What it earns
| Category | Rate | Value per $ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 4× | 6.8¢ | capped at $150,000 of spend, conditional |
| Gas | 4× | 6.8¢ | capped at $150,000 of spend, conditional |
| Media & Advertising | 4× | 6.8¢ | capped at $150,000 of spend, conditional |
| Software & Cloud | 4× | 6.8¢ | capped at $150,000 of spend, conditional |
| Transit | 4× | 6.8¢ | capped at $150,000 of spend, conditional |
| Wireless & Telephone | 4× | 6.8¢ | capped at $150,000 of spend, conditional |
| Flights | 3× | 5.1¢ | capped at $150,000 of spend |
| Hotels | 3× | 5.1¢ | — |
| Portal travel | 3× | 5.1¢ | flights, hotels and car hire |
| Everything else | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Groceries | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Home Improvement | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Insurance | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Medical & Pharmacy | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Office Supplies | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Rent | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Shipping & Postage | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
| Streaming Services | 1× | 1.7¢ | — |
Cents-per-dollar figures use our standard point valuations, not transfer-partner rates. Transferring to an airline or hotel partner at the right moment can beat these numbers; routine redemptions generally will not. We publish the conservative figure on purpose.
What the fee has to earn back
This card charges $375 a year. Its best rate is 6.8¢ per dollar on Dining, against 1.7¢ on everything else — an edge of 5.1¢ per dollar.
So the fee is covered at roughly $7,353 of dining spending a year, before any statement credits.
That is arithmetic on the published rates above, and it assumes the spending is real rather than moved around to chase the category. Statement credits can change the answer sharply in either direction — a credit you never use is not a discount. Whether your spending clears this is what the audit measures.
Welcome offer
200,000 points
After $15,000 of spending in the first 3 months. (Last confirmed reading — these terms could not be re-read on the most recent check, and welcome offers change often. Confirm with the issuer.)
A welcome offer is only worth what you can actually reach. The audit checks the minimum spend against what you really spend each month, rather than assuming you will hit it.
Notes
4× on your top 2 categories (to $150k/yr); $300 ChatGPT Business Credit
Rates can change without notice; confirm with American Express before applying.
Disclosure — the Apply link for this card pays us. Applying through it earns a referral reward for MaxMyPoints or for someone here, at no cost to you. The offer through a referral link is sometimes better than the issuer’s public one; the welcome terms shown above are read from American Express’s public page, so treat them as the floor rather than the ceiling. None of this reaches the audit: it ranks cards on published rates and your own spending, and never reads which cards carry a referral link. This page itself carries no application link.