Maximizing Benefits With The Amex Trifecta

There are plenty of benefits available with Amex points rewards, but each card available varies in terms of what perks you can enjoy. However, you can make the best of what Amex offers by using multiple cards to maximize the benefits you have access to.

One way of doing this is to employ the Amex Trifecta method. This is the process of combining three American Express cards so you can start earning membership rewards points on various spending categories.

Below we will talk you through what an Amex Trifecta is. We will also look at the answer to "is trifecta worth it?" and give you the best trifecta tips to maximize the benefits available.

What is an Amex Trifecta?

The Amex Trifecta strategy involves picking and using three separate Amex cards to optimize your spending so that you get the best possible perks and the largest amounts of Amex membership rewards points.

With an Amex trifecta strategy, you can use three different cards to access the best rewards. For example:

• Use the Amex Express Green Card or Platinum Card from American Express to pay for your travel expenses and get the best rewards points on flights booked with the card.
• Use the Platinum Card to pay for dining for the first six months of opening the account. Then you can switch to the American Express Gold card to continue getting the best return on trifecta meals and dining.
• For all other purchases, you can use the Amex Blue Business Plus Credit Card.

While using these cards to optimize your points to pay ratio, you will also benefit from some great complimentary travel benefits. These include:

• Free access to airport lounges.
• Hundreds of dollars’ worth of statement credit annually.
• Credit or reimbursements for airport TSA memberships and partner services.

Is Trifecta Worth it?

The key to deciding whether an Amex Trifecta strategy is a good fit for you, is to work out if the benefits and points you will earn outweigh the cost of the rates and fees involved. Each card will have an annual fee to pay and you may need to hit a minimum spend requirement within a few months of card membership to access bonus points.

So, before you start applying for cards, you will need to assess whether your current spending habits are a fit for this technique. If you frequently travel and use credit cards for your spending on dining and everyday expenses, then this can be an effective way to maximize the rewards you receive from your everyday and travel spending.

Trifecta Tips - How to Make the Most of Your Amex Points Rewards

Once you have started using the Amex Trifecta technique to earn the largest amount of Amex points rewards with your spending, you can further optimize your points through transfer partners.

Here are some ways to get the best possible return on the Amex membership rewards you build up.

• Transfer your points to Amex hotel and air carrier partners who offer higher value per point.
• Book your flights and hotel rooms through the Amex Travel portal.
• Use Amex Travel to upgrade your seat on eligible flights. '
• Redeem for gift cards that offer higher spending value.

Do your research and check which partners, hotels, and airline partners to make sure that you get the best value redemption of Amex points rewards. You are likely to get the highest value per point when you transfer your points to a partner airline to book high-value tickets (for example in premium cabins.)

Trifecta Tips - How to Earn the Best Amex Points Rewards by Each Card

You can earn 4x points on Spending on Dining and Groceries

When you use the American Express Gold Card, you can earn 4 points per dollar you spend on dining. You will also earn the same number of points on your spending in US supermarkets for the first $25,000 you spend each year.

If you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases using the card within the first 6 months of card membership you will also be rewarded with 60,000 bonus Amex points rewards.

The annual fee for this card is currently $250. But benefits include up to $120 annual dining credits and $120 Uber cash credits which almost cover this cost right away.

So, if you often dine out and use your credit card for groceries, including this card in your Amex trifecta is a smart way to quickly build up Amex points rewards.

Access 5x Amex points on Travel Spending

When choosing which cards you should include in your Amex trifecta, there are two options for your Amex travel spending. One option is best for luxury travel bookings, whereas the other is best for everyday Amex travel spending.

The Platinum Card from American Express is a premium card with an annual fee of $695. With this card you can earn 5x points per dollar you spend booking flights or hotel reservations on Amex Travel (for up to $500,000 of purchases per year.)

You'll also be able to access a bonus of 80,000 Amex points rewards after spending $6,000 within the first six months of opening your card. Other benefits of this card include:

• Statement credit for a Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership.
• $200 worth of Airline statement credits per year.
• $200 worth of annual Uber Cash credit to be spent on travel or Uber Eats in the US.
• $300 credit for Equinox gym and Soul Cycle at Home Bike membership.
• $12.95 monthly statement credit for Walmart+ membership.
• Gold elite membership status with Marriot and Hilton hotels.

Including this card in your trifecta offers you the opportunity to build up points quickly if you travel a lot and make enough use of the benefits detailed above to justify the annual fee.

The American Express Green Card offers a more budget-friendly way to maximize your travel spending. Using this card, you will be able to earn 3x points on your dining and travel spending with a lower annual fee of $189.

You'll also be able to benefit from a $100 credit for LoungeBuddy airport lounges and a $189 credit towards Clear Membership. So, if you are already spending for TSA check membership and lounge access, using this card could actually save you money from the get-go.

You'll also benefit from travel insurance which covers baggage theft, delays or losses as well as rental car damage, and flight delays (terms apply.)

Earn Extra Points on Amex Everyday Credit Card Business Spending

If you want to avoid an annual fee on one of your Amex trifecta cards, then the Amex Blue Business Plus card is a great option. There is no annual charge and you can earn 2x points on all of your card purchases up to a total of $50,000 for each year. After you hit this limit, you will be able to earn 1 point per dollar for the rest of your spending.

To get the best return on your spending you should try to use the card only while in the US. If you use it while traveling, you will need to pay foreign transaction fees.

If you have a side business, an additional source of income, or rent our properties, you may be able to successfully apply for this card. You don't need to own your own, large multi-million dollar organization to qualify.

Takeaway - Maximizing Benefits with the Amex Trifecta

To make the most of your spending across travel, dining, and everyday purchases - using the Amex trifecta method can be incredibly effective. You'll be able to use different cards in different spending categories to make sure you are always getting the best possible rewards for your purchases.

Once you have used this method and our trifecta tips above to build up a large amount of Amex points rewards, you can then transfer them to partners to make sure you get the best dollar value from each point.

When looking at "is trifecta worth it?", you need to assess your current spending habits and work out if the associated benefits and complimentary memberships will cover your annual fee. You may end up saving money while paying the annual fee if you are already using and spending money on memberships that are complimentary with the card.

Picking the right cards for your Amex trifecta will help you quickly build up the best level of Amex points rewards possible on your spending across all areas and make sure you get the best value rewards for each dollar you spend.