New Amex Refer-A-Friend Offers Include Bonuses For Dining

Referring your friends and family for new credit cards is a great way to earn extra rewards points. Aside from this, it can often unlock offers for those you refer that are better than publicly available links. That’s why Amex’s latest news is so exciting — starting February 2024, those with eligible American Express cards can score big referral bonuses for a limited time. Let’s take a look at what’s on the table.

Earn additional rewards on dining with referral bonuses

Valid for applications from Feb. 22, 2024 to May 22, 2024, these referral bonuses are huge.

• Those who successfully refer a friend will earn 10 American Express Membership Rewards® points per $1 spent on dining worldwide for three months (up $25,000).
• Those who hold cash-back cards will receive 10% back instead.
• Those who open a new card will get 20% back in statement credits for restaurant purchases for three months (up to $50 back).

The list of cards that qualify for these referral offers is significant (terms apply):

Maximizing your bonuses

The bonus you’ll get for referring someone to a card is much better than the one you’ll get if you’re just opening the card, though up to $50 in statement credits is nothing to sneeze at, either.

That being said, there’s a huge difference in the value of the rewards you’ll earn depending on which card you refer.

If possible, your best bet is to refer someone to the Amex Gold Card, which already gives you 4 points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.). Combine this with the 10 points you’ll get for referrals, and you’ll end up with 14 points per $1 spent whenever you eat out (terms apply).

Amex points are some of the most valuable flexible points currencies you’ll find, thanks to their broad array of hotel and airline loyalty transfer partners. Thanks to these partners, it’s often possible to redeem your points for a value of up to 2 cents each.

In contrast, were you to refer someone to the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card, you’ll earn just 12 Delta SkyMiles per $1 spent thanks to its lower bonus rewards on dining at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) (terms apply).

Delta SkyMiles are less flexible than Amex points because they can only be redeemed with Delta or its airline partners. Beyond this, it can cost quite a few SkyMiles to book a flight, which means they tend to be worth less than Amex points.

The bottom line

With such a big list of cards from which to choose, odds are decent that you already have one or two of these cards in your wallet. If you have a friend who’s been asking about card recommendations, now’s the time to have them apply — and pocket a few extra points while you’re at it.

Travel credit cards come in many varieties. Our guide will help you choose the right card for your unique needs.