Amex Membership Rewards Changes from 11 October 2026 — What Actually Matters for Your Points
American Express has announced a long list of changes to the Membership Rewards ecosystem in India — and two of them are genuinely major.
Most of the announcement is routine app and servicing housekeeping. But buried in it are changes that will directly affect how much your points are worth and what you can do with them.
All changes are effective 11 October 2026 — with one deadline landing even sooner. Here’s what actually matters, in order of impact.
The two changes that matter most: (1) Your Membership Rewards points will be split and linked to individual cards instead of sitting in one combined balance. (2) The MRCC 50% annual fee waiver on ₹90,000 spend is being withdrawn.
Major Change 1: Your Points Are Being Split by Card
This is the big one, and it will affect a large number of cardholders.
Right now, Membership Rewards points sit in one single balance at customer level across every Amex card you hold. From 11 October, points will be linked to the specific card through which you earned them.
And this applies retrospectively — your existing points balance will also be assigned to the respective cards.
Why this matters: the Taj Gift Card redemption gap
| Card | Taj Gift Card Redemption Value |
|---|---|
| Amex Membership Rewards Credit Card (MRCC) | 1 point = ₹0.58 |
| Amex Gold Charge Card | 1 point = ₹0.58 |
| Amex Platinum Charge Card | 1 point = ₹0.58 |
| All other Amex cards | 1 point = ₹0.50 |
That’s a 16% difference in redemption value depending on which card the points sit against. Until now, with a single pooled balance, this distinction didn’t arise. From 11 October, it will.
Practical example: 100,000 points redeemed for Taj Gift Cards is worth ₹58,000 if they sit on an MRCC, Gold or Platinum Charge — but only ₹50,000 if they sit on another card. A ₹8,000 difference on the same points.
Why this matters: the Taj Gift Card redemption gap
The obvious question is whether you can move your existing points onto your best card before the split takes effect.
The answer, per Amex, is no. Amex is not allowing consolidation of existing points under one particular active card. Whatever balance was earned on each card stays with that card.
The unanswered question: points from closed cards
Many people are holding points earned on cards they have since closed. What happens to those?
Amex has said these points will be linked to an existing active card. But which one, if you hold multiple active cards? As of now, they don’t know.
If you’re carrying a meaningful balance from a closed card, this is worth following up on directly with Amex before 11 October rather than finding out afterwards.
What about transfer partners?
As of now, there is no impact if you’re transferring points to Marriott or other transfer partners. Transfer ratios remain the same across cards.
Major Change 2: MRCC Annual Fee Waiver Withdrawn
Bad news specifically for MRCC holders. 😔
The 50% annual fee waiver on spends of ₹90,000 or more in a Card Membership year will not be available from 11 October 2026.
For anyone who has been hitting ₹90,000 annually purely to halve their renewal fee, that calculation now disappears entirely. The full annual fee applies regardless of spend.
If you were holding MRCC largely because the effective fee was manageable at half price, this is a good moment to reassess whether the card still earns its keep in your wallet.
Changes Worth Knowing About
Points blocked entirely when payment is overdue
This one is easy to miss and can be expensive.
If your payment is still due when your next statement is generated:
- You won’t earn Membership Rewards points on card transactions made from that statement date
- You won’t be able to redeem Membership Rewards points during this period
Both resume once the due balance is paid. But a single missed cycle now costs you both earning and access — not just interest and fees.
Supplementary card applications paused — act before 30 September
New applications for Supplementary Cards will be temporarily paused from 22 September 2026.
If you’re considering adding a supplementary card, Amex is advising you to apply before that date and complete the application by 30 September 2026.
There’s no stated reopening date, so if a supplementary card was on your list, this is a now-or-wait-indefinitely situation. ⏱
Milestone transactions counted by posting date
The monthly milestone continues — 1,000 bonus points for 4 eligible transactions of ₹1,500 each in a calendar month. That hasn’t changed.
What has changed is the counting method. Eligible transactions will now be counted based on the date they are posted to your card, not the transaction date. Bonus points are awarded at the end of the calendar month once all eligible transactions have posted.
Why this matters: a transaction made on the 30th or 31st that posts in the following month will now count towards the next month’s milestone, not the current one. If you typically complete your four transactions at month-end, move them earlier.
Late payment fee now calculated on Total Amount Due
Your Late Payment Fee will now be based on fee slabs calculated on your Total Amount Due instead of the Minimum Amount Due. Slabs range from ₹500 to ₹1,250.
For anyone who has been paying only the minimum, this meaningfully raises the cost of a late payment.
EMI changes — more transactions, fewer routes
| What’s Improving | What’s Going Away |
|---|---|
| Convert up to 10 individual transactions to EMI (up from 6) | EMI requests via SMS |
| Real-time automated conversion, no separate form | Conversion of outstanding balance into EMI |
The Rest: Mostly Improvements
The bulk of the announcement is app and servicing upgrades. Genuinely useful, but nothing that changes the value of your points:
- New Memberships tab in the Amex mobile app bringing card benefits and offers into one place
- Redeem points directly in the app — including transfers to partner airlines and hotels, previously website-only
- Statement credit in one go — apply points against your outstanding balance without selecting individual transactions
- Update contact details digitally — email, phone, address
- Real-time transaction controls for domestic, overseas and online transactions
- Freeze or unfreeze your card and request replacements in-app
- Digital dispute and refund journeys on both app and website
- Refunds adjusted towards payment due — eligible refunds received by your due date now count towards Minimum and Total Amount Due, including those received after statement generation
Interest calculation illustrations in the MITC are also being updated.
What to Do Before 11 October
A short checklist based on the above:
- Check where your points actually sit. If you hold multiple Amex cards, work out which balance is on which card — this determines your redemption value from 11 October.
- If you hold points from a closed card, contact Amex now to establish which active card they’ll be assigned to.
- Consider redeeming high-value balances early if your points currently sit on a card that will drop to the ₹0.50 Taj rate.
- Apply for any supplementary card by 30 September if you want one — applications pause from 22 September with no reopening date.
- MRCC holders: recalculate. Without the 50% fee waiver, does the card still justify its full annual fee for you?
- Move month-end milestone transactions earlier so they post within the same calendar month.
My Take
The app and servicing upgrades are welcome, and some of them are overdue.
But the points split is a structural change, not a cosmetic one. Splitting balances by card, refusing consolidation, and leaving closed-card points unresolved creates real complexity for anyone holding multiple Amex cards — and it removes flexibility that cardholders previously had.
The MRCC fee waiver withdrawal is more straightforward: a direct reduction in value for existing holders, with nothing offered in return.
Let’s hope things are changing for something better. 🤞
What do you think about these changes? Let me know in the comments. 👇
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Some links in this article are referral links. If you apply through them, I may earn a referral benefit at no extra cost to you — this never influences my reviews or recommendations. Programme terms, redemption rates and card features change frequently — always verify current details directly with American Express before making any decision.
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