover is also effective when you pay for the full return fare using Membership Rewards points or the $400 Travel Credit.
Hotel Collection. You can receive a hotel credit of up to USD$100 and a complimentary room upgrade, where available, when you book at least 2 consecutive nights at selected hotels using your American Express Explorer credit card. Depending on the booking, you may also be able to use Membership Rewards points (Pay with Points) or part of your Travel Credit to pay for bookings.
Smartphone screen insurance. You'll receive up to $500 for screen repairs if you accidentally break your smartphone screen. A 10% excess applies per claim with a maximum of 2 claims every 12 months.
Mobile contactless payments. Whether you have an Android, Apple or Samsung device, you can tap and pay with the convenience of your smartphone when you link your account to Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay.
Purchase protection insurance. You can shop with peace of mind with purchase protection, refund protection, an online fraud protection guarantee and a buyer's advantage policy that can extend the manufacturer's warranty by up to 12 months on eligible items purchased with this card.

Rates & fees

Annual fee. The American Express Explorer's annual fee of $395 p.a. is completely offset by the $400 Travel Credit when you redeem it.
Interest rate. Purchases attract an interest rate of 20.74% p.a.

Interest-free days. If you pay your balance in full by the statement due date, you'll get up to 55 interest-free days on purchases during each statement period which can help you reduce your interest costs.
Foreign transaction fee. If you use this card to make a foreign transaction overseas or when shopping online, you'll be charged 3% of the transaction value.
Additional cardholder. You can earn points faster when you request up to 4 additional cards for $0. Please note that the additional card member must be at least 18 years of age and you'll be liable for all spending and charges added to the account.

Go to American Express' site More info

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103 Comments

Stuart
August 29, 2019

When exchanging Amex points for Velocity points, is it a 1 for 1 swap?

finder Customer Care

Jeni
August 30, 2019

Hi Stuart,

Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.

Transfer rates from an existing eligible American Express credit card Membership Reward points to the Velocity Frequent Flyer account vary. In Australia, you may only transfer American Express credit card Membership Rewards points to the Velocity Frequent Flyer account if you have one of the following Amex cards:

American Express David Jones
American Express Essentials
American Express Gold Card
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
American Express Platinum Card
American Express Business Card
American Express Gold Business Card
American Express Platinum Business Card

Please note that a minimum of 2,000 points per transfer is required. You can also refer to our guide about transferring frequent flyer points for more details.

I hope this helps.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Jeni

anne
February 20, 2019

How does the balance transfer int rate work when you have other transactions on it. If we wanted to pay the current transaction off and leave the balance transfer to only pay what it works out to be each month to have it paid within the twelve months. Is this possible

Nikki
February 21, 2019

Hi Anne,

Thanks for getting in touch! Balance Transfer interest rate (20.74% p.a.) will only be applied to the balance transfer amount and not on purchases made to the account. The purchase rate (20.74% p.a.) will be applied to purchases made on the card if not paid on time. Ideally, you are required to pay the full amount required of your balance transfer for 12 months and at least the minimum monthly payment for purchases/transactions made on the card. Ultimately, check the terms and conditions of the card to obtain more information.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Nikki

ron
November 9, 2018

what is the best way to acquire 50,000 points whit out buying them .

Nikki
November 9, 2018

Hi Ron,

Thanks for reaching out! As it says on our page to earn 50,000 bonus points, you need to apply online and spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months and the best way to acquire those bonus points. Hope this clarifies.

Best,
Nikki

Bruce
October 28, 2018

Can you please tell me how the $400 travel credit is redeemed each year and does it accrue if it is not used?

finder Customer Care

Jeni
October 28, 2018

Hi Bruce,

Thank you for getting in touch with finder.

As per this card’s T&C, to redeem this card’s $400 travel credit, the card member must have paid the annual fee and have paid the minimum payment on the card member’s first and most recent American Express Explorer credit card statement by the due date. The minimum amount is calculated as set out in the Financial Table – you may verify the amount by contacting Amex directly. The Travel Credit can be used for 365 days from the card member’s anniversary date and cannot be carried forward to any subsequent year.

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.

Thank you and have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Jeni

Daniel
September 27, 2018

How will it take to get the bonus points upon spending that 3k?

finder Customer Care

John
September 27, 2018

Hi Daniel,

Thank you for leaving a question.

Generally, when the $3000 eligible purchase is completed and validated by American Express. You will be able to see the points earned by the next credit statement that you receive. If you have further questions on this you may call 1800 059 388. Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Reggie

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