Amex Trifecta India
The Amex Trifecta is a smart way to maximize your rewards by using three Amex credit cards together. In the US, it usually includes the Amex Platinum, Gold, and Blue cards. But in India, it’s all about the Amex Platinum Travel Card, Gold Charge Card, and MRCC Credit Card.
By combining these three cards, you can earn around 100k Membership Rewards (MR) points in your first year with a spend of ₹7.12 lakh — that’s a solid 7% reward rate! And the best part? You only pay ₹1,000 as the annual fee for the first year. Even in the second year, you can still rack up over 90k points.
Amex Trifecta India: How It Works
1. Amex Membership Rewards Credit Card (MRCC)
With the Amex MRCC, spend ₹20k per month, making sure 4 of those transactions are ₹1.5k each. This earns you 2k bonus MR points plus 400 regular points—2,400 points each month, or 28,800 annually.
Tip: Always apply through a referral link to lower your second-year fee from ₹4,500 to ₹1,500.
2. Amex Gold Charge Card
Use your Amex Gold Card for 6 transactions of ₹1k each per month, and you’ll receive 1k bonus MR points and 120 regular points, totaling 1,120 points monthly or 13,440 points yearly.
Tip: Moving abroad? If you’ve held an Amex card in India for over a year, you can apply for one in your new country as soon as you arrive.
3. Amex Platinum Travel Card
Spend ₹4 lakh annually on the Amex Platinum Travel Card to unlock 48k MR points and a ₹10k Taj voucher. This card has spend-based milestones, making it perfect for big purchases like insurance or festive shopping.
Tip: You’ll need to call customer service to convert milestone points into regular reward points; it’s not automatic.
Maximizing Your Points Value
- Pay with Points: Redeem points for statement credits (₹0.25 per point), or at stores like Amazon and BigBasket.
- Taj Vouchers: Redeem at ₹0.50 per point for Taj vouchers, or ₹0.58 per point with blocks of 24k points.
- Insta Vouchers: Though most offer low value, some options like the Postcard Gir Jungle Safari provide up to ₹0.80 per point.
- Marriott Bonvoy: Transfer points to Marriott for high-value redemptions, or to airlines like Cathay Pacific for flights.
- Airline Transfers: Redeem 48k points for a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong or 40k for a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
Maximizing Your Rewards
- Reward Multiplier: Earn extra points shopping on platforms like Flipkart and Apple through Amex’s Reward Multiplier program.
- Gyftr Portal: Buy vouchers for Amazon, Taj, and more to reach spending goals while earning 2x-5x points.
- Fuel Purchases: Use Amex for fuel and reach spending milestones for bonus points, even though fuel doesn’t directly earn rewards.
Final Thoughts
The Amex Trifecta (MRCC, Gold, and Platinum Travel cards) can offer over 6% in rewards when used smartly. Just be mindful of the acceptability of Amex cards and the higher fees from the second year onward before diving in.