Amex Membership Rewards Gold credit card

Amex Membership Rewards Gold

4.0

American Express · Amex

The American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (MRCC) is Amex is entry-level card in India — known for its generous 18 Karat and 24 Karat gold point programs and 5X partner multipliers. The Rs.4,500 annual fee is waived at Rs.1.5L spend in year one. Best for Amex enthusiasts who want to accumulate Membership Rewards points transferable to airline programs.

Annual Fee

₹1,000

Waived at ₹1.0L spend

Joining Fee

₹1,000

Base Reward Rate

1X

₹0.5/pt

Min CIBIL

680

₹4L+ income

Key Features

5X Membership Rewards on Amex Travel and select merchants
1 MR point per Rs.50 on other spends
Transfer to Air India, Singapore KrisFlyer, Hilton, Marriott, Radisson
Annual fee waived at Rs.1.5L (yr1) / Rs.3L (yr2+)
18 Karat and 24 Karat bonus programs
Amex Offers — rotating discounts at restaurants, retailers
Global customer service and card replacement

Welcome Benefits

✓

4,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points

Earn 2,000 MR points on first spend of Rs.5,000 within 30 days, plus 2,000 MR points on spending Rs.25,000 within the first 3 months.

Reward Rates by Category

Dining

2X

Travel

2X

Online

2X

Shopping

2X

Grocery

2X

Fuel

1X

Utilities

2X

Other

1X

Partner Earn Rates

PartnerCategoryEarn Rate
Amex Travel (goAmex.in)Travel5X
BookMyShowEntertainment5X
Amex Dining PartnersDining5X

Milestone Benefits

₹5,000

1,000 Bonus MR Points (18 Karat)

Earn 1,000 bonus MR points when you make 4 separate transactions of Rs.1,000+ each in a month.

First Month

₹25,000

1,000 Bonus MR Points (24 Karat)

Earn an additional 1,000 MR points on spending Rs.25,000 in a month.

First Month

Airport Lounge Access

Domestic

0 visits/year

International

0 visits/year

Insurance & Protection

Purchase Protection

Full replacement or refund within 60 days if eligible item stolen or damaged

Up to ₹50,000

Zero Liability on Lost Card

Complete protection — report within 3 days

100% fraudulent charges

Credit Shield

Outstanding dues waived in case of accidental death

Outstanding balance

Eligibility Criteria

Age

18–65 years

Salaried Income

₹6.0 L+ per year

Self-Employed

₹7.0 L+ ITR

Min CIBIL Score

700+

Salaried: Rs.6 Lakh annual income. Self-employed: Rs.7 Lakh ITR. Amex approval is known to be selective regardless of income — strong credit history and responsible card usage matter. Existing Amex cardholders adding the MRCC typically face easier approval.

Pros

  • 5X Membership Rewards points on Amex Travel and select partners
  • Accumulated points transfer to Air India, Singapore KrisFlyer, Hilton and more
  • Annual fee waived at Rs.1.5L spend in year one
  • 18 Karat and 24 Karat bonus programs for consistent monthly spenders
  • Amex customer service is genuinely excellent
  • Global Amex merchant offers and dining privileges

Cons

  • Amex acceptance significantly lower than VISA/Mastercard in India
  • Annual fee waiver threshold rises to Rs.3L from year two
  • Base earn rate (1 MR per Rs.50) is lower than top Indian cards
  • No lounge access on this entry-level card
  • MR points value depends entirely on transfer partner choice

Redemption Options

Flight tickets

Good via airlines₹0.5/pt

Gold collection vouchers

Good₹0.5/pt

Transfer Partners

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

2:1

Air India Flying Returns

2:1

Club Vistara

2:1

British Airways Avios

2:1

Hilton Honors

1:1

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amex MRCC accepted everywhere in India?+
No — Amex acceptance in India is significantly lower than VISA or Mastercard. Most major hotels, airlines, restaurants and larger retailers accept it. But local kirana stores, many petrol pumps, and smaller offline merchants typically do not. You need a VISA or Mastercard backup card for daily use.
What is 1 Amex MR point worth?+
MR points can be transferred to airline programs like Air India Flying Returns (1:1), Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (1:1), Hilton Honors (1:3), Marriott Bonvoy (1:1) and others. In economy flight redemptions, MR points are worth Rs.0.50-1.00 each. In premium cabin or hotel redemptions, value can reach Rs.2-3 per point.
What is the 18 Karat and 24 Karat program on Amex MRCC?+
These are monthly bonus programs. Make 4 transactions of Rs.1,000+ each month (18 Karat) and earn 1,000 bonus MR points. Spend Rs.25,000+ in a month (24 Karat) for another 1,000 bonus MR points. Combined, these add 2,000 bonus points per month for consistent spenders — worth Rs.2,000-4,000 annually depending on how you transfer.
Is Amex MRCC worth Rs.4,500 if you also have an HDFC or Axis card?+
Depends on your spending. If you spend heavily at Amex travel partners and transfer miles to Singapore Airlines for premium redemptions, yes. If you want a primary everyday card with wide acceptance, stick with HDFC Regalia Gold or Axis Magnus and use Amex supplementally for its offers and dining partners.

Ready to apply?

Apply on the American Express website. Usually takes 10 minutes.

User Reviews(1)

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AnonymousVerified Cardholder
24 Oct 2025

Best entry-level Amex with milestone rewards

The MRCC is my favorite card for dining and the 1000 MR point bonus each month when you spend above Rs 1,500 in a single transaction. Amex customer service is genuinely the best I have experienced. Points transfer to Marriott Bonvoy and airlines is useful.

What I liked
  • ✓Monthly 1000 MR bonus on Rs 1,500 single transaction
  • ✓Excellent Amex customer service
  • ✓Good dining offers
  • ✓Points transfer to hotels and airlines
What could be better
  • ✕Not accepted everywhere in India
  • ✕Foreign transaction fee is 3.5%

Amex Membership Rewards Gold

₹1,000/yr · 1X rewards