Amex Trifecta - Optimal Usage Guide

[Subhankar]

Sometimes back I wrote a handwritten note on how to maximise the utilisation of AMEX Trifecta and shared over Twitter, so here's the guide. Hope it helps

The Cards used here are the followings:

1. AMEX Membership Rewards Credit Card
2. AMEX Platinum Travel Credit Card
3. AMEX Gold Charge Card

As per the talks, AMEX ban is suppose to get lifted "soon enough", this guide may help you to make your choice on with which card you'd like to go for and how to maximise the MR points accumulation without breaking the bank


A huge chunk of contribution of it came from Sujit Kumar Hota ( @Skh27 ) and if you want maximise the use of MR points into airmiles, you can check this compact guide by Tejas Ghongadi ( @Tejas ) : AMEX MR Points' Utilisation in Airmiles






Apply For An Amex Credit Card - Click Here

 

[niket]

This is what I suggested you yesterday 🙂

Yep, thanks! I created my sheet on combination of your message and this thread!
Main difference is I have used MRCC instead of Plat Reserve.

 

[amitr29]

Yep, thanks! I created my sheet on combination of your message and this thread!
Main difference is I have used MRCC instead of Plat Reserve.

Your sheet is good and comprehensive 👍

 

[itsds]

My plans to get a minimum 9.3% value back on annual spends on 5.5L via Amex.

How will you justify renewal fee for Gold and Platinum Travel ? are not we suppose to subtract renewal fee from net return ?

 

[Ankur dhanda]

How will you justify renewal fee for Gold and Platinum Travel ? are not we suppose to subtract renewal fee from net return ?

Try to get equivalent points for gold charge renewal fees. I have been able to get 10-12.5K points.

 

[baran12]

I applied for a plat. reserve and travel which got rejected due to some reason so via some connection of mine I applied for MRCC just to get into the Amex Relationship. I noticed that it wasn't a referral application but a usual one where the fees are 1K for FY and 4.5K next year onwards. The card has been dispatched.
Any tips on how I can get the fees to be similar to a referral one or get it adjusted anyway? I've no issues with the first-year fee but 2nd year 4.5K looks a bit much. It has 90K yearly spending 50% fee waiver and 100% fee waiver on 1.5L spend but if it can be adjusted similarly to referral fees, that's quite helpful as one wouldn't have to be bound to spend that much just to waive fees.

 

[pennypincher]

I have exhausted my annual limit on AMEX Travel. Should I go for trifecta or get another Plat Travel for my wife? My spends are 1L+ monthly

 

[ChurningNoob]

I have exhausted my annual limit on AMEX Travel. Should I go for trifecta or get another Plat Travel for my wife? My spends are 1L+ monthly

Is amex your primary card? If yes, then with 1L spends you will hit another 4L on wife's PT easily or if you have other cards them trifecta makes sense so you need to spend 6k (Gold) + 6k (MRCC) + 14k (MRCC) to make the most out of it.

One thing for sure, stop using your PT card and as always mera referral le lo

 

[coolguy1]

I have exhausted my annual limit on AMEX Travel. Should I go for trifecta or get another Plat Travel for my wife? My spends are 1L+ monthly

If your spends are fixed to 6k-20k every month, then get the trifecta.

If your spends are unknown and can hit 4L in a year, get another Plat Travel for your wife.

 

[Sohmel]

Hi guys, looking for some help here. Sorry for the long post - but would appreciate some help.

I just got the gold charge approved and now have the trifecta (Plat Travel + Gold + MRCC)

I have been holding the MRCC for over 3 years.

However, I was unaware of the reward multiplier and using my card directly to make payments and just receiving 1000 MR points for 1500 x 4 transactions per month + 1000 more points for the 20,000 spend per month.

My spends on a monthly basis as a family are easily over 1L a month (thinking of getting complimentary 2 cards now)

I don't pay rent, I pay for health insurance (over 1.5L yearly as a family), but I usually take no-cost EMI on my other cards since AMEX usually doesn't offer it.

I have never used the reward multiplier portal, so just wanted to know how does it work?

From what I understood -

1. Platinum Travel - I should spend 4L on it however I can (not using portal, and spending it on dining, lifestyle works just fine)

2. MRCC - I should load 1500 x 4 transactions using Reward multiplier (I'm not sure on what, Amazon voucher? How does it work? Still Valid? What can I use it to pay for?) For the rest 14,000 per month, I should just use it swiping it wherever example on medicines.

3. Gold Card - I just received it but should I be doing 1000 x 6 transactions using Reward Multiplier again? Should I just be spending 6,000 on this a month?

My spends are usually on dining, lifestyle, travel (use uber alot), shopping, medicines etc.

Like I mentioned my spends usually cross 1L a month - so if I spend 4L on Plat Travel, 2.4L on MRCC, 78k on Gold - where should I spend the rest 5L? Using Gold I'm assuming?

Thanks a lot. Would love to get some insight either over call or a chat.

How I usually spend the points is - I had over 122K AMEX points I had collected over the past few years.

Lately, I transferred that 122K AMEX points to Marriot Bonvoy using 30% bonus transfer - So got 158K Marriot Bonvoy Points.

I later redeemed this for a 5-night stay in Peak Season at Ritz Carlton Istanbul (it costs around 39K points per night but costed me 156K Marriot Bonvoy Points since I got the 5th night free)

Per night stay in Ritz Carlton Istanbul is around ~70k on average in the peak season I booked for. Total stay if booking with cash would have costed me 3.5L.

So Per Point Value I got was around INR 2.2 - which I think is pretty decent. Please let me know otherwise.

 

[shrey11]

I have amex mrcc, if I want to aim for trifecta and add the gold charge card next, how can I do it for the minimum annual charges?

 

[coolguy1]

I have amex mrcc, if I want to aim for trifecta and add the gold charge card next, how can I do it for the minimum annual charges?

Applying directly with attract a first year fee, use any referral and get first year reduced to 1k.
From second year, MRCC will get waived off at 1.5 lac or 50% off on 90k spends.

While Gold Charge gets expensive at 4k second year fees, so hit 50% off on MRCC and move the rest of your spends here.
Most people have gotten 50% off on fees with ~1L spends so that becomes 2k or you can take the spend-based offer and get it waived off.

 

[amit]

I have amex mrcc, if I want to aim for trifecta and add the gold charge card next, how can I do it for the minimum annual charges?

Plat travel - FYF through referral
Gold charge - 1000 charges for first year through referral.

 

[shrey11]

Applying directly with attract a first year fee, use any referral and get first year reduced to 1k.
From second year, MRCC will get waived off at 1.5 lac or 50% off on 90k spends.

While Gold Charge gets expensive at 4k second year fees, so hit 50% off on MRCC and move the rest of your spends here.
Most people have gotten 50% off on fees with ~1L spends so that becomes 2k or you can take the spend-based offer and get it waived off.

But there is no direct spend based offer on gold card. How to avail it through customer care ??

 

[ALOAK]

Yesterday just cancelled smart to upgrade to MRCC. Rep said I had to wait 90 days and he asked would u still continue with amex said what benefits amex will give based on that immediately he said I just checked and I don't have to wait for 90 days for upgrade and he said I can apply after 24hrs of cancelling the card . At first he said full fee 4500 I said all others are getting fyf or first year 1k fee why not me same way treatment immediately he sent link with 1k fee.

 

[coolguy1]

But there is no direct spend based offer on gold card. How to avail it through customer care ??

Make the most of 5x multiplier awards if you can move your expenses there.
Customer care can't help you with spend based offers but they will able to help you fee-waiver offers if the spends are high.

 

[krishg]

I have a stupid question. Why does Platinum Travel card have "Travel" in the name? As per me, it's just a milestone-based reward stuff! What's so special about "travel" in this card (like Axis Atlas is a travel specific which everyone knows). Maybe Amex did just a marketing gimmick for India market? Because there is no platinum travel card Amex offers in global markets. I may be wrong!!!

 

[sxchzy]

I have a stupid question. Why does Platinum Travel card have "Travel" in the name? As per me, it's just a milestone-based reward stuff! What's so special about "travel" in this card (like Axis Atlas is a travel specific which everyone knows). Maybe Amex did just a marketing gimmick for India market? Because there is no platinum travel card Amex offers in global markets. I may be wrong!!!

amex has a travel portal just like smartbuy and travel edge

 

[krishg]

amex has a travel portal just like smartbuy and travel edge

I know. ATO. But you can use any Amex card to book from there! Does plat travel card gives any additional benefit while booking from ATO?

 

[sxchzy]

I know. ATO. But you can use any Amex card to book from there! Does plat travel card gives any additional benefit while booking from ATO?

not sure about other cards
as for additional benefits there isnt any
the prices aee cheaper compared to other platforms

 

[krishg]

not sure about other cards
as for additional benefits there isnt any
the prices aee cheaper compared to other platforms

I am not talking about the platform. I am refering specifically the plat travel card..