The American Express Explorer Credit Card: your best choice

As the name shows well: the American Express Explorer Credit Card is a card especially recommended to Australian travelers. With high limits and advantageous APRs, it also has some perks, benefits and discounts to top it all off. 

While its annual fee might put you off (more on that further ahead), its rewards programs more than makes up for it. Since this is a credit card designed with traveling in mind, you’ll notice there are plenty of perks for insurance, flight booking and even room booking. 

Would you like to find out in detail about its advantages, rewards and many travel benefits? Keep reading to understand why this credit card became a personal favorite to many travelers! 

How does an American Express Explorer Credit Card work? 

First off, you must know that the American Express Explorer Credit Card comes from 2021 Credit Provider of the Year: AMEX Australia. It’s also a Mozo Experts Choice Awards Winner, a program that started back in 2014 with the intention of highlighting the best finances related products in the country. 

It is a traveling credit card with a lot of perks, but also high cost. So you might want to reconsider if you have poor or average credit scores or are struggling to rein in your spending. 

However, if you look for a card that allows you to get the best offers when it comes to the items below, you came to the right place: 

• Flights; 
• Insurance; 
• Booking; 
• Rentals; 
• Security.

As soon as you get an approval for this card, you’ll earn a $400 credit that can be used in almost any travel package. You’ll also be eligible for bonus membership points that we’ll explain further ahead. 

A warning before we get any further: the promotions and membership points we’ll talk about are only available to new AMEX clients. If you already have a credit card from this provider, they probably won’t apply to you.  

Insurance and travel safety with American Express Explorer

American Express Explorer offers its clients some advantages when purchasing security items for your travels. Your smartphone, for example, can get up to $500 protection for its screen. Be aware that 10% excess applies in these cases. 

Still on the subject of phones, you can get a special 12 month extended manufacturer’s warranty if it’s purchased with this credit card. This also covers stolen or damaged items, again: only for products acquired with this AMEX card. 

Once you buy flights or book hotels with the American Express Explorer you’ll also receive travel inconvenience insurance. This means that you’ll have medical expenses, amendment and travel cancellation coverage. Such an inconvenience insurance is applied for you and your family too!

There’s also an online fraud protection guarantee in place to keep you safe. We know that many purchases for travel and day to day life happen online and scams are rather common. So you won’t be held responsible for anything acquired without your knowledge. 

Other benefits and rewards

Here comes the part you were waiting for: the rewards. To summarize, American Express Explorer can give you: 

• $400 credit to spend on domestic or international flights on selected companies (yearly reward); 
• Complimentary travel insurance; 
• 100.000 membership rewards points that can be exchanged for $500 in gift cards; 
• No cap on membership rewards points with spending; 
• Two annual entries to American Express Lounge at Melbourne International or Sydney International Airport;
• 4 free additional cards; 
• $100 hotel credit after booking 2 consecutive night stays with The Hotel Collection. 

As you can see, this is quite the traveler’s card. 

The promotional 100.000 membership points apply only for new customers after spending $4.000 on the first three months. Afterwards, you’ll get 2 points for each dollar spent on travel items and flights. Since there isn’t an extra fee for up to four additional cards, you can use your family’s spending to earn points faster. These can be exchanged for AMEX gift cards. 

Are you flying international? No problem, you can transfer points to some companies, such as Singapore, Etihad or Emirates airlines. 

American Express Explorer fees and APR

The American Express Explorer has a $395 annual fee, quite high for this type of credit card. However, if you use your annual $400 credit you can make up for it in no time. There is also a standard 20.74% p.a. that could make holding a balance quite expensive. 

Once you get an approval for this credit card you’ll be able to increase the credit limit quite fast. Within the first three months you’ll be eligible for a $4.000 credit limit, available for those who make payments without delay. 

You cannot turn your balance into cash with this credit card. There is also no offer available to allow balance transfer to other cards. Other fees include: 

• Late payment fee: $30;
• Foreign exchange margin: 3%;
• Duplicate statement fee: $10;
• Transaction verification fee: $10. 

Who is eligible for an American Express Explorer? 

To be able to get the American Express Explorer you must have a yearly revenue of at least $65.000. You also must be a permanent resident, Australian citizen or hold a long term visa, as well as have a residency within the country. 

When it comes to credit history, this is a card only for those with no record of debt or default payments. A good credit score is necessary to get your new credit card approved. This offer is only available for people who are 18 years or more. 

Don’t get this credit card if…

You’re not a frequent traveler! While the high credit limit can be alluring at first, the costs and minimum income for this card are quite crippling, especially if you don’t actually use any of its benefits. As long as you’re on the road quite often, the chances are you’ll save up a lot in insurance, tickets and other services. 

If your spending is mostly focused on daily necessities, such as gas and supermarket purchases, AMEX has some equally good credit card offers for you. So it might be better to research a bit more before making your final decision. 

While there is no cap to the amount of points you can get with this reward program, you must pay attention to where these gift cards can be used. Most of them only apply for flights or related products, so you might let them expire without yearly travels. 

Fees and how to apply for American Express Explorer Credit Card

This credit card has a $395 annual fee that can be easily made up for with its $400 yearly credit. There is also a 20.74% p.a., quite the high value making it inadvisable to hold a balance in this card. 

If you have an annual income of at least $65.000 and are an Australian citizen then you’re eligible for this credit card. Be aware that there will be a credit check, since it’s only available for good score holders. After making sure you have all the eligibility criteria feel free to apply through AMEX’s own website.

How to Apply

Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and apply through the AMEX website. The $395 annual fee is offset by the $400 yearly credit, making it a valuable card for those who travel frequently.

Conclusion

The American Express Explorer Credit Card is an excellent choice for frequent travelers seeking high limits, advantageous APRs, and a wealth of travel-related perks. With substantial rewards such as annual flight credits, comprehensive travel insurance, and valuable membership points, this card offers significant value to those who travel regularly.

However, the high annual fee and APR may be a drawback for some, particularly those who do not travel frequently or have other spending priorities. It’s important to weigh the card’s benefits against its costs and your personal financial habits.

For those who meet the eligibility criteria and can take full advantage of its rewards, the American Express Explorer Credit Card can be a powerful tool for enhancing your travel experiences and managing travel expenses efficiently. If you’re a dedicated traveler looking for a card that offers substantial travel benefits and rewards, this card is worth considering.