Save up to 50% on Amazon by using just one Amex Membership Reward point

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Just in time for Amazon Prime Day, certain American Express cardholders can save big by paying with American Express Membership Rewards points at checkout.

Now through 5 p.m. EST. on July 13th, Amazon customers can take advantage of a variety of targeted discounts when they use their American Express Membership Rewards® points at checkout. Some of the available offers are for up to 50% off (up to $80), up to 40% off (up to $60) or up to 15% off (up to $15) purchases of eligible products. Typically, you'll only need to redeem one Membership Rewards point to earn the deep discount. However, for the 15% off offer, you'll need to redeem 714 Membership Rewards points, which are worth roughly $5 in Amazon merchandise.

Here's what you need to know about these great offers, and how to maximize them.

American Express offers the option to use Membership Rewards points to cover the entire cost of an Amazon purchase. Unfortunately, this is not a great option as the value of your points is 0.7 cents per point, much less than the value you can get with other redemption options. But with this promotional offer, one point can be worth up to $80.

To see if you are targeted for the offer, simply click this link here. You'll also need to make sure you connect your Amex account to your Amazon account to be eligible to shop with your points. If you don't already have an American Express card linked to your Amazon account, there is also a targeted deal available to get up to $15 off when you add and use an eligible American Express card.

If you're targeted, the steps are simple:

• Once you go to checkout, you will be asked to use Membership Rewards points.
• In the box, type in the minimum amount needed to qualify for your offer (typically $0.01)

You should then see a line item in your checkout box that shows your discount.

It's best to redeem the minimum amount of Amex points with this offer — using more than the minimum gets a poor value for your points.

There are several terms to keep in mind:

• Not all Amazon accounts are targeted for these offers
• Offer only applies to products shipped and sold by Amazon.com
• Offer doesn't apply to the purchase of digital content
• This promotion is available only to Amazon.com customers with an eligible Membership Rewards points card issued in the United States

If you aren't earning American Express Membership Rewards points, there are plenty of redemption ideas to keep in mind other than your next Amazon order.

Membership Rewards are some of the most sought-after credit card rewards points because there are many ways to redeem them. When you earn Amex Membership Rewards points, you can:

• Transfer the points to various airline and hotel loyalty programs. This is generally regarded as the most valuable way to use Amex points.
• Use the points to book travel directly through AmexTravel.com
• You can cover your charges directly on your statement
• Pay with points at checkout of major retailers like Best Buy and Walmart
• Redeem for gift cards
• Purchase merchandise through American Express

Each of these redemptions will net you a different value for your points. While using your Amex points for less valuable redemptions isn't the end of the world, like statement credits and purchasing merchandise through Amex, it is important to understand how much value you get for every dollar you spend.

There are several American Express credit cards that earn Membership Rewards. This includes both personal and business credit cards.

The Platinum Card® from American Express: The Amex Platinum is currently offering 80,000 American Express Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 within the first six months of card membership. The card comes with a long list of features, including a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry statement credit, up to $200 airline fee credit, up to $200 in Uber Cash (benefit renews annually), travel insurance and more. The annual fee is $695 (See rates and fees). Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.

American Express® Green Card: The Amex Green Card offers new cardholders the chance to earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first six months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first six months of Card Membership, up to $200 back in the form of a statement credit. It comes with several benefits such as: CLEAR® Plus membership credits and LoungeBuddy credits. The annual fee is $150. (See rates and fees).

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: The Amex Business Platinum Card is similar to the Amex Platinum listed above, but it offers additional benefits to small business owners like up to $400 Dell credit (up to $200 semi-annually, enrollment required), spend management tools and excellent travel benefits. New cardholders can earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with the card within the first three months.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: The Blue Business Plus card is a no-annual-fee business credit card (see rates and fees) with a simple earning structure: You will earn 2X points for every dollar spent on eligible business purchases, up to $50,000 per year (then 1X).

Select American Express cardholders may be eligible for a targeted Amazon discount when using Membership Rewards points to pay for part of their purchase. With the current offers, you can receive discounts of up to 50% off your eligible purchase.

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For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees for the American Express® Green Card, click here.

For rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.