PSA: American Express 10Xcelerator to require registration from 2025

The American Express Platinum cards are what I call “benefits cards” in the sense that you hold them for the benefits they confer, not so much day-to-day spending. Depending on which Platinum card you own, the regular earn rate is just 0.69-0.78 mpd, among the worst in the market.

There’s one exception though: the 10Xcelerator programme. This is a specially-curated group of merchants such as IWC and Samsonite, which offer Platinum cardholders bonus Membership Rewards (MR) points that increase the earn rate to as high as 7.8 mpd.

While the 10Xcelerator programme was always a passive benefit, American Express has just sent out a notification that from January 2025, registration will be required. It should be a simple enough task to do, though it’s still something important to be aware of.

How does the 10Xcelerator programme work?

Card	Earn Rate	Cap
AMEX Platinum Charge	7.8 mpd	S$16K per calendar year; 3.9 mpd after
AMEX Platinum Reserve	3.47 mpd	N/A
AMEX Platinum Credit Card	3.47 mpd	N/A

As a brief recap, when spending at 10Xcelerator merchants, AMEX Platinum Credit Card and AMEX Platinum Reserve Cardholders will earn 3.47 mpd: 

• The usual base 2 MR points per S$1.60 spent (0.69 mpd)
• An extra 8 MR points per S$1.60 spent (2.78 mpd)

AMEX Platinum Charge Cardholders will earn 7.8 mpd on the first S$16,000 spent, and 3.9 mpd subsequently:

Do remember that the AMEX Platinum Charge enjoys a preferential conversion rate of 400 MR points = 250 airline miles, versus 450 MR points = 250 airline miles for the Platinum Credit Card and Reserve. 

Here’s an example of 10Xcelerator in action for a S$129.25 transaction at Monti with the AMEX Platinum Charge

This transaction earned a total of 1,600 MR points, broken down as follows:

• 160 MR points (80 + 80), awarded under the AMEX Platinum Charge’s standard 2 MR points per S$1.60 rate
• 640 MR points, awarded under the bonus 8 MR points per S$1.60, uncapped
• 800 MR points, awarded under the bonus 25 MR points per S$4, capped at S$16,000 per calendar year 

In other words, you’ll see four different line items for a single transaction. 

For the avoidance of doubt, supplementary cardholders do not have their own 10Xcelerator cap. Transactions made on supplementary cards will still be eligible for 10Xcelerator bonuses, but the S$16,000 calendar year cap is shared with the principal cardholder.

10Xcelerator bonuses apply regardless of whether you tap the physical card or use it with a mobile wallet. 

Registration required from January 2025

Per an email sent out by American Express, the 10Xcelerator programme will require manual registration from 1 January 2025 onwards. An enrolment link will be sent to cardholders via email on that date. 

As to why American Express has decided to change this from a passive benefit to an opt-in one, well, there’s obviously some element of cost control here. It’s the same reason why Hilton and Marriott or DBS and UOB require customers to opt-in for promos; there’s no sense rewarding someone who was totally unaware and therefore would have spent with or without the promotion. And if it’s a choice between requiring registration or nerfing the programme because it’s become unsustainable, I guess this is the lesser of two evils. 

I’m not sure whether the registration email will be considered a marketing communication or account-related update, so if you don’t want to take the risk, now would be the time to update your communication preferences. This can be done by logging into the AMEX website > Account Management > Alerts, Communication & Privacy > Marketing Preferences.

Remember that communication preferences are on a card-level basis, so be sure to choose the correct card (at the top). 

I personally find it a mild annoyance that a former core feature now requires opting in, but so long as the IT implementation is sound and those emails go out as scheduled, it falls in my eye-roll category. Of course, I would be highly annoyed if there’s any technical issues or missing points to chase up- if you want to change the status quo, it’s on you to make sure the implementation is seamless. 

But there will inevitably be some people who get caught out by this, and if you’re reading this article sometime in 2025 after wondering why your bonus points are missing, my commiserations. Please don’t scream at the CSOs; it’s not their call to make.

Which merchants participate in 10Xcelerator? 

Here’s the latest list of 10Xcelerator merchants. Do remember that bonuses may only apply for in-store transactions; be sure to read the details carefully for your merchant of choice.

Conclusion

From 1 January 2025, the American Express Platinum 10Xcelerator programme will be offered on an opt-in basis, with cardholders required to register in order to earn bonus Membership Rewards points.

This has the potential to be a nasty surprise for those who don’t pay attention to their emails, so be on the lookout for an email with the registration link. I’ll also drop a reminder on the MileLion Roars channel when the time comes, so subscribe if you’re the forgetful sort.