American Express SmartEarn Credit Card
Entry Level Paid Card
Best For: Online Shopping, Travel Rewards, Everyday Spending
Launched in September 2019, the American Express SmartEarn Credit Card is designed for millennials and young professionals in India seeking high rewards on daily spends. As part of the American Express Trifecta (alongside Platinum Travel and Gold Cards), it caters to low-to-mid-range spenders, offering maximum value at a ₹20,000 monthly spend threshold.
Features and Benefits
- Cashback
- Reward Points
- Airmiles
- Airport Lounge
- Utility Bills
- Insurance
- NPS
- Education
- Rent
- Fuel
- Government Payment
- Jewellery
- Giftcards
- Wallet Load
- Rewards on EMI
Welcome Benefits
4,000 Membership Rewards Points will be applicable upon payment of the Joining fee and on spending INR 15,000 within the first 90 days of Card membership.
Rewards and Cashback
- Reward Point for every Rs. 50 spent.
- Accelerated rewards
- 5X points on Amazon
- 10X points on Flipkart, Zomato, Ajio, Nykaa, BookMyShow, Uber, and Swiggy
Fuel Surcharge Waiver
- 0% convenience fee on fuel purchases at HPCL stations for transactions under ₹5,000.
- 1% fee on transactions above ₹5,000
Lifestyle Benefits
Renewal Benefits
5,000 Rewards Points upon First Year Card Renewal, on payment of annual membership fee. Points to be credited within 90 days of Card renewal
Reward Redemption
- You can redeem 24,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points for any one of the following options:
- Taj voucher worth Rs. 14,000
- Shoppers Stop voucher worth Rs. 10,000
- Tata Cliq voucher worth Rs. 9,000
- Tanishq voucher worth Rs. 9,000
- Amazon voucher worth Rs. 8,000
- Flipkart voucher worth Rs. 8,000
- Reliance Digital voucher worth Rs. 8,000
- If you have 18,000 Amex points, you can get any one of the following:
- Taj voucher worth Rs. 9,000
- Shoppers Stop voucher worth Rs. 7,000
- Tata Cliq voucher worth Rs. 7,000
- Myntra voucher worth Rs. 7,000
- Amazon voucher worth Rs. 6,000
- Flipkart voucher worth Rs. 6,000
- Reliance Digital voucher worth Rs. 6,000
- Transfer your American Express Membership Rewards Points to hotel and airline loyalty programs, like Marriott Bonvoy, offering 1 Bonvoy Point per Amex Point. Marriott Points are valued between ₹0.4 and ₹1.2, averaging around ₹0.50 per point.
- Redeem Reward Points on booking flights and hotels.
- Redeem Reward Points in your Amex Credit Card Statement as Real Cash at 1 Points = Rs.0.25
Fee and Charges
₹ 1000 + GST
₹ 4500 + GST
for Renewal Fee Waiver (INR)
₹ 150000
Add-on Cards
Pros
Aspects that make this credit card amazing.
- Very high reward Rate considering it’s an entry-level card.
- 6% value back if redeemed points of Mariott Hotels, 4% Valueback if redeemed points on Amazon Pay Giftcard, 3% Valueback if Redeemed points as Real Cash in Statement
- Available as First year free if applied through referral link. Click “Apply Now” on the top of this page to apply through referral link.
- Many options to choose to redeem the reward points
- Reward Points can be redeemed as real cash in statement
- Very attractive instant discount offers from Amex, advertised through its mobile app
- 0% Convenience Fee at HPCL Fuel Stations
Cons
Aspects this credit card lacks.
- Acceptability issue, especially for offline usage.
- Relatively high renewal fee if the card hasn’t been applied through a Referral Link. However, if you can Amex customer care at the time of renewal and would request, they generally provide a significant discount on the renewal fee.
Spend Categories with No Cashback / Rewards
No reward points on following:
- Fuel (includes petrol, diesel, CNG)
- Insurance
- Utility (Utility services include providers of household/domestic electricity, gas and water. These providers can be government departments and agencies including local, state, and municipal organizations, public housing societies and apartment associations.)
- Any EMI option selected from a merchant’s website e.g. online shopping with Amazon or Flipkart etc. and on any EMI option selected at the Merchant’s terminal e.g. a Chip and PIN transaction at Croma retail store etc. At the same time, you will continue to earn Membership Rewards Points on all EMI transactions through American Express® SafeKey and on all EMI conversions done post-purchase.
Eligibility Criteria
- Age: 18 years or more
- Income (For Salaried): Rs.6 lacs per annum
- Income (For Self-Employed): Rs.6 lacs per annum
- Resident Indian as defined under the Income Tax Act of India
- residents of Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Nagpur, Nasik, Trivandrum and Mysuru
- Applicant must have an Indian or multinational bank’s savings or current account in India
Rating & Reviews
(4.4/5)
Reward Value
3.5/5
Lifestyle Benefits
Ease of Reward Redemption
3.5/5
Value for Money
3.5/5
Customer Service
3.5/5
The American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card stands out as a great choice for beginners. It offers appealing reward rates, particularly with its monthly milestone bonuses. It provides various redemption options, including converting rewards into statement credit. The card delivers maximum value for users with a monthly spend of around ₹20,000.
If you consistently spend ₹20,000 per month, you can earn an effective value back as follows:
- Earn 6% value back (2,400 points for ₹20,000 spent) when redeeming points at Marriott Hotels, assuming a point value of ₹0.5.
- Get 4% value back by redeeming points for Amazon Pay Gift Cards.
- Enjoy a 3% value back when redeeming points as a statement credit for cash.
- Offering a value back of 3% to 6%, this entry-level credit card is an excellent choice for those looking to optimize rewards on everyday spending.
Important Links
Here are essential links to help you maximize rewards with your American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card:
- Monthly Milestone Bonus Enrollment: A one-time enrollment is required to earn Monthly Milestone Bonus Reward Points. Enroll here: bit.ly/3Q5twV2
- Amex Reward Multiplier Portal: Earn 2x Reward Points on eligible spends through the Amex Reward Multiplier Portal. Access it here: bit.ly/4d1AzI3
- Redeem Points via Amex 24k and 18k Gold Collections: Explore redemption options from the exclusive Gold Collections. Learn more here: bit.ly/4aE0T9J
- Amex Travel Portal: Redeem points for flights and hotel bookings through the travel portal. Visit: bit.ly/3UoSWQ8
- Amex Discount Offers: Take advantage of discounts on dining, travel, and more. Check them out here: bit.ly/3UmIN5h
- Points Transfer to Airmiles and Hotel Loyalty Programs: Transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs for added value. Details here: bit.ly/3TYGXqZ
- Use these resources to unlock the full potential of your card!